US1170075A - Wheel-mounting. - Google Patents

Description

E. KRANTZ.

WHEEL MQUNTI NG. APPLICATION FILED APR-22,1915- 1.,170,675. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

UNITED STATES EDWARD KBANTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WHEEL-MOUNTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed April 22, 1915. Serial No. 23,026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD KnAN'rz, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mountings for wheels, for instance as on carpet cleaners adapted to travel over a surface and having provisions such as suction apparatus or a brush for collecting dust and dirt. Its object is primarily to provide a strong, lightweight, durable and efficient mounting for such Wheels, and one of comparatively few parts; also a mounting in which the bearing element itself is of simple construction, and a mounting which may readily be assembled or taken apart, as for repair if at any time found necessary; and, in general, to improve the mechanical construction of wheel mountings adapted to such use.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a well-known type of carpet cleaner, the operativeparts of the cleaner itself not being shown.-

In these drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear end of such cleaner with my improvements thereon; Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view of the same device, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the mounting complete; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through Fig. 3, as on the line 4:4: thereof; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4:; and Figs. 6' and 7 are perspective views of bearing elements. All of the sectional views are in the directions of the arrows respectively.

My improved mounting comprises a metallic strap 10 bent intermediate its ends to form a substantially U-shaped structure having the crotch portion 11 preferably arcuate to accommodate in substantially tight-fitting association the preferably circular female member 12 of the bearing element, the crotch portion of the strap 10 being preferably formed so as to encompass the element 12 in tightly fitting association to an extent somewhat above the center line 5-5 thereof and this for a better holding effect. The iegs of the U-shaped portion of the strap are apertured, as at 13, to receive the clamping element I L-preferably a bolt,

by which the legs A and B may be drawn,

together, tightly clamping the bearing element 12 between them. Beyond the apertures 13 the legs A and B are preferably separated sufliciently to provide a substantial base for the outwardly turned ends 15 and 16 of the strap as well as to permit insertion of the bearing element at the places marked A and B, the bearing being forced through the restricted area at the bolt 14 (the bolt, of course, not then being in position) and into the crotch proper. 'lhese ends are apertured as at 17 and 18, one of the openings, as 18, being preferably in slot form whereby a slight adjustment of the wheel 19 may be had with respect to the body 20 of the cleaner when the strap 10 is held thereon, as by the screws 21, since by drawing the legs A and B together the distance between the periphery of the wheel 19 and the body 20 of the cleaner is increased. I find this adjustment of value in getting the tread of the four wheels (where four are employed) in a common plane, and also in causing the suction nozzle, with which such cleaners are well understood to be provided, to contact the floor equally at both ends as desired.

The female element 12 is further held in the crotch part 11 by turned-over portions of the same, preferably a plurality of lips 23, bent in toward the element 12, and contacting the same on both sides, thus preventing the element 12 from moving laterally with respect to the crotch portion 11, yet permitting the removal of the bearing element by removing the bolt 1 1 and spreading the legs A and B slightly.

The bearing element comprises the female member 12, which is preferably an integrally formed metallic cup-like stamping having an annular flange-like portion 12 upstanding from the side wall portion 12*, which side wall portion is centrally apertured, as

at 12 to receive loosely and for rotationv therein the stem 25 of an integrally formed male bearing element 25. This male element comprises the disk-like portion 25 adapted substantially to close the open side of the element 12, and is preferably of a somewhat smaller diameter than that of the interior of the flange-like portion 12 so as to be rotatable therein when assembled as in Fig. 5. Between the stem 25* and the interior surface of the flange 12 I provide a plurality of anti-friction elements 26, shown as balls,

these anti-friction elements contacting both the male and female elements so as to take the weight carried by the strap when the device is in use. The stem 25 is centrally apertured, as at 27, and preferably on slightly tapering lines, to accommodate the outer endof the shaft 22 which is forced tightly into the opening 27 and frictionally held. The free end of the stem 25 is preferably recessed or cut away' as at 28 to form an edge adapted to be turned over, as at .29, so as to engage the side wall portion 12", sufliciently loosely, however, to permit the male element 25 to rotate upon the friction elements 26, while providing a lock against the separation of the parts of the bearing element as a whole.

Some modifications may be made of the construction actually pictured without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such as fall wlthin the scope of the appended claims are contemplated by me.

I claim: a

1. A wheel mounting comprising in combination a metallic strap bent substantially U-shaped intermediate its ends and the end portions of the two legs thus formed bent to form supports, the legs of said U-shaped portion being formed at the crotch thereof to accommodate a bearing within the crotch, said legs being spaced apart more widely than the width of said bearing at a place intermediate the crotch and the ends of the legs, said legs being spaced apart less widelythan the width of the bearing intermediate the crotch and said more widely spaced.

of said legs, said leg's being apertured to receive a bolt and a. bolt in said apertures adapted to draw said legs toward each other whereby a bearing in said crotch may be clamped tightly therein, and a bearing so clamped in said crotch.

2. A wheel mounting comprising in combination a. metallic strap bent substantially U-shaped intermediate its ends, means for securing said strap in a relatively fixed position, a bearing element in the crotch of said U-shaped portion, edge portions ofsaid strap being turned over to hold saidbearing against lateral displacement in said crotch, the legs of said U-shaped portion being spaced aparta greater distance than the width of said bearing at a place between theends of said strap and the crotch thereof whereby a bearing vmay be there positioned between said legs and passed into the crotch and into engagement with said inwardly turned portions, and means for drawing said legs toward each other whereby said bearing is clamped in said crotch.

3. A wheel mounting comprising a metallic strap bent substantially U-shaped in termediate its ends and the end portions of the two legs thus formed bent to form supports, each of said supports having an opening for a screw or the like, one of said openings being elongated to provide adjustment of a shaft carried by said mounting, a bear- ,ing in the crotch of said U-shaped element, and means intermediate said bearing and the ends of the strap for clamping said legs upon said bearing to hold the same securely.

EDWARD KRANTZ. Witnesses:

T. D. BUTLER, M. M. KRIESAND.

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