Improvements in Invalid Bedsteads.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Invalid Bedsteads.
I, ASAHEL JEWELL GOODWIN, of Brookline, County of Norfolk, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, 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:
This invention relates to improvements in invalid bedsteads and it consists in
mechanism for adjusting and securing in any desired position, the back, leg and
foot supports or either one of such relative to the webbing or wire mattress, and
it also consists of an improved bed corner fastener for securing the bed frame to the
bed posts as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings where Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of the bed-
stead showing the back leg and foot supports partly raised. Fig. 2 represents
a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a partial
longitudinal section of the head portion of the bedstead showing the back support
lowered. Fig. 4 represents a detail side elevation of the back support and its
lifting link, showing the spring for automatically bringing the link to a horizontal
or nearly so position below the mattress after the back support has been lowered.
Fig. 5 represents a detail interior view of the cap for covering the spring shown
in Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 represent vertical sections as seen from opposite sides
of the line (-6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 represents a detail side elevation of the mechanism
for adjusting and fastening the back, leg and foot supports. Fig. 9 represents
a horizontal section on the line 9-9 shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a cross
section on the line 10-10 shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 represents a side elevation
of the improved bed corner fastening. Fig. 12 represents a top plan view of
the same.
Fig. 13 represents a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 14
represents a longitudinal section on the line 14-14 shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 15
represents a cross section on the line 15-15 shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 16 represents
a detail side elevation of the corner piece and the post to which it is attached.
Fig. 17 represents a detail rear view of the socket attached to the side rail of
the bedstead. Fig. 18 represents a side elevation of a modification of the improved
bed corner fastening as adapted for supporting a detachable spring mattress,
and Fig. 19 represents a rear view of the same.
Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts
of the drawing.
In the drawings A, A, A, A represent the bed posts preferably made of tubular
metal.
B, B are metal side rails preferably made of tubular metal, the ends of which
are united by being cast within the female portions of sockets of the bed corner
fastenings as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described.
t, t, are the end rails preferably made of angle iron which are secured in a suitable
manner to the above mentioned sockets, and to such end rails is secured the wire
mattress D as shown.
In connection with the mattress D, I use adjustable back, leg and foot supports
for the purpose of adjusting the position of the invalid or person occupying the
bed to suit requirements according to circumstances, and I have for this purpose
shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 such devices as consisting of an adjustable back support
frame E, pivoted to lifting bars F, an adjustable leg support frame G, pivoted to

page_text: lifting bars F, and an adjustable foot support frame H, pivoted to lifting
bars F
The supporting frames E and G are provided with the respective preferably
wire mattresses E and G' which are connected at d to the main wire mattress 1)
as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The frames G and H are pivoted together at h¹, and the frame H is provided
preferably with a canvas mattress has shown. The leg supporting frame G
is provided with extensions G¹¹ (projecting towards the head of the bed) which are
pivoted at g to the inside of the rails B, B as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The mechanism for raising and lowering the respective back, leg and foot
supports is constructed as follows, and shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
It consists of a shaft I journaled in bearings i secured to the side rails B, to
one end of said shaft is secured a spur gear I¹ the teeth of which mesh in a
pinion I journaled in said bearing.
The hub of said pinion I has a longitudinal, preferably square perforation
adapted to receive the correspondingly shaped crank spindle k which may be
secured to said pinion in any well known manner.
The outer end of said crank spindle is preferably bifurcated and to it is pivoted
at the crank L which construction enables the operator to swing the said
crank outwards into operative position when used for raising or lowering the
respective back, leg and foot supports as shown in full lines in Figs. 8 and 9,
when said crank is not in use it may be swung out of the way so that its handle
shall not project outside the bed as shown in dotted lines in said Figs. 8 and 9.
To each shaft I is secured a strap or web or its equivalent, M the lower end
of which is attached to the respective lifting bars F, F, F as shown in Figs. 1,
2 and 3. It will thus be seen that said lifting bars and their supporting frames
may be raised and lowered as circumstances may require, simply by turning the
shafts I to the right or left as the case may be.
In devices of this kind it is very desirable to cause the lifting bars to be auto-
matically swung out of the way into a horizontal or nearly so position when their
supporting frames and mattresses are moved into horizontal positions as represented
in Fig. 3 so as not to project below the side rails of the bedstead, and for this
purpose I secure in a suitable manner to each of said supporting frames E, G
and H at or near the place where they are pivoted to their lifting bars F, F¹ F",
a preferably coiled spring N and lower end of which is loosely connected in a
suitable manner to the lifting bars, and it will thus be seen that said spring causes
the lifting bars to be automatically swung out of the way to the position shown in
Fig. 3, as soon as the said supporting frames reach their horizontal positions during
the release of the tension on the straps or webbings M.
In practice I prefer to conceal and protect said springs N by means of a cap N¹
secured to the supporting frame and preferably provided with a series of per-
forations N N N into any one of which one end of the spring N may be
inserted for the purpose of adjusting and regulating the strength of said spring
according to the weight of the lifting bar and its connections.
In connection with each shaft I, a friction device is used for holding and
retaining such shaft and its supporting frame in the desired adjusted position,
and for this purpose I arrange on the crank spindle k, a series of friction washers
KKK which are frictionally held against the face of the pinion I" and portion of
the spur gear I by means of a cap plate K¹ and adjustable clamping screws K", K"
as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
In connection with my improved bedstead I use a bed corner fastening which is
constructed as follows. Around each tubular bed post A is cast, and thus firmly
secured, the metal sleeve O of the bed corner fastening as shown in Figs. 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.
In one piece with the metal sleeve O is cast a vertical guide 0¹, or male portion,
Tshaped in section and its outer face O preferably made transversely curved or
convex as shown.

