Improvements in Folding Bed Bottoms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Bed Bottoms.
I, STILES RAYMOND, of Minneapolis, in the County of Hennepin and State of
Minnesota, United States of America, Music Teacher, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to folding bed bottoms, in which the head and foot cross
pieces have metal socket frames attached to their ends.
The side pieces of the main frame are each formed in two pieces, hinged together
on the underside at their centres, and with tenons fitting into the sockets. The
end pieces are connected together by a flexible webbing, which may be of woven
wire, cordage, canvas, or other similar suitable flexible material, said webbing being
secured to the outer sides of the end pieces and thence passing over the upper edges
thereof, whereby when weight is placed thereon the tendency of the end pieces is to
twist on the tenons, which twisting tendency is resisted and overcome, as hereinafter
described.
The sockets are formed with a lip or rib, fitting into a channel in the end of the
head and foot or end pieces, and projecting downward below the end pieces, and
carried inward and upward again and secured by webs to the end pieces by bolts or
rivets.
By this means the openings in the sockets come entirely below the end pieces,
and the sockets do not come in contact with the webbing to chafe the latter. This
also permits of the formation of a deep shoulder on the upper side of the side
pieces, so that a broad bearing surface is obtained the full width of the thickness of
the end pieces, which is an important feature, as the end thrust on the side pieces
is very great. This manner of forming the sockets also enables me to secure them
to the end pieces with only one or two bolts passing through the end pieces back
from the ends far enough so as to not weaken them. The hinges are formed with
lips or upwardly-extending flanges at the extremities of their wings, said lips-being
embedded in the lower faces of the adjacent ends of the side pieces to overcome the
longitudinal pull to which the side pieces are subjected on account of the inclines of
their meeting faces.
When the bed is not required for use, or when being transported, the side pieces
are "broken" upward at their joints, the tenons removed from the sockets, and
the web rolled up around the end pieces, either with the side pieces rolled up with
them or in a separate bundle, as preferred.
Then when it is desired to use the bed, the web is unrolled and the side pieces
set in place, with their tenons in their respective sockets and the side pieces bent
down until their ends are in contact, this action stretching the webbing tightly, (the
latter being somewhat shorter than the side pieces to insure this result).
"
This ability to stretch the webbing is an important function of this device, and
is easily secured, as before stated, by making the webbing slightly shorter than the
side pieces and utilizing the "toggle or knee joint principal present in the
jointed side pieces to stretch the webbing by the exercise of a small degree of force
in closing the joints at the hinges, this small degree of force when transmitted
through the toggle joint exerting a very powerful force upon the webbing. The
tenons on the side pieces are formed nearer the lower edge whereby the point of
outward thrust is thrown below the upper edge of the end pieces where the webbing
passes over, thereby greatly decreasing the chance of breaking the joint at the
hinge by any accidental upward movement, as the tendency of the web when weight
is placed thereon is to pull the upper edges of the end pieces toward each other,

page_text: and this tendency is resisted by the tenon in the socket and the shoulder on the
side pieces above the tenon, against which abuts the inner side of the end piece.
Dated this 5th day of May-1892.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Bed Bottoms.
I, STILES RAYMOND of Minneapolis, in the County of Hennepin, and State of
Minnesota, United States of America, Music Teacher, 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 folding bed bottoms; and it consists in the construction,
combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter shown and described, and
specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the bed bottoms complete and set up.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view representing the hinged side pieces detached and
folded together.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the webbing and the attached end pieces partially
folded together.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view representing a section of one end of one of
the end pieces, a section of one end of one of the side pieces, and one of the corner
socket frames disconnected to illustrate their relative construction.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the corner socket frames viewed from the
inside.
A represents the "head" and A² the "foot" cross pieces, having metal socket
frames B attached to their ends. The side pieces of the main frame are each
formed in two pieces D' D³, hinged together on the under side at their centres, as
shown at a, and with the tenons b¹ fitting into the sockets. The end pieces A¹ A³
are connected by a flexible webbing E, which may be of woven wire, cordage,
canvas, or other similar suitable flexible material, said webbing being secured to
the outer sides of the end pieces and thence passing over the upper edges thereof,
whereby when weight is placed thereon the tendency of the end pieces is to twist on
the tenons, which twisting tendency is resisted and overcome, as hereinafter
described. The sockets B are formed as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5.
