Caster brake

Claim 2

A self-contained detachable caster brake adapted to be removably secured between a caster wheel and the inside of one leg of the caster fork, comprising an anchor engageable with the inside of a leg of the caster fork, a flexible brake shoe anchored to said anchor and engageable with the tire of the caster wheel, and an actuator for the brake carried by said anchor and disposed to flex said brake shoe toward and away from the caster wheel between off and on positions of the brake, said anchor being apertured at one end to receive the axle of the caster wheel and having means spaced radially from the axle for engagement circumferentially with said fork leg.

Claim 3

The brake of claim 1 wherein said actuator is fulcrumed on said anchor, has camming engagement with said brake shoe inside said fork leg and has a pedal part remote from said fulcrum adapted to lie outside of said fork leg and have actuating motion up and down the outside of said leg.

Claim 4

The brake of claim 1 wherein said actuator is fulcrumed on said anchor and has a pedal part remote from said fulcrum adapted to lie outside of said fork leg.

Claim 5

The brake of claim 2 in which said actuator comprises a loop part between said pedal and said fulcrum which is adapted to encircle said leg and make contact therewith to limit the travel of the actuator at least in the on position of the brake.

Claim 6

In a caster having a two-legged fork, an axle mounted in said fork, a brake, and a wheel with a tire mounted on said axle, the improvement comprising that the brake have a radially disposed anchor mounted on said axle inside one of said legs, and secured to said leg, a radially disposed, resilient brake shoe lying inside said anchor and facing said wheel and being flexible in the plane of said axle, said brake shoe being held against rotation about said axle by said anchor and being adapted to be flexed into contact with the tire of said wheel, and brake actuating means carried by said anchor radially near said tire to force said shoe into contact with said tire, said brake conforming to the shape of said leg and being substantially concealed thereby.

Claim 7

In a caster having a two-legged fork, an axle mounted in said fork, a brake, and a wheel with a tire mounted on said axle, the improvement comprising that the brake have a radially disposed anchor mounted on said axle inside one of said legs, and secured to said leg, a radially disposed, resilient brake shoe lying inside said anchor and facing said wheel and being flexible in the plane of said axle, said brake shoe being held against rotation about said axle by said anchor and being adapted to be flexed into contact with the tire of said wheel, and brake actuating means carried by said anchor radially near said tire to force said shoe into contact with said tire, said brake conforming to the shape of said leg and being substantially concealed thereby.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said actuating means has a pedal part disposed outside said leg and movable upwardly and downwardly in the direction of said leg to release and apply the brake.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 6 in which said actuating means comprises an inner loop part pivotally supported on said anchor and encircling said leg and comprises an outer loop forming said pedal.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said anchor, brake shoe and actuating means comprises a complete, self-contained unitary assembly which is detachable from and attachable to the caster when the wheel and axle is detached from the fork without altering or modifying any part of the caster.

Claim 11

A self-contained detachable caster brake adapted to be removably secured between a caster wheel and the inside of one leg of the caster fork, comprising an anchor engageable with the inside of a fork leg of the caster, a flexible brake shoe anchored to said anchor and engageable with the tire of the caster wheel, and an actuator for the brake carried by said anchor and disposed to flex said brake shoe toward and away from the caster wheel between off and on positions of the brake, said shoe being resiliently stressed when the brake is on and said actuator being pivotally mounted to rotate about a center on said anchor and said actuator having a pedal outside said leg and having a cam part engaging said shoe which is adapted to swing over center in the on position, said stressed shoe tending to hold said cam in the on position until moved therefrom by force applied to the pedal of said actuator.

Claim 12

A self-contained detachable caster brake adapted to be removably secured between a caster wheel and the inside of one leg of the caster fork, comprising an anchor engageable with the inside of a fork leg of the caster, a flexible brake shoe anchored to said anchor and engageable with the tire of the caster wheel, and an actuator for the brake carried by said anchor and disposed to flex said brake shoe toward and away from the caster wheel between off and on positions of the brake, said shoe being resiliently stressed when the brake is on and said actuator being pivotally mounted to rotate about a center on said anchor and said actuator having a pedal outside said leg and having a cam part engaging said shoe which is adapted to swing over center in the on position, said stressed shoe tending to hold said cam in the on position until moved therefrom by force applied to the pedal of said actuator.

Claim 13

The brake of claim 9 wherein said pedal has one portion engagable with the outside of said leg in said on position and another portion spaced outwardly away from said leg in said on position.

Claim 14

In the combination of a caster having an axle, a fork and a wheel with a rubber-like tire mounted on the axle and a brake for holding the wheel against rotation about the axle by releasable engagement with a side of the tire, the improvement comprising that the brake be a self-contained unit readily attachable to and detachable from the inner side of one leg of said fork by sliding movement over the free lower end of, and along the length of, the leg and by coaxial engagement of said unit and said leg with said axle, said brake comprising a rigid part engaging said axle at the lower end of said part, an actuator pivotally carried by said part at the upper end of said part and having a swingable pedal portion within which said leg passes, said rigid part engaging said leg detachably and circumferentially at a place spaced radially from said axle, said brake also comprising resilient shoe part secured at its lower end to said rigid part proximate said axle and disposed between said rigid part and said wheel and approximately aligned with said leg and having an upper end engagable with said tire and engagable by said actuator.

Claim 15

In the combination of a caster having an axle, a fork and a wheel with a rubber-like tire mounted on the axle and a brake for holding the wheel against rotation about the axle by releasable engagement with a side of the tire, the improvement comprising that the brake be a self-contained unit readily attachable to and detachable from the inner side of one leg of said fork by sliding movement over the free lower end of, and along the length of, the leg and by coaxial engagement of said unit and said leg with said axle, said brake comprising a rigid part engaging said axle at the lower end of said part, an actuator pivotally carried by said part at the upper end of said part and having a swingable pedal portion within which said leg passes, said rigid part engaging said leg detachably and circumferentially at a place spaced radially from said axle, said brake also comprising resilient shoe part secured at its lower end to said rigid part proximate said axle and disposed between said rigid part and said wheel and approximately aligned with said leg and having an upper end engagable with said tire and engagable by said actuator.

Claim 16

The improvement of claim 11 wherein said rigid part has spaced slots at its upper end aligned at right angles to the length of the brake and opening toward said shoe part for mounting said actuator pivotally and removably, said actuator having parallel strands spaced lengthwise of the brake and disposed in angled relation to and connected with said pedal portion, one of said strands being disposed in said slots in the pivotal axis of the actuator and the other strand having camming engagement with said shoe part, said one of said strands being resiliently confined in said slots by said shoe part.