US1107729A - Convertible couch. - Google Patents

Description

F. M. TINKHAM. CONVERTIBLE COUCH. APPLICATION FILED 11:13.11. 1911.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

2 HHEBT8-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR, fiazzm'mM fl'idfiez/z, By

A TTORNEY.

WITNESSES.- W%% M, 7 W/iW/M F. M. TINKHAM. CONVERTIBLE COUCH. APPLIOATION FILED PEB.17,1911. 1,107,729. Patented Aug. 18, 1914 2 BHEETB-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.- IN VENTOR, W Evin/J" If %/U4/ 8 Y L 7 A TTORNEY.

1 FATE once.

FRANCIS M. TI'NKHAM, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONVERTIBLE COUCH.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914:.

Serial No. 609,156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. TINK- HAM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Convertible Couches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in convertible couches, the object of the invention being to provide a couch that may readily be changed from a sofa or a divan into a full sized bed, when open. The construction is such that the springs which support the mattresses, when used as a bed, are adapted to be folded one over the other when closed, and to receive a couch mattress on the upper side from that in which the bed mattresses are placed.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for readily opening and closing the structure with as little effort as possible, and to accomplish this a rockershaft is employed to which is connected a set of links at its opposite ends which are located between the lower supporting frame and movable frames so that when the operator moves one end of the movable frame the other end will be simultaneously moved; also to provide a track-way for receiving an anti-friction roller that is located at one edge of the movable frame, the opposite side of the movable frame being provided with a roller which engages the floor.

A further object of the invention is to provide spacing bars so as to maintain the foldable frame at a fixed distance from the slidable frame between which the bed mat tresses may be placed when closed, or in a folded position.

A further object is to provide the ends of the lower supporting frame with panels for concealing the structural parts and give it the appearance of a divan or couch.

Broadly, the invention consists of a lower supporting frame and two movable frames comprising intermediate and upper bed sections pivoted together and adapted to fold relative to each other to form a couch and to open into the same plane to form a bed surface on which mattresses may be placed, and means for permitting the two frames to move together on the fixed frame.

In the drawings forming part of this ap plication,-Figure 1 is a plan view showing the structure in a closed or folded position is to be used as a bed.

when used as a divan or couch. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 clearly illustrating the relation of the wire fabric and the panels at the end of the lower supporting frame. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 33 of this figure, and illustrating the structure with the end panels removed. Fig. t is an end elevational view of Fig. 3 but with the foldable frames in an open position, when used as a bed. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 55, Fig. 1, showing the two foldable bed-frames in closed position, when used as a couch or divan.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a designates the lower supporting frame and Z) the intermediate movable frame. The lower supporting frame a is provided with supporting legs 0 and (Z at its opposite ends, which are transversely connected at their upper portions by means of the angle-iron e, the horizontal web f of which provides a run-way or support for the rollers g which are secured to the short depending legs h of the intermediate movable frame I) The opposite sides of this frame is provided with legs 2' which reach the floor and have a roller j secured thereto which supports the side of the intermediate movable frame 6 when in an open or closed position. The upper portions of the legs h and i are connected together by means of the transversely arranged angle'iron on; 70 and 70 designate longitudinal bars of angleiron which brace and strengthen the movable frame b longitudinally.

0 designates an upper frame that is directly and pivotally connected to the intermediate movable and laterally slidable frame b by means of the hinge p, and serves to support a couch mattress when the structure is used as a divan.

g designates spacing members of strapiron that are secured to the frames Z) and 0 near their front outer sides and are for the purpose of spacing these frames at definite distances from each other when the frame 0 is folded down into the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 5, whereby the woven wire mattress fabrics '2" and s are definitely spaced from each other. This space .is for receiving the two bed mattresses which can be used, when the frame is opened into the position shown in Fig. 4:, when the couch t designates a brace-bar that connects the opposite outer ends of the frame 0, these ends of angle-iron being designated by the letter 14, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The spring r is for receiving a couch mattress to.

