AN IMPROVED SOFA OR TRANSFORMABLE BED
Year: 1864

page_text: .LETTERS PATENT to Edward Cowles, of Hounslow, in the County of
Middlesex, Machinist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SOFA OR
TRANSFORMABLE BED."
Sealed the 16th August 1864, and dated the 8th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Cowles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
March 1864.
I, EDWARD COWLES, of Hounslow, in the County of Middlesex, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SOFA
OR TRANSFORMABLE BED," to be as follows:-
According to this Invention, which refers to that class of sofas intended to
serve the purpose of either sofa or bedstead, as required, I employ a frame,
which may be similar in general form or appearance to the frames of sofas as
ordinarily constructed. In connection with this frame I make use of two
stuffed or spring beds, cushions, or mattrasses, placed one above the other, so
that the upper one may serve the purposes of the ordinary sofa seat, and that
when the sofa is required to be used or employed for the purposes of a bed-
stead the upper mattrass or cushion may at once be drawn forward nearly to the
extent of its width and the lower one lifted up and retained in a position level
with it. For these purposes the two cushions or mattrasses are framed round,

page_text: the upper one being formed at each end with a slightly projecting ledge, which
takes into a corresponding groove formed at each end of the couch, and the
lower one when not in use resting at each end upon a ledge or projection or
projections, whereby it is prevented from falling. At the under side, and near
to each end of the lower cushion or mattrass, are hinged or otherwise suitably
jointed or attached two or more boards or other suitable pieces, which when
the lower mattrass or cushion is unemployed lie flat against it or are otherwise
situated or placed so as to be out of use, but are so connected with the cords
or other means whereby the cushion when required is lifted to the higher
level that the act of lifting causes them to turn upon their hinges or to be
otherwise moved so that when the mattrass or cushion has arrived at its proper
height or level they shall pass above the ledges or projections on which the
mattrass had previously rested, and support it in its new position. When it
is required to make use of the sofa for the purposes of a bedstead the upper
mattrass or cushion is drawn forward as described, and its outer edge is
supported by means of legs hinged to its under side, which when out of use fit
into suitable recesses formed therein or by other suitable arrangement, and
the lower mattrass is then lifted up level with it as previously explained. To
again place the parts in their original positions it is only necessary to slightly
raise the inner cushion by means of a set of cords or handles provided for the
purpose, which being attached so as to draw or move the hinged boards or
other pieces in the contrary direction to those used in raising the cushion,
have the effect of drawing or moving them from abovo the ledges or
projections, and thus allowing the mattrass or cushion to drop into its
original position, and the other mattrass or cushion to be moved backwards
over it. A similar arrangement of lifting cushion or cushions is applicable
also to desks and other articles of furniture, which may thus conveniently and
without disfigurement be rendered available for the purposes of beds..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the, said Edward Cowles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
COWLES, of Hounslow, in the County of Middlesex, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters'
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Cowles, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Cowles, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Cowles, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED SOFA OR TRANS-
FORMABLE BED," upon the condition (amongst others) that. I, the said, Edward
Cowles, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
ör their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Cowles, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
According to this Invention, which refers to that class of sofas intended to
serve the purpose of either sofa or bedstead, as required; I employ à frame,
which may be similar in general form or appearance to the frames of sofas as
ordinarily constructed. In connection with this frame I make use of two
stuffed or spring beds, cushions, or mattrasses, placed one above the other, so
that the upper one may serve the purposes of the ordinary sofa seat, and that
when the sofa is required to be used or employed for the purposes of a bed-
stead the upper mattrass or cushion may at once be drawn forward nearly to
the extent of its width, and the lower one lifted up and retained in a position.
level with it. For these purposes the two cushious or mattrasses are framed
round, the upper one being formed at each end with a slightly projecting
ledge, which takes into a corresponding groove formed at each end of the
couch, and the lower one when not in use resting at each end upon a ledge or
projection or projections, whereby it is prevented from falling. At the under
side, and near to each end of the lower cushion or mattrass, are hinged or
otherwise suitably jointed or attached two or more boards or other suitable
pieces, which when the lower mattrass or cushion is unemployed .lie flat
against it or are otherwise situated or placed so as to be out of use, but are so
connected with the cords or other means whereby the cushion when required
is lifted to the higher level that the act of lifting causes them to turn. upon