These sockets B are formed with a lip or rib d', fitting into a channel d' in the end
of the head and foot or end pieces A¹ A², and projecting downward below the
pieces AA and carried inward and upward again and secured by webs d to the
pieces A Aby bolts or rivets. By this means the openings in the sockets come
entirely below the pieces A' A' and the sockets do not come in contact with the
webbing to chafe the latter. This also permits of the formation of a deep
shoulder on the upper side of the side pieces, so that a broad bearing surface is
obtained the full width of the thickness of the end pieces A' A², which is an
important feature, as the end thrust on the side pieces D1 D2 is very great. This
manner of forming the sockets B also enables me to secure them to the end pieces.
with only one or two bolts passing through the end pieces back from the ends far
enough so as to not weaken them. The hinges a are formed with lips or upwardly
extending flanges at the extremities of their wings, said lips being embedded in the
lower faces of the adjacent ends of the side pieces to overcome the longitudinal
pull to which the side pieces are subjected on account of the inclines of their
meeting faces.
are
When the bed is not required for use or when being transported, the side pieces
"broken" upward at their joints, as shown in Fig. 2, the tenons 6' removed
from the sockets B, and the web rolled up around the end pieces, either with the
1

page_text: side pieces rolled up with them or in a separate bundle, as preferred. Then when
it is desired to use the bed the web is unrolled and the side pieces set in place, with
their tenons in their respective sockets and the side pieces bent down until their
ends e are in contact, this action stretching the webbing tightly, (the latter being
somewhat shorter than the side pieces to insure this result). This ability to stretch
the webbing is an important function of this device, and is easily secured, as before
stated, by making the webbing slightly shorter than the side pieces and utilizing
the "toggle" or "knee" joint principle present in the jointed side pieces to stretch
the webbing, by the exercise of a small degree of force in closing the joints at the
hinges a, this small degree of force when transmitted through the toggle-joint
exerting a very powerful force upon the webbing. It will be noted that the
tenons on the side pieces are formed nearer the lower edge, whereby the point
of outward thrust is thrown below the upper edge of the end pieces where the
webbing passes over, thereby greatly decreasing the chance of breaking the joint
at hinge a by any accidental upward movement, as the tendency of the web
when weight is placed thereon is to pull the upper edges of the end pieces toward
each other and this tendency is resisted by the tenon in the socket and the shoulder
on the side pieces above the tenon, against which abuts the inner side of the end
piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a folding bed-bottom, the combination, with the end pieces provided with
sockets on their ends, of a flexible connection between said end pieces, said webbing
or flexible connection being secured to the outer sides of the end pieces, and side
bars hinged at their middle and having their ends inserted in the sockets in the
cross bars, said side bars being downwardly inclined toward their middle when
in position for use, substantially as described.
2. In a folding bed-bottom, the combination, with the end pieces provided with
metal sockets on their ends, of a flexible connection between said end pieces, said
connection being secured to the outer sides of the end pieces, side bars hinged in
their middle and provided with tenons on their ends fitting in the sockets, said side
bars being downwardly inclined toward their hinged portion when in use, and
hinges having their outer ends embedded in the under side of the contiguous ends of
the side bars, substantially as described.
3. In a folding bed-bottom, the combination, with the end pieces, of sockets on
the ends of said end pieces, said sockets being formed with lips entering the end
pieces and extending downwardly and inwardly to form sockets on the lower sides,
a flexible connection between the end pieces, said connection being secured on the
outer edges and passing over the end pieces, sectional side bars provided with
tenons on their ends adapted to enter the sockets, and a hinge provided with lips
on its outer edge embedded in the lower side of the side bars, said side bars having
their continuous edges cut at an obtuse angle, thus forming double inclined side
bars, whereby when pressure is put upon the webbing passing over the upper side
of the end pieces the tendency of the weight is to always maintain a rigid connec-
tion between the sections of the side bars, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of January 1893.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.