IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDS OR COTS OR . BED FRAMES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rycroft of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
1
Merchant for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDS OR COTS OR
.
BED FRAMES." A communication from abroad by Ethelbert S. Griffith of
Toledo in the State of Ohio in the United States of America.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rycroft at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1882.
JOHN RYCROFT of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Merchant
IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDS OR COTS OR BED FRAMES" A communication
from abroad by Ethelbert S. Griffith of Toledo in the State of Ohio in the
United States of America,
The Invention has for it's principal object in the first place to produce a bed
frame which shall combine lightness and portability with strength and shall fold
compactly into a small space to facilitate storage or removal from place to place.
The bearers consist of pieces which are jointed to each other and are also pivoted
or hinged to the side rails in such a manner as that when the frame is folded the
bearers turn up so as to lie between or about parallel with the, side rails. The
lower bearers are kept in position when the frame is open by means of ties or
braces which are hinged or pivoted to the bearers and also to the side rails and
which fold up with the bearers and in some cases additional ties are hooked or
attached after the frame is opened out. In some or all cases the spread of the
bearers is limited by means of folding cross ties or of chains, straps or cords. In
some cases each bearer consists of more than two pieces which are connected
together on the "lazy-tongs" principle. In some cases the side rails are hinged or
jointed so that the frame will fold into a shorter package.
The Invention relates in the second place to the attachment of the canvas or
bed bottom to the side rails. The rails are grooved and the canvas edges are
wrapped around or partly around bars, rods or pieces of wood which are glued
nailed, screwed or secured in the grooves in the rails.
•

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Rycroft in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
27th September 1882.
"
JOHN RYCROFT of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Merchant
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDS OR COTS OR BED FRAMES (A communication
from abroad by Ethelbert S. Griffiths of Toledo in the State of Ohio in the United
States of America)
The
The Invention has for its principal object in the first place to produce a bed
frame which shall combine lightness and portability with strength and shall fold
compactly into a small space to facilitate storage or removal from place to place.
The bearers consist of pieces which are jointed to each other and are also pivoted
or hinged to the side rails in such a manner as that when the frame is folded the
bearers turn up so as to lie between or about parallel with the side rails.
lower bearers are kept in position when the frame is open by means of tics or
braces which are hinged or pivoted to the bearers and also to the side rails and
which fold up with the bearers and in some cases additional ties are hooked or
attached after the frame is opened out. In some or all cases the spread of the
bearers is limited by means of folding cross ties or of chains, straps or cords. In
some cases each bearer consists of more than two pieces which are connected
together on the "lazy-tongs" principle. In some cases the side rails are hinged or
jointed so that the frame will fold into a shorter package.
The Invention relates in the second place to the attachment of the canvas or bed
bottom to the side rails. The rails are grooved and the canvas edges are wrapped
around or partly around bars, rods or pieces of wood which are glued, nailed,
screwed or secured in the grooves in the rails.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood I have attached
hereunto a sheet of drawings to which I will refer in this place. In the said
drawings Fig 1 represents a perspective view of a bed frame opened out as when
in use Fig 2 representing the same as when being folded up. In the said Figs,
a, a, are the side rails of the frame. These rails are hinged at a¹ in order that the
frame when folded may form a shorter package. The upper frame is sustained by
three supports b, b and beach support consisting of two members which are jointed
or pivoted together at e and are each hinged to one of the rails at c. Figs 3 and 4
illustrate two of the forms which this hinged joint may take. It will be seen that
the upper end of the part bis hinged so that it can assume an angular position
with relation to the rail a and that the hinge is attached by means of a joint pin c
to the rail so that the part b may be turned from the position seen in Fig: 1 into a
position' parallel with the rail as seen in the other Fig: The lower ends of the
parts are also connected with the rails by means of rods, ties or braces d which
are hinged at both ends to the said parts. These ties serve to maintain the
supports b in their proper extended positions when the bed frame is in use.
In the case of the centre supports b' the joint pine is removed and the ties f
are unhooked from the support preparatory to the folding of the frame the
members being turned up so as to lic below the rails and parallel therewith. In
some cases the support b¹ is entirely dispensed with the rails a being then made
each in one piece without the central hinged joint. When the rails a are moved
towards each other in the operation of folding the frame the ties & bring up the
supports until all the parts lie close together and nearly parallel one with another
whereby the frame is made to occupy a small space.
Fig 5 illustrates a modification in the construction of the supports and also
shows how the central support can be dispensed with as herein before mentioned,

