US2620488A - Sofa chair and bed combination - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1952 E. WOLLER SOFA CHAIR AND BED COMBINATION Filed July 29, 1947 2 SHEET SSHEET 1 U) Mam. I afwmg%m Dec. 9, 1952 E. E. WOLLER I SOFA CHAIR AND BED COMBINATION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 29, 1947 Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATE SOFA CHAIR AND BED COMBINATION Edward E. Woller, Kenosha, V Wis, assignor to Simmons Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 29, 1947, Serial No. 764,285

4 Claims.

The main objects of this invention are, to provide an improved type of collapsible or fold-away bed unit; to provide a bed unit of this kind particularly adapted for use in association with sofatype furniture for converting it from its normal sofa use to a bed; to provide an improved trundletype bed unit of this kind adapted for convenient stowage under the sofa furniture wherewith it is associatable for bed conversion purposes; to provide a bed unit of this kind with an improved foldable sectional bed bottom whereby the unfolding of said bed-bottom sections into coplanar relationship automatically elevates and disposes said sections at theproper height to cooperate with the sofa furniture to form a full-sized bed; to provide an improved sectional bed-bottom unit of this kind which may be used for'a bed completely disassociated from the sofa furniture under which the bed unit is normally stowed; to provide improved latching means for anchoring said bed unit at the side of the sofa furniture when it is to be associated therewith to form a bed; to provide improved means actuated by said bedbottom sections for automatically controlling the action of said latching means; and to provide an improved form of foldable trundle bed section embodying these several features particularly suitable for use with a two-unit separable sofa and chair ensemble.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a two-unit separable sofa and chair ensemble wherewith an improved trundle bed unit embodying this invention is adapted for use in converting said ensemble into a full-sized bed. In this view the sofa and chair are shown in their separated positions with the trundle bed stowed under the sofa unit;

Fig- 2 is a front elevation of the sofa-chair ensemble with the trundle bed removed and supporting the sofa and chair unit cushions in position to convert the sofa-chair ensemble and trundle bed unit into a full-sized bed;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the assembly as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the trundle bed unit with the bed-bottom sections in their elevated coplanar relationship preparatory to having the sofa-chair cushions placed thereon;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the trundle bed unit with the bed-bottom sections in their 001- lapsed or folded superimposed. positions for stowage under the'sofa unit;

Fig.6 is an enlarged fragmentaryplan view of the trundle bed unit with: the bed-bottom sections in their extended coplan'ar'positions; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view showing the locking means whereby the trundle bed unit is anchored at the side of the sofa unit.

A convertible sofa-seat trundle-bed combination embodying this invention comprises a sofa unit 8, a chair or seat unit 9, and a trundle bed unit It. The sofa and chair units, with the trundle bed unit stowed under the former, may be used'in separated relationship or in associated relationship as a lounge or davenport, from which latter relationship they may be converted into a full-sized bed when the trundle bed unit is withdrawn and unfolded.

Except for their dimensions the sofa unit 8 and the chair unit 9 are of practically the same construction. Each embodies, respectively, a base frame H or H, an end I2 or I 2, and a back [3 or l3, supported on pairs of legs l4 or I l and I5 or I5 wherein is mounted a mattress section It or IS in turn supporting seat cushions E7 or H and back cushions ill or 18'.

The frames II and H for these two units are of more or less the same construction- As shown in Fig. '7, such framework preferably is made of angle iron members so as to support the mattress section It or It a sufficient distance from the floor to provide stowage space for the trundle bed unit It under the sofa unit 8.

The mattress sections [6 and It may be of any suitable upholstered spring construction. The seat cushions ll and IT likewise may be of any suitable construction, preferably spring, and of a thickness so that, as will appear more fully hereinafter, when the trundle bed unit I0 is withdrawn and theb-ed-bottom sections are unfolded into their elevated coplanar positions and the cushions I1 and I7 are laid thereon (as shown in Fig. 2) the upper surface of the cushions l1 and fl will be in the plane of the upper surface of the mattress section I6 and It, thus forming a full, double-size, spring mattress bed.

Face boards 19 and [9' are arranged along the front of the frames l I and l I, below the mattress section it and It, so as to provide a finished appearance to these pieces of furniture. As will appear clearly from Fig. 3, the facing I9 is secured to the trundle bed unit l8 and, of course, moves with the unit when. it is withdrawn from its stowed position.

