Improvements in Folding Furniture, applicable to Bassinette Perambulators and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
Improvements in Folding Furniture, applicable to Bassinette
Perambulators and the like.
A communication from HEINRICH LUDWIG, of Koburg, in the German Empire,
Furniture and Cabinet Maker.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I. Mech. E., and Chartered Patent Agent 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 pieces of furniture, such as chairs, sofas, tables, bedsteads,
children's bassinettes, and the like, adapted for purposes of transport or storing or
when out of use, to be folded up compactly, and the present improvements more
particularly apply to those articles which have four sides or side frames. To effect
the folding, the piece which forms either the top or bottom, or the seat, as the case
may be, is removed and then the four sides, frames, or walls, which are hinged
together, are folded up so as to form one flat piece. The advantage which this
construction of folding furniture offers over that which consists in providing crossed
legs or supports (on the "trestle "-system) is, that in the present arrangement the
whole weight is not supported by the pivots or pins which in the old construction
connect each pair of crossed or ✗ shaped legs.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in all of which, it will be seen, there is shown a horizontal removable part forming,
as the case may be, the bottom of a receptacle, the top of a table, or the seat of a
chair, or the like, and the sides which, on the removal of that flat piece, are folded
up compactly.
In Figs. 1 to 5, I have represented a folding chair, of which Figs. 1 and 2 are
respectively a front and a side elevation showing the chair in its position for use.
Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, the seat being removed. The seat a consists of a frame of
plaited cane or having some other suitable filling and resting upon the side frame b
to which it may be secured in any suitable manner (for example by means of osier
or wickerwork loops, wires, screws, etc.) if necessary. When the plate a is removed,
the four-sided frame 6 may be folded together so as to form a flat piece such as shown
in Fig. 4 in side elevation and in Fig. 5 in plan. The uprights 6 of this frame are
for the purpose hinged together, which is best done by means of pairs of hinge-rings c
as shown on a larger scale in Figs. 20 and 21. These rings are made of strips of
sheet metal bent to the shape of a pair of rings or loops, the meeting edges being
retained together by means of a hinge-pin c. In each of the rings or loops of a
pair is inserted one of the uprights or legs 16 to be joined, so that they are
capable, however, of moving therein freely and independently of each other.
In the case of the sofa or settee shown in Fig. 6 (which is a front elevation of the
sofa in readiness for use) and Fig. 7 (being a side elevation thereof in the same
condition) all that has been said above in reference to the chair will also apply,
except that here the top frame a, forming the seat, does not extend beyond the frame b,
upon the longitudinal side pieces 6 61 of which the seat rests.
Figs. 8 to 11 illustrate an infant's bed constructed according to this invention;
Fig. 8 representing it ready for use. In this case the piece of furniture consists of
two side frames the lower frame b and the upper frame (or basket) d. The corner³
pieces b¹d respectively of these frames are suitably connected by means of double
hinge-rings c c. Into the basket or receptacle d which tapers towards its lower end,
a suitable bottom piece is inserted, it having, if necessary, a mattress attached to it
and being suitably secured in place. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the folded up

page_text: basket portion of the bed. Fig. 10 is a plan and Fig. 11 a side view of the lower
frame in the folded condition. Supposing now that the portion d is (as indicated
in dotted lines in Fig. 8) fixed on to a convenient rolling frame or set of wheels, a
bassinette or perambulator will thereby be formed.
In regard to the table illustrated by Figs. 12 to 16 it need only be said that the
top part instead of forming the seat, as in the case of a chair (at a), forms the top
of a table e placed upon the side frame b. Figs. 12 to 14 represent the table in
readiness for use, being a side elevation, a frout view and a plan thereof respectively.
In the plan the top plate is only shown in dotted lines for the sake of clearness.
Fig. 15 represents the folded frame in elevation and Fig. 16 shows the same
in plan.
Turning now to Figs. 17 to 19, it will be seen that what is here represented is a
folding bedstead. Fig. 17 is a perspective view thereof, in which the only part of
the supporting surface shown is the pair of longitudinal rails ff on which that
supporting surface or bed proper (which in itself offers no novel feature) is intended
to rest. These rails or rods f' are preferably supported by the terminal cross-pieces
63 of the frame b, or they may be secured in position in any other convenient
manner.
It will be understood that the specimens of furniture here shown by no means
exhaust the list of similar articles to which the principle of this invention is
applicable.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is,-
1. Furniture such as chairs sofas tables bedsteads bassinettes or the like consisting
of a quadruple folding frame which for purposes of transport or storage or when not
in use may be reduced to a compact form for which purpose the horizontal portion
or plate forming the top bottom or seat as the case may be is removed and the frame
composed of hinged parts thereupon folded together so as to form a flat piece.
2. An infant's bed of a construction such as characterized in the preceding claim
consisting of a folding lower portion and of an upper portion also folding but
independent of the other the whole being adapted to be placed on wheels and in
that case forming a bassinette or perambulator.
3. The connection of parts of furniture of the described construction by means
of double links or hinge-rings (c) into which are inserted the vertical uprights
or legs.
Daven vuis son may OF SOYCH
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.