Untitled record

Application filed August 7,1891. Serial No, 402,026. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, George W. Rodecap, of Middletown, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Folding Beds; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use io the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improve15 ments in beds, and more particularly to improvements in folding beds.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved folding bed exceedingly simple, durable, light, and convenient in construction, 20 and which when folded will hold the bedding on the bed-botiom and can be placed on end in a closet or other place.

A further object is to provide an improved bed having folding sides and legs, and im25 proved means whereby the parts can be locked when unfolded or folded, and whereby the legs and other parts at the opposite ends can be separately folded or unfolded with ease and rapidity. These objects are accoin30 plished by and this invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective showing the bed or crib and parts in operative position, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view showing the parts folded, the end of the bed-frame being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective illustrating a portion of a leg and frame cross-piece and a catch to hold the leg in operative position. Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the adjustable clamp holding the 45 spring-bottom.

In the drawings, reference-letter a indicates the frame of the bed.

b indicates cross-pieces secured within the frame a short distance from and parallel with 50 the ends of the frame and above the horizontal corner supports or cleats c, which are firmly and strongly secured within the inner corners of the frame, as shown. The swinging legs d at a distance below their upper ends are pivoted between said cross-pieces 55 and the ends of the frame, so that their lower ends, which are provided with the casters e, can swing transversely of the frame. Two legs are located at each end and are pivoted on opposite sides of the longitudinal center 60 of the frame near the ends of the end pieces, so that when the legs are in their operative position, with their lower ends swung outwardly, the outer sides of the legs just beneath the pivotal point thereof will engage 65 said cleats c, which will form a rest, support, and stop therefor. These legs are so constructed and mounted that when in operative position they are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, but when folded they will lie side by side 70 within the space between the ends of the frame and said cross-pieces. The upper ends of the legs extend above the pivotal points in the ends of the frame.

The bed is provided with folding sides/, at 75 their lower edges hinged suitably to the upper edges of the sides of the frame, so as to extend upwardly above said sides when in operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, and also to extend the length of the bed, thereby 80 forming supplemental sides or upward extensions, these sides being so hinged that they can swing inwardly upon the bed or to the upright position shown in Fig. 1. Each side is formed in two transverse sections, being 85 divided at the center, as shown. The outer end of each side section is pivotally united to the upper end of the leg on the opposite side of the same end of the bed by the link g, hinged at its lower end to the upper end of 90 the leg and at its opposite end journaled or otherwise suitably secured to the outer end of the side section, so that the two links at each end of the bed cross, as shown in Fig. 1, when the parts are in operative position. 95 The parts are held in this position by the outward spread of the lower ends of the legs, which bear against the cleats, so that the strain and weight is not borne by the pivots of the legs, but is more equally distributed 100 and is principally carried by the cleats.

The parts are locked when in operative adjustment by means of the automatic catches h, one catch being provided for each leg and

478,761 each catch consisting of a shank pivoted to the cross-piece b, with the hooked outer end freely movable by gravity, and each leg on its inner edge being provided with a beveled off5 set h', forming a shoulder, so that when disengaged from the leg the catch will rest upon the upper edge of said cross-bar with a portion of its edge projecting over the space between the cross-bar and end of the bed-frame, io and when the upper end of the leg swings inwardly during the unfolding operation said beveled offset will strike the free end of the gravity-catch, and thereby lift the same and allow said catch to engage the shoulder 15 formed by the offset, and thereby lock the parts in operative position.

When the parts are locked in operative position, the bed can be folded by lifting the said catches in succession and then pressing 20 in each supplemental side section, which will cause said side to fold down upon the bed and will throw the leg up into the spaces between the ends of the frame and the crosspieces. When the sides and legs have been 25 folded, said catches can be swung up, so that their shoulders will engage the upper edges of the supplemental side frames, and thereby lock the same down and hold the bedding within the bed, so that the bed can be placed 30 on end in any suitable place.

Great advantages are obtained by having the sides formed in sections, as described, because the legs can be separately folded with great ease and rapidity, and after the legs at 35 one end of the bed have been folded or unfolded those at the other end can be correspondingly operated; also, great advantages are obtained by having the upper ends of the legs directly secured to the outer ends of the 40 sides by means of links pivoted at opposite ends, respectively, to the legs and sides directly; also, great advantages are obtained by use of the locking devices.

This bed is simple, durable, light, and con45 venient. It can be folded or unfolded quickly and easily and will lock itself automatically in unfolded position.

i indicates the spring bed-bottom, at one end edge secured between the two clamping50 bars j, which are rigid upon the corner-cleats at that end of the bed. The opposite end of the spring bed-bottom is secured between the sliding clamp formed by two barsy j_t resting upon the cleats c at that end of the bed and 55 beneath the strips Z, secured rigidly longitudinal of the sides of the bed-frame, as shown. These strips Z and the cleats are provided with registering series of bolt-holes m, extending longitudinally of the bed-frame, and the slid60 ing clamp is held in the desired position between said cleats and strips by means of bolts m', passed through said apertures. When it is desired to increase the tension of the springbottom, the sliding clamp is forced outwardly 65 by suitable means and the bolts dropped into the next hole toward the outer end of the bed. The usual mode of moving the sliding clamp is by dropping a bolt into one of said series of bolt-holes and using said bolt as a fulcrum for a lever of suitable length—say two feet— 70 and applying a block to the clamp three or four inches from the bolt and pressing the weight end of the lever against the block and using the opposite end as a power end and then applying pressure thereto and moving 75 the sliding clamp the desired distance and then dropping the bolt in front of such clamp.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to in the forms and arrangements and constructions of the parts described with- 80 out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not limit myself to the peculiar constructions herein set forth.