US3638247A

US3638247A - Baby{3 s crib

Info

Publication number: US3638247A
Application number: US32856A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis Alan Kennedy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-04-29
Filing date: 1970-04-29
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

When one side of the crib is pushed down, linkage raises one end of the base frame and the mattress so that the mattress is inclined with the head of the baby raised almost level with the top of the dropped side. As the side is moved up to the normal closed position, the mattress lowers to the original horizontal position.

Description

United States Patent Kennedy 5! Feb. 1, 1972 [54] 'BABYS CRIB 2,094,553 9ll937 Shaw ..5/ll 2,364,577 12/l944 \Vebb ..5/ll {72] Inventor: Francis Alan Kennedy, Miami, Manitoba,

Canada [221 Filed:- Apr. 29, 1910 fi g' ffgx f 'f [2]] Appl. No.: 32,856

57 ABSTRACT [52] U.S.Cl.... ..5/ll, 5/62 I l [5!] In CL A618 7/10 A47d 7/03, A47; 9/00 When one side of the crib is pushed down, linkage raises one end of the base frame and the mattress so that the mattress is [58] Field of Search ..5/1 I, 63, 62, I00, H0 inclined with the head of the baby raised almost level with the topof the dropped side. As the side is moved up to the normal [56] Rekremes closed position, the mattress lowers to the original horizontal UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,992,733 2/1935 Bayer ..5/1 I X 3Claims,'5 Drawing Figures i as i i 38 -i\ ws I a? g 36 F l 3 t l z A I 24 I II H Ii i 4--- J 1 e j .i l I T] l 1 Ti if H l I H l I I if :iiiitl'tifi PATENTEB my me 3.638.247

sum 2 or 2 I NVENT OR.

F l G. 4 FRANCIS ALAN KENNEDY BABY'S CRIB This invention relates to new and useful improvements in babys cribs and has as its principle object, means to raise one end of the mattress as one side is pushed down and to return this one end to the original horizontal position as the sideis raised.

Conventional baby cribs are provided with mattress frame which although capable of being adjusted vertically to one of several positions, nevertheless usually requires thefattendant ormother to bend over the crib side evenwhen the erib side is lowered. It should be appreciated that the crib side has to be raisedsufficiently when in the uppermostposition'to prevent the baby fromfalling out of thecrib and it is therefore usual to have the crib mattress at a relatively low level. v

This makes it most inconvenient for the mother to attend to the baby inasmuch as she is continually stooping or bending over.

Attempts have been made in the past to raise the entire crib mattress and frame in a horizontal positionas one of the crib sides is lowered but the linkage and'balance weightorsimilar constructionv required is extremely involved and even with good balance weight systems, considerable'efi'ort is -re'quired to raise the mattressas the crib side is lowered,

Thepresent invention overcomes all of these disadvantages due to the fact that I have hinged the mattress frame by one end thereof to one portionof the crib and-provided springloaded or similar linkage cooperatingbetween thecrib side being lowered and the other end of the mattress frame soth at the said other end moves upwardly as the crib side' islewer'ed thereby inclining the mattress at an angle from the horizontal with the babys head raised above the level'of the top ofthe crib side. This enables the mother to attend the baby'readily and easily and the mattress and mattress frame returh to'the horizontal position as the crib side is raised.

The device is simple in constructiom economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited-to the purpose for whieli itis designed. a

With the foregoing in view, and such other or further'purposes, advantages,'or novelfeatures asmay become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of, and is hereby claimed't'o reside in, the inventive concept which is comprised, embodied, embraced, or included in the method, process, construction, composition, arrangement, or combination of parts, or new use of any of the foregoing, of which co'nceptjone or more specific embodiments of same are herein exemplif ed, illustrative only of such concept, reference being had-to the ac companying figure in which: i A

FIG. I is a side elevation of the crib with the mattress frame in the lowermost position, broken away in partfor' clarityi FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the mattress in the raised position.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view ofthe bellcrank assembly per se.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation showing one end of'the bellcrank mounted to the lower side of the crib'side.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing the'preferred mounting of the crib side to the crib end.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference characters 10 and II illustrate conventional crib ends and reference character 12 illustrates a conventional crib side portion. It will of course be appreciated that two sides 12 are normally provided either one of which can be raised or lowered. However, it is conventional to use one side only under which circumstances the other side may either be secured or remain unused.

The preferred mounting of the crib sides to the end portions is shown in FIG. 5. A Tshaped slide 13 extends from adjacent the upper and lower ends of the end post 14 of the crib'sides and the ends 15 of the crossbar of the T are provided with nylon rubbing blocks or the equivalent.

A vertically situated bar 16 is secured to the crib end-post l7 and the vertical slotting therein is similar in configuration to the crossbarportion of the T-bracket 13 so that the bracket can 'slide up and down this member yet remain restrained therein.