The trundle bed unit it comprises a frame 253 whereon is mounted a main bed-bottom section 2! and an auxiliary bed-bottom section 22 hingedly connected together at 23 whereby, through the medium of position-adjusting mechanism 24, the bed-bottom sections 2| and 22 may be collapsed or folded onto the frame 20 for stowage of the trundle-bed unit l under the sofa unit 8, or may be elevated in coplanar position at the side of the sofa unit and to which it may be anchored by automatically-actuated latch means 25.

Th frame 23 is of more orless conventional construction. Preferably it is formed of angle bars and of an over-all length approximately equal to the over-all longitudinal dimension of the mattress section [6 of the sofa unit 8,. Casters 23 permit the frame and its supported parts to be rolled into and out of stfiwai e position under the frame I of the sofa unit, 8.

Th bed-bottom units 2| and 22 are likewise of the conventional angle bar construction. whereon is secured the usual fabric 21 (see Fig. 6). The bed-bottom section 2| in length is slightly less than the over-all length of the supporting frame 20, whereas the bed-bottomsection 22 is approximately equal to the length of thefmattress section l6 of the seatumta. Thesebed-bottom sections are hingedly connected togetherat 23, by means of brackets 28. and 2 9. One arm of each bracket is secured to the. a p sed ends or the side members of the bed-bottom sectiOnS. 2| and 22. The other arms of the brackets, are, offset so as to spaceapart the sections 2| and 2-2 at their hinged ends. when the seeuon are folded as shown in Fig. 5. The brackets. 29. each have an ear 30 integrally formed therecn wheretois connected one or the links or the pos 'oi i-adjus't' ing mechanism 24 shortly to be described.

A pair of legs 3 are foldably s'e area near the outer end of the bed-bottom sect on 22 so. that in, their extended positioh'sthey support thefree end of the bedrbotto'infsee p 22 in its coplanar position with the bed-bot om, section 2|, when the latter is elevated. by. theaction of the positionadjusting mechanism 24.

The positionF-adjufsftii g "mechanism 24 comprises two pairs of links, 32 and 33, one linkof each of which pairs is'connec'tedfto asynchronizing link 3'4 to, do 7 Lite 2. parallel linkage on either side of t fe frame :20, and. a pair of actuating 1inks35, which t the elevating and lowering of the bfed b'o m. section 2| on the frame 20, when the air-xi ary bed .-bcttom section 22 is swung between its superimposed position over the bed-bottom sec (in 2|, and its. extended coplanar position therewith.

The pair Of links '32, atftheirlower ends, are rigidly connected in alignment to an equalizer rod 3& which is ournar eafat it'sfends in holes in the side's of the frame '20. At their upper ends, the links, 32 have pivot pihs31 slidably supported in slots 38 formed: in the adjacent. ends. of the sides of the bed-"bottom section 2|. The pair of links 33, at their lowerenu are rigidly connected to an equalizer rod "39. which is. similarly journalled in the; sides of the. frame 20- and, at their upper ends, havepivot pins 4.3 s'lidably supported in slotsf ll-for-m'e'd in the. sides of the bedbottom section 2,'|..

Rollers 4'2. and, 43,,ii'ioiihtedjon the-inner ends of the pivot pins 3] and 4.0, respectively engage the under face of theanglebai's, which constitute the sidejmmbersof the main bed-bottomv sec tion 2|, and facilitate 'theinovementof the pivot pins in the slots 38 and 4| during the elevating and lowering of the bed-bottom section 2| through the action; of the position-adjusting mechanism 24. I

The synchronizing linkf3'4. connects oneof the 4 links of the pair 32 with one of the links of the pair 33 so that these links are caused to move in unison under the influence of the actuating links 35.

The pair of bed-bottom-section actuatinglinks 35 are pivoted to the ears 30 on the respective brackets 29 and to the pivot pins 31 for the pairs of links 32. Thus, the swinging-of the bedbottom section 22 on hinge 23 causes the link 35 to pull or push the links 32 (and one of the links of the pair 33 through the medium of the synchronizing link 34). This results in the raising and lowering of the bed-bottom section 2| as the auxiliary bed-bottom- 22 is swung between its folded position with respect to the main bedbottom section 2| and their extended coplanar positions. From Fig. 4 it will be noted that when the bed-bottom sections are in their coplanar positions a line through the pivots of the links 35 is disposed below the hinge 23. Accordingly, any weight on the main bed-bottom section 2| cannot exert a force suificient tov cause an upward swinging of the auxiliary bed-bottom 22' on its hinge 23.

