US1352806A - Sofa-bed - Google Patents

Description

151.. GRUENFELD, JR.

SOFA BED.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

J -J. GRUENFELD SOFA-BED. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3. 1916-.

Patented Sept.

14,1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

III'" lllillll SOFA BEDI APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1916.

v Pat ntedSept. 14,1920;

' 3 SH EETSSHEET 3- I i i I ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES,

PAT NT I orsics,

'JULIUs J. GRUENFELZD, .13., or CHICAGO, I Iimois.

SOFA-BED.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS J. GRUENFELD, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sofa-Beds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I

, The invention relates to sofa beds.

One object of the invention is to provide improved connecting devices between a sofa frame and a bed composed of 'foldably connected sections, whereby, in the course of swinging the bed from a closedto an open position, it will move about different fulcra in succession as distinguished from a combined sliding and pivotal connection or a differential link Connection.

By providing connections by which the bed is caused to swing in succession about differently disposed fulcrum points, the bed will swing in such a manner as to render available some of the space to the rear. of and below the bed forstorage'ofbedding, etc, without enlarging the sofa frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved connecting-devices be,- tween the frame and the bed, which are simple in construction, may be easily operatedand. can be produced at a low cost. Other objects of the invention will appear from the detail description.

The invention-consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at'the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: vFigure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a sofa bed. embodying the invention, the bed being shown closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the bed open. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a horizontal section taken on line 44l of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is aface view of one of the slotted plates secured to the stationary sofa frame. Fig. 6 is an end view ofthe stud-plate fixed to the bed frame. Figs.-7, 8, and 9 are detail views of the stud plate and slotted fulcrum plate showing them in the positions assumed when the bed is closed, when it has been opened half way and in open position. Fig.

10 is a transverse section of-a modification sofa bed, showing the invention applied to a five-section folding bed, the bed being 'said frame.

same showing the bed closed.

- Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

-App1ication filed September 13, 1916. Serial No. 119,817. 2

The sofa bed comprises essentially asofa frame which may be of any suitable construction or design and a bed formed of foldably connected sections and movably mounted in the frame so that it can be spread in open position or folded under the which are suitably cross-connected and secured together in'spaced relation by bars 15 between which the back-rest 16 is disposed. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the bed comprises a section 17, a section 19 and an intermediate section 18. .It will be understood by those skilled n the art that a spring-bed bottom- (not shown) is connected to the bed sections to continuously support the mattress. The section 17 comprises side-bars 17 and an end bar 17", The section 19 comprises side bars 19 and across-bar 19*. Usually all of these bars of the bed sections are of angle iron.

The section17 is rigidly secured to a seat frame 20 and a sofa-seat 21 is built upon The side bars of section 18 are pivotally connected to the section 19 and the section 17 is pivotally connected to the SldG bars of the intermediate-section 18.

When the bed is closed, the sofa seat will beupon the top of the seat frame 20 and seat. The sofa frame comprises sides 14: I

underside of the seat. Intermediate section' I 18 will extend downwardly from the section adjacent the front of the seat and the section 17 .will extend r'earwardly from the lower end of the intermediate section. Latches 36 hinged to the side bars of the section 17 are adapted to be swung into position to hold the section 19 so that a mattress will be held between the bed sections when the sofa is closed. The front board 22 is hinged, as at 23, to the seat frame to conceal the bed sections and mattress when the sofa is closed.

A device for movably connecting the seat frame and bed to the sofa frame is proscrews26 to the seat frame,20 and a plate 27 secured to one of the sofaframe sides 14' by screws 28. A spacer plate 29 is interposed between each fulcrum plate and one side 14 of the sofa frame, and'has slots 34 therein to provide clearance for the heads 24". and 25 of the studs 24 and 25. plate 27 is formed withintersecting- arcuate slots 30 and 31, in the lower ends of which studs 24 and 25 are fulcrumed or held in alternating succession. Each of the slots 30 and 31 is substantially quadrantal so that each stud 24, acts as a fulcrum, for about 90 of movement and collectively the studs act 'as fulcra for about '180" of movement.

