Caster assembly with swivel lock

A caster assembly, comprising;

• a horn member, an axle mounted in said horn means, a wheel supported for rotation on said axle, a swivel plate mounted on said horn means for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to the axis of the axle, said swivel plate having at least one recess in the periphery thereof, a swivel lock member mounted on the horn member for reciprocating movement, said swivel lock member including a plunger having a projection selectively engageable with the recess in a periphery of the swivel plate, an actuator for withdrawing the plunger from the swivel plate and holding it in an active position, a plunger tube fixed to the horn member, said plunger being reciprocal and rotatable in the plunger tube, a U-shaped holding bracket having recesses in the ends of the legs thereof fixed to the outwardly extending ends of the plunger tube, a spring in the plunger tube reacting against the bracket and the plunger to urge the plunger toward engagement with the swivel lock plate, said plunger being pivotal and axially movable in the plunger tube from an active position in engagement with the swivel lock plate to an inactive position in engagement with the swivel lock plate to an inactive position axially moved from and rotated 90 degrees with respect thereto, and a transverse member carried by the outer end of the plunger engageable with the recesses in the holding bracket to hold the plunger in its inactive position.

A caster assembly, comprising;

• a horn member, an axle mounted in the horn member, a wheel mounted on the axle for rotation, a swivel member mounted on the horn member for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to the axis of the axle, said swivel member including a swivel lock plate having only four locking recesses therein spaced 90 degrees about the periphery thereof, a plunger axially reciprocable in the horn member for selectively engaging the recesses in the swivel lock plate to lock the swivel lock plate with respect to the horn member so that the supported article may only move in one of two perpendicular linear paths, said plunger being movable on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the swivel plate, the horn member including a pair of outwardly projecting ears, a plunger support bracket fixed to the ears, a plunger tube fixed to the top of the plunger support bracket and slidably receiving the plunger, said plunger tube being mounted radially with respect to the axis of the swivel member, said plunger being reciprocably and rotatably mounted in the plunger tube, a holding bracket having spaced recesses therein fixed to the end of the plunger tube, and a transverse actuator rod carried by the outer end of the plunger to rotate the plunger and shift it axially from an active position in engagement with the swivel lock plate to an inactive position where the transverse member is held in the holding bracket recesses.

A caster assembly, comprising;

• a generally U-shaped horn member having a top surface and depending side legs, an axle carried by the depending side legs rotatably supporting a wheel between the side legs, said horn member having spaced projecting integral ears, a swivel member mounted on the top of the horn member for rotational movement and having a central pin projecting vertically downwardly through the horn member, said pin having a swivel lock plate rotatably fixed to the lower end thereof so that the swivel member and lock plate move together as a unit on the horn member, said swivel lock plate having only four 90 degree related recesses in the periphery thereof, a U-shaped mounting bracket fixed to the projecting ears on the horn member, a plunger tube fixed to the top of the bracket and radially aligned with respect to the swivel plate, a plunger reciprocably and rotatably mounted within the plunger tube and having a flat sided tang at the radially inner end thereof selectively engageable in the recesses in the swivel lock plate, a U-shaped holding bracket fixed adjacent the radially outer end of the plunger tube and having spaced aligned outwardly opening recesses therein, said plunger having an outer end projecting through the U-shaped bracket, and an actuating ring carried by the outer end of the plunger that has a portion receivable in the recesses in the holding bracket to position the plunger in an inactive position away from the swivel lock plate.