US2364577A - Crib - Google Patents

Description

Dec.. 5, 1944. E WEBB 2,364,577

CRIB

Filed NOV. 18, 194].

f Patented Dec. 5, 1944 www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE asociar:

Charles Webb, Newczdon, Wis., assigner to Edison Wood Products, Incorporated, West corporation of New Jersey range. N. J.,`a

Application November 18, 1941, Serial No. 419,537

14 Claims. (CI. 5-1l) Ihis invention relates to cribs and more particularly to cribs which have adjustable mattress frames.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a new and improved mechanism for adjusting a crib mattress frame to diderent elevations and inclinations, and to provide such ad- Justable mechanism in a form which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

It is another object to provide an improved and simplified stabilizer for adjustable mattress frames adapted to hold the frame, in all adjusted positions, rigid against lengthwise and lateral play. More particularly. in this connection it is an object to provide lateral and lengthwise stabilizers for an adjustable mattress frame .which mechanically cooperate in a new and simple relationship.

Another object of my invention is to provide an easily operable and dependable latch for an adjustable mattress frame which is of simple and economical construction.

Other and allied objects of my invention will more fully appear from the following description and the appended claims. Y

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing, ot which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, with parts broken away, of a crib incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is a fractional sectional view illustrating the adjustable mechanism for the mattress frame and taken substantially on the vertical section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top fragmentary view of an end angle iron of the mattress frame showing the application thereto of the latch for the adjustable mechanism of the mattress frame;

Figure 4 is an enlarged principally elevational view of the latch just referred to: and

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing a detail in Y I the adjustable mechanism and taken on the line t--i of Figure 2.

4 The crib snown in the accompanying drawing Yand to which my invention is appliedA comprises similarendsections I andiront andbackside panelsl,onlythefrontoneoithesidepanels being however shown. These end sections and t suspends www! Wei-hef* u" wm w mmporummeasucnutnemummmd ofthecrlbbyverticalrodsIontheendsecf tions. Theserodshavetheirupperendportions -I' bent over and secured to the end sections by union couplings I which are threaded onto studs in the end sections not shown. At theirlower brackets l, the brackets having vertical legs riveted or screwed to the end sections and horizontal projecting legs apertured to receive the rods. These rods extend slidably through aper- '5 tures I provided in the end 'portions of the top and bottom bars 2' of the side panels. Thus each side panel is rendered vertically movable between a raised position and the lowered position occupied by the panel in Figure 1. the rods 10 I serving as guides for the panels. Any suitable for rigidifying the crib and for supporting a mattress frame hereinafter described. This support frame I has end and side angle irons suitably joined at the corners, the angle irons being so arranged that the horizontal and vertical iianges l and I" thereof extend respectively inwardly and upwardly from one another. The support frame has substantially triangular plates I riveted at'lll to the end portions of its side angle irons. These plates project beyond the ends of 3 the :rame and have latex-any extending pms provided on their projecting portions. These pairs or pins engage open downwardly extending slots I2 provided in the projecting ilanges I3 of brackets Il secured by screws Il to the end sections. the slots I2 being inclined to permit the frame to be raised and readily detached from vthe brackets Il. When the support frame I is pressed down to seat the pins II in the bottom 4o of the slots I2, it serves to hold the end sections I in rigid relationship. When the support frame is however removed, the end sections I and side panels 2 may pivot on thesuide rods I and be folded or collapsed and be thus readily transported through narrow doorways.

The frame I carries a mattress frame II throughscissorsmechanismsl'l attheendsof the crib. The mattress frame comprises interconnectedendandsideangleironathesameas vertical flanges II' and II" thereof extending respectively inwardly and downwardly from one another-the frame being in other words inverted-inrelationtothesupportrrame I. Any

ends, the rods are securedtotbe endsectionsby ss suitable spring structure. not herein necessary to Interconnecting the end sections I is a frame I l show, may be connected between the end and side angle irons of the mattress frame.

Each scissors mechanism I1 comprises a pair of levers I2 and I2 plvotally connected at their centers as at 22. The lever I2 has a fixed pivotal connection 2I to the vertical flange 2" at one end of the support frame, and has a slidable pivotal connection 22 to the respective end of the mattress frame formed by a slot 22 in the vertical flange I2" at one end of the mattress frame and a pivot stud 24 in the lever and engaging this slot. Similarly, the lever I2 of this scissors mechanism has a fixed pivotal connection 22 with the same vertical flange I2" of the mattress frame at a point directly above the point of the pivotal connection 2l, and has a slidable pivotal connection 22 to thesame vertical flange 2" of the support frame at a point directly below the pivotal connection 22, this connection 22 being formed by a slot 21 in the vertical flange 2" of the support frameand a pivot stud 22 on the lever I2 engaging the slot 21. As so arranged, the scissors mechanisms permit vertical adjustment of either or both ends otthe mattress frame, and serve to guide the ends of the frame in parallel movement as the frame is raised and lowered. When the mattress frame is in lowered position it nts within the support frame and rests on the horizontalfianges 2' thereof.

