Improvements in and connected with Folding Combined Bedsteads and Mattresses.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Folding Combined Bedsteads
and Mattresses.
I, JOHN SPOOR SMIRK, House Furnisher, of 16, Clayton Street West, in the
City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
My invention relates to folding combined bedsteads and mattresses. It is
specially directed to that kind employed with furniture to form what are known
as secret beds, but it is in part also applicable to portable beds. At present,
in secret beds, the bedsteads and mattresses are composed of head, centre and foot
sections, the two latter being hinged together and the centre section hinged to the
head section which is immovably attached to the furniture. In folding, the centre
section is turned upwardly and inwardly to occupy a position at or about right
angles to the head section and the foot section turned outwardly to hang from the
centre section. This plan, however, necessitates the furniture being made of a
greater height and width than is at times required owing to the disposition of
the head section while the method of folding is incompact and somewhat in-
convenient.
The object of my invention is to obviate the above disadvantages by attaching
the head section to the furniture so that it can move during the folding and un-
folding of the bedstead and by arranging the bedstead and mattress in a manner
enabling the foot section to fold upon and in the same direction as the centre
section. A further object is to provide, in combination with the foot section,
hinged guard rails for retaining the clothes in position on the bed in use thereby
preventing them slipping off as in the ordinary construction, and also serving to
form the head of a portable bed.
According to my improvements, as applied to a secret bed, I make the bedstead
in three sections as usual. I attach the head section to the furniture in a manner
permitting radial and longitudinal movement for which purpose I fix, within the
furniture at each side, a pin or pivot whereon the frame is mounted, the holes in
the latter being slotted or elongated. To the free end of this section the centre
one is hinged so that it can be turned upwardly and towards same and to the
centre section the foot section is hinged to enable it being folded in similar
fashion. The usual supporting feet are provided. To the foot section I hinge
at the end, and also at both sides, a guard rail each of which is turned to, and
maintained by appropriate means in an upright position to hinder the inconvenient
displacement of the clothes when the bed is in use.
To the centre and foot sections the spring fabric, to constitute the mattress, is
fitted transversely instead of longitudinally as customary, case in folding and
unfolding resulting therefrom. The head section is composed of laths, chains or
wires. Stretchers are fitted as at present.
Assuming the bed is unfolded, then to fold it the lateral guard rails are turned
towards each other and the end rail turned to lie over them upon the foot section

page_text: which is then lifted and turned inwardly to lie upon the centre section which is
next turned into a vertical or approximately vertical position. Simultaneously
with the folding of these two sections, the head section turns downwardly on its
pivots and, due to the slots thereat, is also drawn forward whereby the bedstead
and mattress approach very near, or rest on the bottom of the furniture, thus
economy in space accrues as compared with the known arrangements. The
maintenance of the folded position of the bedstead within the furniture, the
folding of the legs and the stowing of the clothes are all accomplished as at
present.
In unfolding the foot and centre sections, the head section is raised and pushed
rearwards to assume the necessary position for use.
For portable beds, the bedstead and mattress are arranged and adapted to
fold as described but the head and foot sections referred to are reversed, that is
to say, the head section becomes the foot section and the foot section with its
guard rails the head section, fect being provided where required.
It will be understood that when the bedstead and its adjuncts form a secret bed
they can be removed from the furniture to form a portable bed, or vice versa, the
section acting as the head in the former case and as the foot in the other being
furnished with feet capable of folding up when not required for use or of
expeditious attachment and detachment.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1898.
PRYOR & HARVEY,
Agents.
CUALI LEIE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Folding Combined Bedsteads
and Mattresses.
I, JOHN SPOOR SMIRK, House Furnisher, of 16, Clayton Street West, in the
City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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:-
My invention relates to folding combined bedsteads and mattresses. It is
specially directed to that kind employed with furniture to form what are known
as secret beds, but it is in part also applicable to portable beds.
At present, in secret beds, the bedsteads and mattresses are composed of head,
centre and foot sections, the two latter being hinged together and the centre
section hinged to the head section which is immovably attached to the furniture.
Each section is constituted either by a wood frame with a canvas or like centre or
bottom; or, as is now chiefly the practice, by an iron frame with a spring centre
or bottom. In the latter case, in folding, the centre section is turned upwardly
and inwardly to occupy a position at or about right angles to the head section
and the foot section turned outwardly to hang from the centre section. However,
whatever the construction of the sections, the disposition of the head section
necessiates the furniture being made of a greater height and width than is at
times required, while the method of folding described is incompact and somewhat
inconvenient.
The object of my invention is to obviate the above disadvantages by attaching the
head section to the furniture so that it can move during the folding and unfolding
of the bedstead and by arranging the bedstead and mattress in a manner enabling
the foot section to fold upon and in the same direction as the centre section,
when the sections consist of iron frames with spring centres. A further object is

