A dual-state caster apparatus having a caster head with a state-change pivot configured to change the steering axis of the caster apparatus. A braking system with a brake control cable is incorporated into the caster apparatus wherein the state-change pivot and the braking system are configured to allow a wheel to swivel without interference with the brake control cable.

A moving mechanism configured to be assembled to an object to adjust a movement of the object is provided. The moving mechanism includes a bracket, a first wheel, a brake module, a control module, and a sensing module. The bracket is assembled to the object. The first wheel and the brake module are assembled to the bracket. The control module communicates with and drives the brake module. The sensing module communicates with the brake module, and the sensing module is configured to sense an orientation of the object. The control module adjusts a brake force of the brake module on the first wheel based on the orientation of the object.

An article movement system includes an article and at least one ball wheel. The article has first and second article surfaces meeting at a first article edge. The ball wheel is located along the first article edge and includes a ball, a bearing arrangement and a shell. The ball engages a surface underlying the article, the bearing arrangement supports the ball for omni-directional rotational movement, and the shell is located along the first article edge and contains the ball and the bearing arrangement. The shell defines a non-circular ball opening through which a portion of the ball extends to contact the underlying surface. The article, the bearing arrangement and the shell are configured such that the ball wheel is able to support the article for omni-directional rolling motion over the underlying surface with either of the first and article surfaces parallel thereto, and at any orientation therebetween.

A person support apparatus includes a base frame with a plurality of caster wheel assemblies, each of the caster wheel assemblies including a caster brake actuator movable between a total braking position and a non-braking position. A linkage system is coupled to the caster brake actuators for controlling the caster brake actuators and is operable to move the caster brake actuators between their total braking positions and their non-braking positions. The linkage system is configured to compensate for tolerances in the linkage system wherein the linkage system can control the caster brake actuators to simultaneously move between their total braking positions and their non-braking positions.

Smart luggage systems are disclosed. A smart luggage system includes a luggage bag including one or more wheels, one or more processors, one or more memory modules, one or more wheel actuators, one or more GPS units, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules. When executed by the one or more processors, the machine readable instructions cause the smart luggage system to determine a location of a user, determine a location of the luggage bag based on an output signal from the one or more GPS units, and actuate the one or more wheel actuators to move the luggage bag based on the location of the user and the location of the luggage bag.

A caster braking assembly that has a base section, a first caster assembly coupled to the base section and having at least one wheel, a second caster assembly coupled to the base section and having at least one wheel and a brake switch pivotally repositionable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. When the brake switch is in the engaged position at least one wheel of both the first caster assembly and the second caster assembly are substantially restricted from rotating.

A patient transport apparatus comprises a support structure. The support structure comprises a base, a frame, and a patient support surface to support a patient. The patient transport apparatus also includes a first and a second caster assembly respectively coupled to the support structure to facilitate movement of the support structure along a floor surface, with the first caster assembly comprising a first brake assembly and the second caster assembly comprising a second brake assembly. The patient transport apparatus also includes an actuator assembly operatively coupling the first and second brake assemblies, with the actuator assembly comprising a first and second actuator respectively operatively coupled to the first and second brake assemblies. The actuator assembly further comprises a cable assembly interconnecting the first and second actuator that places the operatively coupled first and second brake assemblies in the braked state or the unbraked state.

A laundry treatment apparatus including a plurality of swivel casters. Two of the swivel casters are braked swivel casters. One of the swivel casters other than the braked swivel casters is a vertically adjustable swivel caster. The braked swivel casters restrain translational movement of the laundry treatment apparatus across a floor. The vertically adjustable swivel caster can help fix the position of the laundry treatment apparatus so as to restrain rocking and twisting of the laundry treatment apparatus.

A surgical cart for supporting a robotic arm includes a base, a plurality of casters coupled to the base, and first and second rods rotatably supported by the base. The first rod is operably coupled to a first caster and configured to rotate in a first direction to one of lock or unlock the first caster. The second rod is coupled to a second caster and operably coupled to the first rod such that rotation of the first rod in the first direction causes the second rod to rotate in a second direction to one of lock or unlock the second caster.

A system comprising a movable device including front wheels and rear wheels configured to swivel and roll, a braking system configured to lock the front wheels and the rear wheels to keep the front wheels and the rear wheels from rolling, a directionally locking system configured to keep the rear wheels from swiveling, first and second rear pedals configured to control the front and rear wheels to be in one of a locked state, a directionally locked state, or a released state, and first and second front pedals configured to control the front and rear wheels to be in one of a locked state or a released state.