US1500872A - Automobile bed - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1924. 1.500372 F. W. HORTON AUTOMOBILE BED Filed July 26. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 8. 1924. 7 1,500,872

' F. W. HORTON AUTOMOBILE BED.

Filed July 26, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 8, 1924.

unrrrn stares" FRED W. HORTON, 015 ELDORA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. H. HADLEY, OF

WATERLOO, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE BED.

Application filed July 26, 1921. Serial No. 487,602.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED VJ. HORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at EL dora, in the county of Hardin and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Beds, of which r the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with equipment useful in conjunction with motor vehicles, primarily touringcars or the like, for set ting up in the car in a very handy and complete manner provisions constituting a bed advantageous to be used by tourists for sleeping while en route.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to employ what might be called knockdown bed equipment 'in autos, somewhat after the manner proposed according to my invention. Previous equipment of this class, however, has been of rather complicated construction involving quite a few parts, including adjusting bolts, screws and the like, also supports or rails of somewhat difficult construction from a manufacturing view-point, rendering the equipment somewhat expensive to make and somewhat complicated as tov adjustment. It has therefore been my obj set, in devising the improvements of this invention, to .secure a construction which is highly rigid in so far as its supporting strength is concerned, and oneof the parts of which are of peculiar formation to greatly simplify the propositions of manufacture and expense so as toenable the equipment to be sold at a relatively low price. Furthermore, Ihave so designed the several parts of the bed structure so'as to permit the same to beexpeditiously set up and taken down after a night of sleep thereon.

A full comprehension of my lnvention and the merits thereof will be had upon reference to the following detailed construction in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,

in which: I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a touring car of conventional type illustrating my invention applied thereto, and V Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of thesame taken beneath the top of the motor vehicle to show more clearly the mounting of the supportingrails, mode of attachment of the same, and V the v arrangement and method of supporting the flexible bodyforming said rails. I j

vertical extension l of said section.

a part of the bed in conjunction with Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the side rails bringing out more clearly its peculiar construction.

Figure fis a perspective view of the flexible bed body.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3. Y

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the socket members to engage the rear end of each rail.

Throughout the following detailed description and on the several figures of the drawing, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

In carrying out my invention I utilize certain parts such as heretofore proposed for equipment of the type hereinbefo-re referred to, said parts being of peculiar special construction however. In the drawings I show the employment of side rails which are of similar construction, each being composed of front and rear sections 1 and 2, respectively. The front section 1 is hollow so as to receive telescopically the rear section 2. At its front end the front section is formed with a for wardly extending hook 3 projecting from a The rear section 2 is formed with an upwardly and rearwardly curving supporting arm 5 provided at its rear extremity with a clownwardly projecting lug 6. The arm 5 and the hook and extension parts 3 and 4 are provided upon their under surfaces with pads 7 to prevent marring or injury in any way to the portions of the vehicle with which they are engaged when the bed is set up for use. I contemplate applying to the uppermost portions of the rear seat of the motor vehicle which is generally designated at A, small socket members such as shown at 8 in Figure 7, which socket members are permanently attached to the vehicle by screws 9 or the like. T helugs 6 on the arms 5 of the rails are adapted to engage in the socket members 8 in a manner which. will be selfevident.

I employ a very peculiar rigid construction in making the rails composed of the I retainthe round formation for the greater length of each rail sect-ion. Where I form the extension 4 and the hook 3 of the section 1 the tubing is flattened and 'slit upon the underside of the flattened portion. The slitting of the tubing at this portion enables it to be bent with greater facility to obtain the formation of the parts 3 and 4 as desired. Likewise I form the arm 5 and the lug 6 of the section 2 in a similar manner, the tubinc being flattened and slit longitudinally upon its underside as above described.

It will be vident that a nail construction made in the manner set forth affords a very high degree of rigidity, and moreover, the

, telescopic arrangement of the sections 1 and 2 is very advantageous because it eliminates the necessity of using fastenings of any sort and permits the sections to be freely moved longitudinally relatively to one another, whereby to adjust them properly to fit motor vehicles in which the front and rear seats are not the same distance apart.

The rails when placed in position in the motor vehicle preparatory to use of the bed are so disposed that the parts 8 and at engage the back and top of the front seat and the arms 5 ext-end over and rest upon the back of the rear seat, the lugs 6 engaging in the socket member 8.

