US2134444A - Leveler - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1938. R H, HARSH 2,134,444

LEVELER Filed July-24, 19:56

ROBINSON H. HARSH Q fled form of the equalizer;

Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNI TED vSTAT E-S .iPAIIElNT OIF-FICE y f i 2,134,444 Y liLEvELE-n Robinson LH. `Harsh, Washington, Dt C. i nppliationaulj 24, 19s6,;sei1fN0.9z,467

i i, c claims. (ci. lis-19) v This finventionfrelates `to `devices for leveling 1 .furniture and rthe like, ,on Vuneven floors and`has for one `.of its `objects thesproductionV of a simple and eicient :equalizer which may Aloe f easily inserted in the lowerendiof allegl-or other support of apiece of furniturev and efciently adjusted to `iixedly hold` the furniture in -.a level andstable 1oosition., i

`Afurther object vof this invention is the production of .a simpleand eflicientV adjustingmeans for locking the supporting plunger `of .the equalizer in an adjusted'position wherebythe supporting plunger willbe heldv againstvaccidental vmove--` ment `after once b eingladjusted and at thesame time may be easilyfurther adjusted l.loyjthecperatorf` w ,i

`Another object of *this :invention is. the `production of lan 'efficient `hearing .contact for -the upperend of the supporting plunger .andladjustingmeans, whereloy4 theradjustment may bemade with a minimum Aamount `of effort in .proportion tothe weight supported 'by the fplunger.

Other Yobjects ,and advantages Vof, `the .present invention will appear--throughout the lfollowing specification and claims. i

,.lnthedrawingz Y Y. Figure 1` is-a side elevation ,of "the lower lend ,of Va leg of ajpiece of f urnituraaportion of the i les being vshown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional viewtak'en on line .2-2 of Figure 1;

, Figure 3, is a transverse sectional view'taken on line 3 3 of` Figure 2,; i Figure 4 isa transverse sectional `View taken on lined- 4 ofFigureZ;` .H y vu Figure' is va transverse sectional View` taken online 5--5 of Figure 2; i

Figure 6 is a vertical' sectional'viewv of the equalizer showing the supporting plunger ,in its fully retracted position; i

Figure 7 is an 'enlarged vertical sectional -vieW of lthe upperend of the supportingtplunger and a portion of the equalizer casing, and showingthe friction expansion ring for frictionally holding the plunger from dropping out of thefcasing;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of a modi- Figure A9 is a vertical sectional `View of a Afurther modied formi of the invention.

By referring to the drawing, ,it `will `he -seen Y that Adesignates the'leg'of a table, chair, Aor -f other piece of furniture, `or infact any other article or-means adapted ,to'be'supported The leg A is provided with yasocket Ill-extending upwardly from tslowerendgin Whichsocket Ill `is fttedacasing 1I I of the device for leveling furniture on luneven iloors `which might be preferablyreferred .to asa leveler. This ,casing 4II is provided 'with a vertically extendingboreY I2 extending `fromthe lower end toward the upper end Yand the casing II `is also provided with a transversely extending internallyjthreaded'bore I3 extentiing atlsubstantiallylright angles to the bore i2 and communicating `with the top end of the bore i2, vas shown in Figure 2. The leg A is also provided :with a socket or bore I4 which communicates with one end of'the internally threaded bore` I3 for the purpose hereinafter described. The casing yil is also provided with an annular flange or .abutment means I5 at `its lower end for abuttingragainst the lower end of the leg A andlimiting the inward movement of the` casing I I Vwithin `the socket or bore "It ofthe leg A. The bore "I2 is preferably circulariin'cross-section and is adapted to receive a plunger iE which isv also preferably circular in cross-section and ts withinfthe 'bore I2. Theplunger IB is provided at its lower end with a gliding shoe II in the nature of a circular disc which constitutes `a foot or shoe to rest upon the iloor or other support and Valso limits .the inward movement of the plunger I6 `within thelbore. The plunger I6 is `also provided with an annular channel I8 within which i'lts a spring expansion ring I9 which is adapted to `rrnlygrip against the walls of the bore I2 and'frictionally hold the plunger I6 against accidental displacement from the bore i2'-note particularly Figure "7; It should be noted that the 'bore 'I2 is located olf-center of the longitudinal axisof the'casing II in order to provide a sufficient Apurchase or bea-ring for the threads of lthe setscrew 23.

