US3013283A

US3013283A - Bed sheet

Info

Publication number: US3013283A
Application number: US53111A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph A Steffinich
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-08-31
Filing date: 1960-08-31
Publication date: 1961-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1978-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1961 R. A. STEFFINICH BED SHEET Filed Aug. 51, 1960 INVENTOR.

RUD LPH A. STEFFINICH BY ATTORNEY 3,013,283 BED SHEET Rudolph A. Stefiinich, 724 Kansas St,

San Francisco, Calif. Filed Aug. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 53,111 7 Claims. (Cl. --334) This invention relates to bed sheets and more particularly to the type of sheet commonly known as contour sheets.

Bed sheets of this type are constructed so that those portions which extend vertically downward over the sides and ends of the mattress are secured directly together where they meet at the corners, so as to fit about the corners of the mattress and thereby to be held in position upon the mattress, instead of dependence being had upon a tucking of the loose sides and ends of the sheet under the sides and ends of the mattress for holding the sheet in place. A sheet of this type, when in its position on the bed, is somewhat in the shape of the conventional card-board box lid, in that it has a main portion which is fiat and horizontal, with vertical portions depending along the four edges thereof. In such sheets the vertical portrons of the sheet are generally made wide enough at the corner areas so that they extend inwardly underneath the mattress for a short distance at the corners of the mattress. They also generally cover only the mattress, the vertical portions of the sheet not extending far enough downwardly to cover the box-springs or other type of SPllllQ'S on which the mattress rests. In fact, since such sheets extend under the mattress in the corner areas, it would involve a rather complicated structure to have such sheet cover both the mattress and the vertical sides of the box-springs.

As heretofore constructed, sheets of this type, when in place on the mattress, are likely to be wrinkled or otherwise not smooth, unless their dimensions are such that they fit very snugly against the vertical portions and over the top of the mattress. With slight variations in the size of either the mattress or the sheet, or because of shrinkage or other contortions that may result, such as from laundering, the sheets are quite likely not to be smooth or unwrinkled when in their intended position on the mattress. Moreover, by covering only the mattress, they afford no protection against the vertical side and end portions of the box-springs below the mattress from becoming soiled, such as from the clothing of persons who might sit upon the edge of the bed when only the sheet is on the mattress. Furthermore, they do not protect against the accumulation of dust on the boxsprings. Another disadvantage in the contour sheet as heretofore constructed lies in the fact that Where the edges of the sheet are to extend underneath the mattress, the corner portions of the mattress must be lifted and held while the sheet is being pulled into its proper position.

In an effort heretofore to overcome these disadvantages resort has been had to tying means and various other devices and arrangements which involve accessory parts to the sheet and which almost invariably require that a considerable area of the sheet extend underneath the mattress along both the sides and ends of the mattress, with means for stretching such portions of the sheet and tying, cl' mping or otherwise securing such stretched horizontal portions underneath the mattress. Examples of these prior efforts are seen in the following US. Patents: #2,569,627 to Black, #2,662,234 to Citron, #2,791,784 to Tornsic, #2,804,632 to Ford, #2,857,6 43 to Tomsic, and #2,85l,703 to Greco.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bed sheet of the contour type which is adapted to fit snugly and smoothly over the mattress without having a part of the red rates Patent 9 sheet extend underneath the mattress and without tying or clamping fixtures being used in connection therewith.

It is another object to provide a sheet of the contour type which can be placed in its intended position on the mattress without having to lift and hold the mattress or portions thereof upwardly from the box-springs or other springs section of the bed on which the mattress normally rests in order to pull the sheet into its position on the mattress.

Another object is to provide a sheet of the contour type wherein the vertical sections which cover the sides and ends of the mattress may also cover the sides and ends of the box-spring element of the bed and which will help to hold the mattress in its proper position on the box-springs. By the term box-springs or box-spring element 1 refer to those arrangements wherein the coiled springs and the framework which supports these springs and keeps them in proper position with respect to each other are encased within or covered by a fabric material to give the said framework and springs unit as a Whole a box-like form.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the ensuing description and appended claims.

The invention is illustrated by Way of example in the accompanying drawings and is described in detail hereinafter. The particular constructions herein shown and described are to be construed as illustrative only, and not as limiting the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View showing one form of my bed sheet in place over both the mattress and the boxsprings on which the mattress normally rests.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary View of a modification of the sheet as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically an alternative stitching arrangement to that used in the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 shows, diagrammatically, another arrangement for stitching which is alternative to that used in the construction shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional View on line 55 of FIG. 2, with the side and end sections of the sheet in one plane, for simplicity, instead of in the two planes at the corner as in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, my sheet construction, which is adapted to cover a mattress 10 as well as the vertical side walls and ends of the box-springs 11 on which the said mattress rests in its normal position on the boxsprings, includes a main section 12 of cloth material suitable for the manufacturer of conventional bedsheets, which said main section extends, at eachside thereof,