The rails are so constructed and arranged, therefore that they may readily support the front and rear seat cushions of the vehicle, which. as. usual are removable and are adapted to be placed upon the portions of the rails intermediate the arms 5 and the extensions 4, the seat cushions being designated at 10 and shown in position in Figure 1. v I

In conjunction with the rails and the seat cushions arranged as above described, and shown in Figure 1, I utilize a flexible bed member or body 11, seen best in Figures 2 and at. This flexible body member is equipped atone end with snap hooks 12 adapted to engage. with eyes 13 which are carried by the arms 5 adjacent. to the lugs 6, At its opposite end the flexible member 11 has a pair of straps 14 which are connected with a. reinforcing and stretching rod 15 which is received in the hemmed portion 16 of the member 11 as seen in Figure 4, said hemmed portion being cut out to accommodate the straps, as seen at 18. The rod 15 is prevented fronr displacement by stitching the member 11 at'a right angle to the hemmed portion at 18 to enable the straps 1 1 to be properly connected with the rod 15. Attached to the flexible member 11 near its rear end portion are ropes 19 or the like for connecting the member 11 with the rear bows of the top of the touring car. The straps 14: are of sufiic-ient length to enable them to be passed around at the sides of the wind shield of. the car so as to pull the front end portion of the body member 11 tightly over the front seat. In practice, therefore, the body member 11 is practically level throughout its length when secured properly so as to extend over the seats 10 when carried by the side rails.

The arrangement of the parts of my bed equipment as above described permits the users to sleep in the automobile in a manner which will be clearly understood. If desired, a pad may be placed upon the flexible bed member 11, though in practice this is not necessary for suitable blankets in conjunction with the seats afford a very comfortable bed under actual conditions of service.

A special advantage of my construction is that the telescopic sections of the rails come apart very quickly and may be disposed with the hook and arm portions adjacent to one another to thereby reduce the length -of the rails one-half, practically speaking. Then these rails thus disassembled may be readily wrapped in the flexible body member 11 if desired and these parts thus collected and placed in a bag which I supply, as a part of the equipment as a convenient means for covering the same when in collapsed condition and out of use.

Since in the use of my invention, and inventions of a similar nature, it is necessary in almost all positions of our country to have mosquito netting to cover the heads and exposed portions of the body of sleepers using the equipment I contemplate utilizing, an extension of the flexible body member 11 at its rear end, which extension is made of mosquito netting and is of somewhat triangular shape in side view as shown in the, drawings, being comprised of a back portion, a top portion, and sides. This extension designated 20 is really a small enclosure for the head and arms of the sleepers using my equipment. At the top, of the extension enclosure 20the same is equipped with snap hooks or some suitable fastening means to connect with the top of the vehicle or touring car A, and if desired simi lar means may be employed at the lower front portion of said extension enclosure. The said extension enclosure 20 furthermore may be sewed or stitched to the flexible body member 11, or otherwise attached thereto, and being made of netting material is adapted to be rolled up on the rod 15 which forms a handy means for rolling up the said member 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I 1. In a knock-down bed for vehicles, the combination of spaced sockets disposed at the rear thereof, with independent longitudinally extending rails having means to engage the front seat of the vehi-- cle and hooked ends to removably interlock With said sockets whereby they are held in predetermined spaced relation against longitudinal and lateral movement to support the seat cushions of the vehicle, a flexible body member adapted to extend over said cushions When so positioned and-provided with; means for attachment to the rear of each of said rails, and means for adjustably connecting the other end of the flexible body to the vehicle.

2. In a knock-down bed for vehicles, the combination of spaced sockets at the rear thereof With independent longitudinally extensible rails having means to engage the front side of the vehicle and hooked ends to seat in said sockets, connecting eyes upon said rails adjacent said hooked ends, a

flexible body member provided with quick detachable means at one endfor engagement with said eyes, and adjustable straps carried by the opposite end of said body member for attachment to a fixed part of the vehicle.

3. In a knock-down bed for vehicles, the combination of spaced sockets disposed at the, rear thereof with longitudinally extending rails comprising freely adjustable telescoping sections having a flat seat-engaging hooked end, one of which is seated in one of said sockets, and means carried by one of said sections for the attachment of a flexible covering member thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRED W. HORTON.

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