CPC B60B 33/0086 (2013.01) [B60B 19/00 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
1. A caster having a wheel and a wheel lock assembly, the wheel configured to rotate about a first axis, the wheel lock assembly configured to lock the wheel against rotation about the first axis, the wheel lock assembly including a rotatable track wall, a cam member, and a drive shaft, the rotatable track wall being generally cylindrical and configured to rotate about a second axis, the second axis being generally tangential to the wheel, the cam member being generally cylindrical and mounted adjacent, so as to be operably coupled with, the rotatable track wall, the cam member being mounted in an axially-fixed location so as to be restrained against moving axially along the second axis, the rotatable track wall having a smaller outer radius than the cam member and being nested inside the cam member, wherein the rotatable track wall and the cam member and the drive shaft are each centered on the second axis, the caster having a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, wherein when the caster is in the locked configuration the wheel is positively engaged by a detent of the wheel lock assembly such that the wheel is restrained against rotation about the first axis, and when the caster is in the unlocked configuration the detent of the wheel lock assembly is spaced apart from the wheel such that the wheel is free to rotate about the first axis, the caster being configured such that the rotatable track wall simultaneously moves axially along, and rotates about, the second axis when the caster is adjusted between its locked and unlocked configurations, and the caster is devoid of a swivel lock mechanism, and the drive shaft is configured to move axially along the second axis when the caster is adjusted between the locked position and the unlocked position, wherein the drive shaft is nested inside the rotatable track wall, and further comprising a coil spring mounted around the drive shaft so as to be located inside both the rotatable track wall and the cam member.
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