US3494656A

US3494656A - Ceiling bed

Info

Publication number: US3494656A
Application number: US729816A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert L Mcintire
Original assignee: ROBERT L MCINTIRE
Current assignee: ROBERT L MCINTIRE
Priority date: 1968-05-16
Filing date: 1968-05-16
Publication date: 1970-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-10

Description

Feb. 10, 1970 R. MOINTIRE CEILING BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1968 J n r ATTORNEY Feb; 10, 1970 L. "MGINTIREH ,CEILING BED Filed May 16, 1968 m) M M M m W F m w m 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent O US. Cl. 29623 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A main supporting body comprises a board hinged and latched in an opening in the ceiling and carries parallel trackways in which are arranged rollers carried by brackets attached to a bedboard. The main body is normally arranged in this opening in the ceiling and the bedboard supports thereabove one or more springs and mattresses. The bed is movable to operative position by unlatching the main body and swinging it downwardly, the bedboard rollers following the trackways attached to one end of the bedboard while the other end thereof is pulled out toward a horizontal position and then supported on legs normally folded beneath the bedboard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION cated in their construction. The present construction is an improvement in that it is normally arranged out of the passenger compartment and when inoperative, therefore, occupies no passenger space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the case of a trailer, for example, a hole is cut in the roof or ceiling, the same size as and adapted to receive therein the main supporting body or board of the present device. A plastic or other bubble is fixed above the top of the vehicle to provide space for receiving the bed of the present construction. The main body, which may be formed of plywood or the like, is hinged at one end to the top of the vehicle, and has its other end supported relative to the top of the vehicle by a latch, draw bolt, or other securing means. The top of the main body is provided with spaced parallel trackways above which is arranged a bedboard having at one end bracket arms carrying rollers arranged in the trackways. The other end of the bedboard is provided with legs folded therebeneath. Above the bedboard is supported a spring and a mattress, or two springs and two mattresses adapted to form bunk beds, all of the elements supported in the top of the vehicle above the main body being arranged within and protected by the bubble.

When the bed is to be placed in operative condition, the draw bolt is withdrawn and the free edge of the main body lowered, and the operator will grasp the adjacent edge of the bedboard and pull it toward him as the main body swings downwardly to vertical position. The bedboard is maintained in generally horizontal position and the rollers carried thereby move downwardly through the trackways until they engage a stop in each trackway to limit downward movement of the bedboard with the mattress and boxspring thereon. The operator will then swing downwardly folding supporting legs carried beneath the free end of the main body. When the rollers 3,494,656 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 are in engagement with the stops and the legs are in vertical position, the main body of the bed will be in horizontal position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a bus or camper, parts being broken away to show the bed in solid line position overhead and in dotted line position when operative;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section view on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, the bubble being omitted and the bed parts being shown in operative positions;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed vertical section view showing a portion of the main body, one of the trackways, and associated elements;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view partially in section showing a constructional detail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the numeral 10' designates a bus or camper with which the present construction is used. The vehicle is supported on front wheels 12 and rear wheels 14 and is provided with the usual drivers cab 15 at the front end. The vehicle further comprises side walls 16, a floor 17, and a top or roof 18 through which is cut a rectangular opening 20. This opening is overed by a bubble 22, forming therewithin a bed receiving space or compartment 24. The structure 22 is flanged as at 26 and secured in any suitable manner to the top 18, preferably with a sealing gasket 28 between the flange 26 and top 18.

,The main body of the device, indicated by the numeral 30, is preferably in the form of plywood cut to fit the opening 20. The body 30- is hinged at one end as at 32 to the top 18 and the opposite end of the body 30 is supported in the opening 20 by a draw bolt 34 or other suitable fastening means.

The upper face of the body 30, when in the solid line closed position in FIGURE 2, is provided with a pair of spaced parallel trackways 36 (FIGURES 4 and 5). Each trackway is generally of box section cut away as at 38 to form flanges 40. These flanges and the back wall 42 of each guideway are engageable by rollers 44 carried by a cross shift 46 to the center of which is connected bracket arm 48 having a projecting end fixed in a recess 50 or otherwise secured to a bedboard 52, of slightly smaller size than the opening 20 and arranged above the main body 30 as shown in FIGURE 2. When the body 30 swings downwardly to the vertical position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4-, the rollers 44 move downwardly through the trackways 36, and each trackway is provided therewithin with a stop 54, to limit downward movement of the adjacent end of the bedboard 52. v I I The bedboard 52 supports therea-bove a spring 56 and mattress 58 in order to provide a bed possessing a high degree of sleeping comfort. The spring and mattress voccupy a horizontalposition as in FIGURE 1 and when lowered occupy substantially the same position as shown in FIGURE 3. The free end of the bedboard52 is provided beneath the free end thereof with folding legs 60 hinged to the bedboard as at 62. Suitable means is provided for maintaining the legs 60 in inoperative positions until it is desired to fold them. This may be done through the use of a special hinge 62, or the free ends of the legs 60 may engage leaf springs 64 to support them beneath the bedboard 52 until needed.

