US984602A - Couch-bed. - Google Patents

Description

C. L. PLUNKETT.

GOUOH BED.

PPLIUATION Hum JAN. 2a, 1909,

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

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UOUGH BED.

APPLXUATION FILED JAN. 2a, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

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'UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

CHARLES L. PLUNKETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN COUCH COM- PANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COUCH-BED.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. PLUNK- ETT, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couch-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to couch beds, and more particularly to that class of couch beds in which one member or section making up the bed moves or slides with relation to the other to form either a double or a single bed or couch, the object of the present invention being to provide a couch bed of this class with a storage receptacle and with improved means for getting thereinto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an extremely simple and inexpensive means which will shift or slide one section of a pair of nesting couch bed sections so as to form either a single or a double bed, the shifting of which section will carry a storage receptacle into position to be accessible or to be closed, and which shifting means will also swing open or close the folding mattress.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved couch bed having a storage receptacle which will be automatically closed on the movement of the shiftable section into one position and carried into position and unclosed for accessibility on the movement of the shiftable section into another position.

In the drawings accompanying and torming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of ,this improved couch bed, with the folding mattress partly ope-n, the sto-rage receptacle moved out with the shiftable section from under the main or stationary section, and the metallic fabric of the shiitable section partly raised; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in line 2-2, Fig. 5, looking toward the arrow in said Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an end view of the couch shown in Fig. l, with the parts in substantially the same position as they are shown in Fig. l; Fig. 4 lis an end view of the couch when the members or sections are shifted into position to form a double bed; and Fig. 5 is an end view of the structure when the sections are closed to'form a couch.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 23, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

serial No. 473,812.

In those forms of couch beds in which one section shifts, moves or slides with relation to the other section to form either a double or a single bed or couch, it is desirable to provide some means for the storage of the bed clothing during the day, or when the structure is in the form of a couch, and also to have such bed clothing readily accessible so that whenthe structure is in the form of a double bed such clothing may be thrown upon the mattress, thus obviating the necessity of carrying the clothing to and storing the same in a cupboard during the day and again carrying it to the bed at night. To obtain the greatest advantage from such a storage receptacle, however, the latter must be in such position that access thereto can be readily had at a time when the bed clothing can be readily removed from the bed or placed thereon without the necessity of handling it twice.

In the present embodiment of this improved couch bed the same is made up of two members or sections, one of which, for the present purpose, may be considered as the main or stationary section and the other the shiftable, movable or extensible section, although, obviously, either section may be shifted relatively to the other.

The section 2 of the bed, which for the present purpose is designated the main or stationary section, preferably comprises a pair of end frames 3 and 4, each comprising a horizontal mattress supporting bar 5 provided with a pair of legs or supports 6, usually provided with casters 7. These end frames are connected by a pair of side bars 8 and 9, while the end frames at the outer side of the structure are also usually connected by a stiiiening strip 10. Stretched between these end frames is a yielding mattress supporting means, which may be made up in various ways, but usually is in the form of a metallic fabric 11 attached to the horizontal supporting bars 5 in any suitable manner. This section, like the section about to be described, may be made up of tubing or of angle iron. In the present embodiment it is shown made up of angle iron, and the side bars 8 and 9 are preferably so located that they will support a box cover 12, which may be secured thereto in any suitable way. ln the present instance this cover is slightly shorter than the distance between the end frames, thereby to leave a space for the innerI legs of the shiftable section to move.

The shiftable section 13 is made up in a substantially similar manner to that of the main or stationary section, it comprising a pair of end frames 14 and 15, each comprising a horizontal cross bar 16 and a pair of legs or supports 17 and 1S carrying casters' 19. These end frames are connected by similar bars shown as side bars and stiffening strips to those described in connection with the main section, but in the present instance the side bars 2G and 21 are located in a plane below the side bars of the main section and near the lower ends of the legs 17 and 18 and in such position that the horizontal webs of the side bars will form supporting means for the storage receptacle, the stiffening bars being located in this instance above the side bars. Both sections may have suitable diagonal braces 22. As an additional means of supporting the storage receptacle, when this is necessary, the two side bars of the shiftable section are connected by transversely extending braces or bars 23.

