US2148890A

US2148890A - Studio couch

Info

Publication number: US2148890A
Application number: US132202A
Authority: US
Inventors: William E Wunderlich
Original assignee: Moore Co
Current assignee: Moore Co
Priority date: 1937-03-22
Filing date: 1937-03-22
Publication date: 1939-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 1956-02-28

Description

l Feb- 28, 1939. w. E. WUNDERLICH 2,148,890

STUDIO COUCH Filed March 22, 1937 Patented Feb. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE STUDIO COUCH William E. Wunderlich, Muncie, nd., assignor to The Moore Company, Muncie, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 22, 1937, Serial No. 132,202

3 Claims.

My invention relates t'o studio couches and has for its particular object the production of a studio-couch construction which can readily be changed to convert the couch into a bed. A further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement in which all the upholstery may be permanently attached to the frame of the couch, whereby loose pads or cushions may be eliminated. Still another object of my invention is to provide a couch of this type in which the two sections may either be left permanently in association with each other to form a double-width bed or may be completely separated to provide two independent beds.

In carrying ou-t my invention, I form the frame of the couch in two telescoping sections, the outer one of which carries the seat of the couch and the inner one of which carries the back. The back constitutes a rigid frame to the front face of which any desired form of upholstering is permanently attached, and the back is connected to its associated frame-section or base by links which permit it to move from an approximately vertical, back-forming position to a substantially horizontal, bed-forming position when the two sections of the couch are extended. Releasable latch means are provided for holding the two couch -sections in nested relationship when the structure is used as a couch, and additional means are provided permitting complete separation of the two sections when they are extended.

Theaccompanying drawing illustrates my invention, Figs. l and 2 being end elevations, with parts broken away, showing the structure in couch-forming and bed-forming conditions respectively.

l The inner or lower section of the couch frame comprises legs Ill, cross members II, and longitudinal frame members I2 secured together to form a rigid frame which may include a beddingbox I3. If desired, the bedding-box may be built permanently` into the frame to aid in stifening it.

The upper or outer section of the couch frame comprises legs I5, a front I6 rigidly secured to the two front legs, and ends II rigidly secured to the legs I5 at each end of the couch. A rectangular sub-frame I8 is carried by the front I6 and ends I1, and to this frame the seat I9 of the couch is attached, the upholstering of the seat preferably including springs 20. The outer section of the couch is mounted on wheels or rollers 2I so that it can readily be moved forwardly or rearwardly relatively to the inner or lower frame section.

The back of the couch comprises a sub-frame to which suitable upholstering 26, desirably including springs 21, is attached. The sub-frame 25 vis kconnected to the inner couch section or base through the medium of two links and 3I at each end of the couch. The upper ends of these links are pivotally connected in spaced relation to the adjacent end of the sub-frame 25, the axis of pivotal attachment of the link 30 being above that of the link 3I. The link 30, which may be substantially straight, has its lower end pivoted to the inner couch section, conveniently to the rear leg lil near the bottom thereof. The lower end of the link 3| is not connected directly to the inner couch section, but instead is pivotally attached to an intermediate point of an auxiliary link 33 one end of which is pivotally connected to the link 3Q at an intermediate point thereof and the other end of which is pivotally connected to a swinging arm 34 which extends downwardly from the auxiliary link 33 and has its lower end pivotally connected to the inner frame-section, conveniently to the. adjacent cross-member II. The effective length of the arm 34 is approximately equal to the distance between the pivotal connections of the link 30 to the auxiliary link 33 and the leg I0, respectively; so that any position of the auxiliary link is approximately parallel to any other position. When the structure is used as a couch, the point of pivotal connection between the link 3I and the auxiliary link 33 is located an appreciable distance in advance of the plane of the sub-frame 25, and the link 3I is therefore curved to clear the lower edge of such sub-frame.

When the structure described is used as a couch, the parts occupy the relative positions illustrated in Fig. l, the sub-frame 25 being approximately vertical and the outer frame section being moved inwardly to bring the seat I9 into contact with Ithe back 26. When it is desired to use the structure as a bed, the outer frame section carrying the seat I9 is moved forwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. With the seat I 9 thus removed from the back 26, the sub-frame 25 can be tilted rearwardly and moved forwardly into the position illustrated in Fig. 2, in which position the upper surface of the back 26 will be substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the seat I9. In this position, the sub-frame 25 rests securely on the top of the inner frame-section at both front and rear.

The weight of the back 25 and its associated sub-frame 25 can be at least partially counterbalanced by the provision of tension springs 35 each of which acts between an auxiliary link 33 and the inner frame-section or base to bias such auxiliary link rearwardly, thus tending to cause the link 30 to swing toward the upright position shown in Fig. 1. Conveniently, the legs Iil are formed of angle iron, as indicated, and the link 3D is pivoted to the inner face of one flange of such angle iron so that the other flange can act as a stop or abutment limiting swinging movement of the link 30 to hold the back in the desired upright position,

wardly from the outer or front section of the` couch frame. Engagement of the iinger 36 with the abutment 3l prevents the back 25 from moving out of its vertical position until after the outer couch-section has been moved forwardly far enough to permit the linger 36 to clear the abutment 31.

to the base.

