Improvements in Couches, Beds, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couches, Beds, and the like.
A communication from JOHANN JOACHIM GEORG JAEGER, of Jena,
Thüringen, in the German Empire, Agriculturist.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 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 subject of this invention is a species of couch or bed adapted to conform
to the shape of the human body though not to such an extent as to form bag-
like depressions, which are inconsistent alike with the exigencies of comfort and
of health; and it should be borne in mind that this invention is not merely
intended to constitute an improvement on the usual beds and mattresses, but to
form also a valuable substitute for hammocks, and being capable of offering
surfaces both for sitting and reclining upon, to serve as a piece of furniture in a
general way..
The arrangement mainly consists of a frame and a supporting web or bottom
piece. The frame may be made of wood or of tightly stretched rope or cord,
and the supporting web may be made of suitable yielding material, such as fabric,
canvas, matting, material interwoven with canes, etc. This supporting web is
supported by the frame in the following manner. Between the longitudinal
members of the frame (or the cords or ropes used in their stead), cords or bands
are tied in zigzag. Only the ends of these are secured in place, however, while
their remaining parts are freely movable and adjustable on the frame and the
supporting web. The peculiar result of this is, that the loops formed by the cords
are apt to expand at the parts sustaining the weight of the person lying down,
at the expense of the loops situated in parts carrying little or no load, or in
other words, while the supporting surface is depressed at the point where it carries
the load, it rises at the other parts, whence follows the capability of the improved
couch to accommodate the shape of the body of the user, and to afford him ease,
without enveloping him like a sack as do ordinary hammocks.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is an inverted plan of the improved couch or bed and Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section of the same. The supporting web or bottom-piece is by way of example
represented as being intended for use as a bed. a is the frame and 6 the supporting
web.
c designates the cords, the ends of which are fastened to the longitudinal
edges of the supporting web b at c¹, while rings d d movably connect them with
the longitudinal members of the frame, and eyes e serve to guide them on the
longitudinal edges of the supporting web b. These cords arranged zigzag as
shown, yieldingly support the bottom-piece; and for this purpose any suitable
number of cords may be employed 8 being the supposed number in the present
instance. It will be understood that by using more than one cord, the yieldingness
or flexibility of the couch-surface is increased and the transitions between the
depressed and the raised parts made proportionately less abrupt.
The remaining figures of the drawings show modifications and details, and it will
be seen from Fig. 3 that the side cords above referred to, for the suspension of the
supporting web or bottom-piece, may be passed round cylindrical longitudinal rods
or shafts instead of through rings as in the first described arrangement. A still
better arrangement appears to be that shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 5 and in
Fig. 8. The cords are here made to pass over small pulleys or rollers d¹ and e¹

page_text: provided on the longitudinal bars of the frame and on the edge of the supporting
web respectively.
Or the cords may be replaced by bands or straps, as shown at the right-hand
side of Fig. 5 and in Fig. 7, in which case rollers d' and e' may be arranged on
the frame and supporting web respectively for the said bands or straps to
pass over.
Continued use will unavoidably stretch or lengthen out the material of the
supporting web to a certain extent, and to compensate for this a suitable tension
device may conveniently be applied. The simplest means of tension is to wind the
ends of the supporting web on either one or both of the cross-bars of the frame.
For this purpose the cross-bar a¹ Figs. 1 and 2 is shown to be removable, the
longitudinal pieces being for this purpose moved away from each other to a
sufficient extent. The cross-piece with the end of the material attached to it is
turned until the material is sufficiently stretched and is then secured to the longi-
tudinal bars by means of eyes and pins, which serve at the same time for keeping
together the members of the frame and for preventing the rotation of the cross-
piece acting as a stretcher.
In Figs. 5 and 6 the cross piece a² is revolvable in the longitudinal members or
bars. The supporting web is here suitably stretched by means of a removable
crank-handle, a ratchet-wheel f' with its pawl preventing rotation in the opposite
direction. The supporting web may in this instance be attached to the movable
cross-piece preferably as shown in section in Fig. 9. The cross-piece a¹ a³ here
consists of two parts retaining the material forming the supporting web 6 between
them.
If it be desired to provide for variation of tension in the transverse direction or
sideways or simply for adjusting the width of the couch, without undoing or
untying the strings the cross-pieces may be adjustable in the direction of their
length. For this purpose sleeves g g Fig. 1, adjustable upon the ends of the cross-
pieces may be employed pins, suitably arranged to pass through them, retaining
them in position. In Fig. 11 these pins or bolts g₁ are secured to the ends of the
cross-pieces. They project on both sides and catch in a slot or notch provided for
the purpose when the spring-controlled sleeve or socket, Fig. 10 is passed over
them. To make the joint secure a ring h may be passed over the sleeve as in
Figs. 3 and 4. The longitudinal bars or members of the frame may also if required
be provided with similar adjusting sleeves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A couch or bed formed with a supporting web (6) made of flexible material,
such as canvas or other fabric carried by cords c or bands c² which are movably
arranged in zigzag direction between the longitudinal members a of a frame and
the longitudinal sides or edges of the said supporting web in such a manner as to
form loops or slings capable of expanding under the action of a load while the
slings or loops which are for the time being relieved from the load proportionately
contract substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a couch or bed such as described the combination with side pieces of
cross end pieces so arranged that the bottom piece or supporting web may be
stretched longitudinally to the desired extent by being wound upon one or both
of the cross-pieces of the frame a¹ a² which may be made revolvable for the
purpose substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a couch such as described the arrangement enabling the supporting web
or bottom-piece to be stretched or extended transversely and which consists in
the employment of longitudinally adjustable cross-pieces in the frame substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a couch bed or the like such as described the modification in which the
size of the couch both longitudinally and transversely or in other words its length

page_text: and width are adjustable owing to the provision of sleeves or sockets both on the
longitudinal and transverse members of the fraune which when moved to the desired
position thereon are secured in position by means of pins or bolts g' the disjunction
of the parts of the frame being prevented by the provision on the sleeves of the
cross-pieces of eyes which the sleeves of the longitudinal pieces are adapted to
enter substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of May 1892.
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Chartered Patent Agent.