AN IMPROVED SOFA BED
Year: 1884

page_text: I OSWALD LEHMANN, Upholsterer of 16 Altmarkt (in the City of Drosden,
Saxony, Germany do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED
SOFA BED to be as follows :-
My invention relates to an improved sofa bed in which the seat is formed of two
independent parts which are connected together by means of two suitable hinges
at the ends of the said seat,
One peculiarity of my said improved sofa bed is that the upper part is made
without any solid frame work between the hinges so that when the upper part is
turned or flapped forwards for producing a bed no hard unelastic portion will be
present as is the case with all other constructions but the surface of the bed will
bo perfectly uniform as if the same consisted of a single mattress.
The back of the sofa bed is connected in like manner by means of hinges to tho
lower part of the seat.
The arrangement of these hinges is in so far novel as the turning point or
centres of the same does not lie in the same line in which the upper surface of the
lower part of the seat comes in contact with the back, but is arranged beneath
the same to the left in order that when the back is let down the upholstering of
the same will form a continuation of the lower part of the seat whereas if the
back is raised into its customary position the upholstering of the same will press
somewhat on that of the lower part of the seat.
The upholstering is also in this place not interrupted by the frame work so that
the full elasticity of the surface is retained.
One part of the hinges is attached to the framework of the back, the other
part of the side walls of the lower part of the seat.
The back is supported in the horizontal position by means of a pair of supports
or feet which are hinged to the same back.
The back is held in its vertical position by means of two spring hooks which
are attached to the arms of the sofa and gear with or catch into a suitable piece
or plate of metal fixed in appropriate position to the framework of the back.
When the sofa is converted into a bed the feet of the person laying on the same are
supported by a board which runs along the entire breadth of the mattress and is
attached by hinges to the frame of the same.
This board is held in vertical or upright position by means of prolongations of
the iron foet which catch into cavities or recesses in the said board arranged for
this purpose.
Dated this 20th dow of Cantember 1881

page_text: •
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I OSWALD LEHMANN, Upholsterer, of 20 Altmarkt in the City of Dresden,
Saxony, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for AN
IMPROVED SOFA BED and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to an improved sofa bed the construction of which is
represented in the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1 is a vertical section
of the folded up sofa bed whilst the vertical section Figure 2 represents the said
sofa bed in extended form.
The seat of my improved sofa bed is formed of two independent parts a and b
of which the upper part b is connected to the lower part a by means of two
hinges co at the ends of the said scat. One peculiarity of my said improved sofa
bed is that the upper part b is made without any solid frame work between or
longitudinally to the hinges co so that when the upper part b is turned or flapped
forwards for producing a bed no hard, unelastic portion will be present as is the
case with all other constructions but the surface of the bed will be perfectly
uniform as if the same consisted of a single mattress.
The back d. is connected in like manner by means of hinges se to the lower
part of the seat.
The arrangement of these hinges is in so far novel as the turning points or
centres of the same do not lie in the same line in which the upper surface of the
lower part a of the seat comes in contact with the back d but is arranged beneath
the same to the left in order that when the back d is let down the upholstering of
the same will form a continuation of the lower part a of the seat whereas if the
back is raised into its customary position the upholstering of the same will press
somewhat on that of the lower part a of the seat.
The upholstering is also in this place not interrupted by the frame work so that
the full elasticity of the surface is retained.
One part of the hinges e e is attached to the framework of the back, the other
part to the side walls of the lower part of the seat.
The back is supported in the horizontal position by means of a pair of supports
or feet which are binged to the same back.
The back is held in its vertical position by means of two spring hooks g which
are attached to the arms of the sofa and gear with or catch into a suitable piece or
plate of metal fixed in appropriate position to the framework of the back." When
the sofa is converted into a bed the feet of the person laying on the same are
supported by a board h which runs along the entire breadth of the mattress and is
attached by hinges to the frame of the same.
This board is held in vertical or upright position by means of prolongations of
the iron feet i which catch into cavities or recesses in the said board harranged for
this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
. 3:
1. In a sofa bed of the description as above described, connecting the upper
part 6 of the seat with the lower part a of the same on the one hand, and the

page_text: latter with the back of the said sofa on the other hand in such manner that the
employment of framework between these parts is rendered unnecessary so that
when the sofa is converted into a bed no hard or unelastic parts are perceptable
substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In connections for parts of sofa beds the novel arrangement of the centres or
fulcrums e e by means of which not only the advantages claimed under claim 1
are attained but also the further advantage achieved that in turning down the
back d no cavity or space is left free in the upholstering but one running surface
secured substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
8. The method of holding the footboard h upright by means of the prolongations
to the iron feet i which said prolongations catch or gear into suitable cavities or
recesses in the board h substantially as described in the foregoing specification and
shown in the accompanying drawings.