Improvements in or relating to Box-ottoman Couches and the like, and their Fittings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Box-ottoman Couches and the like,
and their Fittings.
I, FREDERICK PARKER of 280 Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In box-ottoman couches and the like, whether opening from one side or both
sides, the lid being stuffed to act as the couch cushion is of considerable thickness,
usually five or six inches, in consequence of which when the lid was opened the box
or ottoman has hitherto required to be moved away from the wall, the foot of the
bed, or the like against which it normally stood, to the extent of the thickness of
this lid, as otherwise the lid could not have been opened. My present invention
removes this drawback and by this means the lid can be opened either from one or
both sides without the necessity for moving the ottoman.
In carrying out the invention I employ an arrangement of plates and links or
rods which may be arranged in the following manner.
To the end of the box
inside, I pivot a rod having conveniently a T or similar head at its free end which
before the apparatus is fixed is passed through a slotted plate secured to the under-
side of the lid. A second of these pivotted rods works in another groove or in a
continuation of the same groove in the same plate or a second plate may be
employed, the second rod being arranged so as to work clear of the first rod con-
veniently by placing it in another vertical plane and it may be pivotted to a rail
which I prefer to fix inside the end of the box to act as a support or slide for the
lid as will presently be understood. The rods may conveniently be pivotted to
plates which can be screwed to the box and rail. The pivots of the rods would
be at opposite sides of the box though at the same end so that the rods would cross
each other and to facilitate or cause the sliding or travelling of the lid as it is
opened upon the box I prefer to make both rods and slotted plates of a length so
much shorter than the breadth of the box that the lid in opening will be drawn
inwards sliding upon the above described rail or upon the end of the box and will
thus when open not project or only to a very slight extent beyond the back of
the box.
A similar set of apparatus would be fixed upon the other end of the box and lid
and would operate in a similar manner. It will be apparent that instead of the
T headed rods and slotted plates other equivalent devices could be used which
would work in a similar manner.
Where it is only desired to open the lid from one side one rod only is required at
each end of the box and this rod may be pivotted by one end to the inside of the
box and by the other end to the inside of the lid, the operation being substantially
the same as that already described.
Although I have described the use of rods I may use tubes, flat plates or other
convenient forms of apparatus and in the case of the single rods I may pivot the
ends of the rods or equivalent in what is known in the trade as "boxes" that is a
flat plate adapted to be screwed to the lid and having projecting lugs between which
the rod is pivotted.
Dated this 6th day of April 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Box-ottoman Couches and the like,
and their Fittings.
J, FREDERICK PARKER of 280 Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Upholsterer, 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 :-
In box-ottoman couches and the like, whether opening from one side or both
sides, the lid being stuffed to act as the couch cushion is of considerable thickness,
usually five or six inches, in consequence of which when the lid was opened the box
or ottoman has hitherto required to be moved away from the wall, the foot of the
bed, or the like against which it normally stood, to the extent of the thickness of
this lid, as otherwise the lid could not have been opened. My present invention
removes this drawback and by this means the lid can be opened either from one or
both sides without the necessity for moving the ottoman.
In carrying out the invention I employ an arrangement of plates and links or
rods which may be arranged in the manner hereafter described.
The invention is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings where the
lid is shown partly open and drawn inwards towards the centre of the box,
Figure 2 representing a detail on a larger scale.
Like letters represent.like parts throughout the drawings.
To each end A of the box A A' inside, 1 pivot as at B' a rod B- having conve-
niently a Tor similar head B' Figure 2 at its free end, which, before the apparatus
is fixed is passed through a slotted plate C secured to the underside of the lid A³.
A second, riz. B³, of these pivotted rods works in another slotted plate C or in a
continuation of the same slot in the same plate or a second plate may be employed
as shown in Figure 1, the second rod B being arranged so as to work clear of the
first rod B conveniently by placing it in another vertical plane and it may be
pivotted to a rail A³ which I prefer to fix inside at or near the end of the box to
act as a support or slide for the lid A' as will presently be understood, each rail A
being preferably faced with a metal bar as indicated at D and the lid A³ preferably
provided with metal shoes E for sliding on D, for this purpose. The bars D are
conveniently formed with upturned ends D' so that the box-lid will be held in a
central position when it is closed. The rods B B may conveniently be pivotted
to plates B which can be screwed to the box ends A and rail A³ as shown. The
pivots B of the rods B B³ would be at opposite sides of the box though at
the same end so that the rods would cross each other and to facilitate or cause the
sliding or travelling of the lid as it is opened upon the box I prefer to make both
rods and slotted plates of a length so much shorter than the breadth of the box that
the lid A in opening will be drawn inwards sliding upon the above described
rail A or upon the end A of the box and will thus, when open, not project or only
to a very slight extent beyond the back or front A' of the box.
A similar set of apparatus is as shown in Figure 1 fixed at the other end of the
box and lid and operates in a similar manner. It will be apparent that instead of
the T headed rods B B or B2 B3 and slotted plates C other equivalent devices
could be used which would work in a similar manner.
When the lid is raised it acts somewhat after the manner of a lever the T-heads 'B'
at the side nearest the hinging edge fulfilling the function of a fulcrum and the
hinging edge being drawn inwards over the box A A' as the then upper edge of the
lid is moved outwards, the other T-heads B' meanwhile sliding in their slotted
plates C. When the lid is lowered the hinging edge is automatically moved
outwards in the reverse manner to that in which it was previously moved
inwards when the lid was raised. The various parts of the device are preferably

page_text: so arranged that the lid may be opened to a vertical position or slightly beyond
a vertical position so that it will remain open without being held.
Where it is only desired to open the lid from one side, one rod only is required
at each end of the box and this rod may be pivotted by one end to the inside of
the box and by the other end to the inside of the lid, the operation as regards
the movement of the hinging edge of the lid being substantially the same as
that already described.
Although I have described the use of rods I may use tubes, flat plates or the
like the word "rod" mentioned in the claims including such equivalent devices,
and in the case of the single rods I may pivot the ends of the rods or equivalent in
what is known in the trade as "boxes," that is a flat plate adapted to be screwed to
the lid and having projecting lugs between which the rod is pivotted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The combination with a box couch or the like of a device so arranged that
when the box lid is raised its hinging edge is automatically drawn or moved inwards
or over the box.
2. The combination with a box couch or the like of two devices or sets of devices
so arranged that the box-lid may be raised from either side and when raised its
hinging edge is automatically drawn or moved inwards or over the box.
3. In a box couch or the like a device for automatically drawing or moving the
hinging edge of the lid inwards or over the box when the lid is raised consisting of
a rod one end of which is pivotted at a fixed point to the box and the other end by
a slotted connection to the lid substantially as described.
4. In a box couch or the like a device for automatically drawing or moving the
hinging edge of the lid inwards or over the box when the lid is raised consisting of
a T-headed rod such as B B pivotted at one end to the box and connected at the
other end to the box lid by a slotted plate such as C and its head B' substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete automatic
box-couch-lid adjusting device substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
EL
T1901