At the pivotal connections 22, between the scissors mechanisms and the mattress frame, there are provided latches for releasably holding the frame raised in adjusted positions. Each latch which v I provide for this purpose is of very simple construction, comprising merely a.v dog 22 pivoted on the pivot stud 24 within the end angle iron of' the mattress frame, a spring 2I for biasing the dog into avertical or-neutrai position, and an apertured U-shaped plate 22carried with the stud 24 and embracing opposite sides of the flange I2" to provide a support for the spring 2I,

the spring being secured to the dog 22 and plate 22 by pins 22 and anchored in the latter as by the engagement of an end portion thereof in a hole 24 in the plate. `".I'he dog' 22 is pressed by the spring 2l against the underside lof the horizontal flange I2', in which position of the dog it is inclined from the vertical as is shown. 'I'he portion of the flange I2', which extends along the path of the pivot stud 24, is provided with indentations to form a catch means with which the dog may coact to latch thescissors mechanism. These indentations lare preferably formed simply by providing the flange I2' with a series of apertures or slots, there being provided in the present instance three slots 22 of shorter length and terr minal slots 22 of greater length.

The dog 22 has a notch in the end vthereof providing a narrowftooth 31- and an abutment 22 at the side of theiooth. The tooth 21 is adapted to engage either of the slots 22 and the abutment 22 to bear against the portion of the flange I2' adjacent the end of the slot whereby to restrain the dog to a lrightward inclination and catch it to the nange, as is shown in Figure 4. When the dog so engages the flange I2', it restrains the pivot stud 24 against rightward movement along the angie iron I2 and thus latches the scissors mechanism I1 and holds the mattress frame in a `raised. pomtion. The stud 24 may however be moved leftwardly to permit a' further raising of the mattress frame, for the dog will be cammed in a clockwise direction out ofthe slotas the stud is so moved. When the dog however comes into engagement with the longer slot 22. it is permitted to move over center through the slot to enablethe pivot stud to be next moved rightwardly in a reverse direction to permit a lowering of the mattress frame. the dog being for instance snapped into a vertical or neutral position by the spring 2l as it enters the slot 22 and being then cammed leftwardly by the impingement of the right side thereof against the end wall of the slot as the dog is moved out of the slot by the rightward movement of the pivot stud. When the mattress frame has reached a fully lowered position the dog enters the other longer slot 22, and, by the process Just described, is moved rightwardly over center as the mattress frame is next raised, the dog becoming thus again effective to latch the mattress frame progressively in any one of three diilerent raised positions.

When the mattress frame is in raised position it is held rigid against lateral or sidewise swaying by the scissors mechanisms I1, but is left free to sway in directions lengthwise thereof. To hold the frame also rigid against lengthwise swaying,A I herein provide a new and simplified stabilizer. This stabilizer is based on my discovery that as an end of the mattress frame is raised and lowered, the transverse movement of the sliding pivot studs of the scissors mechanism I1 is substantially the same, in amount and direction, as that which one end of a properly chosen diagonal brace between the frames is required to have to guide the mattress frame in a vertical, or a predeterminately inclined, path. In accordance with this discovery I provide a brace rod 42 between the support and mattress frames in diagonal relation thereto. It will be understood that the term diagonal is herein used to mean extending from a side or end of one frame to a correspondingly different side or end of the other frame. This brace rod has a universal pivotal connection to one side of the mattress frame I2, which is made to a bracket 4I that is secured to the side angle iron of the frame I2 at a point substantially midway of the length oi' the frame. This bracket has a depending lug spaced inwardly from the side vertical flange I2" and apertured to receive loosely a laterally bent end portion 42' of the brace rod, this end portion 42' terminating in a right angle bend, referred to as 42, so-as to retain the brace rod in pivotal engagement with the bracket 4I. The other end of the brace rod has a universal pivotal connection to a bar 42 which is slidably mounted on an end angle iron of the support frame 2 and connected to the pivot stud 22. This bar extends leftwardly from the pivot stud 22, as it appears in Figure 2, along the back side of the end flange 2" and then terminates in a lug 44 which is folded over the flange 2" down onto the horizontal flange 2' and then inwardly to overhang this horizontal flange. It is to this overhanging portion of the lug that the brace rod 40 is pivoted, as by the extension of a downwardly bent portion 42" of the rod through a slightly over-sized aperture 42 in the lug. A cotter pin 42 in the lower end of the rod and washer 41 between the cotter pin and horiconta] i'iange 2' serve to' retain the brace rod in pivotal engagement with the lug 44 and to retain the bar 42 against upward pivotal movement from the frame 2 about the stud 22. By providing the bar 42 at the back side of the end angle irai ofthe frame 2 throughout its greater length, this vbar provides little obstruction to the scissors mechanism I1 when the mechanism is collapsed.