To aid in holding the back 25 irmly in upright position the links 30 and 3| are desirably f so arranged that, as the back 25 approaches its extreme upright position, the pivotal axis of the connection between the link 3l and back 25 passes through a line joining the pivots at the top of the link 3E) andat the lower end yof the link 3|. With this arrangement, a certain toggle-like action is obtained which tends to stress the links slightly, take up all lost motion, and hold the back 25 rather rmly in upright position.

I obtain several distinct advantages by pivoting the lower end of the link 3i on the auxiliary link 33 rather than directly to the base or inner frame-section of the couch. One such advantage arises from the fact that as the [back is swung from upright toward horizontal position it is bodily carried forwardly, thus decreasing the maximum distance to which the upper edge of the back 25 will project rearwardly beyond the base as it is lowered and making it unnecessary to move the couch as far from a wall in rear of it as would otherwise be the case. Another advantage obtained by the use of the auxiliary link 33 is vthat the back 25, when moved upwardly from itslower position illustrated in Fig. 2, will not tilt as rapidly as it would if the lower end of the link 3! were pivoted directly As a result of this last feature, it is easier to obtain a rm seating of the back 25 at both the front and rear sides of the base. Still another advantage resulting from the use of the link 33 is an increase in the smoothness of action as the back 25 is moved from one position to the other and a more satisfactory balancing of the back by the spring 35.

In effect, the links 30 and 3l may be regarded as pivoted to the auxiliary link 33 and the structure as embodying means for moving the auxiliary link forward as the back 25 is lowered, and

vice versa.

To prevent the outer or front section of the frame from moving forwardly on its supporting rollers 2l when the structure is being used as a couch, ,I may provide a releasable latch means for holding the two frame sections in telescoping relation. As shown in the drawing, the upper cross-member l l at each end of the inner framesection projects forwardly beyond the front legs ID and is there provided with a transversely extending pin 42. The outer or upper framesection is provided at each end with a latch member 43 positioned to co-operate with the pin 42 when the two frame-sections are telescoped together. As shown, each of the latch members is provided with a downwardly opening, pinreceiving notch 44 and, in rear of such notch, with a rearwardly and upwardly inclined camsurface 45. When the two sections of the frame are moved into telescop-ing relation, the cam surfaces 45 engage the pins 42, thus causing `the outer frame section to be elevated slightly until the notches 44 come yover the pins 42, whereupon the outer frame section drops under the influence of gravity and the pin 42, being received in the notch 44, holds the two sections together. When it is desired to move the sections into extended relationship, the front side of the outer section is raised slightly to permit the rear wall of the notch 44 to clear the pin 42, and the outer frame section is then moved outwardly.

The same pins 42 which co-operate with the notches 44 to retain the two frame sections in telescoped relationship may also be employed to limit separation of the two frame sections. To this end, the pins 42 are made long enough to overlap the flanges on the rear legs I of the outer frame section, so that they engage such anges when the two frame sections are completely extended and prevent their separation. If desired, the upper ends of the iianges on the legs l5 may be cut away, as indicated at 4l so that by moving the front end of the inner frame section upwardly relative to the rear end of the outer section the pins 42 can be made to clear the leg-flanges, whereby the two frame sections can be completely separated to form two independent beds.

I claim as my invention:

l. Inv a studio couch, a base, a back, a pair of main links pivotally connected to said back in vertically spaced relation at each end of the back, the upper of said main links being pivotally connected to said base at its lower end, an arm pivoted to said base, and an auxiliary link pivotally connected to an intermediate point of said upper main link extending forwardly therefrom, and connected to said arm, the lower end of the other of said main links being pivoted to 'said auxiliary link.

2. In a studio couch, a base, a back, and a pair of link mechanisms located at opposite ends of the base and operatively connecting the base and back, each of said link mechanisms comprising a member movably supported from said base, a pair of links having their lower ends pivotally connected to said member in spaced relation and their upper ends pivotally connected to said back in spaced relation, said links being so arranged as to guide the back for movement from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position with its front face uppermost, and means for moving said member forwardly as said back is moved from vertical to horizontal position, said means comprising an extension rigid with one of said links, said extension projecting downwardly below said member and being pivotally connected to said base.

3. In a studio couch, a base, a back, and a pair of link mechanisms located at opposite ends of the base and operatively connecting the base and back, each of said link mechanisms comprising a member movably supported from said base, a pair of links having their lower ends pivotally connected to said member in spaced relation and their upper ends pivotally connected to said back in spaced relation, said links being so arranged as to guide the back for movement from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position with its front face uppermost,

and means for moving said member forwardly as said back is moved from vertical to horizontal position. Y n

WILLIAM E. WUNDERLICH.