US2878490A - Foldable sofa bed - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1959 C. SCHNEIDER FOLDABLE SOFA BED Filed Feb. 7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aha/2mm March 24, 1959 c. SCHNEIDER 2,878,490

7 FOLDABLE SOFA BED Filed Feb. '7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

/ M, Can/e455 Sam/maze BY I Arman/En March 24, 1959 c. SCHNEIDER FOLDABLE! SOFA BED 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 7, 1955 T a Ti 3 w a 2 @1 5 n A I; 1

March 24, 1959 c. SCHNEIDER 2,878,490

FOLDABLE SOFA BED Filed Feb. 7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Cfimezzs SC'HA/Z/DfE A oe/viz March 24, 1959 *c. SCHNEIDER FOLDABLEI SOFA BED Filed Feb. 7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheefi 5 INVENTOR. (PM/e455 567014670516 BY 1 v Arm/wax Units This invention relates to a foldable sofa bed and more particularly, to a sofa or davenport wherein a foldable tes Patent bed frame means is adapted to provide a relatively low,

soft seat portion when used as a sofa and a forwardly extending easily unfoldable bed frame when used as a bed.

Prior proposed foldable sofa bed constructions have been characterized by several disadvantages. these disadvantages is the provision of a relatively rigid, non-yielding, front seat edge when in folded sofa position. Another disadvantage is that prior constructions One of i have included a relatively high sofa seat, the height of f :such prior sofa seats being from one to two inches greater than normal standard seat height. One prior proposed foldable sofa bed construction has employed a canvas strip on a bed section to support a seat cushion.

Such canvas strip is relatively unstretched and loose in seat position so that a mattress having a fold line at the front seat edge is relatively unrestrained and results in a high front seat edge. Still another disadvantage of prior sofa bed constructions lies in the yieldable relatively un stable support of the rear portion of the sofa seat.

such folded relation the rearwardly directed folded portion of the bed frame forming a sofa seat is usually free to move over a limited, vertical range and to thereby cause discomfort or a feeling of annoyance when one sits thereupon.

This invention contemplates a foldable sofa bed construction which obviates disadvantages of prior proposed sofa bed constructions. The foldable sofa bed of this invention provides a relatively low, soft, yieldable, 'front seat edge in sofa position and positively secures the free edge of a folded bed section forming the sofa seat against vertical movement.

-It is, therefore, an object of this invention to disclose and provide a novel, foldable sofa bed construction. An object of this invention is to disclose and provide a 2 pressure against the adjacent portion of a folded mat tress.

This invention contemplates a foldable bed frame for a foldable sofa bed construction which includes a plurality of pivotally, interconnected frame sections including a foot section provided with a transversely extending strip of canvas or fabric material supported along its transverse inner edge by a pliant, yieldable curved wire element pivotally connected at its ends to a bed frame section and which is adapted to maintain the canvas strip tautly stretched and to readily yield downwardly when the bed frame is folded into sofa position to provide a soft front seat edge.

The invention also contemplates the provision of novel hold-down means associated with a head section of the folda-ble bed frame'and which is actuated into operative position upon folding of the bed frame to sofa position and which is so constructed as to retain the folded foot section of the bed frame in desired sofa seat relation'.

Generally speaking, this invention contemplates a foldable sofa bed construction comprising a stationary, boxlike base frame upon which may be mounted a foldable' bed frame adapted to be extended into bed position and to be folded into sofa position. The foldable bed frame includes pivotally interconnected head, body, intermedi: ate and foot sections, the first three of said bed sections providing support for a laterally and longitudinally 'tensioned link fabric means and the foot section providing support for a longitudinally tensioned canvas strip, the inner transverse edge of said canvas strip being carried by a flexible element of curved form and pivotally connected at its end to the bed frame adjacent the pivotal connection of the foot and intermediate bed sections. The interconnected bed sections are supported by a plurality of pivotally mounted legs provided with pivoted linkage means whereby said legs are automatically retracted into folded relation and extended when the bed frame is folded into sofa position and unfolded to bed position, At each back corner of the head section is mounted a curved, hold-down means biased into operative position upon folding of the bed frame, said holddown means having overlying stop means for limiting upfoldable sofa bed construction wherein the height of the sofa seat in foldable sofa bed position is substantially normal seat height.

Another object of this invention is to disclose and prof a d h d' l b d vlde novel means Dmdmg an 01 mg a foldab e folded into overlying relat1on with a body section, and

section in folded seat position.

