US2585632A - Berth - Google Patents

Description

R. G. CUDINI Feb. 12, 1952 BERTH 2 SHEETS- SHEET l Filed Feb. l5, 1949 lELl- R. G'. cuDiNl Feb. 12, 1952 BERTH 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed Feb. l5, 1949 INVENTOR Kyu, 6*@4' 1" BY ATTORNEY Patented Feb. l2, 1952 BERTH Roger G. Cudini, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Moynahan Bronze Company, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application February 15, 1949, Serial No. 76,509

This invention relates to berth structures and more particularly to suspension mechanism for vertically shiftable berth structures.

In one type of vertically adjustable berth structure for railroad cars, and other uses when there is limited room dimensions, the lower ends of suspension cables are attached to the berth pan and the upper ends of the cables are fastened to spring controlled anchorage means located in the region of the roof or ceiling. Such anchorage means usually includes a movable head controlled by springs housed in a container. AS such anchorage means is generally bulky, considerable head space is sacrificed for its accommodation, particularly where it is concealed fromv the room by the ceiling, and maximum effort is required for attachment, detachment and when servicing.

An object of this invention is to provide a Vertically adjustable berth structure that is suspended so that it can be readily attached or detached in a room of restricted dimensions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vertically adjustable berth structure in which the spring controlled cable anchor means is located in the berth pan whereby there will be maximum head space in the room when the berth is stored in its upper position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembled or package vertically adjustable berth structure in which the spring controlled anchorage means for suspension cables is carried in the berth pan so that the upperV ends of the cables can be readily applied to or removed from fixed anchor brackets when the berth structure is being installed or removed for service.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art `from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a sleepingcar room having the berth structure installed therein.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the berth structure taken on line 2-2 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cable pulley structure at one corner of the berth pan.

Figure 4 is a top plane View of the berth vstructure taken on line 4-4 of Figure. 1, parts being .broken away to show underlying parts.

7 Claims.

Figure 5 is a :sectional view of the berth structure taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

A bedroom I of limited dimensions, such as contained in a sleeping car I I for railroads, is formed by flooring I2, ceiling I3, end walls I4 and side walls of which the outer wall I is shownfin the drawings. In the room is a seat structure I6 having a hinged back I'I that maybe of the typ carryingaberth. Y

Within the room is a berth structureof which the rectangular pan I8 vs substantially the same length as the room. If desired, the pan may be slidably guided on the walls of the room in a conventional manner, but such guide means is not shown as it forms no part of the invention.

The pan I0 of the berth structure comprises a marginal wall preferably formed of extruded metal sections,y I9 Welded together at their adjacent ends. These wall sections have an inturned bottom flange and an inwardly extending-intermediate flange 2i. above the bottom flange. Sheet metal bottom wall 22 underlies and.. is Welded to, or otherwise suitably iixedy against the under face of the bottom flanges. Sheet metal false bottom 23 is secured on top of the flanges l2l by detachable means, such as screws 24.

Walls I9, bottom cover 22 and cover 23 dene a closed chamber 25 into which suspension cables 26 extend and are movablyanchored. The ends of the cables in the chamber are attached to movable anchor means or a carrier having a head 21 provided with openings 28 through which the cable ends extend. The cables extend through the head and their projecting ends are secured to nut 29. Guide shoe 30 depends from the head and is mounted to ride in guide channel 3lV extending lengthwise of the pan. Under the guide channel is arranged a sheet 32 formed of. sound deadening material, which is secured to the pan bottom by rivets 34 and by rivets 33 that also secure the guide channel to the pan bottom. Sheet 32 also serves to stiften the panbottom.A

Wings 35 project from vrthesicles of the slidable anchor head rabove the guide channel and are provided with .holes for receiving and anchoring one end of tension coil springs 35 which are pref-A erably coated with sound deadeningV material. The other ends of 'such tension springs are secured to bracket 31 xed to one of the .end walls of the pan between bottom 22 and false bottom y23.

Similar cable guiding units are provided at each corner of the pan and they each comprise a single pulley 38, pin 39 on which the pulley is mounted, arms 40, angular bracket 4| and tube 42. The brackets t into the corners of the pan frame and are welded thereto and the tubes are welded within and to the corner portion of the brackets. Arms 40 are welded to the lower ends of the brackets and tubes and extend downwardly at an angle through false bottom 23 so that the pulleys 38 lie within chamber 25.

Another cable guiding unit is provided in chamber 25 and is located between the corner pulleys and the anchor head.Y This unit comprises a bracket 44, suitably secured to the bottom and end wall of the pan within chamber 25, carrying pins 45 on which double pulleys 45 are mounted.

The cables extend through tubes 42 and around pulleys 38 and 46 within the chamber 25. The upper ends of the cables are attached to suitable anchors 46, such as eyescrews, xed to the room ceiling I3.