A stabilizer bar 44; is. pivotally connected at 45 to the inner side rail' of the b ed-bottom section 2|, adjacent the end which ishinged at 2 3 to the auxiliary section 22', and at tothe corresponding side bar of the frame 2(1; but at, the opposite end thereof. This stabilizing bar serves to restrict the bed-bottom section 2| to vertical movement relative to the supporting frame Z'Bas it is actuated by the Dosition-adiustingmechanism 2 4.

The automatically-actuated latch means 25 comprises an arm '41 and an operat ng lever 48 arranged on each ofthe two inner corners of the supporting frame 20 adjacent. the side thereof which is directly opposed to the front of the sofa unit 8; when the trundle bed unit I0 is arranged for; converting the sofa and seat units into a bed; These parts are so. mounted, as will appear presently, that shoulders 49 on the arms 41 are engageable between shoulders 50 and 5| (see Fig. 7); on the supporting frame ll of the sofa. unit 8 whereb,y toanchor the trundle-bed unit W at the side of the-sofa unit 8 when the bed-bottom section 2| is. elevatedto convert the sofasand seat-units into a bed: i

As most clearly shown in Fig. 7, each of the arms 41 is connected to the supporting frame 20 by means of apair of pins 52 and 53. operating in a slot '54. The slot, 54 is. provided with an offset .55; which is adaptedjto receive the pin 53 when the pin 52 is at the forward end of the slot 54 so as to permit the arm to automatically drop into a, positionto, perm t theJengagement of the shoulder '49; between the shoulders Bland 5|.

Whenever the pin, 53; depressed from the, offset 55 and the p n 521s .movedjaway from the end of the slot '54, -the arm 41, will be retained in its horizontal, position. Such will be. the condition when the-,t'rundle-bed, unit Ill, is

pushed fully under the sofa unit 8 and thev shouldered ends of the arms 41 strik'efthe back of the sofa unitframe,||.. The. shoulder 501s formed as the. result of cutting a notch '56. in

the side flange of a vertical, end, anglel'bar which constitutes a art of, the sofa frame |l. notch is of a heightslightly greaterthan the Width of the arm 4] butv .is positioned .in the flange of the angle bar slightly outofalinement with the arm 4] when in its horizontal position. This locatesithe upper end -ofthe ,shoulder; 50. in a positiontonormally engage the shoulder 49 and limit the withdrawing movement of the trundle-bed unit Hi from under the sofa unit 8.

However, by slightly raising the bed-bottom unit H1 at its inner corners the arms 8 could be brought into registration with the respective notches 56 so that the shoulders 49 could pass outwardly through these notches and the trundle-bed unit In could be moved away from the sofa unit for use as a bed section independently of the sofa and seat units 8 and 9.

The shoulder 5| is formed by locating an angle bar 51 on the sofa unit frame H with the outer end of said angle bar opposed to but spaced slightly inward from the notched flange of the angle bar which forms the shoulder 50. This provides a space between the shoulders 50 and 5| into which the shoulder 49 drops when the arm 4! is allowed to occupy the tilted position shown in Fig. 7.

As will be shown most clearly in Fig. 6, the levers 48 are of angular form and pivoted at 58 so that the arms thereof parallel to the sides of the supporting frame 29 extended outwardly under the respective arms 41. The inner and angularly-disposed arms of the levers 48 extend inwardly away from the side bar of the supporting frame 20, to which the levers 48 are pivoted so that the ends of these angularly-disposed arms extend under the corresponding side bar of the bed-bottom section 2|. Thus the angular position of the arms 41, with regard to the end bars of the supporting frame 20 to which they are pivoted, depends upon the position of the bed-bottom section 2| with respect to the supporting frame 20. When the bed-bottom section 2| is in its folded or collapsed position the inner side rail thereof contacts the inwardlyextending angularly-disposed arms of the levers 43 so as to elevate the outer ends of the arms 47 and dispose the shoulders 49 above and out of position for engagement with the shoulders 59 on the sofa frame II. On the other hand, when the bed-bottom section 2| is elevated, as shown in Fig. 7, the arms 41 are normally actuated by gravity to bring the shoulders 49 into a lowered position between the shoulders 59 and 5|.

