Caster system used with wooden or plastic legs for furniture

Abstract

A caster and leg assembly for supporting a piece of furniture on a floor. The assembly includes a caster affixed within a recessed area formed in the bottom of a wooden or plastic furniture leg to create a strong support for the furniture as well as create a good appearance. The caster has at least one spherical roller supported within the housing to allow the furniture to be readily movable omnidirectionally. With one spherical roller, the weight of the furniture acts at the center of the spherical roller. In one embodiment, there are three spherical rollers located equidistant from the vertical center line of the assembly to support the furniture weight equally by the spherical rollers. A glide can be readily attached and detached from the bottom of the caster and, when attached, the glide cup covers the spherical rollers and presents a flat, planar bottom surface.

1 . A caster and leg assembly for supporting a piece of furniture positioned on a generally planar surface, said caster and leg assembly comprising a wooden or plastic leg extending downwardly and having a lower end with a recessed area formed therein, and a caster affixed within said recessed area, said caster having a housing containing at least one spherical roller, said at least one spherical roller adapted to contact the generally planar surface for supporting said caster and leg assembly, a plurality of spherical balls located intermediate said at least one spherical roller and said housing, said spherical balls adapted to move in a continuous circulatory path within said housing and to enter the area intermediate said at least one spherical roller and said housing by means of gravity, wherein said at least one spherical roller is freely rotatable under load to allow movement of the piece of furniture along the generally planar surface in any direction.  
   
   
       2 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein said caster has a central vertical longitudinal axis and said at least one spherical roller comprises one spherical roller having its center point located along said central vertical longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       3 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein said caster has a central vertical longitudinal axis and said at least one spherical roller comprises three spherical rollers having their center points spaced equidistant from said central vertical longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       4 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein said assembly is substantial housed within the recessed area of the leg to create an overall smooth, contiguous exterior profile of the leg and caster assembly.  
   
   
       5 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein the assembly includes a glide having a flat bottom that is attachable to and detachable from the housing to cover and uncover the at least one spherical roller.  
   
   
       6 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein the leg is affixed to the piece of furniture.  
   
   
       7 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein the leg has a lower surface having a hole formed therein and said housing has a stem extending upwardly therefrom that interfits into the hole in said leg.  
   
   
       8 . A caster and leg assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein the housing is affixed to the leg by means of screws.  
   
   
       9 . A method of affixing a caster onto a wooden or plastic furniture leg of a piece of furniture, said method comprising the steps of: 
 forming a recessed area in the lower end of a wooden or plastic furniture leg,    providing a caster comprising a housing containing at least one spherical roller, said at least one spherical roller adapted to contact a generally planar surface for supporting the piece of furniture, the caster having a plurality of spherical balls located intermediate said at least one spherical roller and said housing, said spherical balls adapted to move in a continuous circulatory path within said housing and to enter the area intermediate said at least one spherical roller and said housing by means of gravity, wherein said at least one spherical roller is freely rotatable under load to allow movement of the piece of furniture in any direction.; and    affixing the housing of the caster within the recessed area of the furniture leg.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of forming a recessed area comprises molding a recessed area in the lower end of a plastic furniture leg.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of forming a recessed area comprises cutting a recessed area in the lower end of a wooden furniture leg.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of affixing the caster within the recessed area comprises affixing the caster so as to substantially enclose the caster housing within the recessed area.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of providing a caster comprising a housing containing at least one spherical roller comprises providing a caster comprising a housing containing three spherical rollers having center points forming a equilateral triangle.  
   
   
       14 . A leg member that elevates a piece of furniture above a generally planar surface, said leg member having an upper surface having a wedge member extending upwardly therefrom, said wedge member being configured to fit into a corresponding shaped receptacle formed in the piece of furniture.  
   
   
       15 . A leg member as defined in  claim 14  wherein said wedge member has an upper end and comprises a pair of straight portions meeting at an angle and having external edges.  
   
   
       16 . A leg member as defined in  claim 14  wherein the receptacle has internal edges that are inwardly tapered and said external edges of said wedge member taper inwardly toward said upper end.  
   
   
       17 . A leg member as defined in  claim 14  wherein the wedge member is constructed of wood, plastic or metal.  
   
   
       18 . A leg member as defined in  claim 14  wherein the leg member contains a unidirectional caster.  
   
   
       19 . A piece of furniture having a lower surface, a receptacle formed in said lower surface, said piece of furniture having a caster assembly affixed thereto, said caster assembly having a wedge member dimensioned to interfit into the receptacle, said male wedge member being forcefully jammed into the receptacle to retain the caster assembly to said piece of furniture.  
   
   
       20 . A piece of furniture as defined in  claim 19  wherein the piece of furniture is a box spring.  
   
   
       21 . A piece of furniture as defined in  claim 19  wherein the receptacle has internal edges that are inwardly tapered and said wedge member has external edges that taper inwardly generally corresponding to the inward taper of said receptacle.  
   
   
       22 . A piece of furniture as defined in  claim 19  wherein said wedge member is a generally L-shaped configuration.