Facts about Casters
A caster is a wheel attached to an object to allow it to be moved. It can have a single, double, or compound wheel and may be a ball. Casters are used in many applications including homes, business, warehouses, and factories. One common example is furniture casters, which allow an office chair to easily move in different directions. Here are some facts about casters.
History of Casters
You would think that casters are a relatively new invention but that is not true. Archaeological evidence shows that casters made an appearance soon after the wheel was invented. They can be seen in hieroglyphics showing Egyptians pushing carts with casters. They are thought to have been used in the Pyramids and Stonehenge.
Casters can be attached with a plate or a stem. Stems may be round or square and the round ones may be threaded. Wheels can be made of steel, iron, plastic, nylon, aluminum, or rubber. Casters can be rigid or may swivel.
Industrial Casters
Some industrial casters can handle loads of over 30,000 pounds. These casters are usually attached with a plate and not a stem. During the early days of manufacturing, industrial casters were made of three stamped parts and then welded onto the plate. Now, casters are cut with a laser and then a press brake shapes the legs, which makes a very strong unit.
Caster Flutter
Caster flutter is a term that describes one caster moving back and forth. This is similar to the wobble of other vehicles at high speeds. It is merely an annoyance in a shopping cart but can be dangerous in a large heavy object. Since the caster wheel is not in contact with the floor all the time, it may touch down with its orientation in a different direction from the other wheels. This can cause the object to shift directions quickly and become hard to control.