A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED BED, COUCH, AND CHAIR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Walker Torr, of the Firm of Robert Walter
Winfield and Company, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants
and Manufacturers, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED
BED, COUCH, AND CHAIR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Walker Torr at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd July 1881.
CHARLES WALKER TORR, of the Firm of Robert Walter Winfield and Company,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants and Manufacturers. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED COMBINED BED, COUCH, AND CHAIR."
My Invention consists in combining in the manner hereinafter described the
parts of a combined bed, couch, and chair, whereby great simplicity of construction
and efficiency and facility of action are secured.
For convenience of description and to avoid repetition I will employ the word
chair to designate the combined bed, couch, and chair.
I make the chair of three essential parts, the middle or seat part, the head part,
and the foot part, together with a fixed framing supporting the said three parts.
The bead and seat parts are jointed together at their junction, and the foot part
and seat parts are jointed together at their junction. The several parts can take
the following positions respectively-The head can be raised into a nearly vertical
position and lowered into a horizontal position. The seat in its normal position
is horizontal, but its front can be raised so as to make the seat take an inclined
position. The foot can be moved from a nearly vertical position into a horizontal
position. The several parts can be fixed in any of the positions into which they
are brought. The head and foot parts are each provided with counterbalance
weights so that they are easily moved into any required position. The edges of
the head part have rods affixed to them constituting prolongations downwards of
the sides. The lower ends of these rods are geared to connecting rods jointed to the
lower end of the foot part. When the head part is moved in any direction the
foot part moves by the action of the rods described in a like direction; that is to
Price BJ 1

page_text: say, if the head is brought upright the foot part is brought upright, and if the
head is depressed into a horizontal position the foot part is raised into a horizontal
position. The head and foot parts inay however when required be ungeared from
each other, when the head part can be moved without moving the foot part. The
foot part may in this case be supported in a horizontal position by means of the
ungeared connecting rods which now act as legs for supporting the foot part. The
position of the head is fixed by means of a rack jointed to its back. This rack is
pressed against a fixed tooth or liberated therefrom by means of an eccentric on an
axis crossing the framing. By means of a winch on the end of the axis the
eccentric can be made to fix or liberate the rack. The seat part is supported when
raised into an inclined position by means of rods or stays jointed to its edges near
its front. When the seat is raised these stays engage in horizontal racks on the
framing of the chair and support the seat in its raised position. The seat can be
fixed in a horizontal position by a hook on one side, or a hook on each side, engaging
with a stud on the fixed framing.
By the construction and arrangement of parts described the three parts can be
brought horizontal so that the whole constitutes a bed, or the head part can be
raised when a couch is formed, or the head may be raised and the foot depressed
when a chair is formed. The middle or seat part may also be inclined when
desired.
For a child's bed or cot side rails may be attached to the framing and in some
.cases the foot part may be dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Walker Torr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
December 1881.
CHARLES WALKER TORR, of the Firm of Robert Walter Winfield and Company,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants and Manufacturers. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED COMBINED BED, COUCH, AND CHAIR."
My Invention consists in combining in the manner herein after described the
parts of a combined bed, couch, and chair, whereby great simplicity of construction
and efficiency and facility of action are secured.
For convenience of description and to avoid repetition I will employ the word
chair to designate the combined bed, couch, and chair.
I make the chair of three essential parts, the middle or seat part, the head part,
and the foot part, together with a fixed framing supporting the said three parts.
The head and seat parts are jointed together at their junction, and the foot part
and seat parts are jointed together at their junction.
The several parts can take the following positions respectively :-
The head can be raised into a nearly vertical position and lowered into a
horizontal position. The seat in its normal position is horizontal, but its front can
be raised so as to make the seat take an inclined position. The foot can be moved
from a nearly vertical position into a horizontal position. The several parts can
be fixed in any of the positions into which they are brought. The head and foot
parts are each provided with counterbalance weights so that they are easily moved
into any required position.