The studs at the opposite ends of the seat frame are coaxial and the slots in the plates 27 are correspondingly disposed so that the bed and seat will simultaneously swing on corresponding studs. For assembling the stud plates and the'slotted plates, openings 32 and 33 connecting with slots and 31,

4 respectively are provided to permit the heads of the studs on the plate 26 to be passed through the slotted plates until the reduced portions of the studs pass transversely into position to slip into the slots 30 and-31. disposed where bothstud heads will not pass into registry with them during the opening or closing of the bed.

When the bed is closed and the seat is in operative position, studs 25 will bear in the lower ends of the slots 31 and studs 24 will be disposed adjacent the upper ends of the slots 30 (Fig. 7). WVhen the seat and bed are turned over to give access to the bed, studs 25, bearing in the lowerends of slots 31, will act as a fixed pivot.or fulcrum for the seatand bed, while the studs 24 will move forwardly and downwardly in arcuate slots 30 until they encounter the lower ends of said slots (Fig. 8). When the seat and bed are approximately in vertical position, fur-- ther forward movement thereof will cause studs 24 to act as a fulcrum and studs 25 rested, whereupon the stud which first acted as a pivot will be caused to swing around the other stud as a fulcrum which, atthat 1 time, is advantageously disposed to give the desired direction of travel to the seat and bed duringthe latter portion of its movement. These devices further exemplify stud-andslot connections between the fold- These openings 32 and 33 areable bed and the frame by which the studs become active in alternating successionand in which the seat frame is successively piv l oted about fixed fulcra. Each These stud-and slot connections are simple in construction and render shifting of the seat comparatively easy, because sliding friction is eliminated. Another attribute of these devices is that when the seatis closed or in operative position, the fulcrum about which the initial movement of the seat occurs, is disposed so that the rear end ofthe seatwill disposed fulcrum has been completechthe ether stud then in a forwardly disposed position becomes active and the seat moves downwardly and forwardly to an inverted position where thebed sections will be BX-I posed so they can be readily manipulated to form a bed. I

A box 37 for the pillows and other bed. ding, if desired, is provided in the lower rear portion of the seat frame and extends longitudinally between the sides thereof. The front 37 of this box is inclined so that the section 19 will clear it during the initial upward movement of the seati'n opening the sofa.

Counterbalance springs '38, one at each end of the seat, have their front lower ends connected to the front board 22 and their rear ends connected to links 39 which are securedto the sofa frame, at 40.

swing upwardly and forwardly, and so that v These springs aid in lifting and tilting the seat and bed during the initial. upward movement thereof in opening the sofa. Springs 38 and links 39 are disposed so that the springs will be inactive after the seat has passed approximately to a vertical position and during the time when it is being loweredfrom vertical to its forwardly extending position. VVhen-the seat is in operative position, the seat-frame 20 rests upon lugs 41 secured to the frame-sides '14. Springs 42 are connected to the front board 22 and to the side-bars of section 19 to hold the front board in substantially horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, "when the bed is open. A

The operation of the sofa bed will be as follows: When the sofa is closed, the parts i will be in position shown in Fig.1. When the sofa is to be used as a bed, the seat will be turned over, the operator grasping the usual handle 44 secured to the back of the seat and pulling it upwardly and forwardly. Springs 88 will materially aid the operator, particularly during the initial movement, at which time, the major portion of the weight of the seat and bed will be back of the fulcrum stud 25 on which the seat is being swung. During the first 90 of the movement of the seat, the latter will pivot Qon the fulcrum studs 25 which are disposed comparatively low with respect to the seatframe so that the rear portion of the seat will swing upwardly and forwardly and clear the back. and studs 24 will pass downwardly and forwardly in slots 30. Vhen the seat has reached approximately an uprightposition, studs 24 will seat in the lower end of slot 30. During further forward pull upon the seat, the latter will pivot on studs 24 and studs 25 will swing upwardly in slots 31 until they reach the upper front ends of said slots, whereupon the further movement of the seat will be arrested. During this forward movement of the seat, the front board 22 will be shifted withthe seat. When the seat has been overturned, the

