US780419A - Folding bed. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN, 17, 1905. L. F. GEHR.

FOLDING BED.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 18. 1904.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

L.F.GEHR. v FOLDING BED.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1904.

3 BHEETBBHEET 3.

5 s v u M l w 0 m W Z Z 5 m 5 am 4 d. f k m .1. W 2 9 5 w A WHIFLW/IIM #M Z%//////4 1 b J 6 5 A a or '4 M 5 J 5 2 MN 2 Cioiir UNITED STATES Patented January 1'7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,419, dated January 1'7, 1905.

Application filed April 18, 1904:- Serial No. 203,664:-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LLEE F. GEHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds; andl do declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as i will enable others skilled in the art towhieh it appertains to make and use the same; This invention relates. to improvements in folding beds.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined folding bed, wardrobe, and cabinet which when closed will be an attractive and ornamental aswell as a useful piece of furniture. Y A further object is to provide a folding bed and case of this characterwhich may be quickly opened and arranged to form a comfortable bed, provision being also made for the disposition of the bedclothing when the-bed is in folded or closed position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,- as will be'more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the. appended claims. a In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined cabinet and wardrobe containing the folding bed. Fig.2

is a vertical sectional View on the line 2 2 of- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the bed unfolded and-opened for use. Fig. L is a vertical sectional View on the line 44: of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the bed removed from the case and in open or unfolded position. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the bed, parts being broken away to more clearly show the construction of certain of the parts. Fig.7 is a vertical cross-sectional View on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8

is a fragmentary detail sectional view through the end board of one end of the bed, showing the arrangement of the springs for holding the ends of theside rails in place. Fig. 9 is a detail horizontal section through the lapping ends of one of the side rails, showing the manner of connecting the same together.

. to the same, as shown.

Fig. 10 is a detail vertical sectional view of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the case, which is here shown as divided intotwo main compartments 2 and 3. Thccompartment 2 is arranged in the form ofa clothes-press or wardrobe, in the upper end of which is secureda shelf 4 and in the lower end a drawer5. This compartment is closed by-a door 6, in the front of which is arranged a mirror 7. The compartment 3 is adapted to contain the folded bed and is pro- .vided at its upper end with a shelf 8 to receive the pillows and bed coverings when the bed is in closed or folded position. This comp'artment isclosed by a door '9, in the ripper portion of which is formed a cabinet'lO, containing shelves for the reception of medicinebottles, thus forming a medicine-cabinet, or,

if desired, the same may be used for other purposes, such as a bookcase. A glazed door 12 is provided for this cabinet and is hinged Below the cabinet 10 in the lower portion of the door may be arranged dummy drawers 13, of which there may be any desired number, two being shown in the drawings. I

The compartment 8 is adapted to receive the bed 14: when the same is in folded position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The bed 14 consists of head and. foot sections 15 and 16, which are connected together by jointed side rails 17. The head and foot sections are similar in construction, each consisting of end boards 18, the upper edges of which may be made ornamental, if desired. To the end boards 18 are secured inwardly-projecting side pieces 19, to the inner sides of which are pivoted the ends of the side rails 17. Onthe inner faces of each of the end boards adjacent to the side pieces 19 are secured spring-catches 20, with which the ends of the side rails 17 are adapted to be engaged to firmly hold and lock the ends of said rails and said head and foot sections together when the bed is an extended position. In order that said spring-catches may be disengaged from the ends of said rails to permit the same to be folded to close said bed a releasing mechanism is provided for each end section, said releasing mechanism consisting of a crank shaft 21, pivotally woven wire. Theends of the bed-bottom are mounted on the inner side of the head and foot sections. On the ends of said shaft are formed l l l adapted to be wound on the rolls 37, which are held against casual retrograde movement downwardly-projecting cranks 22, the ends by pawls or dogs 39, pivoted to the side rails of which are engaged with the upper free ends of the spring-catches, as shown.

On the crank-shafts 21, midway between the ends of the same, are formed inwardly-projecting crank-arms 23. To the end of the arm 23 on the crank-shaft of the head-section is connected a cord or other flexible connection 24, which passes downwardly and under a pulley 25, mounted on the lower inner face of the head-section, and from thence said cord passes rearwardly and over a pulley 26, mounted on the inner face of the foot-section and has its end attached to an eye 27, secured to the'inner side of a plate 28, which is slidably mounted in the end board of the foot-section, as shown. Said eye is adapted to work through a slot in the inner side of said end board. On the outer side of the sliding plate is secured an outwardly-projecting lug 29, which projects through and works in a slot 30 in the outer face of the end board. The crank-arm 23 on the crank-shaft of the foot-section is also connected to the eye 27 by a short link or rod 31, so that when said sliding plate 28 is actuated to force said eye downwardly the crank-shafts 21 on both the head and foot sections will be rocked to cause the cranks on the ends of the same to simultaneously force said spring-catches out of engagement with both ends of said side rails.

