US2647267A

US2647267A - Knockdown bunk bed

Info

Publication number: US2647267A
Application number: US229996A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ira J Mclaughlin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-06-05
Filing date: 1951-06-05
Publication date: 1953-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 1970-08-04

Description

Aug. 4, 1953 l. J. M LAUGHLIN KNOCKDOWN BUNK BED Filed June 5, 1951 Zhmentor IRA J McLAUGHLIN w Q-Z Gttomeg: v

Patented Aug. 4, 195?;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I KNOCKDOWN BUNK BED Ira J. McLaughlin, Manistique, Mich.

Application June 5, 1951, Serial No. 229,996

4 Claims.

This invention relates to bunk or double-decker beds and more particularly to so-called knockdown bunk beds.

Particularly, in the case of rustic-type bunk beds, the material employed is heavy and bulky because dependence for rigidity must be had upon the bearing of the wide head and foot panels and cross rails against the fiat surfaces of the corner posts. Usually logs and half logs are employed for the bed portions, and various methods employed to interconnect them. Generally, the beds are constructed in situ, attempts are made to interconnect the portions in as rigid a manner as possible and it is almost impossible to separate the portions from one another in order to knock down the bed and, particularly re-erect it so that it will be rigid again. Such common expedients as side rail hooks and post-imbedded pins for association therewith, do not work out at all satisfactorily in the case of bunk beds.

An important object of the invention is to pro? vide a relatively light-weight knock-down bunk or double-decker bed which, because of its novel construction, may be made of small, substantially round sapling stock.

Another important object is to provide such a' bed which may be produced in a factory by employing conventional factory production methods.

Still another important object is to provide such factory-produced beds the portions of which may be readily packaged into a compact bundle for transportation, storage and marketing.

A further important object is to provide such a packaged bed which may be readily erected without complicated instructions and knowledge of carpentry, by the employment of only a wrench asatool. H.

Additionally, an important object is to provide novel means for interconnecting the portions of the bed so that the bed may be readily erected, knocked down and tightened, from time to time if required.

It is also an important object to provide means to mount to the upper bed which means additionally functions as a means contributing to rendering more rigid the erected bed, and means for supporting portions of the knocked-down bed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

forming a part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 2 is a perspective view of the portions of the knocked-down bed laid out for packaging, employing the ladder brace portion as a base.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view of the erected bed with a connection between it and the ladder brace portion.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views substantially on their respective lines of Fig. 1 illustrating details of the means to secure the bed sections together, Fig. 4 being somewhat enlarged over Fig. 5 and the showing in Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a special nut forming part of the means of Figures 4 and 5.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary elevation of the nut of Fig. 6 inuse.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar referencecharacters' designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates the new bed as awhole; the letter B the frame and brace portions thereof; C and D, means detachablyconnecting the ladder and brace portion with other of the portions; and E, other means to detachably secure the portions B to ether. a

The bed A is shown as a two-bed bunk or double-decker bed and is preferably constructed, except for themeans C, D and E, of suitable material preferably seasoned, light-weight saplings of suitable diameters and lengths. Saplings employed in the manufacture of rustic table legs,

chairs and benches are suitable. The, bark may be removed, if desired. Obviously, too,turned material may be employed instead of saplings although the latter is, by far, the less expensive. The means 0, D and E are preferably of metal, such as iron, steel or brass.

Referring mainly. to Figs. 1 and 2, the bed portions B preferably comprise corner headposts l0, corner footposts ll, head cross or end rails l2, foot cross or end rails I3, side rails l4, side guard rails l5, and the combined ladder and brace 16.

For the accommodation of the ends of the rails l2, l3 and I4, as shown in Fig. 4, the posts It] and II are provided with suitable transverse sockets I1 and bolt-shank-accommodating bores or openings [8 leading therefrom to exteriorly of the posts and for the accommodation of the ends of the guard rails [5, as shown in Fig. 5, the posts It] and H are provided with suitable inclined sockets I9 and bolt-accommodating openings or bores 20 leading therefrom to the exteriors of the posts. 'I'wo posts, as the two foot posts ll each preferably has a conventional transverse bore 2! adjacent its upper end for reviewing a portion of the means and a transverse socket 22, as in Fig. 3, for receiving an end of the means D.

The ends of the rails l2 to Hi inclusive may be slightly bevelled as at 23 in Figs. 4 and 5 and are provided with longitudinally-extending boltshank accommodating bores 24, axially ali with the bores l8 and 20, and each having an enlargement or recess intermediate its length to accommodate the special nut of Fig. 6, as shown in Figs. 4 and '7.

It is preferred that the rails I2, 13 and M be disposed substantially horizontally, but the rails I5 are inclined as may be seen in Fig. 1. This is not merely to provide higher guards at the head section of the upper bunk but to provide substantial braces for the bed against to-and-fro sway of the bed.

The combined ladder and brace section iii of the bed A has the

conventional side rails

26 and 21 and cross rails or rungs 28. Each

rail

26 and 21 has a transverse bolt-shank-accommodating bore or opening 29 adjacent its upper end, a transverse socket 30, as in Fig. 3, and a suitable number of transverse bores or openings 3! below the openings 29 and sockets 30 to accommodate portions of the means 0, next to be described.