The operation of these several units to convert them from a disassociated sofa and chair arrangement to a bed, and vice versa, is briefly as follows.

The chair unit 9 is placed at the end of the sofa unit 3 to form a couch or davenport. Thereupon the trundle-bed unit In is withdrawn from under the sofa unit 8 to a position immediately in front of the sofa unit 8. The trundle bed unit In reaches the limit of its forward or ,withdrawing movement when the shoulders 49 on the arms 41 strike against the shoulders 50. This pulls the arms 41 outward so as to bring the pins 52 to the ends of the slots 54 and locate the pins 53 in position to be received in the offsets 55 as the bed-bottom section 2| moves into its elevated position.

The auxiliary bed-bottom section 22 is thereupon swung on the hinge 23 and the legs 3| swung outwardly to rest upon the floor. Such swinging of the bed-bottom section 22 causes the links 35 to elevate the links 32, which movement is communicated to the links 33 by the synchronizing bar 44, whereupon the bedbottom section 2| is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 4. The upward movement of the bed-bottom section 2| releases the levers 48 so that the shouldered ends of the arms 41 may drop and position the shoulders 49 between the shoulders 50 and 5|. Consequently, the trundlebed unit If] is anchored at the front of the sofa and chair units 8 and 9 against accidental displacement so long as the three units are associated for the formation of a bed.

The back cushions I8 and I8 are laid aside. The seat cushions I1 and H are placed on the bed-bottom sections 2| and 22, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper faces of the cushions l1 and I1 are disposed in the same plane as the upper face of the mattress sections l6 and I6 of the sofa and chair units 8 and 9 respectively. This makes a full-sized bed with practically no noticeable break in the upper surface thereof.

When the units are to be returned to normal sofa and chair use, the cushions I1 and II are replaced on the mattress sections of the sofa and chair units 8 and 9. The bed-bottom section 22 is then swung toa position over the bed-bottom section 2|. This causes the position-adjusting mechanism 24 to lower the bed-bottom section 2|. As the bed-bottom section 2| comes into its fully lowered position on the supporting frame 20 it engages the levers 43, which causes a retraction of the arms 41 so as to raise the shoulders 49 above the shoulders 5| Thereupon the trundlebed unit may be returned to its stowed position under the sofa unit 8.