A still further object of this invention is to disclose and provide a sofa bed construction wherein a foldable bed frame is supported and operable into sofa and bed positions in novel manner.

A more particular object of this invention is 'to disclose and provide a foldable sofa bed construction wherein fabric means for the foldable bed frame includes a compliant, flexible section connected to the bed frame in novel manner in order to provide a relatively soft, yieldable front seat edge in sofa position.

Another object is to provide a foldable bed frame construction including a compliant flexible fabric strip so mounted in the bed frame to be stretched in both bed and sofa positions, and in said latter position to exert t ward movement thereof and for snugly compressing an adjacent portion of a mattress carried by the bed frame so as to stabilize and limit movement of the folded foot section when in the folded sofa position.

Other objects of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a foldable sofa bed embodying this invention, the bed being shown in extended bed position.

Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1, approximately one half of the bed being shown since the other half is identical.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of :the bed frame shown in Fig. l with a foot section showing the first step in folding the bed frame to sofa position.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the bed frame shown in Fig. l with the folded sections lifted upwardly to show thesecond step in folding to sofa position and prior to rearward movement thereof into final folded sofa position.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showingthe bed frame in folded sofa position. 7 t

' Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged view of hold-down means employed in the sofa bed construction of this invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top view of the foot section and intermediate section showing the connecting means for the canvas strip in the foot section.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a foldable sofa bed frame showing a different embodiment of this invention, the bed frame being shown in folded sofa position.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the foldable sofa bed frame shown in Fig. 8, the bed frame being shown in an intermediate folded position. i

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken the plane indicated by line XX in Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the plane indicated by line XI-XI of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a bed frame embodying another modification of the invention, a part of the frame being broken away and showing in phantom lines a portion of the bed in extended position.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken the plane indicated by line )GIIXIII of Fig. 12.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that a sofa or davenport bed construction generally indicated at 15 is shown with a sofa back 16 and sofa arms 17 illustrated in phantom lines. The sofa back 16 and arms 17 may comprise any well known, standard, upbolstered construction and do not form a part of this invention. The sofa 15 includes a stationary, rectangular, hollow box base frame generally indicated at 18, said stationary frame 18 including end frame members 19 of any suitable material such as wood. The end frame members 19 may be connected to front and rear frame members (not shown) in any well known manner.

A foldable bed frame means is generally indicated at 20 and is shown in extended relation. The foldable frame means 20 includes pivotally interconnected articulated transversely arranged bed frame head section 21, body section 22, intermediate section 23, and foot section 24, said pivotal connections being indicated at 25, 26 and 27 respectively. Substantially parallel side frame members of said bed sections 21, 22, 23, and 24 may be made of any suitable metal shape such as angle iron. Side frame members of head section 21 may be interconnected by a transverse angle iron back end frame member 29. Side frame angle iron members of body section 22 may be interconnected intermediate their ends by a downwardly offset transverse angle iron member 30. Side frame members of intermediate section 23 may be interconnected intermediate their ends by a transverse channel section member 31. Side frame members of foot section 24 may be connected by a downwardly offset tubular front end frame member 32.

Stretched between the side frame members of the head, body and intermediate sections 21, 22, 23, may be a continuous, interconnected link fabric 34 of well known construction. Each end of each transverse element of link fabric 34 may be resiliently connected to side frame members of the head, body and intermediate sections by a coil spring 35. Longitudinally disposed elements of link fabric 34 may be connected to the transverse end frame member 29 of head section 21 by suitable coil springs 36. It will thus be noted that a link fabric 34 is stretched laterally of the extended bed frame and longitudinally thereof as further described below.

The foot section 24 is provided with a transversely extending strip 38 of suitable fabric material such as a relatively heavy canvas. The canvas strip 38 may be provided along its forward edge with a folded sleeve 39 to receive a flexible metal wire or rod 40 which provides a support and connection for inner ends of a plurality of transversely spaced coil springs 41 longitudinally disposed and connected at their outer ends to thetransverse front end frame member.32. Rod 40 may not be connected to the'bed frame. The back edge of can vas strip 38 may be .cut in curved form as at 42 and is similarly provided with a folded sleeve 43 which may receive a pliant, tensioned, flexible curved wi're element 44. The wire element 44 is pivotally connected at its ends as at the foot section 24. The back or rear corners of the canvas strip are connected with the foot bed section at the connections of the wire element 44 to the foot bed section.

