Caster assembly with swivel lock and brake

A caster assembly, comprising;

• a horn member, an axle mounted in the horn member, a wheel mounted on the axle for rotation, a swivel plate mounted on the horn member for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis generally transverse to the axis of the axle, said swivel plate having an annular array of horizontal outwardly extending projections, a generally vertically extending swivel lock member mounted in the horn member for generally horizontal movement, said swivel lock member being generally flat and having a plurality of projections extending upwardly therefrom generally in the same plane as the swivel lock member selectively engageable with the projections on the swivel plate, and an actuator on the horn member for engaging the swivel lock member with the swivel plate to prevent rotation of the horn member with respect to the swivel plate.

A caster assembly, comprising;

• a generally U-shaped horn member, an axle mounted in the horn member, a wheel supported for rotation on the axle, a swivel plate rotatably mounted on the upper side of the horn member, a pin connected centrally to the swivel plate and extending through the horn member, an annular swivel lock plate connected to the pin on the underside of the horn member, said swivel lock plate having an annular array of teeth projecting radially outwardly therefrom, a substantially straight swivel lock member mounted in the horn member for movement transverse to the axis of the pin, said swivel lock member having an arcuate segment of teeth projecting upwardly in substantially the same plane as the swivel lock member for selective engagement with the teeth on the swivel plate, said horn member having a pair of rearwardly extending ear portions, said swivel lock member having recesses on the sides thereof that slidably receive the rearwardly extending horn ear portions, and an actuator pivotally mounted in the horn member ear portions, said actuator having spaced cam surfaces engaging the rear surface of the swivel lock member to engage the swivel lock member with the swivel lock plate to prevent rotation of the horn member with respect to the swivel plate.

A caster assembly, comprising;

• a horn member, an axle mounted in the horn member, a wheel mounted on the axle for rotational movement, said wheel having a resilient tread surface, a brake member mounted for movement in the horn member, said brake member having an arcuate tread surface engaging portion, said arcuate tread surface engaging portion having a radius directed generally toward the axis of rotation of the wheel, said radius being less than the radius of the wheel tread surface so that the ends of the arcuate portion bite into the resilient tread surface to prevent rotation of the wheel in either direction of rotation, and an actuator for engaging the brake urging the brake member arcuate portion toward and into engagement with the resilient tread surface to prevent the wheel from rotating with respect to the horn member.

A caster assembly with swivel lock and wheel braking, comprising;

• a generally U-shaped horn member, an axle mounted in said horn member, a wheel mounted on said axle for rotation, a swivel plate mounted for rotation on top of the horn member, a pin fixed to the swivel plate extending vertically through the horn member, a swivel lock plate mounted under the horn member and fixed to the pin to pivot with the swivel plate, said swivel lock plate being generally flat and having generally radially extending teeth projecting outwardly therefrom, a swivel lock and brake member mounted for generally horizontal movement in the horn member, said swivel lock and brake member having a plurality of generally coplanar teeth extending upwardly therefrom engageable with the swivel lock plate teeth to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the horn member, said swivel lock and brake member having a rigid arcuate portion at the other end thereof having ends both engageable with the wheel to brake the wheel, and an actuator pivotally mounted in the horn member and having a cam surface engageable with the swivel lock and brake member to shift the swivel lock and brake member into engagement with the swivel lock plate and the wheel to positively prevent swivelling or rotational motion of the wheel.