Improvements in and connected with Bedsteads and Couches.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 20th Sept., 1890
COBIT LEIE SIMULE TUATION.
Improvements in and connected with Bedsteads and Couches.
I, MAX RITTBERGER of Potsdam in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire,
Merchant, 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 bedsteads and couches with adjustable head rests and it
has for its object to enable the occupant of the bed or couch to adjust the position of
his bead and the upper part of his body without the assistance of a third party.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Figure 1 is an elevation of a couch having these improvements applied thereto;
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are details ;
;
Figure is a plan of part of a bedstead or spring mattress also with these
improvements applied thereto; and
Figure 7 is an elevation of Figure 6.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 it will be seen that on one side of the
couch I arrange a hand wheel a, which is by preference suitably covered and
protected. This wheel is mounted upon a rotary shaft mounted in suitable bearings
and provided with a double screw thread b. On the screwed part of the shaft there
is mounted a nut d in the lower side of which there is fixed a pin or stud e the
lower end of which engages in a slot f formed in one limb of a bell crank lever g
(Figure 4). The bell crank lever is pivoted at v to the bracket or fixing so as to
turn thereon. The other limb g of the bell crank lever has a slot formed thereon or
connected therewith as shewn at k where the slot is formed by means of a metal rod i
bent twice at right angles and secured to the limb g² of the bell crank lever. Within
the slot there is a friction roller mounted on a stud fixed to the carriage n which
is capable of sliding on the angle iron rails o and which may have affixed to its under
side the stop g to prevent lateral or vertical motion.
Upon the end of the carriage further from or nearer to the head of the couch,
there is a hinge joint r to which the bow lever s is connected. This bow lever engages
by means of the pivots t upon each of its ends, with the levers v' and v² secured to the
inovable head rest or support. Between the cross-piece w of the head rest u and the
head board of the couch frame there are strong spiral springs which are omitted in
the drawings for the sake of greater clearness.
The apparatus is operated by turning the hand wheel a which causes the nut d to
slide in one or the other direction on the screwed shaft b and thus alters the position
of the bell crank lever g through the pin e. The carriage n is consequently also
moved and its motion is communicated through the bow levers to the head rest
which is thereby raised or lowered.
When the apparatus is applied to a bedstead the modification represented in
Figures 6 and 7 may be employed. In this case two hand wheels a¹ are mounted one
on each end of the rotary shaft which has formed on it right and left hand screw
threads respectively, as shewn at 61 and 62. Upon each of these screwed parts there
is mounted a nut d' having a pin or pivot engaging in the levers el and respectively.
In the opposite ends of these levers there are slots both of which engage with the
stud or pin g' on the carriage h'. The arrangement and operation of the other parts
is as bereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive.

page_text: 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,
An apparatus for adjusting the movable head rests of couches and bedsteads,
constructed arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of August A.D. 1890.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,..
Agent for the Applicant.