The means 0 to detachably connect the ladder and brace portion l6 to a foot post it and some of the foot cross rails l3, which latter have transverse bores or openings 32, preferably comprises conventional bolt and nut assemblies, with the shank of one bolt passing through axially aligned openings 2| and 29 and the protruding end of the shank provided with a tightened nut and a washer 36'. Substantially similar bolt and nut assemblies have their shanks extending through axially aligning openings 3! and 32. Of course, the lower and faces of the corner posts i0 and H are in substantially the same plane as the plane of the lower end facesof the

ladder rails

26 and 21 when the portion i8 is positioned as described. As shown in Fig. l the rail 26 crosses the lowermost foot rails I3 at the central portion of the latter toefiect a substantial bracing effect.

The means D to connect a foot post It with the portion Hito act as a brace for the latter, and best shown in Fig. 3, may be a suitable rigid rod or bar having an intermediate portion 40, and end portion 4| snugly accommodated in the socket 30 and oppositeend portion 42 snugly accommodated in the socket 22.

Figures 4 to 7 inclusive best illustrate the means E to detachably secure the portion B (except the portion [6) together and comprises suitable nut and bolt assemblies made up of elongated; bolt shanks 45 for snug but slid'ab-l'e accommodation in the openings or bores l8 and 24. The screw threads 46 at one. (the outer) of the ends of the shanks 45 are coarser than the screw threads 41 at the other ends thereof, and the screw threads 46 accommodate the screw threads of a suitable cap nut 48, such as those.

shown in Figs. 4 and 5 (with a washer 49 interposed between the inner end of the nut and the adjacent surface of the post). The screw threads 4'! accommodate those of a, polygonal nut 50, which, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 has its screw threaded bore 5loffset with respect to its center. This, with the opposite elongated faces,

52 of the nut prevents turning of the nut and,

the relatively large opposite face areas 53-. pro- 4 vide good finger holds for insertion of the nuts 50, for the nuts are accommodated in the recesses 25 substantially as in Figs. 4 and 7 where, it may be seen, the face areas 53 extend to closely adjacent the mouth of the recess 25.

Fig. 2 illustrates the knocked-down assembly but not piled up for bundling. The posts 10 and II and various rails [2 to 15 may be piled upon the ladder and straps or ropes employed to secure all together in a compact bundle, with the brace means D and a suitable bag containing the cap nuts 48 tied to the ladder rungs 28.

Erection of the bed A may be effected by assembling the head posts l0 and head cross rails [2, the foot posts H and foot cross rails 13, with all cap screws tightened, inserting one like end of each rail l4- and i5 in an associated foot or head post and tightening the cap screws, then securing the other posts to the other end of the rails l4 and I5 and securing the ladder and brace portion it in place by the means 0 and D.

It is obvious that the ladder and brace portion 16 may be attached as in Fig. l or to extend in an opposite direction as may be appreciated by the openings 2| and 32 and, in either position, the portion It, prevents side sway of the bed A.

The

screw threads

46 and 41 cooperate to prevent accidental turning of the shanks 45 off the nuts 59 and the nuts 5!} hold the shanks 45 against rotation while the cap nuts 49 are being screwed on the shanks 45 whereupon, when the cap nuts 4i! are drawn up tightly, but clearing the posts ID or it, the shanks may be rotated to tighten up the nuts Bil.

After long use, some of the means E may become slightly loosened, but it will be a simple matter to employ a wrench and againv tightenthem.

Various changes may be made to the iorm of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bunk bed including spaced-apart corner head and foot posts each having a lower-end face, end rails joining like corner posts, side rails joining opposite corner head and foot posts, and combined brace and ladder means including ladder rungs and a ladder rail? with said ladder rail extending diagonally from one corner post toward the like corner post and tightly against an adjacent and rail and having a lower end face with all of said faces in substantially the same horizontal plane; and means rigidly securing said ladder rail to said one corner post and to said end, rail with the longitudinal axes of said rungs extending in substantially the same direction. as said side rails.

2. A bunk bed according to claimv 1 characterized in that the means rigidly securing the ladder rail to said one corner post is adjacent the: rip-- perend of said one corner post.

3. A bunk bed according to claim 1 characterized in that themeans rigidly securing, the ladder rail to said one, corner post is adjacent the up--.

per end of said. one corner post, andv the means,

rigidly securing the ladder rail to saidend rail is disposed adjacent the longitudinal. center of" said end rail- 4. A bunk bed including spaced-apart corner head and foot posts each having a lower end face, end rails joining like corner posts, side rails joining opposite corner head and foot posts, guard rails extending diagonally from and rigidly seladder rail extending diagonally from one corner 5 post toward the like corner post and across and tightly against an adjacent end rail and having a lower end face with all of said faces in substantially the same horizonal plane; and means rigidly securing said ladder rail to said one corner post at a location on said one corner post above the longitudinal axis of one guard rail at the connection of said one corner post and said one guard rail, and to said end rail with the longitudinal axes of said rungs extending in substantially the same direction as said side rails, said guard rails contributing to prevent longitudinal sway of said bed and said combined brace and ladder means contributing to prevent transverse sway of said bed.

IRA J. MCLAUGHLIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 97,981 Snead Dec. 14, 1869 608,546 Coburn Aug. 2, 1898 819,886 Hume May 8, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 276,223 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1927 283,039 Italy Feb. 27, 1931