An Improvement in Sofas and similar Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Sofas and similar Articles.
I, GEORGE CHARLES NEWTON BRYAN, Delmonden Grange, Hawkhurst, Kent,
late Captain the Royal Munster Fusiliers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct sofas and the like in such manner
that the foot will draw out so as to convert the sofa into a couch or "shake down,"
a mattress being provided to fit the extension. The idea is to have an ordinary
sofa for bedroom use which can be formed into a bed in case a nurse or other person
is required to sleep in the room during sickness. In carrying my invention into
effect I make the frame of the sofa or the like in two portions one sliding or
telescoping within the other. When the sofa is used in the ordinary manner the
sliding parts are closed up, but when the sofa is to be used as a couch or "shake
down" the sliding parts are drawn out thus placing each end of the sofa at a greater
distance from the other than when they occupy their normal positions. The extra
length of frame thus obtained is fitted with a mattress which goes with the sofa and
may be put under the ordinary one when the sofa is used in its ordinary form.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.
I, GEORGE CHARLES NEWTON BRYAN, Delmonden Grange Hawkhurst, Kent,
late Captain the Royal Munster Fusiliers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct sofas or the like in such manner
that the foot will draw out so as to convert the sofa into a couch or "shake down,"
a mattress being provided to fit the extension. The idea is to have an ordinary
sofa for bedroom use which can be converted into a bedstead in case a nurse
or other person is required to sleep in the apartment during a patient's illness.
In carrying my invention into effect I make the frame of the sofa or the like
When the sofa is
in two portions one sliding or telescoping into the other.
used in its ordinary way the sliding parts are shut up, but when it is to be used
as a couch or "shake down" the sliding parts are drawn out, thus placing the ends
of the sofa at a greater distance from each other than when they occupy their
normal positions.
The extra length of frame thus obtained is fitted with a
mattress which goes with the sofa and may be put under the ordinary one when the
sofa is used in its ordinary form.
In practice that part of the frame which is to carry the ordinary mattress, and
which is attached to the head of the sofa is made longer than the portion attached
to the foot of the sofa. The ends of the frame which are furthest from the head

page_text: need not necessarily be connected by a cross bar extending from side to side of the
frame and in this specification I shall assume that no such cross-bar is used, but it
may be employed if required. These ends of the frame are however forked by
removing about one third of the width. In the gaps thus formed slide the ends of
the frame which are attached to the foot of the sofa. The ends of this foot frame
have tongues along their upper edges and tongues also along their under edges, and
these tongues slide in grooves provided for them in the under edge of the upper
part and in the upper edge of the lower part of the forks at the ends of the head
frame. At the outer end of each of the gapped ends of the head frame I attach
a leg having in it an opening to allow the tongued ends of the foot frame to slide
through. These legs are sufficiently wide to project somewhat beyond the faces
of the head frame. Blocks or equivalents may be attached to the ends of the
tongued parts which slide into the gaps so that when the two parts of the sofa
are drawn out the blocks will strike against the legs and prevent the two frames
separating entirely. Provision may be made for holding the extra mattress when
the sofa is shut up, and such provision may consist of a shelf extending across the
head frame, or recesses may be provided in the frame into which the ends of the
extra mattress may be placed so that the upper surface of it will be facing
the under surface of the "main" mattress. do not confine myself to this one
method of constructing the sofa or the like, as any other method may be employed
so long as it ensures the proper carrying out of the essential features of my invention'
which consists in making one part of the frame slide into the other. The various
parts of the sofa can be made of any suitable material or materials or any combina-
tion thereof.
In order to more clearly explain my invention 1 make reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 a side view of
the forked ends hereafter referred to, and Fig. 3 a cross section through A B Fig. 1.
Similar letters indicate similar parts.
a is the side frame: 6 the head of the sofa or like: c the foot of it: d d¹ the
forked ends of a: e the part attached to b and sliding between d d f legs attached
to the ends of d d' and having openings in them for e to slide through: g blocks
to prevent e being entirely withdrawn: h tongues along top and bottom of e:
the tongues running in grooves in d d¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In sofas and similar articles constructing the frame which is destined to
support the mattress or equivalent in two parts which can be slid or telescoped into
or drawn out of each other for the purpose of varying the distance between
the head and foot of the said sofas or similar articles, the whole substantially as
described in the above specification, and exemplified in the accompanying
drawings.
2. Sofas and similar articles constructed so that they can be increased in length
as and when required by means substantially such as are described in the above
specification, and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of August 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.