into a side section 13, and, at each end thereof, into an end section 14. The two side sections and the two end sections are each of width sufiicient to fit over the vertical side faces and the vertical end taces, respectively, of both the mattress 10 and the box-springs 11. Positioned between the adjacent ends of the side and end sections, and secured thereto by suitable stitching, is an elastic fabric member, 15, there being, therefore, one said elastic member at each of the four vertical corner edges of the sheet. An area of the cloth material at the ends of the side and

end sections

13 and 14 is cut away or recessed in an amount to conform generally to the shape of the elastic member 15 to be secured thereto, but also by an amount such that when the sheet is placed in its intended position on the mattress the elastic member 15 will have to be stretched to a mild degree in a direction longitudinal to the said side and end cloth sections, and be kept in a state of medium or mild tension while the sheet remains in its position on the mattress. This means that the effective recessed or cut-away area of the side and end cloth sections of the sheet, in a longitudinal direction with respect to said side and end sections (a transverse direction with respect to the elastic member), will be somewhat in excess of the distance from the vertical median line of the elastic member to the line of stitching which secures the elastic member to the side and end cloth sections of the sheet when the elastic member is in an un-stretched state. The vertical height of the elastic member is preferably in excess of its transverse width. A suitable shape for the main portion of this elastic member is that of a rectangular strip of the order of 3 inches in width. This will give a clear distance from its vertical median line (which corresponds with the corner of the sheet) out to the stitching which secures the strip to the said side and end sections of slightly less than one and one-half inches so as to assure that the elastic member will be in tension when the sheet is in its intended position on the mattress. The width of the elastic member is not critical and may vary, depending upon the strength of the rubber or other elastomeric material in the member.

It is preferable that the upper end of the strip of elastic member 15 be formed into a triangular shape with the apex 16 of the triangle on the median line of the member. Any taper or slope from the sides of the strip to form the triangle may be employed. It is also preferable that this apex 16 lie at some relatively short distance below the upper end of the vertical corner edge where the side and

end sections

13 and 14 of the cloth material meet the main section 12 of the sheet, so that a short upper portion 17 of the vertical corner edge of the sheet above the elastic member 15 will exist wherein the side and

end sections

13 and 14 of cloth material are joined and secured directly together, i.e., without there being any portion of the elastic member therebetween. Desirably, though not necessarily, the apex 16 may be about two inches below the top of the said corner edge.

One form of alternative shape for the elastic member 15 is shown in FIG. 2 where the entire member is in the form of a triangle, again with its apex 16 on the median line, i.e., on the vertical corner edge, and at some distance below the upper end of the vertical corner edge.

Any suitable arrangement and stitching may be employed for securing the elastic member 15 to the side and end sections of cloth material of the sheet. In FIG. 3 there is shown one arrangement wherein the side and

end sections

13 and 14 are folded downwardly along their edges and the elastic member positioned with its edges underneath said folds, the stitching 18 being through both cloth layers of the folds and through the elastic member. Another arrangement for securing the elastic member in its position to the side and end sections is shown in FIG. 4, wherein the edges of the elastic member 15 overlap the edges of the side and

end cloth sections

13 and 14, and a reinforcing member 19 comprising a narrow strip of cloth or other suitable material is placed along and above the said overlap, one row of the stitching 18 being through the two overlapping pieces and the said reinforcing member 19, and another row of stitching 18 through the said reinforcing member strip 19 and the side or

end section

13 or 14 as the case may be. Any suitable material may be thus used for the reinforcing strip 19. The views in FIGS. 3 and 4 are somewhat diagrammatic, as if the portion of the sheet involved were positioned in one plane; whereas actually, when the sheet is in position on the bed, the said portion would be positioned at a corner of the bed and therefore in two planes. In the constructions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 this reinforcing strip 19 is not present, the construction there shown being one in which the edge of the elastic overlaps that of the sheet material and the stitching 18 being through the two layers of material.

Along the short upper portion 17 of the vertical corner edges of the sheet there may, if desired, be employed a narrow reinforcing strip in the stitching together of the side and

end sections

13 and 14 of the cloth material. One arrangement of such reinforcing strip, which may be of any suitable material and preferably one having finished edges, is shown in the view of FIG. 5 wherein the reinforcing strip 20 is positioned over and around the facing areas of the portions along the edges of the side and

end cloth sections

13 and 14, with stitching 18 through all four layers of the materials. The view in this FIG. 5 is somewhat diagrammatic, the same as that explained above for FIGS. 3 and 4. Any suitable stitching or other means may be employed for joining the side and end sections together at the short upper portion 17 of the vertical corner edges of the sheet. No one particular such means is indicated in the view shown in FIG. 1.