The edges of the head part have rods affixed to them constituting prolongations
downwards of the sides. The lower ends of these rods are geared to connecting
rods jointed to the lower end of the foot part. When the head part is moved in
any direction the foot part moves by the action of the rods described in a like
direction. That is to say, if the head is brought upright the foot part is brought
upright, and if the head is depressed into a horizontal position the foot part is
raised into a horizontal position..
The head and foot parts may however when required be ungeared from each other
when the head part can be moved without moving the foot part. The foot part may
in this case be supported in a horizontal position by means of the ungeared connecting
rods which now act as legs for supporting the foot part..
The position of the head is fixed by means of a rack jointed to its back. This
rack is pressed against a fixed tooth or liberated therefrom by means of an
eccentric on an axis crossing the framing.
By means of a winch on the end of the axis the eccentric can be made to fix or
liberate the rack. The seat part is supported, when raised into an inclined position,
by means of rods or stays jointed to its edges near its front. When the scat is
raised these stays engage in horizontal racks on the framing of the chair and
support the seat in its raised position. The scat can be fixed in a horizontal
position by a hook on one side or a hook on each side engaging with a stud on the
fixed framing.
By the construction and arrangement of parts described the three parts can be
brought horizontal, so that the whole constitutes a bed; or the head part can be
raised when a couch is formed; or the head may be raised, and the foot depressed
when a chair is formed. The middle or seat part may also be inclined when
desired.
For a child's bed or cot side rails may be attached to the framing, and in some
cases the foot part may be dispensed with.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in perspective my improved chair arranged as a bed; Figure 2
represents the same arranged as a couch; and Figures 3 and 4 represent the same

page_text: arranged as a chair, Figure 3 showing the chair in an inclined position, and Figure 4
the same, in an upright position. Figure 5 represents a portion of the chair drawn
to a larger scale, the said Figure 5 exhibiting the eccentric and rack fixing
mechanism; Figure 6 represents a portion of my Invention applied to a child's
cot or bed.
t
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the main framing of the chair supporting the moveable parts b, c, d ; b being
the head part, c the middle or seat part, and the foot part. The head and seats,
parts b and c, are jointed together at their junction f, and the seat and foot parts c
and are jointed together at their junction g. The joint fof the head and seat
parts b, c, is carried by the short brackets or ears h on the sides of the main
framing a. i, i, are rods affixed to the edges of the seat part b, the said rods con-
stituting prolongations downwards of the sides of the said head part b. The lower
ends of the rods i are geared to connecting rods & jointed at 2 to the end of the
foot part d. These rods i, k, are geared together when required by a slot in the
rods engaging with pins or studs on the other rods i. The rods on the foot
part & may be ungeared from the rods i, and when ungeared the said rods / serve
as legs (see Figures 1 and 2) for supporting the foot part d. When the pairs of
rods and are geared together the moving in any direction of the head part b
moves, by means of the connecting rods i, , the foot part d in a like direction, as
herein after explained. When the pairs of rods i and are ungeared the head
part may be moved without moving the foot part d. By means of counter-
balance weights at l, m, the head and foot parts are easily moved into any
required position. The weights are for balancing the head part 6, and are
hung or hooked upon the cross bars n, n, fixed on the side connecting rod i, i, of
the said head part b, and the weights m are for balancing the foot part d, and are
hung to the rods p connected to the seat part c.
b
The head part b is fixed in its raised position by means of the toothed rack r
jointed to the back of the head part b (see Figure 5). This rack works in a
forked bracket on the main framing, and is pressed against a fixed tooth or
recess at the back of the said forked bracket and liberated therefrom by the
eccentric s on the cross axis 8. The axis 82 is turned by the winch 3 so as to fix
or liberate the rack 7. The rack is shown in Figure 5 disengaged from the fixed
tooth. When it is wished to fix the head bin the position to which it has been
raised the winch 83 (Figure 5) is turned through a semi-circle. The eccentric & is
thereby made to act upon and press back the jointed rack and cause one of its
teeth to engage with the fixed tooth or recess 2-3. By the return movement of the
winch to the position represented in Figure 5 the eccentric 8 is removed from the
rack r, which is thereby liberated and disengages itself from the tooth by its
own weight.