The side rails 17 are each formed in two parts or sections, the' inner ends of one of said parts or sections overlapping the other, as shown. In the inner ends of the sections of each rail is formed a series of bolt-holes 32, through one of which in each adjacent railsection is passed a bolt 33, whereby the parts or sections of said rails are pivotally and adjustably connected together. At the end of each of the outside sections of the rails is arranged a detent or catch 34, which is secured by a flat leaf-spring 35 to the end of said outside rail, as shown. The lower ends of each of said detents or catches 34 is beveled off, as shown at 35, and above said beveled end on the inner edge of said detents are formed notches 36, whereby when the pivoted lapping ends of said rail-sections are brought down into a horizontal position the beveled end of said detent will engage the inside rail-section and be forced outwardly thereby until the notches in the detents are reached, when the springs 35 will force said notches into engagement with said inside rail-sections, and thereby lock the two sections of each rail together.

Between the rails 17, adjacent to the head and foot boards, are arranged rolls 37, the shafts of which are journaled in the ends of said rails. To said rolls are connected the ends of the bed-bottom, which may be of any suitable fabric, but is-preferably formed of adjacent to one end of said rolls and adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 38, formed on or fixed to said end of the roll.

To stretch the bed-bottom, the detents and spring-catches of the side rails are released and the ends of said rails forced slightly upward at their center. The bed-bottom is now wound as tightly as possible on one or both of said rolls, after which the side rails are forced down and locked by their detents in a horizontal position, thus lengthening the distance between said winding-rolls, and thereby stretching the fabric of said bed-bottom.

If desired, suitable casings may be arranged to cover the crank-shafts on head and foot boards, said casings being left off in the d rawmgs to more clearly disclose the parts. The

head end or section of the bed maybe secured within the compartment 3 of the casing in any suitable manner or may be left free, as shown,

' so that the bed may be entirely removed from the compartment. Casters (not shown) may also be secured to the end sections, whereby the bed may be rolled around the room.

To fold the bed, the detents 34 on the ends of the outside rail-sections are disengaged from the inside sections, after which the lug 29 is depressed by the foot to rock the crankshafts 21 and disengage the spring-catches 20 from the ends of the side rails, when the head and foot sections of the bed may be pushed toward each other, thereby folding the side rails together, as shown in Fig. 2. To open the bed again, all that is necessary is to pull the head and foot sections apart, which will cause the'side rails to unfold and the ends of the same spring into engagement with the spring-catches on the head and foot boards, and the detents or catches 2% will spring into engagement with and lock the pivoted lapping ends of the rails together, as hereinbcfore described.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accon'i 'ianying drawings,

the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resortedto without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the ai'lvantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A bed comprising head and foot sections, overlapping side rails pivotally connected to said head and foot sections, and pivoted together between the head and foot sections, spring-catches secured to said sections to engage the ends of said side rails to lock the latter in horizontal position, means to disengage said catches from said side rails, operatingcords connecting said disengaging means and a movable element carried by one of the bedsections and to which said operating-cords are operating-cords for releasing said springcatches, rollers having their bearings in said side rails, means to turn said rollers, means to lock them against reverse rotation, a bed fabric having its ends connected to the respective rollers, spring-catches carried by the end sections to engage the side rails and lock them in extended horizontal position and means to simultaneously disengage said spring and catches, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a casing, of a bed adapted to be folded into said casing, said bed comprising head and foot sections, jointed side rails pivotally connected to said head and foot sections, spring-catches secured to said sections, to engage the ends of said side rails to lock said rails in horizontal position, a shaft mounted on the end boards of said head and foot sections, cranks formed on the ends of said shaft to engage said spring-catches, crank-arms formed on said shafts, and means whereby said shafts may be simultaneously rocked to cause thecranks on-the ends of the same to release said spring-catches from engagement with said rails, substantially as described.

4. The combination With a casing, of a bed adapted to be folded into said casing, said bed comprising head and foot sections pivotally connected together by side rails, said rails being formed of sections the inner ends of which lap one over the other, a series of holes formed in the inner ends of said sections, a bolt adapted to be inserted through a pair of said holes whereby said ends may be adjustably pivoted together, ,a spring catch or detent carried by one of said rail-sections and adapted to be sprung into engagement with the adjacent sections whereby said sections are locked together, means arranged on said head and foot sections to lock the ends of said rails, and means for releasing said looking mechanism, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a casing, of a bed adapted to .be folded into-said casing, said bed comprising head and foot sections, jointed side rails pivotally connected to said head and foot sections, spring-catches secured to said sections to engage the ends of said side rails to lock said rails in horizontal position, crankshafts and operating-cords for releasing said spring-catches from engagement with said rails, rolls revolubly mounted inthe ends of said rails, a bed-bottom secured to and adapted to be wound on said rolls, and means for preventing a retrograde movement of said rolls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 LEE F. GEHR.

Witnesses:

STELLA R. STEUART, W. R. BARR.

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