US 2024/0198726 A1Published application

Caster with Compliant Brake Ring or Brake Block

AssigneeColson Group Holdings, LLC

InventorDavid Paul Beatty

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Abstract

A caster hub structure has an outward facing brake ring with a tooth profile on its outer surface. A brake block with a tooth profile on its outer surface is engageable and disengageable with the brake ring. The brake block material may be harder than the brake ring material, or the brake ring material may be hardness the brake block material, depending upon the application. The brake block tooth profile is configured to slip with the brake ring tooth profile at a first wheel rotational speed when the brake block is engaged with the brake ring, and the brake block tooth profile is configured to interlock with the brake ring tooth profile at a second wheel rotational speed when the brake block is in the engaged with the brake ring, the first speed being higher than the second speed.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A caster comprising:

a body;
a wheel operatively rotatably connected to the body;
a hub structure operatively connected to the wheel, the hub structure having an outward facing brake ring, the brake ring being formed of a radially compliant material, the brake ring having a tooth profile on an outer surface of the brake ring;
and
a brake block adapted and configured for reciprocating motion within the body between an engaged position with the brake ring and a disengaged position with the brake ring, the brake block being formed of a material having a hardness greater than the hardness of the material of the brake ring, the brake block having a tooth profile on an outer surface of the brake block;
wherein the tooth profile of the brake block is adapted and configured to slip with the tooth profile on the outer surface of the brake ring at a first speed of rotation of the wheel when the brake block is in the engaged position, and the tooth profile of the brake block is adapted and configured to interlock with the tooth profile on the outer surface of the brake ring at a second speed of rotation of the wheel when the brake block is in the engaged position, the first speed being higher than the second speed;
wherein when the brake block is in the engaged position relative to the brake ring, the brake block engages the brake ring in a manner so as to enable relative motion between the brake block and brake ring at the first speed of rotation of the wheel and to limit relative motion between the brake block and the brake ring at the second speed of rotation of the wheel;
and
wherein when the brake block is in the disengaged position relative to the brake ring, the brake block is spaced from the brake ring in a manner so as to allow free rotation of the wheel relative to the body.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.