Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Rigging and Stowing of Folding Berths, Mattress Frames, Couches, and the like on Board Ship, in Barracks, and in other Analogous Situations.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Rigging and Stowing of
Folding Berths, Mattress Frames, Couches, and the like on
Board Ship, in Barracks, and in other Analogous Situations.
I GEORGE LAMB SCOTT of 18 Nelson Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
I
My said invention relates to means for facilitating the rigging up and stowing
away of folding berths, mattress frames and beds on board ship, in barracks or in
other analogous situations where economy of space is a consideration. Generally
speaking where such folding berths are employed, the berths when in use are
supported at the outside on feet, pillars, standards, partitions or bulkheads and these
being usually fixtures they remain as obstructions when the berth has been folded
away. The object of my invention is to dispense with the said outer or end supports
and to suspend the berth when in use entirely from its own pivots thus enabling me
to dispense with the usual end partitions or with the fixed uprights when such are
used. I also provide for the entire removal of the berth or mattress frame if such
should be desired. In a suitable form of my invention as used for example with a
berth or mattress frame composed of angle iron ends and tubular sides I first provide
a plate or bracket fixed to the bulkhead or wall and having a dovetail recess.
also provide another bracket having a dovetail projection which enters the dovetail
recess and thus firmly unites the bracket to the fixed dovetail plate. The said
second bracket is formed with a boss and a step or stop. A third bracket is
pivotted or hinged to the second bracket in such a manner that it may be turned
upward but cannot turn downward owing to the stop or step on the second bracket
abutting against a similar stop or step on the third pivotted bracket. This latter
bracket carries the angle iron end and as there is a bracket at each end,
the berth is supported firmly at the inner side on the two pivotted
brackets, thus enabling me to dispense with outer supports. The berth
can be folded up against the bulkhead or wall out of the way, or it may be removed
bodily by lifting the second brackets out of the dovetail recess in the fixed plates or
it might be by withdrawing the pivot studs. When turned down the berth cannot
go lower than into the horizontal plane. When it is desired to have facilities for
turning the berth down as well as up, so as to form for example a back when the
lower berth is used as a couch, I dispense with the fixed stop and make the
pivotted bracket so that it can revolve through 90 degrees. To provide a stop
when the berth is lying horizontally I bore a pin hole just at the circumference of
both pivot bosses at the position when the berth is lying horizontally and slip the
pin into the hole when the berth is turned down, the pin thus locking the two bosses
together and preventing further revolution. In lieu of this I might provide
removable locking studs which would hold tails projecting from the pivotted brackets
when the berth was turned into the horizontal position the said studs being removed
when it was required to turn the berth down." In some cases the fixed dovetail
plates might be dispensed with and the brackets which support the pivots be
fastened directly to the bulkhead or wall. In such a case the berths or mattress
frames might be shipped or unshipped by removing the pivots. As a simple
modification of the foregoing I might dispense with the pivots and form the fixed
brackets with round, square or other shaped box or open sockets to receive
similarly shaped projections or plugs from the brackets which carry the angle iron
ends. Pins, bolts, cottars or other means may be employed to hold or secure the

page_text: said plugs and sockets together. The said modification might also be used with
the pivots.
Dated this 11th day of September 1890.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Rigging and Stowing of
Folding Berths, Mattress Frames, Couches, and the like on
Board Ship, in Barracks, and in other Analogous Situations.
I GEORGE LAMB SCOTT of 18 Nelson Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Engineer 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 and accompanying drawings:
My said invention relates to means for facilitating the rigging up and stowing
away of folding berths, mattress frames, and beds on board ship, in barracks, or in
other analogous situations where economy of space is a consideration. Generally
speaking where such folding berths are employed the berths when in use are
supported at the outside on feet, pillars, standards, partitions or bulkheads and
these being usually fixtures they remain as obstructions when the berth has been
folded away.
