Universal bracket for caster attachment to wire fabricated components

• US 5,934,639 A
• Filed: 07/11/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John Gusdorf & Associates, Limited
• Original Assignee: John Gusdorf & Associates, Limited
• Inventors: Chiang, Peter, Oberhaus, Fred D., Yuan, Tally, Gusdorf, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Tan
• Application Number:
  US08/891,551
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 248/346.11, 248/352, 248/188.9, 16/29, 16/31 R, 16/43, 16/30, 16/21, 206/513
• US Class Current: 248/346.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/00 Feet for furniture in general castors B60B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0002 assembling to the object, e.g. furniture

Abstract

A universal bracket incorporating upper and lower components, the upper and lower components may be connected by a plastic hinge, or separate, with each component containing cooperating locking means to provide for permanency in their interconnection together, for supporting a downwardly depending caster, when the universal bracket is applied to a wire fabricated product, such as a basket, cart, shelf, or other type of item of furniture fabricated from wire components.

Claims

1. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and a caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, a hinge means integrally formed between the upper and lower bracket components, said hinge means formed along one side edge of each of said upper and lower bracket components, providing for the pivotal opening of the upper bracket component with respect to the lower component, and said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position therebelow, and facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.

2. The universal bracket of claim 1 and wherein said fastening means for holding the upper and lower bracket components together includes at least one tab extending from the opposite side of a bracket component, and disposed for engagement with the opposite side edge of the other bracket component, to secure the upper and lower bracket components into closure and attachment with the associated shelving or other furniture.

3. The universal bracket of claim 1 wherein said boss extends downwardly from the lower surface of the lower bracket component.

4. The universal bracket of claim 1 wherein said boss extends inwardly interiorly of the lower bracket component.

5. The universal bracket of claim 1 wherein said fastening means includes at least one threaded aperture provided within one of said upper and lower bracket component, the other bracket component having at least one aperture provided therethrough, and the fastening means including at least one screw securing within the threaded aperture of the one of said upper and lower bracket component to secure the upper and lower bracket components together during attachment of the universal bracket to shelving or other furniture.

6. The universal bracket of claim 1 wherein said fastening means includes the upper end of said caster shaft being threaded, the upper end of said caster shaft extending through the upper bracket component, and a nut securing onto the threaded upper end of the caster shaft to secure the upper and lower bracket components together for their securement to shelving or other furniture.

7. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, and said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position there below, said caster shaft having an upward extension, said upward extension being threaded, said upward extension inserting through the boss means aperture and into the lower bracket component, nut means threadedly engaging with the threaded upper extension of the caster shaft, for securement of the caster to the lower bracket component, the upper bracket component having a series of connecting means, said connecting means grasping the side edge of the lower bracket component during attachment of the two bracket components together, during installation, while embracing the shelving or other furniture there between during installation, and facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.

8. The universal bracket of claim 7, and wherein said lower bracket component along its upper surface includes a series of slots therein, said slots designed for location of the shelving wires therein during attachment of the caster means to said shelving or other furniture.

9. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, and said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position there below, said caster shaft incorporates an upper integral extension, said extension being threaded, said caster extension designed for insertion through the boss aperture, said upper bracket component having an aperture therethrough, said threaded extension extending through said upper bracket component aperture, nut means engaging said threaded extension, and designed for securing the upper and lower bracket components together, and locating of the wires of the shelving therein for attachment of the caster to said shelving or other furniture, and facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.

10. The universal bracket of claim 9 and wherein the upper surface of the lower bracket component having a series of slots formed therealong, said slots provided for accommodating the wires of the shelving therein during attachment of the upper and lower bracket components together.

11. The universal bracket of claim 10 including the lower surface of the upper bracket component having a series of slots formed therein, and said slots designed for accommodating the insertion of the wires of the shelving therein during attachment of the upper and lower bracket components together when secured with said shelving or other furniture.

12. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position therebelow, said fastening means securing the upper and lower bracket components together includes at least one tab extending from opposite side edges of one of the bracket components, and detent means, in the form of at least a slot, formed of the opposite side edges of the other bracket component, so as to provide for engagement of the tabs within the detent means slots for securing the upper and lower bracket components together and for providing for their embracing of shelving or other furniture components during caster installation, and to facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.

13. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, and said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position therebelow, at least one of the upper and lower bracket components includes a series of aligned slots, said shelving being formed of wire, and the aligned slots of the upper and lower bracket components providing for embracement and location therein of the wire structure of the shelving, and to provide for securement of the shelving therein during attachment of the upper and lower bracket components together, and to facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.

14. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, and said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position there below, said caster shaft having an upper integral extension, a flange means connecting with the upper end of said extension, the upper bracket component having an aperture therein to provide for clearance for locating of the caster shaft flange means therethrough, there being a slot communicating with the said aperture, and said slot designed for embracing the upper extension of the caster shaft, and securement of the flange means thereon, for attachment of the upper and lower bracket components together and providing for their securement with shelving or other furniture during installation, and facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.

15. A caster bracket for use in combination with shelving, or other furniture, comprising a pair of bracket components, an upper bracket component and a lower bracket component, fastening means for securing the bracket components together, the lower bracket component having a boss integrally formed therewith, a bore formed through said boss, a caster and caster shaft, the caster shaft operatively extending through said boss bore for securement of said caster to the bracket, and said upper and lower bracket components securing with said shelving or other furniture to support said caster into position there below, said fastening means includes a series of tabs, extending laterally from the lower bracket component, and said tabs designed for inserting within slots formed interiorly of the upper bracket component, for engaging said upper and lower bracket components together when secure with shelving or other furniture, and facilitate the roller movement of the shelving or other furniture to other locations.