It should be noted that the length of curved wire element 44 is greater than the transverse width between the parallel side frame members of the foot section 24. The tensioned curved wire element 44 serves to longitudinally stretch and tension the canvas strip 38 independently of the adjacent longitudinal elements of link fabric 34. Such longitudinal elements of link fabric 34 may be connected by links 46 to strip 38 through the wire element 44. The canvas strip 38 is thus stretched longitudinally of the bed frame but is not stretched transversely of the bed frame. This manner of connecting the canvas strip 38 to the bed frame maintains the canvas strip under tension when the bed sections are folded or extended and provides a soft, yieldable, front edge portion for the sofa seat when the bed frame is in folded position as later described in more detail.

The link fabric 34 and canvas strip 38 may support a selected, suitable mattress 48 of any well known construction of selected thickness, and capable of being folded intermediate its ends.

Means for supporting the bed frame sections 21, 22, 23 and 24 may comprise a stationary, upstanding, rigid back leg 50 at each back corner of the bed frame, such leg 50 being connected at its lower end by suitable bolts 51 to stationary frame member 19. The stationary leg 50 may be offset inwardly as at 52 and curved forwardly at its upper end portion as at 53. The free upper end of stationary leg 50 is pivotally connected at 54 to one end of a curved link 55 which may be inwardly oflset as at 56 intermediate its ends and at its other end pivotally connected as at 57 to the side frame member of head section 21 at a point intermediate the ends of said head section member. A second link 59 may be pivotally connected as at 60 to the back end of each side frame member of head section 21, link 59 being pivotally connected at its other end at 61 to stationary leg 50 at a point adjacent and above the forwardly curved portion 53.

The body, intermediate, and foot bed sections may be supported at each side by foldable legs 63 and 64 and a leg 68 pivoted to stationary frame member 19. The foldable leg 63 may be provided with a suitable shoe 65 for contact with a floor supporting surface. At its other end the foldable leg 63 is pivotally connected at 66 to the side frame member of the body section at a point adjacent to the pivotal connection 26 between the body and intermediate frame sections.

Means to cause said foldable leg 63 to fold rearwardly into substantially horizontal position along side the stationary frame member 19 may include forwardly inclined body section supporting leg 68 pivotally connected at one. end at 69 to the forward end of stationary frame member 19. The pivoted support leg 68 provides a bell crank lever of angular form pivotally connected at 70 to the side frame member of the body section intermediate its ends and at the vertex of the angle formed by the bell crank. Between pivotal connection 70 and the front end of leg 68 may be pivotally connected at 71 one end of an ogee curved link 72, the other end of said link 72 being pivotally connected at 73 to foldable leg 63 intermediate its ends. The free end of the pivoted support leg 68 may be pivotally connected at 74 to a forwardly and upwardly extending strap 75 which may be connected at its opposite end at 76 to a tension spring 77. The opposite end of tension spring 77 may be connected at 78 to a suitable pin provided intermediate the ends of the side frame member of the intermediate bed section 23. The operation of the lever and linkage means for folding leg 63 will be described later.

The foldable leg 63 on each side of the bed frame may be connected for movement together by a transverse angle 45-to back ends. of the-side members of 75 iron member 80. Similarly, the pivoted legs 68 at opposite sides of the bed frame may be connected by a transverse bar 81 to provide simultaneous operation thereof.

The front, foldable legs 64 are each provided with a suitable shoe 83 at their free ends of contact with a floor supporting surface. Each leg 64 may be pivotally connected at 84 to the side frame member of the foot section 24 at a point spaced rearwardly from the front end of the said side member. The upper portion of leg 64 may be curved rearwardly and is pivotally connected at 85 to one end of an actuating lever 86 pivotally connected at its other end at 87 to the side frame member of the intermediate section 23 forwardly of and adjacent to the pivotal connection 78 and rearwardly of the pivotal connection 27 between the foot and intermediate bed frame sections.

Means to position the intermediate section 23 in a substantially vertical plane when the foldable bed frame is folded into sofa position may comprise a link 90 (Fig. 5) pivotally connected at 91 at one end to side frame member of the intermediate section adjacent to pin 78. The other end of link 90 may be provided with a pin 92 slidably received within a longitudinally extending slot 93 provided in the side frame member of the body section 22 adjacent to the pivotal connection 66 of the foldable leg 63. Pin 92 abuts the back end of slot 93 when the bed frame is in final folded position as shown in Fig. 5. When the bed frame is in extended position, the pin 92 is positioned adjacent the forward end of said slot as shown in Fig. 1.

