Improvements in Folding-bedsteads.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by SANFORD S. BURR, of Winnetka, in the County of
Cook, and State of Illinois, and CHARLES TEUFEL, of Chicago, in the County of
Cook, and State of Illinois, both in the United States of America.]
•
Improvements in Folding-bedsteads.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The present invention relates more particularly to that class of bedstead commonly
known as wardrobe bedstead, in which the bed-frame that sustains the mattress is
connected with the casing near its bottom in such manner as to permit the frame to
be swung upwardly when the bod is to be turned from an open to a closed position.
One object of the said invention is to provide the bed with a hinged front adapted to
he swung away in such manner as to permit free access to the inner side of the front
of the bed-frame, and to the under side of the springs, which sustain the mattress
and to provide improved means whereby the swinging front may be temporarily
locked during the ordinary operation of opening and closing the bed-frame and yet
may be disconnected in such manner as to permit the front to be freely swung out-
ward when desired.
A further object of the invention is to provide the bed-frame with a hinged exton-
sion at its head end, adapted to fold when the bedstead is turned to a closed position,
and to provide a rest for this extension, which shall prevent the accidental closing of
the bedstead in case any unusual weight shall be placed upon the head-portion. This
object of the invention I have accomplished by providing the cam-blocks or guide
blocks against which the friction rolls of the hinged extension bear, with a soat at
their upper ends, against which the friction rolls shall rest when the bedstead is turned
to a position for use, the cam-blocks at such times serving to guard against the
accidental closing of the bedstead by roason of any pressure upon the hinged
extension.
To this end the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter
described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved bedstead showing the same in its
closed position.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the bedstead open.
Figure 3 is a similar view showing the bedstead partially open, the frame standing
at an incline, and being upheld by the swing front.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the hinged ledge.
A designates the side of the enclosing casing, to the lower extended portion of
which is pivotally connected in suitable and well-known manner the head-portion of
the bedfraine B. This bed-frame B consists of the side-rails 6, the top and the
frout B. This front B' is shown as formed of a suitable frame baving a mirror B³
fitted therein, although it will be readily understood that this swinging front may
be constructed in any other suitable manner, as for example, with panels, more or
less ornamental. The swinging front B is connected by hinges C, preferably at its
upper end, with the top of the bed-frame, and at its lower end is connected by
hinges d with a ledge D, adapted to rest upon the front extension E of the bed-frame,
which in practice serves as a receptacle for the pillows or other articles. From the
back plato e of this extension extends suitable brackets F to which are pivotally
connected the arms g of the swinging extension or end board G, this end board
being provided with friction rolls that ride upon the curved faces of the cam blocks
or rails H, that will be affixed to the back part of the enclosing casing. The friction

page_text: rolls h by bearing against the cam blocks H during the opening and closing of the
bedstead, cause the swinging extension or end board G to turn about its pivot-points,
so that when the bed is in position as seen in figure 1. of the drawings, the
swinging end board will not necessitate,so high a.bel-frame as would be required if
it were not pivotally connected. When the bed frame is turned from its upright to
its horizontal position, the tension of the cables beneath the coiled springs, will serve
to draw the 'head board downward, causing the friction rolls to follow the cam
blocks H until the head board is in substantially the horizontal position as seen in
figure 2 of the drawings. When in this horizontal position, the rolls will rest
within the seats formed at the tops of the cam-blocks Hand these seats ¹ will
guard against the accidental turning upward or folding of the bed-frame in case
any unusual weight (such for example, as a child or other person standing upon the
head portion of the bed) be thrown upon the hinged extension. It is plain that in
order to effect the folding of the bed-frame, the swinging extension or end board G
must be turned upward, as indicated by dotted lines in figure 2, but if any weight
is placed thereon such turning upward cannot occur, nor can any downward move-
ment of the extension or end board occur, on account of the resistance offered by
the seats of the cam blocks H.
Upon the inner side of the hinged ledge D are affixed the retaining blocks 'K, one
or more in number, which terminate at a distance from the outer edge of the ledge 1),
so that when the bedstead is in the closed position shown in figure 1, the blocks K
will rest within the front extension E, while the ledge D rests upon the upper edge
of the front plate e' of this extension. When the parts are in the closed position
shown in figure 1, and it is desired to open the bedstead, it will simply be necessary
to turn the bedstead downwardly about its pivot points, during which operation the
swinging extension or end board G will ride upward along the rails H until it assumes
the horizontal position scen in figure 2 of the drawings. During this operation of
turning the bed-frame from the vertical to the horizontal position, the front plate B¹
will be prevented from swinging outward by reason of the fact that the squared ends
of the blocks K will at such time engage with the front e¹ of the extension E (as
seen in figure 2 of the drawings). To the inner face of the plate e of the extension E
is preferably attached an open box adapted to receive weights for counterbalancing
the bed-frame, although it is obvious that the bed-frame may be counterbalanced in
any other convenient manner. This swinging extension or end board G is suitably
weighted and to it is connected one end of a woven wire 'bed-bottom 'L, the opposite
end of this bed-bottom being connected to a suitable cross-bar M that extends between
the side rails of the 'bed-frame, and this bed-bottom is sustained upon suitable coiled
springs N that are carried in a well-known manner by cross-bars in 'that rest upon
the sustaining cables 0; these cables O being connected to the swinging end-
board G, and at the opposite end to the cross-bar M by means of suitable adjusting
rods P.
On folding the hinged ledge D (see figure 1) against the face of the hinged
front E, the fastener K no longer retains the front when the bed-frame is turned
downward, and accordingly the front B₁ swings away into the position shown by
figure 3, in which relation easy access allowed to the bottom of the bed-frame, the
front itself serving as a prop to sustain the frame at an incline.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents 1.declare that what claim is
First. In a folding bedstead the combination with the main casing, of a bed-frame
pivoted thereto, a front for said frame hinged thereto, and a fastener to hold said
front and frame normally together, said front on release of said fastener being free
to swing away from the bed-frame to permit access to the under side of the bed-
frame, 'substantially as described.
Second. In a folding bedstead, the combination with the main casing, of a bed-
frame pivoted thereto, said bed-frame being provided at its lower portion with an

page_text: extension E, and being provided also with a front B hinged at its top in a manner
permitting it to swing outwardly, said hinged front boing provided at its bottom
with a hinged ledge D having a suitable block or blocks K affixed thereto to
retain said hinged front in normally closed position, substantially as described.
Third. In a folding-bedstead the combination with the main casing, and with a bed-
fraine pivoted thereto, of a swinging extension or end board G, and suitable blocks H
forming a seat at their upper ends to sustain the said extension or end board substan-
tially as described.
Dated this 16th day of Tul., 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.