An Improved Combined Bed and Sofa or Couch.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
I, GERSON SILBERBLATT Upholsterer of 88, Brick Lane, Spitalfields, E. do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of an improved bed and sofa or couch which is of
ordinary appearance and can easily be converted into a double bed. The seat of
the sofa or couch consists of two parts, one overlying the other when used as sofa
or couch, each part being provided with suitable springs, stuffing, and coverings,
and hinged together at the front of the sofa or couch. The upper part has the
back rail attached thereto which serves to act as legs for one side of the bedstead
when the couch or sofa is opened out. The top of the rail rests on the ground so
as to support the outer side of the top-part of the seat. When opened, one side of
the bedstead can be used as a box, in which any bedding or blankete may be placed
during the time that the bedstead is to serve as a sofa or couch. The head of the
sofa is also made in two parts folding one over the other and being hinged together
in front, so that when the upper part is opened out, it completes the head of the
double bedstead, and when the two parts are shut up, the whole appears like a sofa
or couch.
An Improved Combined Bed and Sofa or Couch.
I, GERSON SILBERBLATT Upholsterer of 88, Brick Lane, Spitalfields, E. do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the enme is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention consists in constructing a couch or sofa in such a manner that,
though in outward appearance it resembles an ordinary sofa, it may, when desired,
be readily convertible to a double-bed; the bed is, moreover, provided with springs
so disposed as to give the effect of a spring mattress and, further, the said springs
are available for giving the necessary resilience to the sofa.
Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, illustrating a combined couch or sofa and
bedstead closed for use as a couch or sofa.
Figure 2 is a corresponding view to Figure 1 and represents the couch or sofa
open for use as a bed.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the frame-work of a couch- or sofa-bedstead
in which the space beneath the couch is utilized for the reception of the bedding
during the time the invention is in use as a sofa or couch.

page_text: Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner in which the frame-work
of the head is constructed.
The seat of the sofa or couch consists of two parts, the one a, overlying the
other,, when used as sofa or conch, cach part consisting of a wooden frame a
and respectively covered with canvas c. The inside of these frames is provided
with a number of springs d, also stuffings and coverings.
The springs are distributed and fixed with relation to the frames in the manner
shown in Fig. 3 and placed between two strong liuen canvas sheets c', so as to
make a strong seat for the sofa when it is closed, and also to form a durable and
comfortable mattress for the sleepers occupying the two sides of the sofa when
laid open.
Those two frames a'b' are hinged together ate outside the front of the sofa or
couch. When the sofs or couch is unfolded and opened out to serve as a bedstead
for two persons the upper part of the sofa a which has a back-rail a³ attached
thereto, serves to act as substitute of legs for one side of the bedstead. The top of
that back-rail a' rests on the ground when the sofa is opened and supports the
outer side of the top part a of the seat and is of the same height as the legs of
the sofa..
The lower part may, instead of being provided with legs be made as, or
supported by, a chest ", as illustrated in Figure 4, in which any bedding or
blankets may be placed and kept concealed during the time that the bedstead is
folded up in order to serve as a sofa or couch, the springs pertaining to the
mattress being carried in a frame & which serves as a lid to the chest 6x and rests
on stops &*; instead of feet as illustrated in this last arrangement castors may be
provided.
The head part of the sofa has the usual reclining appearance when the sofa
is closed. But the wood of the sofa head which is hidden by the upholstering
and leather-covering, is cut into two parts fand f respectively, folding one over
the other, this section beginning at the curved back of the sofa-head and
running aslant, by a straight line, down to the seat and to the lower frame of the
sofa at f. These two parts of the sofa head are invisibly sectioned off and so
constructed that the lower half of it is fixed to the lower frame bor 6x which is
mado longer than the upper frame a in order to make room for the lower half of
the head part to stand upon it. This upper halff of the head part of the sofa or
couch is fastened by hinges g to the lower half of the head part of the sofa
or couch.
These two parts of the sofa hend are upholstered on both sides, so that, on opening
the sofa or couch a bedstead, upholstered on both sides, is available having a
reclining pillow-rest fo for the sleepers heads, the upper half of the sofa head is,
besides, when the sofa is in use as a bed, strengthened and supported by an irop
foot h which can readily be adjusted or removed.
The upper head part of the sofa or couch is therefore fastened by three strong
supports, viz., first by being hinged together in front, secondly by means of the
iron foot at the back of the upper half of the sofa head which as a bedstead
turns to the front, and thirdly 'by an iron chain or hook A connecting it with
the top-part when turned down and opened out. It thus completes the head of
the double bedstead and when the two parts are closed, the whole preseuts to the
eye a neat and complete sofa or couch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to bo performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a combination sofa- or couch-bedstead the arrangemont of the springu
and the covering of same between two strong canvas-sheete, substantially as
herein described and illustrated with reforeuce to the accompanying drawings.
2. The sectioning of the head part of the sofa or couch and the whole
construction of sofa for the purpose of serving both as a sofa or couch and as

page_text: & bedstead, one side of which can be used as a receptacle for bedding or blankets,
substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
3. The conversion of the back-support or rail of the sofa into a substitute of
legs when the sofa is opened to serve as a double bedstead, substantially as herein
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of January 1807
GERSON SILBERBLATT.