storage compartment is readily accessible by lifting section 19, for removal or replacement of extra bed clothes. Vhen the seat has been inverted, the bed- sections 18 and 19 will be swung rearwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2 and then the bed will be in open position, all of the sections being alined to form a bed bottom, and front board 22 will be raised into horizontal position shown in said figure and heldsuspended there by sprin s 42.

Legs 46 are pivotally' connected to bedsection 17 and are adapted to be swung into position to support the front end of said. section when the bed is open, as shown in Fig. 2.

To close the bed. sections 18 and 19 are swung into position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and are secured together in Such position by latch 36. It will be understood that the spring-bed bottom connected to these sections and the mattress thereon may be folded with the sections. The seat with the bed sections connected thereto will then be swung backwardly and upwardly, pivoting on studs 2% while the studs 25 move downwardly and rearwardly toward and into the lower ends of slots 31 passes the vertical position, studs 25 will seat in the lower ends of slots 31 and thereafter will act as a fulcrum during the downward and rearward movement while studs 24 move upwardly and rearwardly in slots 30 until the seat is restored to the position shown in Fig. 1.

' Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate the invention applied to a five-section bed comprising a medial section 5O secured to the seat frame 20. a short section 51 pivoted to section 50, at 52, a short section pivoted to section 50. at 54, a head-section pivoted to section 51. at 56. and a foot-section 57 pivoted to section at 58. The pivotal connections between the sofa frame and the seat frame are precisely the same as those described in connection with the form of the As the seat invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A storage compartment 59 is disposed tothe rear of and below the seat frame and is provided with a front 60 which is hinged as at 61 to the sofa-frame to provide access to thecompartment. When the bed is closed,.the sections will assume the position shown in Fig. 11 and when open, the position shown in Fig. 10. -Legs 62 are pivoted to the rear cross-bar of the seat to support the latter when the bed is open and legs 63 are pivoted to the front of the foot section 57 to support ingjoints is eliminated, and in which the fulcrum points'are advantageously disposed so that. the bed sections will clear the storage space in swinging-so that the seat and bed sections may be shifted with ease. I

The inventon is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims; without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what ,I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In a sofa bed, the combination of a sofa frame, a bed comprising foldably connected sections and connections between the sides of the bed and the frame respectively, each comprising a plurality of pivots and means for causing them to be successively and alternately held to successively act as stationary fulcra about which the bed swings, the corresponding pivots of the connections being coaxially disposed to cause bothends of the bed to successively swing about dif ferently disposed stationary fulcra. 2. In a sofa bed, the combination of a sofa frame, a bed comprising foldably connected sections and connections between the sides of the bed and the frame respectively,

each comprising a.plurality of pivots and means for causing them to be successively and alternately held to successively act as stationary fulcra about which the bed swings, the corresponding pivots of the connections being coaxially disposed to cause both ends of the bed to successively swing about differently disposed stationary fulcra, said pivots being movable vertically to alternately bring one of them above the other.

3. In a sofa bed, the combination of a sofa frame, a seat frame, pivotal connections between the sofa and seat frames, a bed comprising foldably connected sections, supported by the seat frame, a front board hinged-to theseat frame so it will underlie a portion of the bed when the seat-frame is inverted, and a spring connection between the bed and the front board to govern the position of the front-board with respect to the folding sections of the bed-frame.

4. In a sofa bed, the combination of a sofa frame, a seat frame, pivotal connections between the sofzi and seat frames, a bed coInprising foldably connected sections, sup-.10

the bed and the front board to govern the 15 position of the front-board with respect to the foldinq sections of the bed-frame.

JfiLins J. GRUENFELD, JR.

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