US988052A - Support for hinged or other movable members. - Google Patents

Description

G. VALLONB. SUPPORT FOR HINGED OR OTHER MOVABLE lsahntnsEnsi APPLICATION FILED 17110.11, 1909.

' Patented Mar. 28, .1911.

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CHARLES VALLONE, OF BUFFALO, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BARCALO MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SUPPORT FOR HINGED OR OTHER MOVABLE MEMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed. December 11, 1909. Serial No. 532,533.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES VALLONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Supports for Hinged or other Movable lVlembers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to supports for the hinged or other movable members of articles of furniture which are adapted to support such members in their extended position and are provided with releasing means which are adapted to be operated by movement of the members to release the supports and permit the members to swing to their folded position. I

The object of this invention is to provide a support of this kind with a simple and efiective releasing device which can be readily operated and positively insures the release of the support and permits the hinged member to be swung easily from its extended to its folded position without sudden or violent movement thereof and without jar or noise.

The support is intended more particularly for releasably supporting-the hinged sides of folding or convertible couches but its use is not limited to these and it may be used in connection with various other articles of furniture and other devices having folding or hinged members.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure l is an inside elevation, partly in section, of one of the end frames of a folding couch provided with supports embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary similar view, on an enlarged scale, showing by full and broken lines different positions of one of the hinged sides and its support. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation in line 33, Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

For convenience in description, the invention is shown in the drawings as applied to the end frames of a folding or convertible couch. These end frames are of the usual angle-iron construction and each comprises a top cross-bar A, legs B B connected by a cross rod 6, and end bars C C of the folding sides which are hinged to swing on the opposite ends of the top cross-bar A. The folding sides, when not in use, are

adapted to hang downwardly from the cross piece A at each side of the couch. When it is desired to convert the couch into a bed, these sides can be swung to a horizontal position to increase the width of the top of the couch. Couches of this character may be of various different constructions and this invention relates only to the supports which are employed for holding these folding sides in their extended horizontal position and the means employed for releasing the supports to permit the sides to be returned to their folded position. These parts are constructed as follows: Each support comprises a metal supporting bar or brace E which is pivoted at its outer end to the hinged end bar G and at its inner end passes loosely through a slot 6 in the side flange of the angle-iron leg B, in which it can be freely moved back and forth. It is provided on its underside, near its inner end, with a notch 6 having an abrupt edge or shoulder which is adapted, when the side of the couch is raised, to engage a locking shoulder 6 formed by the lower edge of the slot 6 to hold the side in its raised position.

For releasing the supporting bar from engagement with the shoulder c to permit the side of the couch to be lowered, the supporting bar E is provided with a releasing member F which is preferably in the form of a circular disk and is pivoted eccentrically on one side of the baradjacent to the notch 6 so that it is free to turn thereon and normally extends below the lower edge of the bar. The slot 6 is of suficient width to permit the releasing member F and the bar E to pass through the same. When the supporting bar is moved into its holding position, the shoulder 62 engages the releasing member F and swings the same back out of the way so that it does not interfere with the engagement of the shoulder in the notch e. When it is desired to release the supporting bar, the side of the couch is raised above its horizontal position to move the bar and releasing member through the slot to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2, in which the edge of the notch e is out of engagement with the shoulder e and the releasing member F rests upon this shoulder. The side of the couch may then be lowered to its folded position, the releasing member rolling on the shoulder c and lifting the supporting bar above the same, as shown in the broken lines in Fig. 2, so that the notch c clears the shoulder e and permits the return movement of the bar. The rolling movement of the releasing member is caused by the friction between the same and the shoulder 6 upon which it bears, and owing to the releasing member being eccentrically pivoted to the supporting bar, it acts to lift the bar in rolling over the shoulder 6 The releasing member thus acts by a lever or eccentric action rather than by a cam or inclined plane action.

\Vhile the releasing member shown is an eccentrically pivoted circular dish, a pivoted lover of other form adapted to roll or rock on the shoulder a and lift the supporting bar in the manner described to clear this shoulder, could be used.

The supporting bars can be readily released and the sides of the couch easily lowered to their folded position WlthOUt any sudden or violent movement thereof to effeet the release, and without any severe jar upon the parts. The releasing member is positive in its operation and exceedingly simple and compact in its construction. No extra cooperating parts are required upon the frame other than the slot and locking shoulder, which are common in construe tions of this kind, and the support can thus be attached to couch frames of ordinary construction with a small amount of labor and expense.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a movable member,

a support therefor pivoted to the movable member and provided with a holding shoulder, a stationary part adapted to be engaged by the holding shoulder, and a releasing device pivoted eccentrically on the support and movable past said stationary part when said support is moved in one direction, said device having a curved bearing portion which is adapted to engage and roll upon said stationary part to lift the support to clear the holding shoulder from said stationary part when said support is moved in an opposite direction, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a movable member, a support therefor pivoted to the movable member and provided with a holding shoulder, a stationary part adapted to be engaged by the holding shoulder, and a circular disk pivoted on the support and movable past the stationary part when the support is moved in one direction, the circumferential edge of said disk extending below said shoulder and adapted to bear against and roll upon said stationary part to lift said support to clear the holding shoulder from engagement with the stationary part when said support is moved in an opposite direction, substantially as described Witness my hand, this 9th day of December, 1909.

CHARLES VALLONE, lVitnesses A. XV. KiR'roN, CHARLES L. HYsLoP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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