Improvements in or relating to Collapsable Berths and the like, specially applicable to Ships' Berths.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Collapsable Berths and the like,
specially applicable to Ships' Berths.
I, ANDREW HENRY BAIRD, of 22, Dutton Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to collapsable berths and has reference more particularly
to state room berths for use in ships, the object being to provide a berth or bed-
stead which can be used as a double berth (that is to say a berth in which two
people can sleep together), or as a single berth, or which can be collapsed altogether
when not in use.
The berth or bedstead is adapted to collapse horizontally at right angles to its
length, and is supported by a number of vertical pickets arranged in two sets
which form respectively the head-rail and the foot-rail of the bedstead. Adjacent
pickets are guided and articulated together by link work after the manner
described in the Specification to Letters Patent No. 20816, granted to me,
and dated November 30th, 1891, the preferred arrangement of linkage being that
described in reference to Figs. VIII, IX and X; opposite pickets are connected
together by horizontal bars which are in some cases made double to ensure
stiffness.
The mattress is a spring mattress of that type which is composed of a number of
parallel spiral springs arranged longitudinally and coupled together by diagonally
arranged wire links; the mattress is sufficiently wide to form a double bed when
the pickets are extended laterally to their full width, and the width can be varied
by collapsing the pickets. In consequence of the diagonal arrangement of the
links which connect the spiral springs of the mattress, the length of the latter
increases slightly as its width diminishes, and in order to compensate for this,
and so keep the mattress normally taut, I connect each end of the mattress to a
separate lazy tong arrangement carried from the ends of the horizontal connecting
bars, instead of connecting them directly to the ends of these bars.
The lazy tongs, of which there is one at the head and one at the foot of the
bedstead, arranged transversely, are composed of a suitable number of pivoted
lattice bars, and the ends of the mattress are connected to the outer apices of the
parallelograms of the lattice, which apices, as the berth is collapsed recede from
each other and so keep the mattress taut.
It will be seen from the construction described that the berth or bedstead can
be varied in width so as to accommodate either one or two people and that the
mattress automatically adjusts itself to the varying width, and that it can be
collapsed altogether when not in use.
Suitable bars or stays may be provided to give additional rigidity, or to maintain
the berth at the required width, and, if necessary, the vertical pickets may be
adapted to support two mattresses, one above the other.
A suitable palliasse is provided which is partially divided down the centre so as
to be available for the single or double width.

page_text: A lee board is fitted along the outer edge of the berth, which board is adapted
to pivot on its lower edge so that when turned down into a horizontal position it
forms a convenient seat, and a spring catch is fitted to secure the lee board in
position.
1
•
1000
'
Improvements in or relating to Collapsable Berths and the like,
specially applicable to Ships' Berths.
-
I, ANDREW HENRY BAIRD, of 22, Dutton Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, 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 collapsable berths and has reférence more particularly
to state room berths for use in ships, the object being to provide a berth or
bedstead which can be used as a double berth (that is to say a berth in which two
people can sleep together), or as a single berth, or which can be collapsed altogether
when not in use.
I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. I is
an elevation, Fig. II a plan and Fig. III an end elevation, the bedstead in each case
being extended to its full width; in Fig. I a portion of the front of the bedstead is
removed to more clearly show the construction.
.
The bedstead, the frame of which is formed by the four corner posts 1 and the
two side rails 2, is adapted to collapse horizontally at right angles to its length and
is supported by a number of vertical pickets 3, 31, arranged in two sets which form
respectively the head-rail and the foot-rail of the bedstead. Adjacent pickets are
guided and articulated together by link work 4 after the manner described in the
Specification to Letters Patent No. 20816, granted to me, and dated November 30th,
1891, the preferred arrangement of linkage being that described in reference to
Figs. VIII, IX and X; opposite pickets are connected together by horizontal bars
which are in some cases made double to ensure stiffness; or, instead of a number
of horizontal bars to connect opposite pickets, one bar only, such as 5, may be
fitted and this bar instead of being connected directly to the pickets may be
connected at each end to one of a series of supports which connect the pickets
to the lazy tongs 7; this latter is the preferred arrangement and is therefore the
one illustrated.
The mattress is a spring mattress of that type which is composed of a number of
parallel spiral springs 8 arranged longitudinally and coupled together by diagonally
arranged wire links 9 and 10; the mattress is sufficiently wide to form a double bed
when the pickets are extended laterally to their full width, and the width can be
varied by collapsing the pickets. In consequence of the diagonal arrangement of
the links which connect the spiral springs of the mattress, the length of the latter
increases slightly as its width diminishes, and in order to compensate for this, and
so keep the mattress normally taut, I connect each end of the mattress to a separate
lazy tong arrangement 7 carried from the pickets, or from the ends of the
horizontal connecting bars when these are fitted. The lazy tongs consist each of
a suitable number of lattice bars pivoted at their centres and at their ends; the
end bars are pivoted to the brackets 11 on the side rails 2 and certain of the

page_text: intermediate bars are pivoted to the curved supports 6, which latter are carried
from the pickets 3.
It will be seen that as the bedstead is collapsed, the alternate pickets 31 rise and
that parallelism is preserved by the linkage; the pickets 3 do not however move
vertically and as they are connected by the supports 6 to the lazy tongs the
latter also collapse in the direction of their length and at the same time, of course,
increase in width. The centre pivots of the lazy tongs are maintained at a constant
distance apart by the side rails and the bar 5, and consequently as the bedstead
is collapsed the apices nearest the pickets, in the respective lazy tong
lattices recede from each other and by connecting the ends of the mattress to these
apices by the links 12 the mattress is maintained taut although its length increases
as its width diminishes.
The links 4 are pivoted to the corner posts 1 by the brackets 13, and slots 14
are provided in the rising pickets to allow relative movement between them and the
lower pivots of the links.
It will be seen from the construction described that the berth or bedstead can be
varied in width so as to accommodate either one or two people and that the mattress
automatically adjusts itself to the varying width, and that it can be collapsed
altogether when not in use.
Suitable bars or stays may be provided to give additional rigidity, or to maintain
the berth at the required width, and, if necessary, the vertical pickets may be
adapted to support two mattresses, one above the other.
A suitable palliasse is provided which is partially divided down the centre so as
to be available for the single or double width.
A. lee board is fitted along the outer edge of the berth, which board is adapted
to pivot on its lower edge so that when turned down into a horizontal position it
forms a convenient seat, and a spring catch is fitted to secure the lee board in
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:―
1. The collapsable berth or bedstead consisting of a suitable frame articulated
by linked pickets and adapted to collapse transversely, and a collapsable mattress
whose ends are attached to a pair of lazy tongs adapted to maintain the said
mattress uniformly taut; substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In combination, the corner posts rigidly connected by the side rails and
collapsably connected by the articulated pickets; the lazy tongs whose centres are
maintained at a constant distance apart; and the collapsable spring mattress whose
ends are connected to the apices of the lazy tongs; substantially as described
and illustrated.
3. In collapsable berths or bedsteads the use of lazy tongs whose centres are
maintained at a constant distance apart to preserve the tautness of a mattress
whose ends are connected to its apices; substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The improved collapsable berth or bedstead substantially as described and
illustrated in the drawings.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.