page_text: In this 'example cach support is primarily composed of four pieces b and b² which.
are jointed together at their points of intersection. The upper ends of the
pieces b are jointed by means of a pin or bolt to the rails a but are not hinged
in addition as in the case of the example previously referred to. A tie g
composed of two pieces hinged or jointed together is. hinged or jointed at each
end to the pieces b. When the frame is in use this tie is extended in a straight
line as seen at the end at the left hand but when the frame is being folded
the said tie is bent up in the middle as seen to the right hand and can then be
folded up out of the way. The parts band 62 also fold so that they lie close
together. The ties dat one end of the frame are permanently hinged both
to the rail and to the pieces 62 the ties folding up with the support until
all the parts lie close together between the two rails. The ties h at the
other end of the frame are each permanently hinged by one end to the rail
and hooked by the other end to a staple on the piece 62 or are otherwise secured
to the said piece. Before the frame is folded up the ends of these ties have to be
released from the supports. This construction furnishes .a longer tie so that
increased rigidity is obtained and may be used for both ends of the frame or both
ends may be arranged in either of the two ways shown. Also the long ties which
have to be released preparatory to the folding may be substituted for the per-
manently attached ties dat either end of the frame in Fig: 1. The supports
constructed as in Fig: 5 have not the same tendency to spread upon the floor
under a load as when only two pieces are used to form each support owing to
the fact that each of the pieces which sustain the load is more nearly in an
upright position. Fig 6 represents a
:
bed frame having three supports
constructed on the same principle as the two supports in Fig: 5 and also illustrates
modifications which may be made in the method of jointing and connecting the
parts together. In the end support which is to the left hand the pieces bare
hinged together at their lower ends and the pieces 62. are similarly hinged at
their upper ends instead of being connected by means of joint pins, rivets or
bolts as
in the previously described examples and the parts which come
together at the joints are faced with metal plates as seen in Fig: 10. These
plates may have bosses to form bushes for the joint pin holes. Another method
of connecting together the parts b, b. and b². is illustrated by Fig: 11. The
faces which come together are faced with metal plates and a headed stud projecting
from one plate enters a hole in the other plate. When the stud is drawn into
a slot which extends from one side of the hole as clearly shown the parts are
secured together. A stronger form of hinged joint for connecting together the
rail and the central support is employed. This joint is illustrated on a larger
scale by Fig: 7 a, a being hinged portions of the rail and b'. the upper end of one
of the members b'. of the central supports. Fig: illustrates a slight modification
in the joint. Referring to Fig: 6 the pieces b¹ are connected with the rails by
means of braces each brace being pivoted by one end to the rail and being
formed at the other end to hook upon a stud fixed to the piece b. The feet of
the pieces b. are also connected with the rails by means of ties of rope, chain or
other suitable material which are provided with hooks which engage with staples
fixed to the pieces b². In lieu of the jointed tie gin Fig: 5 separate ties g, g
are used. Each tie is pivoted by one end to the upper end of one of the pieces b².
and hooks by the other end on to a stud upon the piece bor b. as the case may
be. Fig 9 illustrates one of the methods which may be adopted for pivoting
the upper ends of the pieces b to the rails. In this example the length of the
frame is increased by the addition of a hinged head rest m and a foot extension n,
the head rest being inclined in order to give the necessary elevation to the head.
The cross rails m'. and n. are jointed so that they fold up with the frame without
requiring to be removed. The frame may be made without these parts or the
head rest alone may be provided the main frame being in such a case made
suitably longer. To fold the frame the braces k and the ties g and are unhooked.
The rails are then pushed together the cross rails m'. and n, being bent inwards

page_text: at the joints. The end supports then fold together and their lower ends come
inwards so that their members lie close to the rails. The central support is also
folded up so as to lie over the left hand support the form of the joint
permitting this. When the frame is further folded together by turning up the
one half upon the other and the extensions m and n are turned over the whole
forms a short and compact package without loose parts liable to be lost or.
mislaid.
Fig: 12 illustrates the last part of the Invention a, a representing cross sections
of the two rails of one of the bed frames illustrated in the drawings. Each rail
is grooved on the upper surface to receive a rod or bar p. Each edge of the
canvas bed bottom is folded around one of the rods or bars as in the example
and the rod or bar is then pressed into the groove in the rail and is secured
therein by means of glue or of tacks or nails or by suitable means. The pull of
the canvas when loaded tends to press the canvas covered rod against the side of
the groove and thereby to tightly nip the canvas so that it is tightly held
throughout it's length.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of the said Invention and
arrangements whereby the same may be carried into effect I would have it to be
understood that claim :-
First the several constructions of bed frames having jointed supports which
are hinged or pivoted to the rails so that all the parts fold together into a compact
package substantially as set forth and indicated hereinbefore and in and by the
accompanying drawings..
Secondly, the folding supports b hinged or pivoted to the rails and also connected
therewith by means of ties or braces & the whole folding together substantially as
set forth and indicated.
Thirdly, the folding bed frame supports consisting of parts hinged jointed or
pivoted together substantially as in the case of the parts b, b and b. in Figs 5
and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly the folding bed frame supports consisting of parts hinged or pivoted
together on the "lazy-tongs" principle and hinged or pivoted to the side rails so as
to fold up therewith substantially as set forth and indicated with reference to
Figs 5 and 6 of the drawings.
Fifthly the rails or ties for preventing the undue spreading of the jointed
bed-frame supports.
Sixthly the folding bed frame having the side rails hinged or jointed and
provided with folding end supports and with a folding intermediate support which
when the bed is opened out is kept in position by attaching thereto the en dsof
braces and ties or equivalent parts all the parts folding up together substantially
as set forth and indicated.
Seventhly the bed frame consisting of parts which are hinged, jointed or pivoted
together without loose or entirely detached pieces so that they all fold up together
to form a comparatively small and compact package substantially as set forth and
indicated with reference to Fig: 6 of the drawings.
And lastly the method of attaching the edges of the canvas to the rails. of bed
frames as set forth and indicated with reference to Fig: 12 of the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Rycroft have hereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.