For the elastic member 15 I prefer to use any good grade of elastic fabric material, such as that used in girdles and corsets. One such material sold in the trade consists of 68% cotton, 21% rayon and 11% rubber. Another consists of 30% cotton, 54% rayon and 16% rubber. The strength, elasticity and similar characteristics of the elastic member are not critical so long as the member, when it is in a state of mild or reasonable tension, when the sheet is in its intended position over the mattress and box-springs, will hold the side and end cloth sections, as well as the top or main section of the sheet, smooth and firmly in place. Lighter grades of elastic fabric material than those referred to above may be employed, including that used for garters. In some instances it may be desirable to use two pieces of elastic fabric, one upon the other, to constitute a two-layer member, as is sometimes found in the border areas of corsets and girdles. Such construction may be employed with lighter grades of elastic fabric material. There are comprehended within my invention other forms of elastc material than the elastic fabric material specifically referred to hereinabove, such for example as members which are comprised largely, or even entirely, of an elastomeric substance even though such elastomeric substance not be woven with other material. And other means of securing the elastic member to the cloth material of the sheet than by stitching are comprehended within the invention. There are also comprehended within the invention constructions wherein the side and end sections of the sheet are of width such that they cover only the mattress, and not the springs structure on which the mattress rests. Where the springs are not encased within a fabric or similar structure to constitute the box-springs as described hereinabove, there may not be any suitable corner piece in the springs structure against which the elastic member of my sheet could be positioned, in which instance the side and end sections of the sheet would be made to cover only the mattress.

While I have illustrated and described my invention in detail, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bed sheet comprising a main section of cloth material adapted to fit over the top of a mattress; two side sections of cloth material constituting extensions of said main section, each said side section being of width sufiicient and only sufficient to fit over both a vertical side face of said mattress and the adjacent vertical side face of the box-springs on which said mattress rests with the lower edge of each of said side sections positioned substantially even with the lower edge of the adjacent vertical side face of said box springs; two end sections of cloth material constituting extensions of said main section, each said end section being of width sufiicient and only sufficient to fit over both a vetrical end face of said mattress and the adjacent vertical end face of the box-springs on which said mattress rests with the lower edge of each of said end sections positioned substantially even with the lower edge of the adjacent vertical end face of said box springs; a portion of elastic fabric material positioned between each end of said side sections and the adjacent end of said end sections; said elastic fabric material having an edge secured by stitches to the end of said side section and another edge secured by stitches to said adjacent end of said end section to connect said side section to said'end section at each of the four corners of said sheet; said elastic fabric portion being of such shape and the ends of said side and end sections to which said elastic fabric portion is secured having been cut away or recessed prior to the stitching thereto of said elastic fabric material, by an amount to conform to said shape of said elastic fabric portion, such that when said main section of said sheet is in its intended position on said mattress and the said side and end sections are fitted over the vertical side and end faces of said mattress and box-springs, said four portions of said elastic fabric will each be in tension to hold said bed sheet smoothly in place over the top of said mattress and around the four vertical faces of said mattress and boxsprings.

2. The bed sheet of claim 1 in which the said portion of elastic fabric material, if it were so positioned as to be in a single plane, is rectangular in shape throughout the greater part of its area.

3. The bed sheet of claim 1 in which the said portion of elastic fabric material, if it were so positioned as to lie in a single plane, is triangular in shape, and the apex of said triangle is in proximity to said main section of said sheet.

4. The bed sheet of claim 2 in which the longitudinal axis of said rectangular area of said elastic fabric material is substantially equidistant from the side and end sections of said sheet to which said elastic fabric material is secured.

5. The bed sheet of claim 4 in which the said portion of said elastic fabric materiaL at the upper end of said rectangular area, is formed into a triangle which has its apex in proximity to said main section of said sheet, and in which the adjacent edges of said side and end sections of said sheet above said apex of said triangle are secured together by stitches.

6. The bed sheet of claim 3 in which the adjacent edges of said side and end sections of said sheet above said apex of said triangle are secured together by stitches.

7. A bed sheet comprising a main section of cloth material adapted to fit over the top of a mattress; two side sections of cloth material constituting extensions of said main section, each said side section being of width sufficient and only sufficient to fit over both a vertical side face or" said mattress and the adjacent vertical side face of the box-springs on which said mattress rests with the lower edge of each of said side sections positioned substantially even with the lower edge of the vertical side face of said box springs; two end sections of cloth material constituting extensions of said main section, each said end section being of width sufiicient and only sufiicient to fit over both a vertical end face of said mattress and the adjacent vertical end face of the box-springs on which said mattress rests with the lower edge of each of said end sections positioned substantially even with the lower edge of the vertical end face of said box springs; an elastic member positioned between each end of said side sections and the adjacent end of said end sections; said elastic member being secured to the adjacent side and end cloth sections of said sheet to serve as a connecting means therebetween at the four corners of the sheet; said elastic members being secured to said side and end sections at a distance back from said corners such that when said main section of said sheet is fitted over the top of said mattress and said side and end sections of said sheet are fitted over the vertical side and end faces of said mattress and boxsprings, said four elastic members will each be in tension to hold said bed sheet smoothly in place over the top of said mattress and around the four vertical faces of said mattress and box-springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,359,526 Ray NOV. 23, 1920 2,417,333 Waetzman Mar. 11, 1947 2,624,893 Harris Jan. 13, 1953