The valance rod, which is designated by w, is located. on the front side of the frame 0 and is for the purpose of throwing the valance, designated by 3 up onto the mattress w when the frame 0 is to be opened into the position shown in Fig. 4:, and the structure used as a bed. The couch mattress w is not used when it is converted into a bed.

2 designates a rock-shaft which extends the entire length of the lower supporting frame a, and rigidly connected to the opposite ends of this shaft is a link 3 which is pivoted to the link 4 at the point 5,- the link 4 being pivoted to the intermediate frame I) at the point 6.

From this construction it will be seen that when the intermediate frame Z) is drawn outward from its position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4E, this outward movement will be transmitted to the opposite end of the frame 7) by means of the links and rocker-shaft.

After the frames 6 and 0 have been drawn out substantially the width of the lower supporting frame a, the frame 0 is turned on the hinge 79 relative to the frame a until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4:, and the frame 0 rests at its outer edge on the brace-bar 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 at the point 8. The brace-bar 7 also serves the purpose of securing the end panel members 9 to the frame a in order to give the couch, when in a folded position, the effect of a divan by concealing the structural or framework of the couch. The panel members 9 are further secured to the frame a by means of the bolts 10, a section of which is shown in Fig. 3. Located in the bottom portion of the frame a is a box 11 for re ceiving and placing bedding therein.

he operation of the extensible couch is as follows: First, referring to Fig. 3 in which the same is shown closed and adapted to be used as a divan but with the panel members 9 removed, the mattresses, which serve as the bed portion, are placed within the space between the fabrics r and s as shown in dotted lines, and the couch mattress w is located above the fabric 1" and serves for the sofa. The mattress w is pro vided with. a suitable covering, the valance portion of which c nceals the side portion of the structure. The frame 0, which supports the mattress, is held in its horizontal position by means of the hinge 79 and the spacing bars 9.

Should it be desired to convert the sofa into an extensible bed, the valance rod :0 is

thrown upward in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, carrying the valance portion y on top of the mattress to before the removal from the wire fabric 0. The operator then pulls outward on the frame 6, which operation rotates the rock-shaft 2, and, through the links 3 and 4, the movement is transmitted to the opposite end of the couch which causes that end of the frame Z2 to move out on the rails e and carries with it the frame 0, which is attached thereto. On account of the considerable length of the frame 6 the rock-shaft 2 and the links 3 and 4 assist in the opening operation and thus maintain rigidity of the frame 5 and make the opening operation much easier. The links 3 are rigidly attached to the rock-shaft 2 and thus cause both ends of the frame 6 .to move together, which they would not do if they were loosely at tached to the rock-shaft. The operator then rotates the upper frame 0 on the hinge go until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4, and the mattresses, which form the bed, are placed on the wire fabrics a" and s, as shown in Fig. 4:. The fabrics r and 8 lie in the same horizontal plane with the result that there is no opening between the meet ing edges thereof.

From this construction, it will be seen that I have provided a convertible couch and bed structure which be readily interchanged from one to the other.

The operations for closing the structure and converting the same into a couch are, of course, the reverse of those just described.

WVhat I claim, is

1. A convertible couch bed combination, with a lower supporting frame, an intermediate and an upper bed frame section, said sections being pivotally connected to each other and adapted to be folded into the same or parallel horizontal planes, in order to provide a substantially continuous surface, when the structure is used as a bed, and a supporting surface, when the same is used as a couch, means to move said sections together, while in a foldable position, on the said lower supporting frame, when opening and closing the structure, one of the side edges of the upper bed frame section being supported on a bracket of the lower supporting frame, when used as a bed, and the side edge of the intermediate section being supported on the floor, the inner edges of the upper and intermediate sections being pivotally connected together and supported on the lower frame, substantially as described.

2. A convertible bed or couch comprising, a l wer supporting frame, an intermediate bed frame section and an upper bed frame section, said intermediate section being connected to the lower supporting frame to having in slide thereon by means of a trackway on for spacing the intermediate and upper sections from each other when closed.