A stop limits the motion of the winch 83 in either direction.
The seat part c is supported in the inclined position represented in Figure 3 by
means of the stays t jointed to the edges of the seat part c, the free ends of the
stays being made to engage with the fixed horizontal racks on the supporting
framing a of the chair. The seat part c is fixed in its horizontal position by means
of the hook at the side of the said part c engaging with a stud won the side of
the fixed frame a (see Figures 1, 2, and 4). A hook and stud v, w, may be used
on each side or on one side only of the chair.
When the parts of the chair are arrranged as a bed, as illustrated in Figure 1,
the three jointed parts b, c, d, are situated horizontally, the foot part d being
supported by the ungeared connecting rods k, l, which act as legs. The seat part c
is fixed down by the engaging of the hook v on its side with the stud won the
side of the fixed framing a.
When it is, wished to convert the bed, Figure 1, into the couch, Figure 2, the
ungeared head part b is raised into the inclined position represented and fixed in
that position by the rack being made to engage with the fixed tooth by the

page_text: action of the eccentric 8 operated by the winch 83. The occupant of the bed may
by means of the winch 8 give any desired inclination to the head part b or lower
it into a horizontal position, the balancing of the said head part by the weights
at 7 permitting it to be raised and lowered with great facility.
When it is wished to convert the couch, Figure 2, into the inclined chair,
Figure 3, the hook vis disengaged from the stud w, and the connecting rods k, k,
of the foot part d are geared with the connecting rods i, i, of the head part b.
The rack having been disengaged from the tooth, the head part is still
further raised, and with it the foot part d, the seat part c also taking the inclined
position represented. The head part b is now supported by the rack operated
by the winch, as before explained, and the seat part c is supported by turning
the stays t upon their joints, and engaging their free ends with the fixed racks u
on the framing a, as illustrated in Figure 3. By removing the stays t and further
raising the head part b the foot part d is depressed, and the seat part c takes a
horizontal position, so as to form a chair with the head and foot parts in a nearly
vertical position, as illustrated in Figure 4, the seat part c being fixed down by
the hook v, and the head part b being supported by the rack and tooth r,³.
To convert the chair into a bed it is necessary to lower the head part, when the
said head part and the foot part take the horizontal position, represented in
Figure 1, the foot part d being supported in that position by ungearing the
connecting rods k, l, and making them serve as legs.
In this way the combined article may be converted into a bed, couch, or chair,
at the pleasure of the user.
In applying my Invention to a child's cot or bed, as represented in Figure 6,
the foot part is dispensed with, and the fixed frame is furnished with side rails.
The head part b is jointed to the other part c and may either be used in a
horizontal position, or in an inclined position, as represented, the head part b being
balanced and fixed and released in the manner before described.
Although I have represented a child's cot or bed provided only with a jointed
head part, yet the jointed head, seat, and foot parts, andt he appliances connected
therewith, described and represented, may be combined with a child's cot or bed.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,-
A new or improved combined bed, couch, and chair, consisting essentially of the
jointed and balanced head, seat, and foot parts b, c, d, combined and used, sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings;
also the combination with the said parts b, c, d, of the arrangements described and
illustrated, for gearing and ungearing the head and foot parts, and for supporting
the foot part of the bed or couch, and the seat part of the inclined or recumbent
chair, together with the mechanism described and illustrated, for supporting,
fixing and releasing the head part of the combined bed, couch, and chair; also
the modification described and represented, in which my Invention is adapted to
a child's bed or cot.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Walker Torr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight lundred and eighty one
Witness,
ERNEST ALBERT SMITH,
Cambridge Street Works,
Birmingham.
CHARLES WALKER TORR. (L.S.)