US504778A

US504778A - Combined folding bed and dressing-case

Info

Publication number: US504778A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1910-09-12

Description

' (No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 1. J. FLORY. I COMBINED FOLDING BED AND DRESSING CASE. No. 504,778. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

&

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. FLORY. COMBINED FOLDING BED AND DRESSING CASE. 778 Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

E wvemioz w 9 ,c, I 7 6 =5... W i Z a Z 4! 3 5 V as 2 5 a w z T 5 Z I mm 5 1531 z 1 --.l a 2 J a 2 n m M M y 2 l M g. 0% w J, [q van/w? w v. .0 o 7 qt Of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FLORY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN,

COMBINED FOLDING BED AND DRESSING-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,778, dated September 12, 1893.

Application filedMarch 23, 1893.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN FLORY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Grand Rapids, Kent county, State of Michigamhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Folding Bed and Dressing-Oase; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the .following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with a claim particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to beds, and more especially to that class thereof known as folding-bedsteads; and the object of the same is to produce a piece of bedroom furniture combinin g a folding bed with a chiffonier, bureau, dressing ease, writing desk, or the like.

To this end the invention consists in the construction herein after more fully described whereby the detailed mechanisms of the two members of this combined piece of furniture co-operate with each other to the best advantage to enable them to be readily separated when desired, as well as to cause them when assembled to produce a whole of economical construct-ion, easy operation, and occupying the least possible space.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a general perspective view of this combined bed and chiffonier or the like, in position for use. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section with the members assembled. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bed-casing and bed with the end of the casing removed, showing the bed in dotted lines as partly turned down and in full lines as completely turned down and latched. Fig. 4c is a bottom plan view of the dressing case. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device with the dressing case moved slightly away from its closed position, and illustrating more particularly the details of the present invention.

In the said drawings the letter C designates the casing for the bed B, and T is a trough projecting forwardly from the bottom of said casing.

D is the dressing case as a whole which in the present instance contains a writing desk IV together with other drawers, cupboards, and similar receptacles. I may here state that the receptacles which the dressing case D contains form no essential part of the pres- Serial No. 467,367. (No model.)

ent invention, except that it is the general object sought that this dressing case, chiffonier,bureau,or whatever piece of furniture it is, shall take the place of one or more other and usually independent pieces of furniture employed in the bedroom. In the present case I have shown the dressing easel) as containing near its base at one side three drawers 1 and at the other side a small cupboard 2 above which is a single drawer 3. In the upper part at the left is a swinging door or panel carrying a mirrors and adapted to close a cupboard containing several shelves 5; while at the right is a writing desk composed of a hinged leaf 6 adapted to close a small cupboard containing pigeon-holes 7, andabove this writing desk may be other small drawers 8. At the top of the writing desk is a shelf 9 as for books, (tel, and in rear of this shelf may be a looking-glass 10.

The casing O for the bed is an upright framework with top and bottom, sides and back, as such casings are usually constructed;

and extending forward from the bottom of this casing is a trough T composed of a bottom 11, raised back 12, raised front 13, and raised left end lei-the trough having no right end but the bottom 11 at this point being pro vided with a notch 15 as shown. The bottom of the casing and of the trough are provided with casters whereby the whole is supported from the floor so that it may be moved about the room as desired.

Depending from the bottom of the dressing case along its front edge is a molding 20 which completely conceals the raised front 13 of the trough and the casters beneath said trough; and slightly in rear of said molding 20 is a guide-strip t which depends from the dressing case and is spaced from the molding a sufficient distance to permit the upper edge of the raised front 13 to slide between said guidestrip and molding.

On the bottom of the dressing case at the left end is a bracket or casting 16 supporting a pair of small rollers 17 properly spaced and of suitable size to travel within the trough and closely fit between the back 12 thereof and the guide strip 25; while at the right end of the bottom of the dressing case is another bracket or casting 18 provided with a large single roller 19 of suitable size to travel on the floor and to move into the notch as the dressing case is shoved to the left. The small rollers 17 at this time move in the trough T, and all the rollers are completely hidden from View by the depending molding 20 at the front of the base of the dressing case, which molding is continued around the right end thereof as at 20 and covers the large roller.

The top 21 of the casing is provided near its front edge with a transverse groove 22, and at the upper edge of the back ofthe case D is an L-shaped strip 23 whose depending lip travels in said groove so as to prevent the upper end of the case from falling to the front. From the left end of said top rises a strip of molding 22L extending across the end of the groove 22 and thus affording a stop against which the left end of the L-shaped strip 23 will strike when the members are housed; and thus preventing the case D from being moved too far to the left and across the right end of the top is another strip of molding 25stopping in rear of the groove 22 so as not toimpede the movement of the L, shaped strip. The ends of said L-shaped strip 23 are provided with small pieces of molding 26 26 shapedso as to register with the moldings 2i and..25 when the members are housed that is to say, the piece 26 covers only a portion of the left end of the L-shaped strip, while the piece 26' covers the entire right end of thisstrip-as best seen in Fig. 5.

27 is apin projecting to the rear from a point near the left end of the L-shaped strip 23, and so located that it will strike against the inner face of the right strip 25 on the easing O when the case D has been moved to the right sufficiently to permit; the bed to be lowered. At this time the bottom molding 20 on thecase has not uncovered the front side 13 of the trough and is therefore not out of engagement therewith, and the small rollers also still rest in the bottom of the trough. If it is desired to entirely remove the case from the casing, the former can be lifted slightly so that the pin 27 will pass over the right molding strip 25, after which the entire case can be removed by rolling it on the rollers to a remote point if desired. To reconnect the parts, this operation is reversed, and it will thus be obvious that it is only necessary to raise the left side of the case D a trifle in order to connect it with or disconnect it from the casing.