3. In a couch bed, the combination with a lower supporting frame, a rock shaft mounted therein and located near one side thereof, an intermediate bed-frame section, link connections between the opposite ends of the rock-shaft and the intermediate section, one side of said intermediate section being adapted to engage the floor and the other side a trackway on the lower supporting frame, when opening and closing the structure, an upper bed-frame section pivotally connected to said intermediate section, means for spacing the intermediate and upper sections from each other when closed, and means to permit the frames to lie in the same horizontal plane when open.

4. In a convertible couch, the combination with a lower supporting frame, a trackway thereon, an intermediate bed-frame section, an upper bed frame section, said sections bemg hlnged together and adapted to engage the trackway at the hinged side when in a folded position, one of said sections engaging the floor, whereby the hinged sections may be drawn away from the supporting frame before the hinged sections are opened, substantially as described.

5. In a structure of the kind described, a lower supporting frame, an upper and an intermediate bed frame section mounted thereon and pivoted to each other, to be opened to form a bed or closed to form a couch or divan, means secured to each of the bed frame sections to space the same from each other, when closed, to form a storage compartment, said means comprising projections at the outer edges of the bed frame sections.

6. A convertible couch and bed comprising upper and intermediate bed frames for receiving a woven wive fabric, said frames being directly hinged together, and one of said frames having supporting means to engage the floor at one of its sides and a lower supporting frame at the other or pivoted side, the other hinged frame being supported by the first hinged frame at its pivoted side, when in an open position to form a bed, and supported on an edge of said lower supporting frame at its opposite side, substantially as described.

7. A combined couch and bed structure comprising, a lower supporting frame and two foldable bed sections,

said sections being intermediate section which is lower end to the opposite side of to engage the floor, and the upper bed-frame frame when in an open directly pivoted together to form a bed, whenopen, and a couch, when closed, interconnecting means between one of the foldable sections and the lower supporting frame to permit the foldable sections, when in a folded position, to move laterally with respect to the lower supporting frame, a rock shaft mounted in the lower, supporting frame, and link connections between the shaft and one of said foldable sections, as described.

8. A combined couch and bed structure comprising a lower supporting frame and two movable and foldable bed-frames, the said foldable frames being directly pivoted together to form a bed when open, and a couch when closed, connecting means between one of the movable and foldable frames and the lower supporting frame to permit them to move laterally with respect to each other, a rock-shaft mounted in the lower supporting frame projecting means on the foldable frames, engaging each other, to space the movable foldable frames from each other when in their folded or couchforming position, and located near the outer edge of the foldable frames.

9. A convertible couch comprising a lower supporting f'ame having a track-way extending transversely thereof, a bed-frame having legs at one side for engaging the floor, and a pair of short legs at its opposite side provided with rollers for engaging the track-way, a second bed-frame directly pivoted to the first bed-frame and adapted to fold over the first frame when closed to form a couch, and, into the same plane when the second frame is in an open position, and the first frame is drawn out on the fixed frame whereby a bed surface is formed.

10. A convertible bed or couch, comprising a lower supporting frame, a trackway thereon, an intermediate bed frame section, slidable on said trackway, an upper bedframe section pivotally connected to said intermediate section and adapted to be partially rotatable in relation thereto, a bracket mounted on said lower section and adapted to support said upper section when the couch is opened, a rock shaft mounted in said lower section, link connections between each end of the rock shaft and each end of said intermediate section, whereby both ends of the latter move in unison during the opening and closing operations.

11. A convertible bed or couch, comprising a lower supporting frame, a trackway thereon, an intermediate bed frame section, a pair of legs on said intermediate section in en gagemcnt with the floor, a second pair 0 legs on said intermediate section provided with rollers in engagement with said trackway, said intermediate section being slidable on said lower section, an upper bed frame section pivotally connected to said intermediate section and partially rotatable in rela- 'tion, and spacing means to maintain said tlon thereto, a bracket mounted on said upper and intermediate sectlons 1n parallel 10 lower section and adapted to support saicl planes.

upper section When the couch is opened a 5' rock shaft mounted in said lower section aind FRANCIS TINKHAM' extending the entire length thereof, link Witnesses: connections between each end of the rock WM. H. CHAPIN, shaft and each end of the intermediate sec- HARRY W. BOWEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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