Means for facilitating movement of the head section 21 about its pivotal connection 25 to the body section 22 may include a tension spring 95 connected at one end as at 96 to the upright stationary leg 50 adjacent to the stationary frame member 19. The other end of spring 95 may be connected at .97 to one end of a strap 98 pivotally connected at its other end at 99 to link 55 intermediate its ends. Also facilitating this movement of the head section 21 may be a spring 101 connected at one end as at 102 to the side frame member of the head section adjacent the pivot connection 60 at the back end thereof. The other end of the spring is connected at 103 to a curved channel section hold-down member 104 secured to the upper portion of link 55.

The hold-down means for positively limiting vertical movement of foot section 24 when folded to provide a sofa seat support comprises the curved member 104 positioned at each back corner of the bed frame. Each curved member 104 carries between side walls of the channel section a pair of spaced rollers 105 and 106, roller 106 being adapted to contact a tapered face 107 provided on the forward end of the side member of foot section 24 for facilitating guiding of the foot section downwardly into close proximity with a stop lug 108 formed on the adjacent end of curved member 104. The stop lug 108 may be formed in any suitable manner and is shown as being formed by cutting and bending of the adjacent side walls of the channel member 104 inwardly. Roller 105 is arranged to contact top edge portions of the frame 24 and to press thereagainst to hold the mattress under some compression. Operation of the hold-down means will be described later.

In folded sofa position, it will be noted (Fig. 5) that transverse channel member 31 carried by the intermediate body section 23 supports a plurality of transversely spaced coil springs 112. Said springs 112 are of the type used in upholstering and may be secured as by spot welding at 113 to an extension of one of the flanges of the channel member 31. The springs 112 may be slightly compressed and held in place by suitable upholsters fabric, such fabric being generally indicated by phantom lines at 114. The channel member 31 may also carry a transversely extending, rigid board covered with upholstery fabric and generally indicated at 115 by phantom lines, said board being supported by suitable brackets 116 carried by the web of the channel member 31. The board 115 serves to cover the lower transverse portion of the sofa construction when in sofa position and lies beneath the intermediate section when in bed position.

The sofa construction also includes suitably upholstered, removable seat cushions 118 generally indicated by phantom lines, said seat cushions 118 having sufiicient depth to extend over the coil spring section 113 when in sofa position. The seat cushions 118 are removed when the sofa bed is extended into bed position.

The operation of the foldable sofa bed described above may be best understood by first describing the folding of the bed frame from extended bed position to sofa position. The link fabric 34 and canvas strip are ten-' sioned in bed position to support mattress 48. The side frame members of the foot section 24 are inclined slightly upwardly and serve to laterally retain the foot end of the mattress.

The first step in folding the extended bed frame is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein foot section 24 is lifted upwardly and pivoted first about pivotal connection- 27 to vertical position and then about pivotal connection 26 so that foot section 24 overlies the front portion of body section 22 and the intermediate section 23 is vertically disposed. The means for vertically positioning of the intermediate section 23 comprises link and slot 93 which has been described above. The foot section rests upon the overfolded portions of the mattress. When the foot section was initially lifted, levers 86 caused pivotal movement of front legs 64 about pivotal connections 84 to cause front legs 64 to be folded against the side frame members of the foot section 24, such folding resulting from the rearwardly curved top portion of the legs 64 and the pivotal connections of levers 86 to intermediate section 23.

The partially folded bed frame is then lifted upwardly to inclined position shown in Fig. 4, such lifting causing the pivotal connection 25 between body section 22 and the head section 21 to swing downwardly to urge into angular relation the head section and body section. Lifting of the partially folded bed frame in this step is facilitated by the springs 77 connected to intermediate section 23 and to the forward end of the pivoted leg 68, said leg 68 being swung rearwardly about its pivotal connection 69 to stationary frame 18 and into a substantially vertical position.

After the bed has been lifted to the position shown in Fig. 4, the partially folded bed frame is pushed rearwardly and downwardly to cause the pivoted leg 68 to move rearwardly about pivot 69 while supporting the bed frame in such movement. As the bed frame is swung rearwardly and downwardly the head section 21 is caused by its linkage supports 59 and 55 to swing rearwardly and then upwardly into a recess provided within the back of the sofa. In'such movement head section 21-is pivoted about pivotal connection 25 until it lies in slightly forwardly inclined relation. Such movement of head section 21 relative to the body section is facilitated by springs and 101.