A ball-bearing 2 is carried in the upper end of the bore I2 at the point of junction with the internally threaded bore I3 and a spring expansion Aring 2| similar tothe expansion ring I9 contacts with the under face .of the ball-bearing and the walls of the `Ioore I2 to prevent the ball -Z from dropping `out should the plunger i5 Yhe removed. This ball-bearing 2U is free to r0- tate and is `adapted to contact with the inclined face of the inner cone-shaped end 22 of the eX- ternally threaded set screw 23 which set screw 23 is threaded into internally threaded` socket I3, as shown inv Figure 2. The set screw 23 is slotted, as at 24, -to permita screw-driver to engage the set screw wherebythe set screw may be rotated or adjusted within` the `internallr threaded socket I'3,\the screwdriver.being adaptedlto'belinserted through the socketxM as -will be obvious by considering Figure 2, and in the manner as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

The operation of the device is as follows:-

As many leveling devices or levelers may be employed as desired, upon the various legs or other supporting portions of an article to be supported, and the socket I4 is preferably formed in the inner face of the leg where the same will be out of line of normal vision. The piece of furniture may be properly leveled by adjusting the set screw 23 upon the desired leg or portion of the piece of furniture and it should be understood that by threading the set screw 23 inwardly and forcing the cone-shaped endY 22 against the ballbearing 20, the plunger I6 may be forced downwardly thereby raising the leg A until the article or piece of furniture has been properly leveled If it is desired to lower the leg A the set screw 23 may be retracted away from the ball-bearing 20 and the Weight of the furniture or article will cause the plunger IS to retract within the bore I2 until the ball-bearing 20 contacts again with the inclined face of the cone-shaped end 22 of the set screw or threaded plug 23.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and efficient meanshas been provided for minutely adjusting the leg of a table or other piece of furniture whereby the same may be leveled even when standing uponan uneven floor or other uneven surface. Furthermore, the adjustment of the set screw 23 will permit of the raising and lowering of the plunger I6 with a minimum amount of effort through Ythe medium of a screw-driver and after the plunger has once been set, it will be practically impossible for the plunger IB to get out of adjustment due to the fact that the set screw 23 will be contacted by the ball-bearing 20 which is interposed between the inclined face of the set screw 23 and the inner end of the plunger I6, there being no tendency, consequently, torotate the set screw 23 merely by pressure of the ball-bearing 25 upon the coneshaped end of the set screw 23.

In Figure 8, there is shown a modied form of the invention wherein I employ a casing 25 having a vertical bore 26 in which is slidably mounted a plunger 21 similar to the plunger I5, and a friction plug 28 is tightly tted within the inner end of the bore 26 to constitute a means for holding the ball-bearing 29 (similar to the ball-bearing 20) against accidental displacement. I have also shown a set screw 30 slightly smaller than the set screw 23 and in this instance it is preferable to support the ball 29 in a position where the apex 3| of the inner cone-shaped end 32 of the set screw 3D extends slightly above the central axis of the ball-bearing 29 thereby causing the inclined face of the inner cone-shaped end of the set screw 30 to more effectively operate against the ball 29. The set screw 30 is threaded into the internally threaded socket 33 which extends at substantially right angles to the bore 2S and communicates with the inner end thereof. Where the larger set screw or plug is used, as is shown in Figures 2 and 6, the apex of the coneshaped end 22 normally extends on a plane approximately at the upper end of' the ball 2D, as shown. The plug 28 is provided with a spring expansion ring 28a and the plunger 21 is provided with a spring expansion ring 27a for holding the parts in frictional set engagement with the walls of the bore 26.

As shown in Figure 9, which illustrates a further modied form of the invention, the plunger 35 is constructed similarly to the plunger I6 and is provided with a spring expansion ring 36 for holding the plunger 35 within the bore 31 of the casing 38. This plunger 35 is provided with a rounded upper end 39 which is adapted to be engaged by the cone-shaped inner end 40 of the set screw 4I which is threaded into the internally threaded socket 42. The socket 42 extends at right angles to the bore 31 and communicates with the inner end of the bore. It will be seen that as the set screw 4I is forced inwardly within the threaded socket 42 a cone-shaped end 40 of the set screw 4I will engage the rounded upper end of the plunger 35 and cause the plunger 35 to be adjusted outwardly.