page_text: "
P represents a T shaped locking bolt, preferably made of steel and having a
shank firmly secured to the guide 01 by casting said guide around said shank
during the casting operation.
The inside of the T shaped locking bolt P is provided with inclined or tapering
faces P1 adapted to interlock with correspondingly inclined surfaces on the side
rail, socket or female portion, as will hereinafter be more fully described and
shown.
B represents one of the tubular metal side rails of the bedstead which is secured
to the socket or female portion Q by casting the hub 7 of the same around the
end of such side rail as shown.
The socket Q is transversely curved or concave at its upper end Q¹, to fit the
convex surface 0" of the vertical guide 01 as shown in Fig. 12.
The lower end of said socket Q is bifurcated as shown at R in Figs. 13 and 17
and provided with a pair of preferably curved or concave bearing surfaces q', I'
adapted to fit against the lower portion of the convex vertical guide O' as shown,
and by this arrangement the socket Q is held, when locked against the guide O',
by its upper concave surface Q¹ and the two lower bifurcated bearing surfaces
or projections q q', thus preventing any vertical, side, lateral or oscillating motion
of the side rail relative to the corner bed posts when the said parts are lock
together. On the interior of the socket Q is a vertical slot S communicating in
its lower end with the enlarged, bifurcated opening R in the lower end of said
socket as shown.
The slotted opening S is adapted to receive the shank of the T headed
locking bolt P, and said slot has its rear faces s s made inclined or tapering as
shown in Fig. 14, to interlock with correspondingly inclined head of the locking
bolt P as shown.
The bifurcated lower opening R is sufficiently wide to receive the width of the
head of the locking bolt P when the socket Q is being connected to or removed
from the corner post locking device.
In one piece with the upper portion of the socket Q is cast a wire spring mattress
support to which the angle iron t, which forms the end of the spring
mattress D, is secured. In practice I prefer to secure the angle iron t to the
mattress support T, by means of a screw bolt U preferably cast in the support T,
and going through a perforation in the angle iron t, which is firmly secured in place
by means of a nut u on said screw U as shown.
On the lower end of the metal sleeve O is cast a projection V which serves as
a fulcrum for the purpose of disconnecting the socket Q from the said sleeve O,
which may be done by means of any suitable lever, such as for instance, a screw
driver or similar tool, and for such purpose it is only necessary to insert such tool
or lever between said fulcrum V and the underside of the socket Q, and by prying
the latter upwards against such fulcrum, it may readily be disconnected from
the vertical guide 01, on the bed post sleeve 0.
In the modification represented in Figs. 18 and 19, the mattress supporting
projection T is removed for the purpose of using a detachable mattress which is
to be supported, in this device, directly upon the side rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a bedstead having an adjustable back, leg or foot support and a lifting
frame pivoted to said support, combined with a spring for automatically causing
the said lifting frame to be folded beneath the bed when the support is fully
lowered, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a bedstead, an adjustable back, leg or foot support and a lifting frame
pivoted to said support combined with an adjusting shaft connected to the lifting
frame, a gear secured to said shaft and having its teeth meshing in a pinion
adapted to be actuated by a crank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 3. In a bedstead, an adjustable back, leg or foot support and a lifting frame
pivoted to said support combined with an adjustable shaft and an adjustable
friction device for holding said support in the adjusted position, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A bedstead having adjustable back, leg or foot supports and lifting frames
pivoted to said supports combined with a crank actuated shaft and a folding
crank connected in a pivoted manner to its shank, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In a hedstead, a main mattress combined with a leg or seat supporting
adjustable mattress pivoted or connected to the former, and a leg or seat supporting
frame attached in one end to said adjustable mattress and pivoted at its other
end to the side rails of the bed frame, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
6. In a bed corner fastening, a metal sleeve O cast around the corner post A,
combined with a steel or forged metal tee headed locking bolt P having its shank
imbedded in the metal of the male portion of the corner fastening, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a bed corner fastening in combination, a side rail, a female portion or
socket Q attached to such side rail and having a concave bearing surface Q¹ in
its upper end and bifurcated bearing surfaces q, q', in its lower end adapted to fit
the convex guide on the male portion of the device, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
8. In a bed corner fastening in combination, a side rail, a female portion or
socket attached to such side rail and having a locking recess or slot S adapted
to receive the shank of the tee headed locking bolt on the male portion, said slot
having rear inclined locking faces adapted to bear against the head of the said
locking bolt and having an enlarged bifurcated opening K in the lower end of said
socket adapted to receive the head of said locking bolt during the locking or
unlocking operation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a bed corner fastening, in combination, a side rail, a female portion or
socket Qattached to such side rail and adapted to be inter locked with a male
portion on the corner post, a vertically extending projection or mattress support T
on the upper end of said socket, and means for securing thereto the end bar of the
mattress, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. In a bed corner fastening, in combination, a corner bed post, a metal sleeve O,
cast around said post and a convex vertical guide O¹ cast integral with said sleeve 0,
a Theaded locking bolt P secured to such guide and sleeve and adapted to be
interlocked with the female portion of the device, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
11. In a bed corner fastening, in combination, a corner bed post, a metal
sleeve cast around said post and having integrally therewith a convex vertical
guide O¹, means for locking such corner device to the female portion on the
side rail and a fulcrum or unlocking projection V on the lower end of said guide 0¹,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12th. In a bed corner fastening, in combination, a metal bed post, a sleeve cast
thereon, a tee shaped convexical guide on said sleeve, a tee headed locking bolt
having its shank cast in said guide, and a detachable socket attached to the
side rail and having recesses for receiving the head and shank of the locking bolt
and having inclined clamping ledges adapted to fit against the head of the clamp-
ing bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Date his lat
.
f A 1000
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.