In this movement of the bed to finally folded sofa position, the pivoted legs 63 are actuated into collapsed relation with body section 22 by links 72 so that said legs 63 lie substantially parallel to and below the side frame members of the body section.

It Will be noted that upon movement of the folded bed frame into final folded position, the hold-down means 104 is pivoted to face forwardly so that as the transverse free edge of the foot section 24 is advanced into final sofa seat position, the tapered faces 107 first engage roller 106 and then are moved into final position between the roller 106 and the forwardly projecting stop lug 108, said stop lug 108 limiting downward vertical movement of the foot section. The roller 108 limits upward vertical movement of the foot section while facilitating unfolding of the bed frame. In final position rollerv 7 lies slightly above the side frame member of foot section and is arranged to contact and press against the top surface of the mattress carried thereby.

It will also be noted that the canvas strip 38 is tightly stretched when the foot section is in folded position be cause of the curved tensioned wire element 46. Although tension is relaxed in link fabric 34 due to the folding together of the bed frame sections, the canvas strip 38 remains tightly stretched because it does not rely upon longitudinal tension in the adjacent bed section for maintaining tension and thus provides a firm support for the seat cushions.

The maintenance of longitudinal tension in the canvas strip 38 independently of the link fabric not only serves tohold the folded mattress therebeneath under compression but also serves to lower the seat height. If it is desired to further compress the front edge portion of the folded mattress, it will be readily apparent that the ends of the curved wire element 44 may be pivotally connected to selected points on the forward portion of the side frame members of the intermediate section 23' so that when the foot section 24 is folded thereover the curved wire element will draw the canvas strip 38 downwardly and thus further place under compression the folded front edge of the mattress in seat position. This manner of independently tensioning the canvas strip provides a uniform, soft, front seat edge which is capable of yielding when sat upon. The front edge portions of seat cushions are further yieldably supported by the transversely spaced coil springs 112. This construction of a foldable sofa bed has thus avoided the disadvantages of prior proposed sofa beds wherein relatively hard, unyieldable, front seat edge portions are employed.

' vA modification of the hold-down means is illustrated in Figs. 8-11 inclusive. In this modification the holddown means is arranged to provide a greater positive leverage to hold the foot section of the frame in folded position to tightly and snugly compress the folded mattress.

A forwardly extending normally upwardly inclined bottom lever 130 is pivotally connected at one end at 131 to upstanding stationary leg 50. Pivotal connection 131 may be slightly above the end wood frame member 19. Intermediate ends of lever 130 may be pivotally connected, as at 132, one end of a link 133, said link 133 being pivotally connected at its upper end at 134 to a hold-down forwardly extending top lever 135. Lever 135 may be pivotally connected at one end as at 136 to the forwardly extending portion of stationary leg 50 between the pivotal connections of head section supporting links 55 and 59. At its outer end link 135 may carry a rotatable flanged roller 137 lying in the same vertical zone as a side frame member of foot section 24 so as to rollingly and guidingly contact the upper surfaces of said side frame member. The interconnected levers 130 and 135 are biased to upwardly extending positions by a spring 138 connected at one end to leg 50 above pivotal connection 131 and to link 130 between pivotal connections 131 and 132. A stop element 139 is carried by the forwardly extending portion of leg 50 so as to limit rearward movement of the upper lever 135 as shown in Fig. 9.

It will be noted that lower lever 130 extends forwardly a suificient distance so as to lie in the path of downward movement of the pivoted leg 68 when the bed frame is folded and moved into sofa position. The pivoted leg 68 has an outwardly offset portion 140 which may be provided with downwardly facing notch 141 therein aligned with lever 130.

In Fig. 9 the relative positions of the hold-down means and the bed frame are shown just prior to engagement of leg 68 and lever 130. In this position roller 137 and upper lever 135 are approximately upright so as to not obstruct downward movement of the folded foot and body sections of the bed frame. As the bed frame is urged downwardly and inwardly as in the prior embodi ment, offset portion 140 of leg 68 contacts the free end' of the bottom lever 130. As the folded bed frame is pushed further downwardly the leg 68 presses lever downwardly and thereby urges, through link 133, the top lever toward and'against the side frame member of the foot section 24. In final position (Fig. 8) bottom lever 130 lies in a downwardly and forwardly inclined plane beneath offset portion 140. The top lever 135 also lies in a forwardly and downwardly inclined plane so as to positively urge roller 137 into tight contact with the side frame member of foot section 24. It Will be apparent that as the folded bed frame is moved into final collapsed position the weight of the bed frame assists in urging the levers 130 and 135 into their final positions and thus tightly compress and maintain the bed frame in its folded relation. Since the pressing force is applied a substantial distance forwardly of the stationary leg 50, maximum leverage is provided.

