Improvement in Metallic Bedsteads.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan.,
1896
Improvement in Metallic Bedsteads.
I, CHARLES CLARENCE CONROY, of Buffalo, in the County of Erie and Stite
of New York, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to metallic bedsteads in which the end-frames are
connected together by means of longitudinal and end rails; and its object is to
removably secure said rails to sleeves placed upon the posts of the end-frames,
which object is accomplished by means of links or the like, connecting arms on
said sleeves with the said rails, and eccentric buttons on said rails engaging the
links in such a manner that by turning said buttons in one direction will draw the
rails toward the arms and thereby securely affix them to the said arms, while
turning the buttons in the opposite direction will release the said rails and enable
their removal, whereby the metallic bedstead may be dismembered or "knocked
down" for convenience in transportation and moving.
The object of this invention is, furthermore, to overcome one of the most
serious objections to the present construction of metallic bedsteads, viz., the
frequent breakage of parts of such bedsteads either during construction, assembling
or dismembering of the parts.
And in order to enable others skilled in the ait to which the invention
appertains to make and use the same, I shall proceed to describe its particulars
of construction as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a metallic bedstead embodying my
improvements.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of a fragment of a post and one of the side and end
rails. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same, portion of the tubular side rail being shown in
section.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a post and one of the end rails.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the eccentric buttons by means of which
the rails are removably connected with the arm of the socket.
Fig. 6 is a plan of said eccentric button and the wrench employed to operate the
same.
Fig. 7 is an end-view of one of the rails showing also a different style of tube
used for the said rails.
Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in all the
figures.
This metallic bedstead is constructed substantially of two end-frames, one of
which is shown in Fig. 1, and two longitudinal, or side-rails connecting said end-
frames by means of a simple mechanism in such a manner that the said rails may
be instantly removed and the whole knocked down for convenience in transportation,
moving and cleaning.
A A' in the drawings are two tubular side-rails constructed, by preference, of
square tubing, although round, triangular or otherwise-shaped tubing may be
employed, one of such shapes being shown in Fig. 7.
B B are the posts or pillais. These are also made of tubing and in sections, if
so desired, although my improved construction permits of the employment of tubes
of full length for each post. At a suitable distance from the lower end of the

page_text: posts are placed sockets or sleeves C, having centrally projecting angular branches
or bars C, terminating in angular shanks C, (Fig. 3,) the bars being of an
external shape and size corresponding with that of the rails A A', while the shanks
fit the interior of the said tubular rails, a sliding fit. From the bars C¹ and
projecting at right angles therefrom lead branches C", also of a shape corre-
sponding to that of the tubular rails and likewise provided with shanks the same as
the bars C¹.
On the upper surface of the bars and at the intersection of the center lines of
said bars C and branches C¹¹ are provided studs c, having oblong heads c', upon
which are placed connections or links E E', having on one end oblong holes e² to
pass over the heads of said studs, and at the opposite end similar oblong holes e,
engaging eccentric buttons F, consisting of a shauk f, an eccentric portion f³, and
an oblong head f", said shank being passed through a vertical aperture i, Figs. 4
and 7, in said rail and fastened therein by riveting or a nut to prevent the eccentric
button from being lost, but not enough so to interfere with their being tuined by
means of a wrench G, having an eye g, engaging the head fl of said buttons
whenever the bedstead is to be put up or taken down.
Above the sockets C on the posts are located further T-sockets b, having
tubular branches wherewith engage the tubular frame-rails b', connecting the
posts at the ends of the bedstead, while upon the frame-rails are placed further
T-sockets 6, the branches of which engage with the filling rods d, as clearly
illustrated in Fig. 1, the T-sockets C, 6, and 1 being secured to the posts and
frame-rails respectively by means of pins h, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, so that
by removing the pins the entire structure may be knocked down. Bolts, however,
may be substituted for the pins, if so desired, to render the structure more
permanent and more readily dismembered.
Above the upper frame-rail there is placed a hand-rail a, to complete the
ends of the bedstead of which, the two being alike, but one is illustrated in
Fig. 1.
It will now be observed that when the eccentric buttons F are turned so that
their eccentric portion f¹ is toward the stud c, the links E E' will pass with their
oblong slots over the obloug heads of the studs and eccentric buttons and that
when the buttons are turned with the wrench G so that the eccentric portion moves
away from the said studs, the tubes A, D, are drawn toward the studs c and
abutting with their ends against the shoulders k of the shanks E, are securely
Jocked and fastened in position, the entire operation being performed in a few
moments of time.
The construction of the fastening device for the rails to the posts is at once
very simple but decidedly effective and durable.
It is obvious that instead of square tubing for the longitudinal and side rails
I may use triangularly-shaped ones, and in fact any-shaped form of tube without
departing from my invention, and in Fig. 7 I have shown an end-view of a rail
triangular in cross section.
I may here remark that instead of placing the links, buttons and studs upon the
upper side of the bars and their branches, I may locate them upon the lower side
thereof, where the locking device is out of view and where it will not in any
manner interfere with the bedding or disfigure the upper side of the said rails.
It will be still further observed that instead of placing the stud e upon the
bar C and locating the eccentric button F upon the tube, I may reverse the
order of arrangement of the parts and locate the studs c upon the tubes and
place one eccentric button upon the bar at the intersection with its branch, such
a reversal of the location of parts being within the scope of my invention
though not so desirable for the reason that turning the eccentric button in the
latter case will slacken up both, the longitudinal and end-rails of the bedstead,
which may not always be desirable.
By the construction described I do not weaken any part or portion of the
stincture in a manner that would weaken such part and render it liable to fracture

page_text: and I have thus overcome one of the most serious objections to the construction of
present devices for fastening the rails to the sockets, all of which are more or less
liable to become disarranged or broken either in handling while the parts are
assembled or during shipment thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a metallic bedstead, the combination, with the posts, of the sockets having
bars and branches as described, terminating in shanks, a stud located at the
intersection of the center line of said bars and branches, links attached to said
studs with one end, tubular longitudinal and end-rails, and eccentric buttons on
said tubular rails and adapted to engage slotted apertures in said links, as and
for the object set forth.
2. In a metallic bedstead, the device for securing the rails, consisting of
connections or links connecting the rails with the posts or parts secured to the
posts, and an eccentric device for drawing the tubes toward the posts, as and for
the purpose indicated.
Dated this 11th day of November 1895.
CHARLES CLARENCE CONROY.