Suspension caster with brake lever and wheel fork and yoke portion having common pivot axis

A caster comprising:

• a yoke portion being adapted and configured to be operatively attached to an object;
• wheel forks pivotally connected to the yoke portion at a pivot connection, the pivot connection defining a pivot axis;
• a wheel rotatably connected to the wheel forks at a wheel axis;
• a brake lever operatively connected to the pivot connection and adapted and configured to pivot about the pivot axis with a cam operatively connected to the brake lever;
• a brake pad disposed between the wheel forks, the brake pad non-rotatably mounted to the wheel forks via at least one mechanical fastener;
• wherein the cam moves the brake pad between an engaged position wherein the brake pad is pressed against the wheel to limit rotation of the wheel about the wheel axis and a disengaged position wherein the brake pad is spaced away from the wheel to allow rotation of the wheel about the wheel axis, the brake pad being moved to the engaged position by engagement with the cam and the disengaged position by the cam being spaced apart from the brake pad.

A caster comprising:

• a yoke portion being adapted and configured to be operatively attached to an object;
• wheel forks pivotally connected to the yoke portion at a pivot connection, the pivot connection defining a pivot axis;
• a wheel rotatably connected to the wheel forks at a wheel axis;
• a brake lever having a brake lever pivot axis coaxial with the pivot axis of the pivot connection of the yoke portion and wheel forks, the brake lever being adapted and configured to pivot about the brake lever pivot axis;
• a cam operatively connected to brake lever and movable together with the brake lever to pivot about the brake lever pivot axis;
• a brake pad non-rotatably mounted to the wheel forks via at least one mechanical fastener;
• wherein the brake pad is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein in moving from the disengaged position to the engaged position, the cam engages the brake pad to move the brake pad into engagement against the wheel to limit rotation of the wheel about the wheel axis, and wherein in moving from the engaged position to the disengaged position, the cam is spaced apart from the brake pad to move to a position where the brake pad is spaced away from the wheel to allow rotation of the wheel about the wheel axis.