The storage receptacle 25 is made of a size to fit within the end frames of the shiftable section and rest upon the horizontal webs of the side bars thereof, being additionally supported by the transversely extending bars or braces hereinbefo-re referred to. In the present embodiment this receptacle, which is of just sufficient height to move under the cover therefor permanently carried by the main section, has its ends partly covered over, as at 30, this being desirable by reason of the fact that the cover is slightly shorter than the main section, as hereinbefore explained. VIhen, however, the storage receptacle is carried, together with the shiftable section, under the main section the ends of the'cover overlap the closed portions at the ends of the storage receptacle and thus completely close the storage receptacle.

For the purpose of permitting access to the storage receptacle the shiftable section is shown provided with a two-part metallic fabric 32, which, unlike the main section, is not connected directly to the horizontal cross bars of the end frames, but to intermediate bars 33, shown in the form of angle iron bars which form a fabric frame comprising a metallic fabric and end bars. One part, as for instance the inner half, of this frame is rigidly secured, as by means of rivets, to the cross bars of the end frames of the shiftable section, while the other part, as for instance the outer half, thereof is connected to such end frames for swinging movement, this being obtained by forming the fabric supporting end bars in two parts and pivoting the outer parts adjacent to their inner ends to the end frames. The fabric, however, is made as one structure, as heretofore, and the tension of the same acts to hold the swinging half of the fabric permanently in position on the end frames when in its mattress supporting position. ly swinging up the outer half of this metallic fabric access to the storage receptacle is obtained and this independent of any movement of the whole sliding or shifting section.

The storage receptacle may be permanently fastened to the shift-able section if preferred, or this may be omitted so that it can be readily removed and cleaned.

In the present embodiment it will be observed that the shiftable section, made up of connected end frames, .supports a metallic fabric frame one part of which is shiftable relatively to the other, and also carries below the same a storage r-ec-eptacle which is automatically closed on moving the shiftable section under the main section to form a couch and is carried into position to permit access thereto on the movementl of the shiftable section from under the main scction to form a double bed. In the form of bed shown, in order to permit the two metallic fabrics to be nearly level, the metallic fabric of the shiftable section slides, nests or telescopes between a. side bar and the metallic fabric of the main section, while the storage receptacle moves below the side bars of the main section.

Any suitable form of stuffed mattress may be used for the nesting couch bed so far described, usually of book form, whereby one half thereof may be thrown on to the shiftable section to form a double bed when the same is extended or on the other half thereof to form a couch when the shiftable section is pushed in, and by grasping the shiftable section the same may be drawn out, together with the storage receptacle carried thereby. into position to receive one half of the stuffed mattress. Before this is thrown over, however, on the swinging section the swinging portion of the metallic fabric may be swung up and access thus obtained to the storage receptacle. Such a form of bed thus forms a very convenient and eflicient structure. In the present embodiment, however, means are provided for extending the shiftable section, thereby to carry the storage receptacle into position either to be automatically closed or unclosed to permit access thereto and also simultaneously to fold and unfold the book mattress. This means in the prese-nt improvement comprises a swinging frame or bar 40 having its end bars pivotally connected at their inner ends to the end frames of the 4main section and linked by links 41 to brackets 42 of the shiftable section, preferably adjacent to the inner side thereof. Secured to this swinging frame at its outer edge is the top portion or half of the book mattress. By grasping this swinging frame and moving it upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 5, to the position shown in Fig. 8 the shiftable section of the couch bed is extended, together with the storage receptacle, carrying the latter from under its closure or cover and into position to permit access thereto. On the raising of the swinging half of the metallic fabric of the shiftable section access to the storage receptacle is readily obtained, whereupon the bed clothing can be removed and thrown upon the uncovered half of the stuffed mattress, thus obviating the necessity of placing it upon a chair or other support. The swinging portion of the metallic fabric of the shiftable section is then moved downward on to the end frame of the shiftable section and the swinging frame thrown forward into the position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the structure is in readiness for use as' a double bed.

It will be observed that the sto-rage receptacle in the present embodiment, being as long and as wide as the shiftable section of the bed, and of considerable height, may be used not only as a storage place for bed clothing, but for articles of wearing apparel, and when made of cedar will form a very efficient receptacle for the storage of furs in the summer time, especially as in the form shown it can be made practically airtight', thus always having at `hand a highly etlicient means for the preservation of such garments as well as a comfortable bed for the use of visitors and a neat and comfortable couch at all times. By providing the shiftable section with a fabric frame the use of drop formed bracing bars for the metallic fabric is done away with.