Variations and modifications in the details of structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sofa bed of the class described, the combination with a sofa frame mounting an upholstered section in spaced relationship to the floor and having a plurality of cushions of predetermined thickness supported on said upholstered section for normal sofa use, of a trundle-bed unit movable between a position under the upholstered section of said sofa frame-and a position alongside the front thereof, said trundle-bed unit comprising a castered supporting frame, a main bedbottom section, links supporting said main bedbottom section on said frame to permit movement of said bed-bottom section between a lowered position on said frame and a vertically-elevated position above said frame at a height such as will dispose said sofa cushions when placed on said main bed-bottom section with the upper surface of said cushions in the plane of the upper surface of said upholstered section, an auxiliary bedbottom section hinged to said main bed-bottom section and swingable between folded superimposed and extended coplanar positions with respect to said main bed-bottom section, a bedbottom section actuating-link connecting said auxiliary bed-bottom section to one of said links for said main bed-bottom section whereby the swinging of said auxiliary bed-bottom section automatically effects the elevating and lowering of said main bed-bottom section on said frame, legs for supporting the free end of said auxiliary bed-bottom section in coplanar disposition with said main bed-bottom section in its elevated position on said frame, an arm pivoted on said trundle-bed unitsupporting frame, a shoulder on said arm engageable with shoulders on said sofa frame for anchoring said trundle bed unit in unshiftable position-at the front of said sofa, and means engageable by one of said bed-bottom sections when said sections are in their superimposed folded positions for shifting said arm to retract the shoulder thereon from engagement with the shoulders on said sofa frame to permit movement of said trundle-bed unit relative to said sofa-L '2. In a sofa bed of the class described, the combination with a sofa frame mounting an upholst'er'e'd section in spaced relationship to the floor and having a plurality of cushions of predetermined thickness supported on said upholstered section for normal sofa use, of a trundle-bed unit movable between a position under the upholstered section of said sofa frame and a position alongside the front thereof, said trundl'e bed unit comprising a castered supporting frame, a main bedbottom section, links supporting said main bedbottom section on said frame to permit movement of said bed-bottom section between a lowered position o'n said frame and a vertically-elevated position above said frame at a height such as will dispose said sofa cushions when placed on said main bed-bottom section with the upper surface of said cushions in the plane of the upper surface of said upholstered section, an auxiliary bed bottom section hinged to said main bed-bottom section and swingable between folded superimposed and extended coplanar positions with respect to said main bed-bottom section, a bedbottom section actuating-link connecting said auxiliary bed-bottom section to one of said links for said main bed-bottom section whereby the swinging of said auxiliary bed-bottom section automatically elfects the elevating and lowering of said main bed-bottom section on said frame, legs for supporting the free end of said auxiliary bed-bottom section in coplanar disposition with said main bed-bottom section in its elevated position on said frame, a pair of arms one of which is slidingly pivoted on each end of said trundlebed frame with the ends extending beyond the adjacent intermediate side of said frame, a shoulder on the end of each of said arms each engageable with a shoulder on said sofa frame for anchoring said trundle-bed unit in unshifta'b1e pos'ition at the front of said sofa, and a lever pivoted at each end of said adjacent intermediate trundle-bed frame side in position to have one arm each of said levers engaging the adjacent shouldered arm and to have the other-lever arm disposed in a position to be engaged by said main b.edbottom-section in its folded or collapsed position whereby the engagement or disengagement of said arm shoulders with said sofa-frame shoulders is dependentupon the unfolded orfolded relationship of saidbed-bottom sections; v

3. In combination with a sofa, a trundle' bed unit movable between a position under said sofa and a position alongside of said sofa, said trundle-bed "unit comprising a supporting frama a main bed-bottom section, links supporting said main bed-bottom section on said frameto permit movement of said bed-bottom section be tween a lowered position on said frame and -a vertically-elevated positionabove said frame, an auxiliary bed-bottom section hinged to-said main bed-bottom section and swinga-blefbetween folded superimposed and extended coplanar positions with respect to said main bed bottom section, a bed-bottom section actuating-link connecting said auxiliary bedbottom section-to one of said links for said main bed-bottom section whereby the swinging of said auxiliary bed-bottom section automatically effects the elevating and lowerin of said main bed-bottom section on said frame, legs for supporting the free end of said nien of said trundle-bed unit relative to said sofa.

4. In combination, a sofa'and a chair each having an arm rest at only one end thereof wherebysaid sofa and chair are adapted to be abuttedat their other ends to-form an integral unit, said sofa and chair each-having an upholstered section disposed at the same predetermined height abovethe floor and having a cushion of the same predetermined thickness normally supported on said upholstered section to form a seat, a trundle-bed unit movable from a stowed position under the upholstered section of said sofa to a forwardly disposed position in juxtaposition with the front of said sofa, said trundle-bed unit comprising a movable supportin'gframe, a main bed-bottom section substantially co-extensive with the width of said sofa, links supporting said main bed-bottom section on said frame for movement from a lowered position to a predetermined elevated position, an auxiliary bed-bottom section of length substantially equal to the width of said chair hinged to one end of said main 'bed bottom section and swingable from a superimposed position on said main bed-bottom section to an extended position co-planar with-said main bed-bottom section and in juxtaposition with the front of said chair, an actuating link connecting said auxiliary bed-bottom section with one of said supporting links whereby the swinging of said auxiliary bedbottom section to said eo-planar extended position iseffeetive to raise-said main bed-bottom section to said elevated position, and foldable legs on said auxiliary bed-bottom section for supporting said auxiliary section in said extended position, said predetermined height and said predeter-mined thickness and said predetermined elevated position being such that when said cushions are disposed upon said bed-bottom sections-the upper surfaces of said cushions'are' substantially oo-planar with the upper surfaces of said upholstered sections to form therewith a u rii-tarybed.- A

' EDWARD E. NVOLLFJR.

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

V Y *UNITED s'rA'rns PATENTS

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