US2485219A - Combination sofa and bed - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1949. s. SHUMSKY COMBINATION .SOFA AND BED Filed Nov. i4, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I I. I .v a m INVENTOR. .swadzsxy,

Oct. 18, 1949. s sHu s 2,485,219

COMBINATION SOFA AND BED Filed NOV. 14, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVEN TOR. flaws/(X II II II II II I I I I I I I l l I I I I I l I I I .-u '1 I II I Patented Oct. 18, 949

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

This invention relates to combination articles of furniture, and more particularly to an article of furniture which embodies in one unit both a couch, sofa or the like and a bed, the article being readily convertible from the sofa to the bed and vice versa.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a combination article of furniture as stated above, which is readily and with a minimum of effort convertible from a comfortable sofa into a comfortable bed, and vice versa. The instant invention, in fact, requires so little physical effort to make the above conversion that it may be easily accomplished in practically an instant of time even by frail women or small children.

Another object of the invention is the provision of simple and positive-acting interconnecting linkages and the like whereby the broad objects of the invention are accomplished, and also to provide a substantial and durable structure and mechanism which is at the same time economical and inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

The above as well as additional objects will become apparent in the following description, wherein characters of reference refer to likenumbered parts on the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the drawings are intended primarily for the purpose of illustration, and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the scope of the invention to any or all of the specific details of construction shown excepting insofar as they might be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and partly in section, of the combination article of furniture in condition for use as a bed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the major portion of the article of furniture in plan view.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and partly in section, of the combination article of furniture in condition for use as a sofa.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary of either Fig. 1 or Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional of Fig. 3, with clarity.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral [0 indicates the frame of the article of front elevational view view taken on the line 6-6 parts omitted for the sake of of the lever 23 has 1 Claim. (Cl. 5-34) furniture, which resembles that of a sofa and comprises the end members I I, the rear and taller member [2, tied rigidly together by four angleor channel-iron ties; the back tie is shown at I3, the front tie at [4, and the two side or end ties at l5.

The back rest or cushion l6 extends substantially the full width of the sofa. Corner panels or posts i1 provided at the rearends of the side frames II, have pivot pins l8 passing through their upper ends and through of the cushion I6, thereby pivotally securing the cushion It to the side frame members I l and permitting it to be swung from its normal sofa position shown in Fig. 3 to its out-of-the-way position shown in Fig. 1 when the article of furniture is used as a bed. The upper edge of the cushion l6, Fig. 3, is provided with a ledge-like extension 20 rearward whereby the sofa is given a finished appearance and the open space below the ledge, and the mechanism which might other.. wise be seen therein, are concealed.

Adjacent each ear [9, a second ear 2| is secured to the side edge of the cushion l6, and an arcuate link 22 has one end pivoted thereto, the other end of the link 22 being pivoted to one end of a lever 23 which in turn is pivoted intermediate its length to the panel IT, at 24. The free end 25 the upper end of a tension spring 26 anchored therein, the other end of the v spring being attached to the panel ll at 27 near the lower end of the latter. It is apparent that the weight of the cushion l6 maintains it in the folded down or sofa position shown in Fig. 3 and at the same time maintains the spring 26 under tension; so that,' when the cushion i6 is lifted the force of the spring assists in the lifting operation and thereby reduces the degree of effort required, and the spring also releasably looks or maintains the lifted cushion in the position shown in Fig. 1.

A front panel member 28, forming part of the frame [0, extends across the front of the frame between the front uprights 29 of the side or end frame members H. Rearward thereof, and supported on the forward ends of the ties l5, are upright angle irons or the like 3!). Somewhat rearward of the uprights 30 are a pair of upright channels 3| also rigidly supported on the ties IS. A pair of parallel members 32, adapted to serve as rear legs for the bed when the article of furniture is in extended position, are pivoted at their lower extremities to the ties l5 rearward of the uprights 3|. Rigid arms 33 are secured at 1191 ears I9 in the ends 3 stantially right angles to the members 32 nearer the upper ends of the latter.

