Durable, quiet hubless caster technology

A hubless caster having an open central corridor and comprising, in sequence moving radially outwardly, a generally cylindrical innermost wall configured as a retention wall, a generally cylindrical mount portion, a bearing, and a wheel, the retention wall defining a radially inwardly oriented facing surface, the radially inwardly oriented facing surface being exposed to the hubless caster's central corridor, the generally cylindrical mount portion comprising a ring-shaped wall radially inside of which the generally cylindrical innermost wall is nested concentrically, the bearing being mounted on the generally cylindrical mount portion such that the ring-shaped wall is nested concentrically radially inside the bearing, the retention wall preventing the bearing from moving transversely off the generally cylindrical mount portion by virtue of having a retainer lip carried directly against a transverse side of the bearing, the retention wall being configured such that the retainer lip extends around and embraces, by being in contact with, the transverse side of the bearing, the hubless caster further comprising a second generally cylindrical mount portion such that the hubless caster has two opposed generally cylindrical mount portions, the hubless caster further comprising a second bearing, which is mounted on the second generally cylindrical mount portion such that the hubless caster has two bearings mounted respectively on the two opposed generally cylindrical mount portions, and the hubless caster further comprises a second wheel such that the hubless caster has two wheels, each of the two bearings comprising an annular backbone member and a plurality of ball bearings, each annular backbone member defining an inner bearing race, the retention wall having two retainer lips each flaring radially outward so as to respectively contact the two annular backbone members.

A hubless caster having an open central corridor and comprising, in sequence moving radially outwardly, a generally cylindrical retention wall, a generally cylindrical mount portion, a bearing, and a wheel, the retention wall comprising a low molding shrink polymer having a shrink factor of less than 6%, the generally cylindrical mount portion comprising a ring-shaped wall radially inside of which the generally cylindrical retention wall is nested concentrically, the bearing being mounted on the generally cylindrical mount portion such that the ring-shaped wall is nested concentrically radially inside the bearing, the retention wall preventing the bearing from moving transversely off the generally cylindrical mount portion by virtue of having a retainer lip carried directly against a transverse side of the bearing, the retention wall being configured such that the retainer lip extends around and embraces, by being in contact with, the transverse side of the bearing, the hubless caster further comprising a second generally cylindrical mount portion such that the hubless caster has two opposed generally cylindrical mount portions, the hubless caster further comprising a second bearing, which is mounted on the second generally cylindrical mount portion such that the hubless caster has two bearings mounted respectively on the two opposed generally cylindrical mount portions, and the hubless caster further comprises a second wheel such that the hubless caster has two wheels, each of the two wheels comprising a wheel portion molded to an outer race portion that defines an outer bearing race, each of the two wheels comprising urethane having a durometer of about 50-70, each of the two bearings comprising an annular backbone member and a plurality of ball bearings, each annular backbone member defining an inner bearing race, the retention wall having two retainer lips each flaring radially outward so as to respectively contact the two annular backbone members, wherein the hubless caster comprises a frame member, and the two generally cylindrical mount portions are formed by a body mounted within the frame member so as to project transversely outward and away from sides of the frame member.