US2334297A - Convertible article of furniture - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 16, 1943.

M. o. TALIMER 2,334,297

CONVERTIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Sept. 8, 1941 V H Mu Patented Nov. l6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Mattie 0. Talimer, Philadelphia; Pa. Application September 8, 1941, Serial No. 409,985

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an articleof furniture having an extensible and collapsible portion at the foot thereof and it relates more particularly to a couch having a collapsible extension at the foot thereof to permit full reclining thereon.

An object of the present invention is to provide .a couch or chaise longue or the like which can be used in several different positions and which will be more adaptable and comfortable than conventional constructions, and which will have a, wider range of use.

. With the aboveand other objects in View as will appear more fully from the following specification, appended claim and accompanying drawing, the present invention contemplates a couch or chaise longue which is adapted for reclining and which has a generally horizontal body portion, a raised and inclined head portion and a foot portion which can be extended where the user wishes to be in a fully-reclining position with the feet extended and supported, and which can be collapsed where such a fully-reclining position is not desired.

or the purpose of illustrating the inventic-i there is shown in the accompanying drawin'; me form thereof which is at present prefeiud, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consistscan be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention as it appears in use, showing the foot portion thereof in extended position.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 but showing the foot portion in collapsed or retracted position-parts being broken away better to reveal the construction thereof.

Figure 3 represents a fragmentary side elevational view looking generally in the direction of the arrows 33 in Figure l.

Figure 4 represents -a side elevational view looking generally in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 represents a perspective view showing the folding diagonal member I!) in a position intermediate to those shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 represents a fragmentary perspective view similar to that of Figure 5 but showing a modified locking construction.

In one embodiment of my present invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, I may provide a couch or chaise longue which is indicated generally by the numeral l0. having a generally horizontal body portion II and an upwardly inclined head portion l2. Said couch may be provided with a pair of legs l3 at the head thereof'and a pair of legs I4 at the foot thereof.

While in the drawing, the body portion II is shown as being generally horizontal, said body portion ll could be made with a slight downward incline toward the foot thereof in which case the legs l4 would be made somewhat shorter than the legs l3.

At the lower end of the body portion l I, I may provide a foot portion designated generally by the numeral I 5. Said foot portion [5 includes a generally fiat panel l6 which is hingedly connected to the edge ll of said body portion H, as for example, by means of the hinges l8.

Said panel I6 is adapted to be extended and swung up into generally the same plane as the body portion II and to be retained in such extended position by a folding diagonal member I9 at each end thereof.

Said member i9 includes a pierced bracket 20 affixed to the underside of said panel l6 and a pierced bracket 2| afiixed to the leg l4.

A lever arm 22 is pivotally connected at one end thereof to the pierced bracket 20 by means of a bolt 23. Another lever arm 24 is pivotally connected at one end thereof to said pierced bracket 2| by means of a bolt 25.

Said lever arms 22 and 24 are pivotally connected together as shown at 26 to provide an overlapping portion 21 upon the lever arm 22 and an overlapping portion 28 on the lever arm 24.

Upon the upper edge of the end of the overlapping portion 2'! of the lever arm 22, I may provide a transverse projection or shoulder 29 which extends in the direction of the lever arm 24 and which will contact the upper edge of said lever arm 24 when the arms 22 and 24 extend generally in the same line.

Thus, the projection 29 striking against the upper edge of the lever arm 24 looks the arms 22 and 24 in a position in which they are generally in the same line.

When the foot portion I5 is in its extended position as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the lever arms 22 and 24 are in generally the same line and are 7 locked against rotation such as would move the pivotal connection 26 downward. Thus, the panel I8 is held firmly in its generally horizontal position to provide a firm and dependable foot rest for the couch.

When it is desired to move the foot portion l into its collapsed or retracted position, the pivotal connection 28 is merely pushed upward so that the lever arms 22 and 24 rotate thereabout as shown in Figure 5, thus permitting the panel IE to swing downward upon the hinges l8 until it assumes a generally vertical position enclosing said lever arms 22 and 24 and forming a neat and attractive foot-board for the couch.

Instead of the locking projection.29 shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, I may provide the modified locking construction shown in Figure 6 in which the overlapping portion 2'Ia of the lever arm 22a has a knob 30 extending generally from the center portion thereof (instead of from the upper edge as shown in Figure 5) in the direction of the lever arm 24-11. Said lever arm 24-41 is provided with a slot or recess 3| into which said knob 30 is adapted to fit when said lever arms 22a and 24-a come into line with each other, thus locking said lever arms 22a and 24-41 in alignment.

Said couch l0 may be suitably upholstered and may be covered with leather or ornamental and decorative material although my present invention is not limited in these respects. The panel l6 may be of wood, as, for example, /;-inch ply-board or may be of metal suitably enameled, or said panel 15 may be covered with leather or it may be upholstered.

Said couch l0 may be provided with a skirt portion 32 which serves to conceal the legs and underside of the couch.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment 'be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is hereby claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A convertible couch or the like including an elongated upholstered body portion supported above floor-level by a plurality of legs, an upwardly inclined upholstered head portion extending generally integrally and immovably from one end of said elongated body portion, said elongated body portion having a length suflicient to accommodate the extended legs of the user when said user is in a sitting position but having a length insufilcient to accommodate the extended legs of the user when said user is in a reclining position, a separate panel hingedly mounted at the other end of said elongated body portion and fully supported thereby, said panel being adapted to assume a generally horizontal position generally in the same plane as the body portion whereby it serves as a footrest for the user when said user is in a reclining position and being adapted to assume a generally vertical position closely adjacent the end of said body portion whereby it serves as an end wall for said couch, and a col-- lapsible diagonal supporting member for said panel, said supporting member being adapted to lock said panel in. its horizontal position, and being in part covered by said panel in its vertical position, said supporting member comprising a pair of hingedly overlapped lever arms and means for interlocking the overlapped portions thereby to maintain said lever arms in generally parallel position.

MATTIE O. TALIMER.

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