When in extended condition to serve as a bed,

. the mattress 35 is supported either directly, if it is of an inner spring type, on the then horizontal frame 34, or on a spring, which may be formed by the wires or the like 36 drawn or stretched between the members of the frame 34, the wires 36 being preferably of the stranded type to provide for bending thereof. The particular type of mattress used, or the manner of supporting it on the frame 34 or Spring 36, is of course of no consequence to the invention, nor is the particular type of spring which may be used. The frame 34 comprises three sections, the forward U-shaped section 31, the rear U-shaped section 38, and the intermediate section 39 which comprises merely a pair of like parallel bars 40. The forward section 31 includes the yoke 4| having the arms 42 rigid therewith, the ends 45 of the bars 48 of the section 39. The section 38 is substantially like the section 31 and comprises the yoke 43 and its arms 44, thelatter being pivoted at their extremities 4B to-the otherends of the bars 45. All of these frame members are preferably formed of angle irons.

The upper extremities of the legs 32 are pivoted at 41 to the rearward ends of the yoke arms 44. Pivoted at one end 50 nearthe top of each up right so is an elongated link 48 having a longitudinal slot 49 therethrough. Pivoted near one end at 5| to the upper end of the upright 31, on each side, is a lever 52 having its extension 53 beyond the pivot 5| curved substantially as shown. A pin 54 in the other end of the lever 52 registers slidably in the slot 49 of the link 48. A tension spring 55 has one end secured to the curved extremity 53 of the lever 52 and the other end secured to the leg '32 at 56. A l-ug 5'! is pivoted at one end 58 at the free end of the lever 48; a tension spring 59 has one end secured to the free end of the lug '57 and the other end to the extremity of the arm '33.

The sofa seat 60 has a turned down forward edge or apron 6t; when the article or'furniture is used as a sofa, Fig. 3, the seat. '50 rests upon the arms 42 of the yoke 31 of. the frame 34, at. the rear, and at the front the apron -61 rests upon the upper edge of the panel 28. Depending 62 and 53 are provided on both sides of the seat 60. Links 65 pivoted at one end in the ears 62: are pivoted at their other ends in theupperiFig. 3) edges of the links 48-, nearer the pivoted end 50 thereof, as shown at 54. Links 65 are pivoted at one end to the ears 53 and at the other end at El to the yoke arms 42. Brackets 68 are secured: to the yoke arms 42 and pivoted atone endthereto are links 69 having their other ends pivoted.

in the free extremities of the levers 43,

Assuming that the article of furn-iturelis inlthe condition shown in Fig. 3, used as a so fa, audit is desired to convert it to use as bed, the cushion I6 is first raised, in the manner previously described, into the position shown in Fig. L It. is.

to be noted that the U-shaped front legs. 111,

which comprise the yokes TI and arms 12 rigidly secured to the yoke 41 of the frame 34,. are positioned between the cushion IE and the. frame back 12 when the article is used as a sofa, and.

the yokes ll thus serve as handles or grips for. lifting the frame section 31 in a swinging movement (counterclockwise, Fig. '3.) Thus, with the cushion IB raised out of theway, the yokes, or

one of them, are grasped and pulled upward "and outward. Itis to be noted that, the condition arms 42 being pivoted to the u shown in Fig. 3, the springs 55 are under tension, so that, as will become apparent, they thereby assist in the extension or conversion of the sofa into a bed. As the yokes 10 are thus raised and swing the yoke 31 in a counterclockwise direction about the pivots 45, the links 69 lift the free ends of the levers 48 and cause these levers to swing about their pivots 50. This movement of members. 48 permits slidable movement of the pins 54 toward the left in the slots 49 and, at the same time, permits contraction of the springs 55 which simultaneously assist in the raising operation by their lever-like action against th free ends of the links "1 --After the free ends of the links 48 have moved through an are equal in degrees to approximatel twice the angle made between the spring 55 andthe horizontal, continued swinging in the same direction of the links 48 will cause simultaneous dragging of the springs 59 with them and swinging of the legs 32 about their pivctson the frame'member's l5. rhe latter operation will cause the legs 32 to lift the yoke 38 of the frame 34. In this manner it is apparent that the frame 34 will, in the extreme position shown in Fig. 1, straighten out and be supported on its outer or front end by the yokes it which now serve as legs, At approximately the midpoint of the are through which the yokes 'Hl are thus swung from the original extrem to the final extreme position, the seat 60 will weight the moving frame on the left-hand side so that descent from that point to the final position will be assisted-bygravity. Moreover, however, during the said final half of the movement, the springs 59 will become increasingly tensed, thus providing a cushioning effect to the descent and preventing banging of the yokes ill on the floor. In the final position the seat 60 will hang by the links '65 and 65- from the yoke arms 42, as shown,' under the bed and out of the way; and the forward ends of the arms 44 of the frame 34 will rest on and be supported by the uprights 30.