asses?? and right, as it appears in Figure 2, and the lower end oi' the brace rod Il is moved along the end of the support frame I, the brace rod thus serving to guide the mattress frame vertically and to restrain it against play lengthwise of the crib. As the mattress frame is so raised and lowered the brace rod turns not only on its normal pivot axes with the bracket 4I and lug M but in additio n about a horizontal axis through the lug lengthwise of the crib and about a vertical axis through the bracket Il. This additional pivotal movement of the brace rod is however relatively smallbeing only approximately 30, which is the angle between the brace rod and the support frame member t appearing in Figure i. This small additional pivotal movement of the brace rod relative to the bracket 4I and the lug 44 is accordingly permitted by making the bracket and lug of relatively thin stock, as is shown, and by providing them with apertures having a clearance size to receive freely the ends of the brace rods.

By selection of the length of the brace rod Il and the places ot the pivotal connections of the brace rod relative to the sides and ends of the frames, the mattress trarnev may be guided in a substantially vertical path or in inclined paths in one direction or another lengthwise of the mattress frame. Reference being had to Figure 1, it will be seen that upon lowering and raising the right end of the mattress frame while the left end thereof is in raised position, the frame is restrained by the brace rod to pivotal movement about the left end of the support frame as an axis-the end to which the brace rod is connected-and, accordingly, the mattress frame has a small component of movement lengthwise of the crib. In order that the right end of the mattress frame will be guided, in its lowering movement, directly to the position which this end of the frame is to occupy when both ends of the frame are lowered, the frame is to be displaced slightly to the left of this lowered position when the same is raised. To fulill this condition, I preferably have the stabilizer above described so arranged as to guide the end of the mattress frame, which is adjacent the brace rod, in a direction inclined from that end of the frame outwardly ot the cribthat is, leftwardly as the crib appears in Figure 1.

The preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is intended to be illustrative and not limitative of my invention as this embodiment is subject to many changes and modifications without departure from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express according to the following claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattress frame of a crib, comprising an end support carried by the crib; a mechanism, interconnected between said end support and the respective end vof said Lmattress frame, for adjusting the height of said mattress frame and holding the same rigid against lateral play; and an adjustable brace, connected diagonally between said end support and a sideof said mattress frame, for holding the mattress frame rigid against lengthwise play.

2. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattress frame of a crib, comprising support means for the frame mounted on the ends of said crib; a mechanism interposed between said support means and an end of said mattress frame for adjusting the height of said frame end relative to said support means: and an adjustable diagonal brace interconnected between said support means and said mattress trame and controlled in accordance with the actuation of said adjusting mechanism, for constraining said frame from substantial movement in directions lengthwise ot the crib when the frame is raised relative to saidsupport.

3. In a crib having end sections: the combination of a mattress irameran adjustable scissors mechanism connected between an end section of the crib and an end of said mattress frame; and an adjustable diagonal brace interposed between said trame and end section and controlled in accordance with the adjustment of said scissors mechanism.

4; In a crib providing alower support frame for a mattress frame: the combination oi' an adjustable scissors means interposed between an end ot said support frame and the respective end of said mattress frame; an adjustable diagonallyextending stabilizing means between a. side of one of said frames and the said end of the other oi?I said frames; and means intercoupling said scissors means and stabilizing means to cause one to be adjusted in predetermined manner in accordance with the adjustments of the other.

5. In a crib providing a lower support frame for a mattress frame: the combination of an adjustable scissors means interposed between an end of said support frame and the respective end of said mattress frame: an adjustable diagonallyextending stabilizing means interposed between a side of one of said frames and the said end of the other of said frames, said stabilizing means being connected movably to said frame end for movement lateral of the crib: and means intercoupling said scissors mechanism and stabilizing means to move the latter in directions lateral of the crib upon raising and lowering the said end of the mattress frame.

6. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattress frame of a crib, comprising a support bar mounted on an end of said crib; a scissors mechanism interposed between said support bar and the respective end of said mattress frame; a diagonal brace between said frame and said support bar, said brace having a pivotal connection to one side of said frame and a pivotal slidable connection to said support bar; and means to move said brace along said bar according to the actuation of said scissors mechanism.

7. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattress frame of a crib, comprising a support; a scissors mechanism between said support and said frame; and means to stabilize said frame in directions normal to the plane of said scissors mechanism including a rigid member extending diagonally of said frame between the frame and said support, said rigid stabilizing member having one end pivotaliy connected to a side of said mattress frame; means pivotally and slidably connecting the other end of said stabilizing member to said support for movement relative thereto in directions lateral of the crib; and means operatively interconnecting said scissors mechanism andsaid connecting means to adjust said stabilizing means according to the actuation of said scissors mechanism.