The object of my invention is to dispense with the said outer or end
supports and to suspend the berth when in use entirely from its own pivots thus
enabling me to dispense with the usual end partitions or with the fixed uprights
when such are used. I also provide for the entire removal of the berth or mattress
frame if such should be desired.
For the purpose of rendering my invention more clearly understood I will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same with reference to the annexed two
sheets of drawings.
On Sheet 1 :-
the upper
berth
Fig. 1 shows two examples of my improved folding berth supported from a
bulkhead, the lower berth appearing folded down and ready for
being folded up against the bulkhead.
Fig. 2 is a view of the two berths at right angles to Fig. 1.
On Sheet 2 :-
use,
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate one form of supporting bracket and Figs. 5 and 6 are
modifications.
is
The berth or mattress frame A is composed of angle iron ends a and tubular
sides the frame carrying an elastic mattress surface c. I provide a plate or
bracket d fixed to the bulkhead or wall e and having a dovetail recess.
I also
provide another bracket f having a dovetail projection which enters the dovetail
recess and thus firmly unites the bracket to the fixed dovetail plate d. The
bracket and plate are clearly shown at Figs. 3 and 4 Sheet 2. The said second
bracket f is formed with a boss f¹ and a step or stop f. A third bracket
pivotted or hinged at g' to the second bracket f in such a manner that it may be
turned upward as in the upper berth, past the horizontal position of the lower berth
but cannot be turned downward beyond the horizontal owing to the stop or step f
on the second bracket fabutting against a similar stop or step 2 on the third
pivotted bracket g. This latter bracket g carries the angle iron end a and as there
is a bracket at each end, the berth is supported firmly at the inner side by the two
pivotted brackets thus enabling me to dispense with outer supports. The berth can
be folded up against the bulkhead or wall e out of the way as in the case of the
upper of the two berths shown or it may be removed bodily by lifting the second
brackets out of the dovetail recesses d in the fixed plates d or it might be by
withdrawing the pivot studs g¹. When turned down the berth cannot go lower than
into the horizontal plane. When it is desired to have facilities for turning the

page_text: 2
berth down as well as up so as to form for example a back when the lower berth is
used as a couch I dispense with the fixed stops f g and make the pivotted bracket
so that it can be turned through 90 degrees so that it can be turned downward from
the horizontal plane as well as upward. The bracket I provide in such a case is
illustrated at Fig. 5 in Sheet 2. To provide a stop when the berth is lying
horizontally I bore a pin hole just at the circumference of both pivot bosses at the
position when the berth is lying horizontally and slip the pin k into the hole when
the berth is turned into the horizontal position the pin thus locking the two bosses
together and preventing further revolution. In lieu of this I might provide
removable locking studs which would hold tails projecting from the pivotted
brackets when the berth was turned into the horizontal position the said studs
being removed when it was required to turn the berth down. In some cases the
fixed dovetail plates might be dispensed with and the brackets which support the
pivots be fastened directly to the bulkhead or wall. In such a case the berth or
mattress frames might be shipped or unshipped by removing the pivots. As a
simple modification of the foregoing and as shown at Fig. 6 Sheet 2 I might dispense
with the pivots and form the fixed brackets d with round, square, or other shaped
box or open sockets to receive similarly shaped projections or plugs f from the
brackets which carry the angle iron ends. Pins, bolts or cottars k or other means
may be employed to hold or secure the said plugs and sockets together.
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. The general arrangement and construction of folding berths mattress frames,
couches and the like, substantially as described and as illustrated.
2. Supporting folding berths, couches or the like without the use of feet,
standards or partitions by means of hinged brackets formed or provided with fixed
or removable stops for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown.
3. The means for supporting berths couches or the like without the assistance of
legs standards or partitions consisting in the employment of fixed brackets with
recesses to fit plugs or projections extending from brackets or parts carrying or
attached to the berth or mattress frame with means for securing the detachable
parts together when in position substantially as described and as shown in Fig. 6
of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of June 1901
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.