Also, in the final position shown in Fig. 1, the leversil will substantially'align themselves with the links 48, the links 59 being of such length as. to. prevent-the springs 59, now under tension, from-returning the links 48 in a counterclockwise direction: beyond the said aligned position. The springs 55 willalso besomewhat under tension.

To restore the article to the condition of a couch or sofa, the oke is pushed upward whence, assisted by the forces of the springs 59 under tension which thereupon begins to increase the momentum of the-counterclockwise swinging of the frame section 38; the various parts are readily and withcut much effort restored to the original sofa condition; with the sofa seat 60 settling into proper position. The sofa cushion E5 is then folded back down'tc the position shown in Fig. 3. ngam, "it isto'be not'edthat as the mechanism approaches this original condition, the springs 55 are tensed; as shown in Fig. 3, thus making it e-a'syagain to convert to a bed when desired.

it is tobe noted that the construction described permits of conversion of a sofa of standard dimensions into a wide 'or double bed. The mattress 35 is of course flexible and readily assumes eitherthe flattened out condition or the folded up condition shown in Fig. 3. An additional front cross member 14', previously mentioned, serves to brace "the forward part 'of'tlie frame 'I0'1at'erally..

In the case of this as well as any. or all other members which have been referred to as angle irons 'orchannels. it"is of course to be understood that they may be of any desired or suitable crosssectional conformation.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A combination sofa and bed comprising a front and a back member and end members, said end members having horizontal mutually parallel braces extending across the lower ends thereof, said front member being shorter in height than said back member, a back cushion pivotally secured adjacent said back member, a folding frame comprising a front substantially U-shaped section and a rear substantially U-shaped section and an intermediate section, said sections being in pivotal engagement with each other, a seat cushion, said sections in folded condition being arranged in end view of said folding frame in the shape of a U with said rear section positioned substantially parallel with said braces and adjacent thereto, said intermediate section extending upward from said rear section substantially vertically, and said front section being positioned above and substantially parallel with said rear section, said front section having rigid yokes extending upward from the front end thereof, and means connecting said sections, said braces, said seat cushion, and said front member for, upon swinging said front member forward through an arc of 180 degrees, straightening out said folding frame into a horizontal plane with said rigid yokes serving as front legs for said straightened out frame, said means comprising rigid uprights at the front end of said end members, additional and shorter rigid uprights spaced rearward from said first uprights and on said end members, an elongated link having a longitudinal slot therein pivoted at one end to the upper end of each of said uprights, a lever pivoted adjacent one end to each of said second-named uprights near the top 6 of the latter and intermediate the length of the lever, one end of each of said levers being curved, the other ends of said levers having pins therein registering in said slots of said elongated links, links connecting the other ends of said elongated links with said front section, rigid members pivoted at one end to said braces intermediate the length of the braces and pivoted at the other end thereof to the rear of said rear section, said rigid members having rigid arms extending at right angles thereto, tension springs connecting said other ends of said elongated links with said rigid arms, additional tension springs connecting said curved ends of said levers with said rigid members intermediate the length of the latter, links pivoted at one end to the forward portion of said seat cushion and at the other end to said elongated links, links pivoted at one end to the rearward portion of said seat cushion and at the other end to said front section, and additional links pivoted at one end to said forward section and at the other end to said free extremities of said elongated links.

SOLOMON SHUMSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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