page_text: their hinges or to be otherwise moved, so that when the mattrass or cushion
has arrived at its proper height or level they shall pass above the ledges or
projections on which the mattrass had previously rested, and support it in its
new position. When it is required to make use of the sofa for the purposes
of a bedstead, the upper mattrass or cushion is drawn forward as described,
and its outer edge is supported by means of legs hinged to its under side,
which when out of use fit into suitable recesses formed therein, or by other
suitable arrangement, and the lower mattrass is then lifted up level with it as
previously explained. To again place the parts in their original positions, it is
only necessary to slightly raise the inner cushion by means of a set of cords
or handles provided for the purpose, which being attached so as to draw or
move the hinged boards or other pieces in the contrary direction to those used
in raising the cushion, have the effect of drawing or moving them from above
the ledges or projections, and thus allowing the mattrass or cushion to drop
into its original position, and the other mattrass or cushion to be moved back-
ward over it. A similar arrangement of lifting cushion or cushions is appli-
cable also to desks and other articles of furniture, which may thus conveniently
and without disfigurement be rendered available for the purposes of beds.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a sofa constructed according
to my Invention; and Fig. 2, a cross section of the same.
a represents the framing of the sofa, formed at each end with a ledge b,
upon which rests the spring or other mattrass or cushion c, having hinged
or jointed to it (at each end) a piece d. To the pieces d are attached strings or
bands e, f, intended for the purposes of raising and lowering the mattrass or
cushion c as required. Above the mattrass or cushion c is another mattrass
or cushion 9, which is supported by means of tongues or feathers formed upon
or attached to its ends, and taking into corresponding rabbets or grooves
formed in the framework of the sofa, and which permit it to be drawn or slid
forward from above the cushion c, in which (forward) position it may be
supported by suitable legs h, i, hinged to its under side, as shewn drawn to an
enlarged scale at Figs. 7 and 8, and when out of use fitting into recesses
formed in the under side of the frame of the mattrass (as shewn in Fig. 3) to
receive them.
The relative positions of the parts of my Invention as represented in
Figs. 1 and 2 are such as they would be in when in use for the purposes
of a sofa or couch.
In order to arrange the parts for the purposes of a bedstead, the upper

page_text: mattrass or cushion g must be slid forward into the position shown in the cross
section, Fig. 4, and the legs h, i, dropped down to support it, as represented.
The mattrass or cushion c must then be lifted up by means of the bands or
strings e level with the mattrass or cushion 9, when the act of lifting will cause
the ends of the pieces d to be turned down and drawn outwards, so that when
the mattrass or cushion has been raised sufficiently high they will pass above
and rest upon the ledges 6, thus supporting the mattrass or cushion c level
with the cushion g, as shewn at Figs. 3 and 4, the former of which represents
a front elevation, partly in section, of the sofa with the mattrasses in position
to form a bed, as described, and the latter a cross section of the same.
Fig. 5 is a section, drawn to an enlarged scale, shewing one of the ledges b
and the manner in which the corresponding piece d rests upon it and supports
the mattrass c.
When it is required to restore the parts to their former positions for use as
a sofa, it is only necessary to draw the strings or bands f upward, which will
at once draw the pieces d from over the ledges b, as shewn at Fig. 6, and will
thus allow the mattrass or cushion c to drop or be lowered, and the mattrass
or cushion 9 (after the legs h, i, have been turned up into their recesses) to be
slid back into its original place.
g
It is obvious that a similar construction or combination of lifting and sliding
mattrasses or cushions supported as described may be made use of for rendering
various other articles of furniture, such as chairs, desks, or tables, available
for the purposes of beds, adapted for situations where it may be inconvenient
or otherwise undesirable to employ special articles of furniture solely for that
purpose.
Figs. 9 and 10 represent a convertible chair constructed according to my
said Invention, Fig. 9 being a vertical section of the same when in use as a
chair, and Fig. 10 a corresponding view shewing the relative positions of the
parts when arranged to serve as a bed or couch. The seat of the chair is
constructed in a manner similar to that of the sofa already described, and the
mattrasses or cushions are similarly lettered. In order, however, to attain
sufficient length for the purposes of a bed or couch the back (k) of the chair
is attached to it by hinges, and carries a segmental notched rack, which
enables it to be set back at any angle.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same may be performed, I wish it to be
understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise arrangements or
details represented, but that I claim the construction and use of sofas and
other articles of furniture convertible to the purposes of beds by means of one

page_text: or more mattrasses or cushions capable of being raised up and retained in
position, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Cowles, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE,
Chandos Chambers,
Adelphi.
EDWARD (L.B.) COWLES.