page_text: to provide, in combination with the foot section, hinged guard rails for retaining
the clothes in position on the bed in use thereby preventing them slipping off as in
the ordinary construction, and also serving to form the head of a portable bed.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will now describe it
with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal
sectional elevation of a secret bed embodying my improvements and unfolded for
use, the piece of furniture exemplified being a sideboard with the greater part
broken away; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bedstead and mattress folded
up; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of the head section illustrating its disposition
within the furniture; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line X--X in Fig. 3
looking to the right; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same; and Fig. 6 is a
perspective view of a portable bed unfolded for use.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, according to my improvements I make the
bedstead in three sections A, B and C as usual, and, as shown, prefer to construct
each of an iron frame with a spring centre. I attach the head section A to the
furniture D in a manner permitting radial and longitudinal movement for which
purpose I fix, within the furniture at each side, a pin or pivot d whereon the
frame of the section A is mounted, the holes a¹, a¹ in the sides of the frame being
slotted or elongated. To the free end of this section A the centre one B is hinged
so that it can be turned upwardly and towards same and to the centre section B
the foot section C is hinged to enable it being folded in similar fashion; these
hingings being accomplished as represented by the known means. The usual
supporting feet E, E are provided on the centre and foot sections B and C while
the head section A retained in its extended position by brackets d', disposed
thereunder and secured to the sides of the furniture D. To the foot section C,
I hinge in suitable fashion at the end a guard rail e and at both sides, and
preferably to the ends of the rail c, guard rails c¹, c¹, each of which is turned to,
and maintained by appropriate means in, an upright position to hinder the
inconvenient displacement of the clothes when the bed is in use. The said means
may consist of a reduced part on each rail el, at its end remote from the rail c,
adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn from a hole in the adjoining portion of
the frame.
To the centre and foot sections B and C, the spring fabric F to constitute
the mattress bottom or centre is fitted transversely instead of longitudinally as
customary, that is to say it runs parallel to the ends of the bed instead of the sides.
By this disposition, ease in folding and unfolding and compactness in the folded
position result. This fabric is indicated as a chain and spring fabric, but of
course it may be of any other suitable kind.
Steel laths a², a are illustrated as forming the bottom or centre of the section A,
but they may be replaced by the fabric F if desired.
Stretchers G, G are located as at present and are, as shown at g, g, preferably
pivoted to the bedstead so that they may fold up with the bedstead, convenience
thereby accruing.
Assuming the bed is unfolded, as shown in Fig. 1: then to fold it, the lateral
guard rails c, c are turned towards each other and the end rail c turned to lie over
them upon the foot section C, which is then lifted and turned inwardly to lie upon
the centre section B, which is next turned into a vertical, or approximately
vertical position. Simultaneously with the folding of these two sections, the
bedstead is pushed towards the furniture D until the hinges uniting the head and
centre sections A and P pass over the supporting brackets d', d' whereupon the
head section A turns downwardly and is also drawn forward whereby the bedstead
and mattress approach very near, or, as shown in Fig. 2, rest on, the bottom of
the furniture D; the pivots d, d and the slots a¹, a¹ permitting the longitudinal
and radial movements described. Thus economy in space accrues as compared
with the known arrangements.
The maintenance of the folded position of the bedstead within the furniture, the

page_text: folding of the legs and the stowing of the clothes are all accomplished as at
present; Fig. 2 shows the bedstead secured by a hook H engaging the fabric F.
In unfolding the foot and centre sections C and B, the head section A is raised
and pushed rearwards, and then drawn forwards over the supporting brackets d', d¹
to assume the necessary position for use.
Referring now to Fig. 6, to which the same letters and numerals employed in
the preceding figures apply, it will be seen that for portable beds, the bedstead and
mattress are arranged and adapted to fold as described, but the head and foot
sections A and C are reversed, that is to say, the head section A becomes the foot
section and the foot section C with its guard rails c, c¹ the head section, extra
feet E', E¹ being provided on the sections A and B for adequately supporting them
in use.
It will be understood that when the bedstead and its adjuncts form a secret bed
as already described in regard to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, they can be readily
removed from the furniture to form a portable bed, or vice versa, the section
acting as the head in the former case and as the foot in the other being furnished
with feet capable of folding up when not required for use, or of expeditious attach-
ment and detachment, all as shown in, and as will be readily understood from,
Fig. 6 which represents a similar bedstead to that illustrated in the prior figures
removed from the furniture D.
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 combination and arrangement of parts constituting a folding combined
bedstead and mattress adapted for use either as a secret or portable bed, sub-
stantially as herein described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In folding combined bedsteads and mattresses for secret beds, attaching the
head section to the furniture so that it can move during the folding and unfolding
of the bedstead, substantially as set forth.
3. In secret beds, the combination of a folding combined bedstead and mattress
having a head section provided with lateral slots in its frame, with pins or pivots
disposed within the furniture so as to co-act with the slots in the said section to
permit radial and longitudinal movement of the same, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore set forth.
4. In folding combined bedsteads and mattresses, the combination with the
section forming the foot section in a secret bed, of hinged end and lateral guard
rails for retaining the clothes in position on the bed in use, and also serving to
form the head of a portable bed, when the bedstead and mattress are removed from
the furniture, substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.