Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN REID of The Thistle Cabinet Works, Kelvin Street, Partick, Glasgow,
Cabinetmaker and Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of convertible couch or sofa
and bed or ottoman.
In carrying out my invention I make the body of the sofa-bed hollow for the
reception of the bedding. On the top of the hollow body is a folding frame which
is capable of being folded down on top of the body so as to form a sofa or of being
opened out so as to form a single or double bed. This folding frame can be secured
to the body by means of a hinged strip which fits into a groove at the back of
the body.
Fitted to the body is a longitudinally movable back board or rail. The head of
the sofa or bed is pivotted to this board and is so arranged that by moving the back
board the head can be raised or lowered to an desired angle.
The head is made in two parts which are capable of being opened out so as to
make a double head rest for the reception of the pillow or pillows. The head may
have wire or stretched canvas on it so as to serve as a bolster. The part of the head
which opens out can be provided with one or more legs or supports.
In order that the back board may be moved longitudinally it can be secured to the
body by a pin and slot arrangement. The slots may be provided with one or more
locking recesses.
The whole arrangement can be suitably upholstered or padded.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.

page_text: is capable of being folded down on top of the body so as to form a sofa or of being
opened out so as to form a single or double bed. This folding frame can be secured
to the body by means of a hinged strip which fits into a groove at the back of the
body or in other manner.
Fitted to the body is a longitudinally movable back board or rail. The head of
the sofa or bed is pivotted to this board and is so arranged that by moving the back
board the head can be raised or lowered to any desired angle.
The head is made in two parts which are capable of being opened out so as to
make a double head rest for the reception of the pillow or pillows. The head may
have wire or stretched canvas on it so as to serve as a bolster. The part of the head
which opens out can he provided with one or more legs or supports.
In order that the back board may be moved longitudinally it can be secured to the
body by a pin and slot arrangement. The slots may be provided with one or more
locking recesses.
The whole arrangement can be suitably upholstered or padded.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings; whereon,
Fig. 1 is a front view of the convertible couch or sofa.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 4 is a back view of the same.
In all these figures the couch is shown opened out so as to serve as a double bed.
Fig. 5 shows a modification.
Fig. 6 is a view showing the head part e, e¹ folded up.
Fig. 7 shows a modification.
On the drawings the same, reference letters wherever repeated indicate the same or
similar parts.
a is the hollow body or box for the reception of the bedding, and, as shown, it
may be mounted on castors. b, b', are the two parts of the folding frame, they are
connected together by means of hinges b' and are suitably padded. The part 6 of
the frame is hinged at 6', 6', to a wood strip c secured to the back of the box or
hollow body a. The dotted lines 6° at Fig. 3 indicate the frame of the part b whilst
the dotted lines b indicate the frame of the part b'. Wire netting, canvas, or other
suitable material may be stretched across the frames b', b.
'
Secured to the back of the box a by means of a pin and slot arrangement k, j,
and a metal or wood catch i (see Fig. 4) is the longitudinally movable back board
(or a rail) d. The pin k is secured to the box a and works in the slot j of a plate
secured to the back board d.
The head e is pivotted to the back board at 1. This head e is made of a light
frame suitably padded which is hinged at e³ to a cross piece a' at one end of the
box a.
The part e' of the head is also made of a light frame suitably padded which
is hinged at e to the part e. A flap e is secured to the part e' and this flap when
the part e' is opened out as at Fig. 3 rests on the end of the frame b', whilst, when
the part e is folded up as at Fig. 5, it hangs down out of the way.
When the frame b is opened out it rests upon legs g, g', which are hinged at g² so
as to fold up. The legs are connected by a cross bar h. h' is a removable stretcher
for retaining the legs in position when open. The stretcher when in place rests
against the side of the box a.
When the head part e' is opened out it rests upon a support f which is hinged at f¹
so as to fold up out of the way when the parts e, e' are folded up. m (Fig. 4) is a
catch on the part e which catches in the eye m' on the part e' when the latter is
folded up.
When this construction of convertible couch or sofa and bed or ottoman when it
is desired to use it as a couch or sofa all that is necessary is to fold the frame b¹ up
under the frame b and fold the part e¹ of the head under the part e then insert the
bedding in the box a close down the folded frame b, b', and move the back board to
the horizontal position. The back board d is moved from the position shown at

page_text: Fig. 4 to the horizontal position (shown in dotted lines), for a sofa, by merely pulling
it until the pink enters the upwardly curved end j¹ of the slot j when the board
sinks into the horizontal position and is held there by the end j¹ of the slot j.
When it is desired to change the device from a sofa to a bed or ottoman the
frame b, b, and head e, e¹, are unfolded, the supports g, g¹, f, opened out to the
positions shown at Figs. 1 and 2 and the bedding taken out of the box and set on
the frame. The head can be adjusted to the desired angle by shifting the back
board d.
In some cases it is, or may be, desired to vary the angle of inclination of the
head e and in such cases the back board or back rail d may be pivotted at n, n', as
well as at and have teeth o on it as shown at Fig. 5. The board or rail can be
locked in position, at the desired angle, by the pawl p which can be made to catch
in the teeth o. Under a different arrangement instead of using a slotted plate with
a single locking recess j', as at Fig. 4, a plate q (Fig. 7) having a slot q' and a
number of locking recesses q² may be used in any one of which recesses the pin /
may be made to enter so as to lock the rail or board d and head e in any desired
position.
If desired the back board or rail may be stationary and the head e be connected to
it by a bolt, which works in a quadrant-slot-plate on the back board, so as to be
capable of adjustment independently of the back.
The device may be used as a single bed or couch.
If desired the part e¹ of the head may be made so as to slide into and out of
position.
'
If desired the hollow body a may be fitted with one or more drawers either
instead of or in addition to the space for bedding.
The body may, in some cases, if so desired, be dispensed with and the folding
frame, etc., supported on the usual legs in the same manner as a sofa.
A pin and slot arrangement may be used instead of the catch i for holding the
movable back in position.
The device can be made with a frame work of wood or iron or wood and iron
combined.
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 consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. A. convertible couch or sofa and bed or ottoman having an adjustable back
board or rail working in conjunction with the head, substantially as herein before
set forth.
2. The combination of the hollow body, the folding frame secured to the body,
the adjustable back, and hinged folding head, substantially as herein before described
with reference to the drawings annexed.
3. A convertible couch or sofa and bed or ottoman constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed or any
mere modification thereof.
Dated this out in
1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.