Springs 3B will normally maintain the slidable v guided anchor head 35 in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 whereby the cables will be drawn into the chamber 25 a maximum extent to locate the berth pan in its upper vertical position adjacent the ceiling of the room. The berth pan is moved downwardly to prone position in opposition to the force exerted by the tension springs and suitable latch means (not shown) may be provided to retain the berth structure'in such position. 'Upon the vbreakage of one of springs 36, the guide shoe 30 will cock and wedge in the guideway making it impossible to move the carrier head, andthe operator will thus know when-such a condition is encountered.

It will be noted that the spring controlled anchorage portion of the suspension means is enclosed in the berth pan chamber 25 and thus no head space is required to house such mechanism. Further, the arrangement of the spring controlled anchorage within the pan permits assembly and repair at a station remote from the room ceiling whereby obviating inaccessibility difficulty.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is: Y

1. A bed structure adapted to be lowered from the ceiling of a bedroom for occupancy comprising a berth pan having a bottom chamber, a plurality of pan suspension cables having their lower ends extending into the pan'chamber and their upper ends adapted to be anchored to the bedroom' ceiling, slidably mounted anchor means in the pan chamber to which the lower ends of the cables are attached, and spring means in the chamber connected to the pan andthe slidably mounted anchor means, said spring means exerting a force upon the slidable'anchor means in a direction' tending to take up the cables.

2.V A bed structure adapted to be lowered from adjacent the ceiling of a bedroom for occupancy comprising a rectangular pan, a, plurality of cables for suspending the berth pan in horizontal position in the bedroom, the upper ends of said cables being ladapted to be secured to the bedroom vceiling, a 'guideway member secured'to the bottom of the pan, an ranchor memberhavinga shoe portion slidably mounted in the guideway member, the lower'ends of the cables being attached to said slidable anchor member. and tension springs secured to the anchor member and the pan, said springs exerting a force upon the slidable anchor member in a direction tending to take up the cables.

3. A bed structure adapted to be moved vertically toward and from the ceiling of a bedroom comprising a rectangular pan having a false bottom forming a lower chamber therein, a strip of reinforcing sound dampening material secured on the bottom of the pan within the chamber, a guideway xed on the strip, an anchor member having a shoe slidably mounted in the guideway, tension springs having one end connected with the pan and the other end connected with the anchor member, pulleys fixed in the chamber at the corners of the pan, and supporting cables having their upper ends adapted to be anchored to the bedroom ceiling and their lower ends extending into the pan chamber over the pulleys and secured to the anchor member, said springs exerting a force upon the slidable anchor member in a direction tending to take up the cables.

4. A bed structure adapted to be lowered from Y upon the carrier in a direction tending to take up the cables.

5. A bed structure adapt-ed to be lowered Vfrom the ceiling of a bedroom for occupancy comprising a rectangular pan having a bottom and a removable false bottom dening a lower chamber, a carrier slidably mounted in the chamber, a bracket in the chamber xed to the pan in line with the carrier, a do-uble pulley mounted on the bracket, pulleys in the chamber secured to the corner portions of the pan, suspension cables having their upper ends adapted to be anchored to the bedroom ceiling and their lower ends passing over the corner and double pulleys and secured to the carrier, and a plurality of tension springs in the chamber connected at one end with'the pan and at the other end with the carrier, said springs exerting a force upon the carrier in a direction tending to take up the cables.

6. A bed structure adapted to be lowered from the ceiling of a bedroom for occupancy comprising' a rectangular pan having a closed bottomV chamber, a guideway in the chamberx'ed to the bottom of the pan, a carrier in the chamber 'having a shoe slidably mountedin 'the guideway, a row of tension springs in the chamber connected with the pan at one end and with the carrier at the other end, said carrier traversing the guideway and having an equal number of springs cone nected thereto on each side of the guideway, cable guide means xed in thev corners ofthe pan chamber and in line with the carrienand suspension cables having their upper ends adapted to be anchored to the bedroom ceiling and their lower ends extending around the guide means in the chamber and secured tothe carrier, said carrier shoe havingV sufficient play in 'fthe guideway to shift into wedged relation therein upon breakage of any one of the springs.

7. A bed structure adapted tobe lowered from the ceiling of a bedroom for occupancy compris ing a rectangular pan having a lower chamber, a sound deadening strip in the chamber extending lengthwise above the center of the pan bottom and fixed thereon, a guideway fixed on the strip, anchor means having a shoe slidable in the guideway, tension springs coated with sound deadening material having one end connected with an end of the pan and the other end connected with.

the anchor means, cable guide means fixed in the pan chamber, and suspension cables having their upper ends adapted to be anchored to the bedroom ceiling and their lower ends extending into the chamber and. around the guide means and xed to the anchor means, said springs exerting a force upon said anchor means in a direction tending to take up the cables.

ROGER G. CUDINI.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 80,184 Judson July 21, 1868 403,265 Harris May 14, 1889 520,760 Poor May 29, 1894 981,261 Haynes Jan. 10, 1911

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