8. In a crib having an end section and a mattress frame: the combination of a support member extending laterally oi' the crib and mounted on said end section; a scissors mechanism interposed between said support memberand an end 'of said mattress frame, said scissors mechanism having a laterally slidable pivot in said support member; a diagonal brace between said frame and support member, said bracel having one end pivoted to said frame and the other end pivoted to said support member and slidable laterally thereof; and means connecting said otherend oi said brace to said pivot to adjust the brace relative to said support member when said scissors mechanism is actuated.

9. In a crib including a support member and a mattress frame member: the combination of a scissors mechanism between said members having pivotal and slidable connections in each oi' the members, one of said slidable connections including a. sliding pivot in one of said members; catch means on said one member provided with a series of holes along the path of said pivot; and a dog pivotally held by said pivot and biased to incline against said catch means and latch said scissors mechanism, said dog having a tooth entering a hole and an abutment bearing against the portion of said catch means adjacent said hole at each latched position of said scissors mechanism, two of said holes being elongated to permit said dog to pivot over center thereat in relation to said catch means, said dog being pivotally moved to a centered position under the inuence of its said bias when the dog reaches one of said two holes and being cammed over center by said catch means upon a reversal of movement of said scissors mechanism when the dog is in said centered position.

10. In a crib including a support member and a mattress frame member: the combination of a vertical flange on one of said members: a scissors mechanism between said members having slidable and pivotal connections to each of the members, one of said slidable connections including a pivot slidably connected to said vertical flange; catch means on said one member along the path of movement of said pivot; a latch dog on said pivot; a spring to bias said dog against said catch means; and a mem-ber on said pivot to which said spring is connected, said member being constrained by said vertical flange against angular movement about said pivot.

l1. In a crib including support means and a mattress frame means: the combination of a vertical member on one of said means and provided with a horizontal edge; a scissors mechanism having slidable and pivotal connections to each said support and frame means, one of said slidable connections including a pivot slidably connected to said vertical member for movement therealong; catch means provided on said one means along the path of said pivot; a dog on said pivot; s, spring torsionally biasing said dog to cause the same to incline against said catch means and latch said scissors mechanism, said spring tending to move said dog to a neutral position wherein the dog is normal to said catch means, said in its path of movement; and a member on said asses?? pivot to which said spring is anchored. said lastmentioned member being held constrained from pivotal movement by said horizontal edge.

12. In a crib including amattress frame, a support frame and a scissors mechanism connected between said frames to permit vertical adjustment of the' mattress frame relative to the support frame, said scissors mechanism being moved relative to said frames upon vertically adjusting said mattress frame: the combination oi a latch operatively interposed between said scissors mechanism and one of said frames comprising a pivotally mounted dog and a cooperating catch means, said dog being adapted to incline against said catch means, within a predetermined range of adjustment of said mattress frame, and engage the catch means to latch said scissors mechanism and hold said mattress frame in an elevated position; and means pivotally biasing said dog into latching engagement with said catch means, said catch means including means for` causing said dog to be pivoted over center in relation to the catch means upon moving said mattress frame beyond said predetermined range and thereafter returning the same within said range.

i3. In a crib including mattress and support frames, one oi said frames including an angle iron, and a scissors mechanism between said frames having slidable and pivotal connections thereto oi which one of said connections is made to one flange oi said angle iron: the combination of a pivotally mounted dog carried with said one connection for movement along said angle iron upon opening and closing said scissors mechanism to raise and lower said mattress frame, the other flange of said angle iron having a series of holes therein disposed along the path of movement of said dog, the intermediate ones of said holes being adapted for engagement of said dog in ratchet relationship therewith whereby to latch said scissors mechanism against closing movement, and the terminal ones of said holes being elongated to permit said dog to pivot over center thereat in relation to said other flange; and means pivotally urging said dog toward a centered position in relation to said other iiange for holding the dog in operative engagement with said flange and moving the same to said centered position as the dog engages one of said terminal holes, an end wall of said terminal hole being adapted to abut against said dog and cam the same over center in relation to said other iiange upon reversal of movement of said scissors mechanism after the dog reaches said centered position.

14. An adjustable supporting and stabilizing mechanism for the mattress frame of a crib, comprising a lower support frame on the crib; a pair of scissors mechanisms connecting said mattress frame to said support frame and adjustable to raise and lower the mattress frame to dii'ierent elevations; and stabilizing means for said mattress frame connected diagonally between the mattress frame and said support frame from a side member of one frame to an end member of the other frame.

CHARLES E. WEBB.

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