Improvements in Folding Cots, Cribs, Cradles, Baby Baskets, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Cots, Cribs, Cradles, Baby Baskets, and
the like.
We, GEORGE HENRY NEEDHAM, of 7 Cologne Road, Wandsworth, in the
County of Surrey, Gunmaker, and WILLIAM SMITH, of the firm of Stapley &
Smith, of 128 London Wall, in the City of London, Warehouseman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention refers to improvements as hereafter described in folding cots, cribs,
infants' baskets, and the like, and primarily consists in the employment of crossbars
or straight supports forming legs crossed and jointed together about centrally
between the upper and lower folding frames forming the cradle; the crossed
supports are jointed at their upper ends to the folding upper frame, and the said
supports are also jointed to the similar lower folding frames, whilst the folding
frames of the cradle are themselves jointed centrally between the crossing bars.
A flat piece of spring metal is placed vertically connected to the top and bottom
joints of the folding cradle frames, and is formed with an aperture to take the pin
or stud of the central joint of the crossing bars. These latter crossing bars,
forming legs at each end of the cradle, are connected by bars passing underneath
the cradle, and the structure may be further strengthened by tie rods or bars from
the central part of the connecting rods, extending say down to or near the castors
which are provided at the ends of the end crossing legs.
By this construction, the flat spring being withdrawn from the stud, the top and
bottom frames of the cradle fall, and with them the cross bars come together, and
the whole cot, crib, cradle, or basket becomes folded together into a flat and compact
form for storage or otherwise.
Instead of the cradle frames falling when closed, the said frames may be arranged
to fold upwards instead of downwards.
Instead of the crossing legs being pivoted to the folding cradle top frame, they
may be provided with studs and work in slots made in the metal composing the top
frames, or the ends of the legs may have sleeves and slide on rods on or carried by
the said folding cradle frames.
Instead of the legs crossing centrally and being pivotted together between the
upper and lower frames of the cradle, the said legs may cross at the lower frame
and be pivotted thereto.
We may provide a tester rod or canopy, and when such is fitted we prefer to
joint the lower end of same to the lower frame of the cradle while the upper frame
joint carries a sleeve through which the rod passes, the latter being jointed so that
when the cradle is open the joint will be in the sleeve and the rod upright, and
when the cradle is folded the removal of the sleeve will allow the rod to fold.
Dated this 26th day of October 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Cots, Cribs, Cradles, Baby Baskets, and
the like.
We, GEORGE HENRY NEEDHAM, of 7 Cologne Road, Wandsworth, in the
County of Surrey, Gunmaker, and WILLIAM SMITH, of the firm of Stapley &
Smith, of 128 London Wall, in the City of London, Warehouseman, 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 :--
Our invention refers to improvements as hereafter described in folding cots,
cribs, infants' baskets, and the like, and will be readily. understood by the following
description having reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation shewing our invention applied to a folding infant's cot
or crib, and shewing the same in its opened out position;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cot or crib shewn at Fig. 1, aud
Fig. 3 is an end view of the same in its closed position.
According to our invention we provide two crossbars or straight supports A A,
forming legs at each end of the cradle, each pair being crossed and jointed together
at A' about centrally between the upper folding frame B and the lower folding
frame C of the cradle. The ends of the two frames B and C are respectively
jointed or pivotted together at B' and C. The crossed supports A. A are jointed
at their upper ends to the folding upper frame B, and the said supports are also
jointed or pinned to the similar lower folding frame C. D is a flat piece of spring
metal placed vertically and connected to the top and bottom joints B₁ and C' of
the folding cradle frames B and C, and is formed with an aperture to take the
inwardly projecting ends of the pins or studs of the central joints A' A' of the
crossing bars A. A. These latter crossing bars A A, forming legs at each end of
the cradle as aforesaid, are connected by bars E passing underneath the cradle,
and the structure may be further strengthened by tie rods or bars F from the
central part of the connecting rods E, extending, say, down to or near the
castors G, which are provided at the ends of the end crossing legs A A.
In order to close or fold the cot or cradle, the flat springs D are each simul-
taneously drawn or bent inwards, by grasping or pulling upon, say, loops of cord,
chain, or the like as shewn at Fig. 2 attached to the said springs D; the springs D
are thus withdrawn from engagement with the inward extension of the joint pins
at A'A', the top and bottom frames fold together, and with them the crossbars A A
come together, and the whole cot, crib, cradle, or basket becomes folded together
into a flat and compact form for storage or otherwise, as illustrated at Fig. 3 of
the drawings.
Instead of the cradle frames falling when closed, as shewn, it will be readily
understood that the said frames may be easily arranged to fold upwards instead
of downwards.
Instead of the crossing legs being pivotted or pinned to the folding cradle top
frame B, they may be provided with studs and work in slots made in the metal
composing the top frame B, or the ends of the legs A may have sleeves and slide
on rods on or carried by the said folding cradle frames B.
Instead of the legs crossing centrally and being pivotted together at A' between
the upper and lower frames B C of the cradle, the said legs may cross at the lower
frame and be pivotted thereto.
Both the folding frames and the legs and other parts may be made of bent wood,
bent as desired, in substitution for metal, and such frames and legs, whatever be
the material composing same, may be painted, plated, enamelled, or otherwise
covered or decorated according to requirements and may be covered with webbing,
netting or fabric, or the sides formed of metal bars and our invention is not limited
1

page_text: to supporting infants' cradles or cots, as the same, as will be gathered from the
foregoing description, may readily be applied to baby-baskets, sewing or work-
baskets, flower stands, and the like. When applied to flower-stands, the invention
affords the advantage that in winter time, for example, or when not required, such
articles may be folded and stored away with great convenience.
We may provide a tester rod or canopy H, Fig. 2, and when such is fitted we
joint or socket the lower end of same either to the lower frame of the cradle, or to
an extension of the joint pin A'; this pin is formed with a socket into which the
end of the tester rod fits, and the latter is secured by a set screw.
The upper
frame joint pin carries a sleeve J through which the rod H passes, the sleeve J
being jointed so that when the cradle is open, the rod may be placed upright, and
when the cradle is folded, the joint of the sleeve will allow the rod to fold. A
small screw or stop H₁ is fitted near to the end of the rod H to prevent the latter
being drawn from the pivotted sleeve J and becoming mislaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In folding cots, cribs, cradles, baby-baskets, and the like, the folding legs A A
pivotted together at their crossing point, connected to the folding cradle or other
frame, and braced together by stays E and F, in combination with the folding
cradle or other frames, held in an expanded position by a spring part D taking
onto a projecting pin of the stand or leg portion, all substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. In folding cots, cribs, cradles, baby baskets, and the like, the combination with
the folding stand portion A E F and the folding cradle or equivalent frame, held
expanded by having a spring part D to take onto a projecting part of the stand or
legs; of a tester or canopy rod H, arranged to fold over the main portion of the
structure when the latter is folded, all constructed and arranged substantially as
described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of April 1893.