The bed Bis composed of the usual side bar 30 connected by transverse slats 31 and a footboard 32, while a narrow board 33 connects the upper or head ends of the side bars, and the headboard 34: is hinged as at 35 to the upper edge of this narrow board. Said headboard moves between the ends of the easingand slides against its back, and angleirons 37 are secured to the rear face of the headboard and loosely engage the vertical edges of a large opening which is made in the back of the casing.

On the rear face of the headboard is asuitable weight 38 for partially or fully counterbalancing the weight of the bed and bed clothing.

At the lower edge of the footboard 32 and just inside the same is mounted a cross bar 39 having pins in its ends which engage eyes ll in the inner faces of the side bars, and depending from the ends of the cross bar 39 are legs 42 whose bodies are adapted to pass inside said side bars when the bed is raised and whose tips at this time rest in notches 43 in the lower face of the foot slat 3lthe object being that the entire cross bar,its pivots, and its legs shall stand flush with the lower edges of the side bars of the bed and with the front edges of the ends of the casing when the bed is housed. A suitable catch it maybe arranged in the lower edge of the footboa-rd and adapted to engage a keeper-4:5 in the front edge of the topof the casing-although this catch and keeper are not always necessary.

The hangings or pivots for the bed within the casing are constructed as follows and are in duplicate at the opposite sides of the bed: is a casting secured inside the end of the casing near the floor and 51 is a link or strap pivoted at its lower end to said casting, rising and bending slightly forward therefrom, and pivoted to a plate or casting 52secured to the outer face of the side bar of the bed near the head thereof. 53 is a block secured inside the end of the casing and having an inclined rear face 54 forming a stop to prevent the link 51 from moving too far to the front. 56 is a catch which I may employ at a groove or hole in the side bar of the bed to a point usually in front of the casting 52 where it is provided with a handle 59 by means of which the bolt can be retracted to disengage the tip from the keeper. When, however, this catch is an ordinary bolt or one which is not spring-pressed, it will be obvious that the chain or rod maybe omitted and the handle will project from the bolt of the catch itself. In this case the operator will grasp suchhandle and move it in the proper direction tc-shoot or retract the bolt.

As above'constructed, the parts are assembledand my device is as follows: The dressing case and its drawers, cupboards, and writing desk can obviously be used in the ordinary manner at any time. When it is desired to use the bed the dressing case is shoved to the right. (In some cases it may be thought advisable to provide a catch 60 suitably located as at one end of the case and engag ing the casing, whose function is obviously to prevent such sliding except when desired, at which time the catch is thrown out of engagement with its keeper.) During such move in the ordinary manner.

ment of the case to the right the large roller travels on the floor out of the notch, and the smaller rollers travel along the trough from the left end thereof to a point at the right end where they pass astride the notch; and the depending lip of the L-shaped strip 23 moves in the groove 22 until the pin 37 strikes the right molding 25. At this time the case has uncovered the front of the casing so that the bed can be lowered by drawing its footboard forward, and if the catch i4: is used it is obviously disengaged from its keeper before lowering the bed. As the bed is lowered the pivots at the upper ends of the links 51 are first drawn to the front while the entire bed swings around the lower pivots and as soon as said links strike the stops their forward motions cease and the bed then swings around the pivots 52; the lower edges of the side bars of the bed striking the upper edge of the rear side 12 of the trough just as the links strike the stops, and rising out of contact therewith as soon as the bed begins to swing around the pivots 52. Meanwhile the headboard at is being raised and its angleirons are caused to slide up the edges of the opening in the back of the casing; the weight 38 obviously counterbalancing the weight of the bed and bed clothing, and the legs 42 standing always in a vertical position until their lower ends strike the floor when the bed is horizontal. At this moment the catch or catches 56 at the head of the side bars of the bed automatically engage their keepers, and the bed is prevented from closing undesirably. The pillows are then taken from one of the drawers in the case and the bed is used In the morning the user rises from his bed and finds the dressing case near at hand. The pillows are replaced in their drawer or other storage receptacle, the catch or catches 56 are disengaged from their keepers by drawing on the handles 59, and the bed is housed by simply raising its foot until it passes into the casing 45 and the catch 44 engages its keeper. At this time the legs 42 will have fallen until their tips rest in the notches 43 and the entire front face of the casing, bed, and legs will stand in a single plane so that the dressing case can be again moved to the left until the whole presents the appearance of but a single piece of furniture and the catch 60, if it is used, will hold the parts in this position. The matter of materials, proportions, ornamentation, and other details must be left to the judgment of the manufacturer except in so far as hereinafter claimed, and I do not therefore wish to limit myself to the construction of parts as considerable change may be made therein without departing from the principle of my invention.

What is claimed as new is-= The combination with a folding-bed-casing having a groove along its top, and a trough projecting forward from the bottom of the.

casing, said trough being open at its right end and there having a notch in its bottom; of a dressing case or the like having a strip of L-shaped cross section whose depending lip travels normally in said groove, a depending molding at the front edge of said case standing just forward of the raised front of said trough, 2. depending guide-strip on said case standing just in rear of said raised front, and three rollers carried by the lower end of said case, the two smaller of which travel within the trough in rear of said guide-strip while thelarger one travels on the floor and enters said notch when the parts are housed, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto subscribed my signature on this the 18th day of March, A. D. 1893.

JOHN FLORY. Witnesses:

EVAN. B. RAVENOROFT, CHARLES SNYDER.