' Having described the invention, what I claim asv new is:-

1. A device of the class described comprising a casing having an off-center longitudinal bore, a plunger slidable in said bore, a ball contacting the inner end of said plunger, a friction plug frictionally engaging said ball and the Walls of said bore for preventing the accidental displacement of said ball, said casing having a transverse threaded bore near the inner end of said plunger, a set screw threaded in said transverse bore, and Said set screw having a cone-shaped inner end having its inclined face contacting said ball whereby said plunger may be adjusted longitudinally of said casing as said set screw is manually adjusted inwardly against said ball, the set Screw by contactingthe ball fiXedly holding said plunger against accidentally retracting within the casing after once having been adjusted.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore, a plunger slidably mounted within the bore and having a rounded inner end, said casing having a transversely extending internally threaded socket communicating with the inner end of said bore, a set screw threaded in said socket and having a cone-shaped inner end for contacting with the rounded inner end of said plunger whereby said plunger will be adjusted longitudinally within said casing as said set screw is moved inwardly into binding contact with said plunger.

3. As an article of manufacture, a leveler for supporting legs of furniture and the like in a set adjusted position comprising a casing formed with a longitudinal bore and a transverse bore intersecting the longitudinal bore near the inner end of the longitudinal bore, a weight supporting plunger slidable in the longitudinal bore and adapted to project beyond the outer end of the casing forv engagement with a floor and the like, an adjusting screw threaded into the transverse bore and having means contacting the inner end of the plunger to facilitate the adjustment of the plunger longitudinally of the casing, the adjusting screw extending at an angle to the plunger whereby the thrust of the plunger caused by the weight of the article supported thereby will be exerted substantially transversely of the longitudinal axis of the adjusting screw thereby reducing the tendency to loosen the adjusting screw to a minimum.

4. As an article of manufacture, a leveler for supporting legs of furniture and the like in a set adjusted position comprising a casing formed witha longitudinal bore and a transverse bore intersecting the longitudinal bore near the inner end of the longitudinal bore, a weight supporting plunger slidable in the longitudinal bore and adapted to project beyond the outer end of the casing for engagement with a floor and the like, an adjusting screw threaded into the transverse bore, the inner end of th'eadjusting screw being i shaped end of the adjusting screw to facilitate the plunger slidablegin the longitudinal bore and' adjustment of the plunger longitudinally of the casing, the adjusting screw extending at an angle to the plunger whereby the .thrust ofthe plunger caused by the weight of the article supported thereby will be exerted substantially transversely of the longitudinal axis of the adjusting screw thereby reducing the tendency to loosen the adjusting screw to a minimum. p

5. As an article of manufacture, a leveler for supporting legs of furniture and the like in a set j adjusted position comprising a casing formed with a longitudinal bore and a transverse bore in- Y tersecting the longitudinal bore near the inner end of the longitudinal bore, a weight supporting adapted to project beyond the outer end of the casing for engagement with a oor and the like, an adjusting screw threaded into the transverse bore, the inner end of the adjusting screw being cone-shaped, a ball supported by the inner end of said plunger having rolling contact with the cone-shaped end of said adjusting screw to facilitate the adjustment of the plunger longitudinally of the casing, the adjusting screw extending at an angle' tothe plunger whereby the thrust of the plunger caused by the weight of the article supported thereby will be exerted substantially transversely of the longitudinal axis of the adjusting screw thereby reducing the tendency to. loose the adjusting screw to a minimum.

6. As an article of manufacture, a leveler for supporting legs of furniture and the like ina set adjusted position comprising a casing formed with a longitudinal bore and a transverse bore intersecting the longitudinal bore near the inner end of the longitudinal bore, a weight supporting plunger slidable in the longitudinal bore and adapted to project beyond the outer end of the casing for engagement with a floor and the like, an adjusting screw threaded into the transverse bore and having means contacting the inner end of the plunger to facilitate the adjustment of the plunger longitudinally of the casing, the adjusting screw extending at an angle to the plunger whereby the thrust of the plunger caused by the weight of the article supported thereby will be exerted substantially transversely of the longitudinal axis of the adjusting screw thereby reducing the tendency to loosen the adjusting screw to a minimum, and the longitudinal bore being located off center `of th'e longitudinal axis of the center of the casing to provide ample purchase for the threads of the set screw.

ROBINSON H. HARSH.

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