(Newswire.net — February 9, 2017) — How castors work is probably not something you’ve really put a lot of thinking into but there are some things worth knowing and it seems that advances in this technology could really be ‘reinventing the wheel.’
What is a castor?
A castor is that wheel device you’ll see attached to the bottom of carts, heavy pieces of machinery and even hospital beds to make things easier to move. These devices have come a long way from the simple idea of the wheel discovered back in ancient times. The Neolithic man realised that moving a larger object was easier with the help of a round or circular object. In 1876 inventor David Fisher designed the first furniture castor to help workers move furniture around without hurting themselves. His original design was based on a free turning wheel that made the job easier and safer.
Technical advances
From Fisher’s simple design, the materials used to make castors have evolved to include aluminium, nylon, stainless steel and rubber. Certain materials are best suited for a particular purpose. For example, a hard polyurethane castor provides the user with swivel resistance, low roll and wear yet high load bearing capacity. One company that specializes in designing castors made from a variety of materials for multiple industries is Tente. Castors can also be made for specific environmental conditions such as weathering, wearing, surface pressure, temperature and chemical resistance, rolling, load capacity and noise reduction. Choosing the right one to suit the needs of the job is vital. For the aesthetic touch, some castors can even come with their own hubcaps.
How they work
The most basic type of castor will not rotate and is designed to move objects in straight lines. You will have probably seen these on the back wheels of your shopping trolley. In contrast, the swivel castor allows the object to rotate 360° and these are the ones found on the front of your trolley. Industrial castors that are heavy duty can transfer weightier loads and generally incorporate rigid, swivel and locking systems. You will find these used for hospital beds, which are designed to move patients safely around a busy hospital environment. Any type of castor can have special brake features added, which is low in cost and stops the wheels from turning.
Twin wheel vs single wheel
Single wheel castors came first but are they any better than a twin wheeled castor? Single wheels are great for lighter objects and work well with a swivel wheel. If you choose a larger wheel, they can also cope with larger weights and being used frequently. Dual wheel castors can carry much more weight than a single wheel and are considered to be easier to move as it takes less force to get a dual wheel to change direction. They are also seen to have a longer life because of their specific design for carrying heavier loads.
So next time you’re wheeling an office desk into a new position, or carefully rolling a piece of machinery across a warehouse floor, give a moment to appreciate the castor – this small but mighty piece of engineering!