In Fig. 12 is illustrated a further modification of the foldable bed frame shown in the first embodiment described. This modification is directed toward the manner of pivotally supporting head section 21 in such a. manner that the path of movement of pivotal connection 25 between head section 21 and body section 22 is controlled and limited with respect to a floor surface. In this modification the various parts of the bed frame construction are the same as described in the prior modification with the exception of links 55 and 59. In place of these two links a single link interconnects the head section and the upstanding leg 50. One end of link 145 is connected at 146 to the rearmost end of a side frame member of head section 21. The other end of link 145 may be connected to the upstanding leg 50 at 147 which is approximately the same point of pivotal connection as used with link 59.

The upstanding leg 50 rigidly supports a track means 148 which extends rearwardly of leg 50 to receive and position a roller 149 carried on a side frame member of head section 21 intermediate its ends. The track means 148 extends diagonally upwardly to a height which approximates the height of the bed frame sections in extended bed position. At this point the track means 148 extends horizontally forwardly for support at its forward end as at 150 by an upstanding post 151 fixed at its bottom to the end frame member 19.

Operation of the foldable bed frame of this modification includes the same sequence of movements of folding' the foot section over the body section. The folded bed frame is then raised as in the prior modification but instead of raising the folded frame to the same height, it is raised slightly and then urged inwardly and downwardly so that rollers 149 may slide along track means 148 in the rearwardly inclined plane as indicated. The link 145 swings downwardly about its pivotal connection 147 during this movement and the angular relationship of the head section to the body section is begun shortly after roller 149 begins to move down track 148. The roller 149 thus controls the movement of the head sec-, tion 21 while at the same time limits the position of the pivotal connection 25 to one immediately below the track means 148. Control of the path of pivotal con-. nection 25 thereby affords a foldable sofa construction which can be reduced in overall height, which positively prevents gouging of a rug or floor beneath the sofa during folding and unfolding of the bed construction, and which provides a bed construction easy to fold and unfold.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made in the foldable sofa bed construction described above which come within the spirit of this invention and all such modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a foldable sofa bed including a plurality of pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate, and foot bed frame sections, said frame sections being extendable to form a bed and foldable to form a sofa seat, the provision of: means carried by said head, body and intermediate bed frame sections including longitudinally and laterally stretched fabric means; and fabric means normally lying in the plane of said foot section stretched independently of the fabric means lying in the plane of said other frame sections, said fabric means in said foot bed section including a curved flexible wire member pro vided with a pivotal conection at each end secured directly to said foot bed frame section and having a nonvaryin length greater than the distance between said pivotal connections, said flexible wire member lying in the plane of said foot bed frame section, and the rear of said fabric means on said foot bed section being attached to said foot bed frame section only at said pivotal connection.

2. In a foldable sofa bed including a plurality of pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate, and foot bed frame sections, said frame sections being extendable to form a bed and foldable to form a sofa seat, the provision of: means carried by said head, body and intermediate bed frame sections including longitudinally and laterally stretched fabric means; and fabric means normally lying in the plane of said foot section stretched independently of the fabric means lying in the plane of said other frame sections, said fabric means in said foot bed section including a curved flexible wire member provided with a connection at each end secured directly to said foot bed frame section and having a non-varying length greater than the distance between said end connections, said flexible wire member lying in the plane of said foot bed frame section and the rear corners of said fabric means on said foot bed section being connected with said foot bed frame section at said connections of said wire member thereto.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,752 Wersel Feb. 19, 1918 1,290,152 Fichtenbaum Jan. 7, 1919 1,976,753 Thomas Oct. 16, 1934 2,352,989 Woller July 4, 1944 2,505,989 Pokorny et al. July 4, 1944 2,624,888 Bebry Jan. 13, 1953 2,633,184 Karg Mar. 31, 1953 2,634,428 FOX Apr. 14, 1953 2,656,547 Winikofif Oct. 27, 1953 2,710,411 Goodman June 14, 1955 2,749,559 Petersen June 12, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 675,254 Great Britain July 9, 1952

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