US2557538A

US2557538A - Bed guard

Info

Publication number: US2557538A
Application number: US62719A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer L Greensfelder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-11-30
Filing date: 1948-11-30
Publication date: 1951-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1968-06-19

Description

June 19, 1951 E. L. GREENSFELDER BED GUARD Filed NOV. 5Q, 1948 EZMEI? L GREENSFELDEE,

Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BED GUARD Elmer L. Greensfelder, Provincetown, Mass.

Application November 30, 1948, Serial No. 62,719

11 Claims.

This invention relates to bed guards and aims to provide a bed guard attachment easily and efliciently securable in position, which is strongly and economically constructed, and which is secured against tilting in a manner avoiding the use of projecting parts apt to cause injury to the occupant of the bed or other persons, and in a manner preventing children from loosening the device.

The invention comprises the novel features and combinations of structure and the newly cooperating elements hereinafter described and is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings of an illustrative embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the bed guard attached to a bed shown in broken lines.

Fig. -2 is a fragmentary end elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detail of an alternative form of shim means.

Fig. 6 is a detail of an alternative tie attachment.

In the illustrative embodiment, the bed guard comprises a frame or panel of suitable material, which in the form shown comprises end members III, II, top and bottom cross bars I2 and I3, and filler bars I4. These several members, prefer ably of wood, are desirably coplanar on the respective faces of the panel. The end members III-I I, as shown, extend below the bottom member I3, by an amount approaching, equal to, or greater than, the depth of the side rail of a bed, indicated at I5.

The frame or panel in the form shown is further provided with Z-shaped angle brackets I6 which are secured to the front face of the frame, as by headed rivets I1, and extend under the bottom of the panel and turn downwardly in rearwardly spaced relation thereto, and which preferably extend to a depth approaching, equal to, or greater than, the depth of a bed side rail, indicated at I5. These angle brackets I6 thus define, with the extensions of the end members I0 and I I a bed rail receiving space (see Figs. 2 and 4) having substantial vertical extent.

Means is provided for varying the effective width of this space, herein in the form of adjustable shimming elements I8, which may be of metal, wood, plastic or rubber, and preferably are non-metallic or roundedged to avoid scratching of the bed rail I5. The shimming means are preferably of substantial length, and may have a length approaching, equal to or greater than, the depth of the bed rail I5.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1-4 the shim members I8 are pivoted to the rear face of the side members I lJ--II, at a level above that of the rearwardly extending portions of the Z-brackets IS. The brackets I6, as shown, are secured to the panel in longitudinally spaced relation to the end members If), I I, by a distance preferably somewhat shorter than the lengths of the shim members. Thus, the shim members, in their inoperative position (see horizontal members in the drawings) may overlie and be supported by the rearwardly extending portions of the brackets I6. The several shim members may be of graduated lengths, as shown, with the longest strip adjacent the panel members. This facilitates selection of the number of strips to lie in the operative position to adjust the Width of the side rail receiving channel (see Figs. 2 and 4).

Alternatively, the shims, as shown at I8a, Fig. 5, may be graduated in length in the opposite direction, with their overlying ends bent downwardly. This facilitates selection and also presents at the tip of the group of shims in use a bevelled entranceway facilitating mounting on the bed rail, while the tips of shims not in use are turned back against the bottom I3, preventing catching thereof in bedclothes, for example.

As is shown in Fig. l, the shim strips I8, in either position, are completely concealed from the front of the guard. Moreover, when the guard is displaced, the strips in use, and those not in use, as well as. the rearwardly projecting portions of the brackets I6, are well below mattress level (indicated at I9, Fig. 1). Thus no projections are presented which can cause injury either to the occupant of the bed or one walking past it. The under side and forward face of the rearwardly projected portions of the brackets I6 are preferably padded, as by rubber sleeving, plastic coating, or surface applied rubber or felt, as exemplified at 20.

With the arrangement thus far described, it will be apparent that merely by properly adjust ing the shim elements III (or I8a) a snug nontilting fit of the device to any bed rail, within the range of adjustment provided, may be had and that when thus adjusted the guard may-be placed in position and removed at will.

A further unique feature of the present invention is the provision of means, and especially bed leg cooperating means, for securing the guard in its adjusted position and preventing children or other occupants of the bed from raising it from its secured position.

In the form of Figs. 1-4, one of the end members In, H abuts against the bed post (indicated at 2|), and at its lower end isprovided with post embracing means, herein exemplified as'a tie or belt 22 of leather, canvas or other suitable material, anchored to the downwardly extended portion of the end member l8, preferably below bedrail level and adapted to be secured about the bed leg (indicated at 23). In the form of Figs. 14, the belt or tie 22 is passed through an aperture 24 of the depending extension Ill. The member I I may have a similar aperture 24 through which the tie may be passed to adapt the guard for securement on the opposite side of the bed. When the tie 22 is not recessed into the rear face of the extension [0, and the device is being mounted on a thick bed rail so that the shim means is is not in use the tie 22 may be removed to afford mounting clearance during the placing of the device on the bed rail; in other circumstances, as when shimming means 18 is in use as in Figs. 2 and 4, the guard may be placed in position and removed with the tie in place even though it projects beyond the rear surface of the extension It. When the belt or tie 22 is tightly secured to the bed-leg, as shown in Fig. 1, it becomes impossible for the occupant of the bed to up-tilt or raise the end I i of the panel. Further,

as most beds have turned or tapered legs or ii (or II) as by a nail 22b, and its other end is provided with spaced securing means, which may be in the form of slots, and after passing around the post (23 Fig. 1) is secured by having one of its securing means separably engaged with a cooperating fastening means shown as a screw eye 220, this form being preferred to other forms of separable fastener because it may be locked by turning the member cross-wise of the slot engaged therewith.

