Improvements in Folding Bedsteads.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Bedsteads.
I, JAMES WELSH PEPPER, of Southwest Corner of Broad and Oxford Streets,
Philadelphia, County of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States
of America, Publisher, 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:-
My invention consists in providing the head and foot members of a folding
bedstead with jointed side rails connecting the same, and a bed bottom adapted
when the bedstead is folded, to occupy an upright or comparatively upright
position so that the side rails may be folded without the bending of the bed
bottom.
The device consists of head and foot members provided with broad bases or
double feet adapted to support said members in the upright position independent
of any sustaining co-operation on the part of the jointed side rails, said projecting
base or supplemental legs of one member adapted to pass the projecting base or
supplemental legs of the other member so that said head and foot members may
be brought into close proximity.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bedstead in
the unfolded position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation
of same in the folded position. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line X X of Figure 2.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line Y Y of Fig. 3.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views.
The head and foot members a and b are pivotally connected by hinged or
jointed side rails. These rails each consist of two parts or sections c and d and e and f
jointed or hinged as at g. To the pair of sections cand e is secured the mattress
frame or bed bottom h, its free end when the bedstead is unfolded being adapted
to rest freely upon the sections d and f or upon flanges thereof, or projections
therefrom.
As the head and foot members are loosely pivoted to the jointed side rails and
consequently do not receive the support afforded by rigidly secured side rails,
said head and foot members are provided with board bases or supplemental feet i
which enable the said head and foot members to maintain the vertical position
independently of any support from the side rails.
When the side rail sections are doubled or folded together as shown in Fig. 3
which brings the head and foot members in close proximity, the bed bottom
being secured to the side rail sections cand e follows the direction of said
sections and, when the bed is folded, occupies approximately the vertical position.
When the bed is unfolded the bed bottom following the direction of the said
sections cand e assumes the horizontal position and the end of said bottom h
which projects beyond c and e is adapted to rest upon projections or flanges of the
sections d and f.
The supplemental legs i of the foot member bare of narrower gage than those
of head member a and are adapted to pass between the latter as shown in Fig. 5.

page_text: The catch j, and co-operating stud n serve to maintain the bedstead in the
folded position.
.
The guards k, and m secured to the head and foot ends of the bed bottom
serve to keep the mattress or other bedding in place, while the guard m may be
adapted to serve the additional purpose of a handle for the manipulation of the
bedstead in folding and unfolding same.
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
1. A folding bedstead having upright head and foot members, side rails pivot-
ally connected therewith formed of sections jointed to each other, a bed bottom
secured to one pair of sections with its free end extending approximately the
length of the other pair of sections and means for supporting said free end, sub-
stantially as described.
2. A folding bedstead having upright head and foot members, each provided
with bases so shaped and disposed as to maintain it in a vertical position indepen-
dently of any support from the side rails, side rails pivotally connected there-
with formed of sections jointed to each other, a bed bottom secured to one pair
of sections with its free end extending approximately the length of the other pair
of sections and means for supporting said free end, substantially as described.
3. A folding bedstead having upright head and foot members, side rails pivot-
ally connected therewith formed of sections jointed to each other, a bed-bottom
secured to one pair of sections with its free end extending approximately the
length of the other pair of sections and provided with guards as means for main-
taining the mattress in place, the guard at the foot end of the bed bottom adapted
to serve as a handle for the manipulation of the bedstead, substantially as
described.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1900
JAMES WELSH PEPPER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.