It is to be understood that the various details of construction of the improved couch bed herein shown and described may be more or less modified without departing from the scope of the invention, as for instance connected cross bars could be used for supporting the storage receptacle instead of side bars, if preferred, and the structure could be made as a six-legged couch bed instead of having eight legs as shown herein, by suitably supporting the inner ends of the storage receptacle by supports carried by the end frames of the shiftable or sliding section. In this form, however, the inner ends of the end fra-mes of the sliding section would be carried by suitable guide rails in the well known manner. It is also to be understood that a greater or less width of metallic fabric could be hinged to the end frames as occasion might require, to afford a greater or less opening to the storage receptacle. In fact, in some constructions the metallic fabric of the section carrying the storage receptacle could be so secured to the end frames that practically all of such fabric could be swung up.

By having the end bars 33 of the metallic fabric frame, and especially the swinging part thereof, so located as to overlap the outer sides of the end frame cross bars 16, the fabric when under weight cannot draw such bars 33 toward each other and collapse the structure. In practice however the outer end also the inner ends if deemed desirable, of the swinging end bars will usually be connected by some suitable form of side bars 50 to prevent the drawing of such end bars toward each other.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a couch-bed, the combination of a bed sect-ion comprising a pair of connected end frames, and yielding mattress supporting means fixedly secured thereto one part thereof shiftable relatively to another part and above the top of the end frames and independently of any movement of said end frames.

2. In a couch-bed, the combination of a bed section comprising a pair of connected end frames, a sto-rage receptacle carried by said sect-ion, and yielding mattress supporting means ixedly secured to said end frames and constructed to swingl above the top of such end frames and the storage receptacle and independently of any movement of said end frames to permitaccess to the storage receptacle.

3. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, each having yielding mattress supporting means, the yielding mattress supporting means of one section having a part thereof fiXedly secured to said section and a part thereof shiftable relatively thereto and independently of any movement of the section carrying said shiftable yielding mattress supporting means.

4. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable sect-ion, each having yielding mattress supporting means, the yielding mattress supporting means of one section having a part thereof iiXedly secured to said section and a part thereof swinging relatively thereto and independently of any movement of such section, and a storage receptacle carried by the section having the swinging part of the yielding mattress support-ing means and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed.

5. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, each having yielding mattress supporting means, the yielding mattress supporting means of t-he shiftable section having a part thereof xedly secured to said section and a part thereof shiftable relatively thereto and independently of any movement of said shiftable section, and a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable section, and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed.

6. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, each having yielding mattress supporting means, and a storage receptacle carried by one of said sections, the yielding mattress supporting means of the section carrying the storage recept-acle being shiftable independently of any movement of such section, to permit ready access to said storage receptacle when the structure forms a double bed.

7. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a sliding section, each made np of end frames, side bars and a metallic fabric stretched bet-Ween said end frames, the metallic fabric of one section sliding between a side bar and the metallic fabric of the other section and the metallic fabric of one section having a part thereof swinging relatively to another part thereof and independently of any movement of such section, and a storage receptacle carried by the section having the swinging portion of the metallic fabric and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed.

S. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a sliding section, each made up of end frames, side bars and a metallic fabric stretched between said end frames, the metallic fabric o-f one section sliding between' a side bar and the metallic fabric of the other section and the metallic fabric of the sliding section having a part thereof swinging relatively to another' part thereof independently of any movement of the sliding section, and a storage receptacle carried by the sliding section readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed.

9. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, each having yielding mattress supporting means, a storage receptacle carried by the shiftable section, and a. closure therefor carried by the stationary section.

10. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, each having yielding mattress supporting means, a storage receptacle carried by the shiftable section and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, and a closure therefor carried by the stationary section, the yielding mattress supporting means of the sliiftable section having a part tixedly secured to said section and' a part thereof swinging relatively thereto and independently of any movement of said shiftable sect-ien.

11. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, each comprising end frames and side bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between said end frames, the metallic fabric of the shiftable section sliding between a side bar and the metallic fabric of the stationary section and also having a part thereof swinging relatively to another part thereof independent-ly of any movement of the shiftable section, a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable sect-ion readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, and a closure therefor carried by said stationary section. Y

l2. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable section, a metallic fabric carried by each section, that of the shiftable section shift-v able independently of any movement of said shiftable section to permit access to the storage receptacle when the structure forms a double bed, and means for shift-ing the shiftable section and thereby the storage receptacle.

13. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a shiftable section, a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable section, a metallic fabric carried by each section, that of the shiftable section shiftable independently of any movement of said shiftable section, to permit access to the storage receptacle when the structure forms a double bed, means for shifting the shiftable section and thereby the storage receptacle, and a folding mattress secured to said sections and opened or closed on the shifting of said shiftable section.

14. In a conch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a sliding section, each made up of end frames and bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames of each section, that of the sliding section sliding between the bar connections and the metallic fabric of the stationary section and having a swinging movementV independently of any movement of said sliding section, a storage receptacle carried by said sliding section, and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, and means for shifting said section relatively to the stationary section and thereby the storage receptacle.

15. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a sliding section, each made up of end frames and bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames of each section, that of the sliding section sliding between the bar connections and the metallic fabric of the stationary section and having a swinging movement independently of any movement of said sliding section, a storage receptacle carried by said sliding section and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, means for shifting said sliding section relatively to the stationary section, and a mattress connected to said shifting means and shifted on the operation of the sliding section.

16. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a sliding section, each comprising a pair of end frames having side bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames of each section', the metallic fabric of the sliding section running between the side bar connections and the metallic fabric of the stationary section and the metallic fabric of the sliding sec* tion having a part thereof hinged for swinging movement relatively to another4 part thereof and independently of any movement of said sliding section, a storage receptacle supported by said sliding section and having partly closed ends and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, and a cover for said storage receptacle secured to the stationary section and overlapping the closed ends of the storage receptacle.

17. In a couch bed, the combination of a stationary section and a sliding section, each comprising a pair of end frames having side bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames ofeach section, the metallic fabric of the sliding section running between the side bar connections and the metallic fabric of the stationary section and the metallic fabric of the sliding section having a part thereof hinged for swinging movement relatively to another part thereof and independently of any movement of said sliding section, a storage receptacle supported by said sliding section and having partly closed ends and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, a cover for said storage receptacle secured to the stationary section and overlapping the closed ends of the storage receptacle, means for shifting the sliding section to form either a double bed or a couch, and a folding mattress secured to said shifting means and opened or closed on the shifting of said sliding section.

18. In a couch bed, the combination of a pair of bed sections, one a stationary section and the other a shiftable section and each made up of end frames and bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between Vthe end frames of the stationary section, and a metallic fabric frame secured to the end frames of the shiftable section with a part thereof supported for swinging movement relatively to and independently of any movement of said shiftable section.

19. In a couch bed, the combination of a pair of bed sections, one a stationary section and the other a shiftable section and each made up of end frames and bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames of the stationary section, a metallic fabric frame secured to the end frames of the shiftable section with a part thereof supported for swinging movement relatively to and independently of any movement of said shiftable section, and a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable section.

20. In a couch bed, the combination of a pair of bed sections, one a stationary section and theother a shiftable section and each made up of end frames and bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames of the stationary section, a metallic fabric frame secured to the end frames of the shiftable section with a part thereof supported for swinging movement relatively to and independently of any movement of said shiftable section, a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable section and readily accessible when the structure forms a double bed, means for shifting said shiftable section relatively to the stationary section to form either a double bed or a couch, and a folding mattress having a part thereof secured t0 said shifting means and opened or closed on the shifting of the shiftable section.

21. In a couch bed, the combination of a pair of bed sections, one a stationary section and the other a shiftable section and each made up of end frames and side bar connections, a metallic fabric stretched between the end frames of the stationary section, ametallic fabric frame secured to the end frames of the shiftable section with a part thereof supported for swinging movement relatively to and independently of any movement of said shiftable section, a storage receptacle carried by said shiftable section, means for shifting said shiftable section relatively to the stationary section to form either a double bed or a couch, a folding mattress having a part thereof secured to said shifting means and opened or closed on the shifting of the shiftable section, the metallic fabric of the shiftable section running between the side bar connections and the metallic fabric of the stationary section, and a cover for said storage receptacle carried by the stationary section.

22. In a couch bed, the combination of a pair of bed sections, to the other and each having a yielding mattress supporting means connected therewith, one of said sections having a part of its yielding mattress supporting means shiftable relatively to another part thereof, a folding mattress for said bed, and means .connected to said sections and to said mattress for opening and closing the folding mattress and simultaneously shifting one of said sections.

Signed at 9-15 Murray St., New York, N. Y., this 22d day of January, 1909.

CHARLES L. PLUNKETT.

Witnesses:

C. A. WEED, T. E. Boron.

one shiftable relatively

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