When the strap 22a in Fig. 6 is secured as at 222) to the rear or rail-facing side of the end member ii! (or ll) it is preferably recessed therein as shown, to afford rail clearance when the device is applied to rails of maximum thickness.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a simple and efficient device, easily adjusted and positioned, and easily secured and removed, and which presents no protuberances apt to cause injury to persons occupying or walking past the bed. To remove and replace the device it is necessary only to manipulate a single tie. The device is held firmly against tilting back and forth from the vertical plane by its deep and snug adjustable engagement with the bed-rails, and yet avoids use of any parts apt to damage or mar the adjacent portions of the bed. All corners and edges are preferably rounded and heads of rivets and the like are preferably washered and recessed as shown in connection with bolts I1.

The offset arrangement of the brackets, best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, is of special utility as it positions the guard outwardly from the mattress, facilitating tucking in of covers when the guard is in place.

It would be understood that the exemplary embodiment herein shown is illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A guard attachment for beds comprising a vertical panel, extensions depending from the bottom portion of said panel to lie forwardly of the outer face of a bed-rail, said extensions having their rear faces arranged in a common plane, brackets extending rearwardly from the bottom portion of said panel and having a portion depending in spaced parallel relation to the rear facial plane of said extensions to lie behind the inner face of the bed rail, and shimming means carried by the guard movable to lie in line with or out of line with the bed-rail to adjust the guard to snugly engage the bed rail and hold it firmly in vertical position.

2. A guard attachment for beds comprising a vertical panel, extensions depending from the bottom portion of said panel to engage the outer face of a bed rail, said extensions having their rear faces arranged in a common plane, Z-shaped brackets secured to the front face of said panel and extending rearwardly thereunder and terminating in depending portions lying in spaced parallel relation to the rear facial plane of said extensions, and means carried by said guard for adjusting the effective width of the space between said extensions and said depending portions to snugly fit the bed-rail.

3. A guard attachment for beds comprising a vertical panel, extensions depending from the bottom portion of said panel to lie forwardly of the outer face of a bed-rail, said extensions having their rear faces arranged in a common plane, brackets extending rearwardly from the bottom portion of said panel and having a portion depending in spaced parallel relation to the rear facial plane of said extensions to lie behind the inner face of the bed rail, and means carried by said guard for holding the guard against vertical and longitudinal movement relative to the bedrail.

4. A guard attachment for beds comprising a vertical panel, extensions depending from the bottom portion of said panel to lie forwardly of the outer face of a bed-rail, said extensions having their rear faces arranged in a common plane, brackets extending rearwardly from the bottom portion of said panel and having a portion depending in spaced parallel relation to the rear facial plane of said extensions to lie behind the inner face of the bed rail, and bed leg embracing means carried by said guard for holding the guard against vertical and longitudinal movement relative to the bed-rail.

5. A guard attachment for beds comprising a vertical panel, extensions depending from the bottom portion of said panel to lie forwardly of the outer face of a bed-rail, said extensions having their rear faces arranged in a common plane, brackets extending rearwardly from the bottom portion of said panel and having a portion depending in spaced parallel relation to the rear facial plane of said extensions to lie behind the inner face of the bed rail, and a bed leg embracing tie carried at the bottom end of one of said extensions for securement about the leg of a bed below the side rail thereof for holding the guard against vertical and longitudinal movement relative to the bed rail.

6. A bed guard adapted in vertical position to snugly straddle the side rail of a bed and be held vertical thereby with one of its end edges positioned against the bed post, said guard having a downwardly extending portion, and a tie engaging said downwardly extending portion for securing it to the leg of the bed to prevent vertical and longitudinal movement of the guard.

7. A bed guard comprising a panel, means providing a bed-rail straddling channel depending from said panel, shimming means for .adjusting the efiective width of said channel, and bed-leg embracing tie means secured to said guard for engaging a bed leg below the bed-rail for anchoring said guard with one of its edges juxtaposed to a bed post.

8. A bed guard comprising a panel, means providing a bed-rail straddling channel depending from said panel, said means being arranged to offset said channel rearwardly from the plane of the panel to space the panel outwardly with respect to the edge of a mattress to provide tucking clearance, means for adjusting the effective width of the channel, and means for securing the guard in its offset rail-straddling position.

9. A bed guard comprising a panel, means providing a bed-rail straddling channel depending from said panel, and a group of shims pivotally secured to said panel and rotatable into and out of said channel to adjust the efiective width of said channel.

10. A bed guard comprising a panel, means providing a bed-rail straddling channel depending from said panel, and a group of shims pivotally secured to said panel and rotatable into and out of said channel to adjust the effective width of said channel, said shims being of graduated length.

11. A bed guard comprising a panel, means providing a bed-rail straddling channel depending from said panel and bed-leg embracing tie means secured to said guard for engaging a bed leg below the bed-rail for anchoring said guard with one of its edges juxtaposed to a bed post.

ELMER L. GREENSFELDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 494,560 Floyd Apr. 4, 1893 1,840,259 Schmohl Jan. 5, 1932