To assist the operator in moving the bed between operative and inoperative positions, a spring loaded hinge 66 may be connected between the vehicle top 18 and the body 30, this device being of the same nature as those commonly employed with so-called Murphy beds. This means forms no part of the present invention but its use is desirable to assist in carrying the weight of the parts.

The construction may be used to provide two bunk beds, in which case an extra spring 68 may be used with a mattress 70 thereabove. The frame of the spring 68 will be provided with hinged legs 72 the lower ends of which will be supported by the board 30 and will be provided with projecting pins 74 (FIGURE 6) to prevent slipping of the legs 72 on the board 52. Pivotally connected brace links 76 will be connected at their remote ends to the legs 72 and to the frame of the spring 68.

OPERATION The parts normally occupy the positions shown in solid lines in FIGURES 1 and 2. It will be noted that the bubble 22 provides storage space for the bed parts when the latter are not in use. Thus a storage compartment wholly outside of the living space within the camper eliminates the use of space within the vehicle for storing the bed.

When the bed is to be used, the operator will draw the bolt 34 and gradually lower the free end of the body 30. As this body is lowered, the operator will grasp the bedboard 52, and pull it toward him as the body 30 moves downwardly toward vertical position. During these operations, the rollers 44 travel downwardly through the trackways 36 until the rollers engage the stops 54 to limit movement of adjacent ends of the bedboard, springs and mattresses. With the bedboard then in lowered position, the operator will swing the supporting legs 60 downwardly into engagement with the floor 17 of the vehicle. The bed or beds then may be made up with the usual linen and blankets, whereupon it is ready for use.

Where a single bed is used the spring 56 may be a box spring. Where :bunk beds are employed, the

springs

56 and 68 may be conventional link springs or the like having an angle iron frame to minimize the thickness of the assembly of parts when stored in the compartment 24.

In a relatively long vehicle, the body 30 may form part of a screen between the sleeping compartment and the next compartment rearwardly in the vehicle. Curtains may extend from the vehicle walls 16 to the adjacent edges of the body 30. Where a vehicle is sufiiciently long, two of the present constructions may be used end to end to form two beds in separated sleeping compartments. The folding of the bed upwardly to the normal inoperative position will involve a reversal of the foregoing operation, as will be apparent, and with the body 30 in position the opening of the top 20, the draw bolt 34 may be operated to latch the body in its upper inoperative position. In the inoperative position of the bed the entire inside of the vehicle is wholly free from any parts of the apparatus and accordingly allows full use of the entire space within the vehicle.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an'improved foldingbed particularly for mobile homes which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As various embodiments may be made of this inventive concept. and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all' matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a living compartment having a ceiling anda floor, a main supporting board hinged at one end to the ceiling and releasably connected at its other end to the ceiling, a bedboard above said main board and adapted to support a mattress thereabove, releasing of said other end of said board permitting said board to swing downwardly to a vertical position, means connected between said bedboard and said main board for guiding the end of said bedboard adjacent said main board downwardly therealong whereby said bedboard is adapted to assume an operative position above said floor, means for limiting downward movement of the end of said bedboard adjacent said main board, and means for supporting the opposite ends of said bedboard relative to said floor.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said and means carried by the adjacent end of said bedboard I and movable in said guideways.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said last named means comprises arms carried by said bedboard and rollers carried by said arms and movable in said guideways.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said means for limiting downward movement of the end of said bedboard adjacent said guideways comprises stops carried by said guideways and engageable with said rollers.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said means for supporting the end of said bedboard opposite said main board comprises legs normally folded meneath said bedboard and adapted to move downwardly to vertical positions supporting the adjacent end of said bedboard at the same height as the other end of said bedboard when said rollers engage said stops.

6. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said ceiling is provided with an opening corresponding in shape and size to said main board and in which said main board is arranged when in its upper inoperative position to form substantially a continuation of said ceiling.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said ceiling is the roof of a vehicle, and a storage compartment arranged above said ceiling and sealed with respect thereto and adaptedto receive therewithin said bedboard and a mattress normally arranged thereabove.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein said storage compartment comprises a roof and depending sides, the lower edges of which are turned outwardly and sealed with respect to said top.

9. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said bedboard is adapted to support a spring and mattress, and a second spring adapted to be arranged above said mattress and having folding legs adapted to project downwardly with their lower end seating on said bedboard to be supported thereby.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1884 Shorey 296-23 2/1962 Rogers 5-10 US. Cl. X.R. 5-10