Extending between the end'portions l0 and 11 is supporting framework 18 taking the form of a pair of longitudinal members one only of which is shown in the drawings. Hinge bracketsl9 are secured to one endgportion 10 upon each side thereof and intermediatethe upper and lower ends thereof and a pivot rod or pivot pin 20 extends through these brackets and through one end 21 of the conventional mattress base frame 22 upon which'the conventional'mattress 23 normally rests." This means that the mattress base frame can pivot around this horizontal pivot rod 20 so that theother end 23' can be raised to the'position' shown in FIG. 2.

"Linkage means collectively designated 24 are interconnected between'tlje e'ndf23of the mattress base frame and the cribsideportioril l a This linkage includes a pair of bellcranks 25 journaled intermediate'their ends a transverse rod 26 which in turn is mounted'be'twe'en thetwo' membersof the supporting structure I8. I a i The lower arm 27 of one of the bellcranks is provided with a nylon roller 28 .or the equivalentjourhaled upon a pivot pin 29 and this roller engages'within' a slide bracket 30 secured to the undersiderail 3l ofthe side portion 12 adjacent one end 32 thereof, and duringthe operation of the mechanism, this roller moveshorizontallyin the'direction of double headed arrow 33 to 'coinpensate for the fact that the bellcrank is pivoted at 26 and the base'frar'ne is pivoted'a't 20.

The upper'arrns 34 of the'bellcranks 25 are connected by pivot'pins-35to one end of links 36. The other ends 37 of the linksa're in tum'pivoted to the lower ends 38 of fixed brackets 39, depending upon each sideof the base frame 22 adjacent the end'2'3" thereof. v

' This linkage at36 is requireddue to the fact that when the base frame raises or lowers,the effective length or distance between pivot 26 and pi'v'ot3 7 increases and decreases.

In operation, downward pressure is applied upon the side l2 as indicated by arrow 49 thus'causing the side portion to move downwardly within the'rnembers I6. This causes the bellcrank to rotate around mounting pivot rod 26 thuscausing the base frame22 to pivot around it'pivot 20 and to take up the position shown in FIG. 2.

When'the side portion 12 is raised to the uppermost position the reverse action takes place and the mattress frame 22 together with the mattress 23 descends to the original horizontal position. a

The weight of the baby upon the mattress causes frictional interference'between the nylon slide blocks 15 and the members I6 sufficient to allow the mattress and frame to be stopped at any position between the uppermost and lowermost positions and toremain there until the side 12 is again manipulated.

Itwill be appreciated that either side portion 12 may be util- 'ized toraise an lower but it is desirable that the nylon roller 28 on theinoperative side be disconnected and the side preferably bolted into position'so that it 'cannot be moved.

The movement of the mattress is'facilitated by the provision of a pneumatic spring 41 in'the form of a piston and cylinder assembly, extending between location 42 of the upper arm 44 and the'supporting framework atlocation 43. This is similarto the'conventional door-closing pneumatic spring assembly.

Various modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept which is herein disclosed and/or claimed.

What is claimed as the present invention is:

1. In a crib which ineludes a pair of end portions, a pair of raising and lowering side portions and a mattress base'frame spanning said portions; supporting structure spanning said portions below said base" frame, means interconnected between one of said sides and one end of said base frame to raise said one end when said one'side is lowered so that'said base 'frainelies at'aninclined angleto the horizontal, and to lower said base frame to a' horizontal position when said one side is raised, said means interconnecting between one of said sides and one end of said base frame including at least one bellcrank joumaled intermediate the ends thereof to said supporting structure, one end of said bellcrank being pivotally connected to aid one side, the other end of saidbellcrank being pivotally connected to said one end of said base frame and a slide bracket on the underside of said'one side portion, said one end of said bellcrank being joumaled within said slide bracket for limited longitudinal movement in a horizontal plane.

Claims

1. In a crib which includes a pair of end portions, a pair of raising and lowering side portions and a mattress base frame spanning said portions; supporting structure spanning said portions below said base frame, means interconnected between one of said sides and one end of said base frame to raise said one end when said one side is lowered so that said base frame lies at an inclined angle to the horizontal, and to lower said base frame to a horizontal position when said one side is raised, said means interconnecting between one of said sides and one end of said base frame including at least one bellcrank journaled intermediate the ends thereof to said supporting structure, one end of said bellcrank being pivotally connected to aid one side, the other end of said bellcrank being pivotally connected to said one end of said base frame and a slide bracket on the underside of said one side portion, said one end of said bellcrank being journaled within said slide bracket for limited longitudinal movement in a horizontal plane.

2. The crib according to claim 1 in which said base frame is pivoted to one of said end portions by the other end thereof.

3. The crib according to claim 1 which includes a link pivotally connected by the ends thereof between said other end of said bellcrank and said one end of said base frame to compensate for the effective increase and decrease in distance between said one end of said base frame and said bellcrank when said one end is raised and lowered respectively.