US3021533A - Mattress elevators - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1962 w. M. EMERY MATTRESS ELEVATORS Filed June 22, 1960 FIG. 2.

w b/. R B w R. w M,\\\\\V/ l% 4 m 4 0X H .w 4 Z/ 'VW 5 5 3 n G H yai My present invention refers to a mattress elevator which, in an inclined or wedge-like manner, will support the end of a bed mattress, either at the head or foot of a conventional bed. Objects of my invention include: (1) creation of a simple and more portable elevator, light of weight and foldable, at least in half, so it can be carried by travelers or mailed from city post ofiices and sold for little more than the cost of a pillow; (2) to provide an elevator that need not be attached to or become a part of the bed yet will fit all conventional beds so it can be transferred without tools from bed to bed by travelers; (3) since travelers, especially those using modern motels, may be assigned either a double or twin bed, it is necessary that I provide an elevator which is large enough for a double bed, yet not too large for a single bed or one that has suitable foldable or extendable means for sidewise adjustment to fit either size bed; (4) to provide means to make such a device also adjustable as to height to meet the personal preferences and requirements of its users and also to vary the height in accord with its immediate function, such as one height for under the feet and another for the head; (5) to provide a separate and independent set of support legs of said adjustable height, hinged to each half in such a manner as to allow said folding in its midscction; (6) to provide resilient means to move said legs from a substantially collapsed position and non-resilient means to position them for their supporting function; (7) to provide non-skid means to resist skidding of the elevator toward the end of the mattress and (8) to pro vide users who wish to read themselves to sleep in an elevated position with means to trigger collapsing or lowering of the elevator operable by the user without getting out of bed or otherwise disturb their predisposition to sleep. These and other objects will be obvious from the following specification of this embodiment of my invention, claims therefor and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a portion of a conventional bed with my elevator positioned in one of its operable positions under one end of a mattress,

FIGURE 2 is a similar side view of the same bedrwith my elevator flattened or collapsed to an inoperative position, such as when a bed is made,

FIGURE 3 is a top or plan view of my invention when its top is extended or unfolded,

FIGURE 4 is a bottom isometric view of my. elevator,

FIGURE 5 is a similar view'to FIG. 4 except that it is shown completely folded ready for compact storage or transportation.

FIGURE 1 shows my elevator positioned for use under one end of a conventional mattress 11 and supported by conventional bed springs 12 and bed leg 13. Parts 11, 12 and 13 are conventional not part of my invention and for purposes of exposition can be considered either the head end or the foot end of a bed.

FIGURE 1 further shows in side elevation, top 20 of my elevator, upper leg 21, broad leg 22 and limits strap 23 and elastic strap 24. These parts of my invention are shown in their operative position in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 2 shows the same parts in an inoperative position with the legs 21 and 22, collapsed or folded down flat as they might be when a bed is made during the day.

FIGURE 3 shows top 20 as a fiat board. While top 20 of my invention may be made of many suitable ma- 3,021,533 Patented Feb. 20, 1962 ice terials, such as plywood, clip board, wall board, aluminum and various compressed boards, in the embodiment shown, to provide great lightness, strength and simplicity, I have made it of Tri-Wall, which is a multi-layer material with each layer spaced apart by ilutings of other layers, thus providing considerable air space there between. Such board may be creased by impressing upon it a metal edge under heavy pressure which flattens the inter laminar air spaces so that it may thereafter be folded upon each creased line. Such creasing in the middle of top 20 is shown at 31 and 32 which permits top 20 to be folded face to face so that its width, which extended may be 36 inches fora twin size bed, is reduced to 17 or 18 inches when folded for mailing, shipping or storage. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two ends 35 or side edges of top 20 are also creased and folded back on itself for about 5 inches, and cemented securely in place to provide a rounded edge 36 of double thickness and quadruple beam strength which is necessary because the users in getting in and out of bed are likely to place their entire weight on these edges 36. If other types of material are used of a thickness great enough to sustain such a load, they are usually too heavy to be conveniently portable. Tri- Wall is an internally fluted material and in this embodiment I run the flutes in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to give maximum beam strength and contrary to general practice with such board, the creases all run parallel with said fluting. I

As best shown in FIG. 5, a pair of foundation pieces or braces 40 of plywood are cemented or otherwise fastened to the under side of top board 20 and extend transversely of the fiutings (not shown) but previously described, and from the turned back ends 35 almost to the middle creases 31 and 32. These foundation pieces 40 strengthen the top 20 transversely without interfering with the top being folded along its middle lines 30 and 31. The foundation pieces 40 are further strengthened and stiffened by the support leg structures attached thereto and about to be described.

Attached by hinges 41 near to each end of each foundation piece 40 are upper legs 21 which have a carriage bolt 27 in their outboard ends 25. The broad or cross leg 22 has two series of four holes 28 drilled therein of corresponding center distance with bolts 27 to provide engagement for the carriage bolts 27 at four different heights optional with the user. Four wing nuts 26 are provided to fasten, in cooperation with the carriage bolts 27 upper legs 21 to broad legs 22 to complete the support leg structure which consists of parts 21 to 27 and '40 and 41, arranged to support the top 20 at different optional heights.

Non-elastic limit straps or stops 23 are folded V-shaped to form two pairs diagonal legs 42 and 43 which are cemented and stapled at their four out board ends 44. The security of their attachment is supplemented'by being pinched between the end of the upper legs 21 and broad legs 22 under pressure from the bolts 27 and wing nuts 26. The apexes of the strap legs 42 and 43 are fastened at 44 on both halves of the top side of top 20 in such a manner that when placed under tension by elastic strap 24, the support legs 21 and 22 will be substantially vertical when in their operative positions as shown in FIG. 1.

Elastic strap 24 is also folded V shape to form two strap legs 47 and 48, each of which is attached centrally to each of the broad legs 22. The apex of the V 49 of the elastic straps is attached to the under side of top 20 near the middle creases 31 and 32 to provide sufficient spring tension to hold the legs vertical when operatively positioned, but also to provide a substantially over center relationship between the elasticity of strap 24 and hinges 41 which over center substantially negates forces from said elasticity tending to move the legs from this closed position to an operative position although in the closed position the tension of strap 24 is at its maximum. This over center position facilitates storing and carrying when folded. All this is shown particularly well in FIG. 4 wherein the legs 21 and 22 on the right side are on their operative position and the legs on the left side are folded down fiat and adjacent to the underside of the top 20 placing them in the inoperative position such as shown in FIG. 2. It should be noted that by providing separate legs for the right and left sides, my device can be folded down the middle. In my preferred embodiment, the legs are on the outside of the package, although within the scope of my invention they could be arranged on the inside of the package.

By virtue of attaching the limit straps 2.3 at the out board ends 25 and the elastic straps 24 to the broad legs 22, it is possible to change the length or height of the leg assembly by engaging the carriage bolts 27 in other holes 28 in broad leg 22 without materially altering either the tension of straps 23 and 24 or the substantially vertical position of legs 21 and 22 when opeeratively positioned.

While this present embodiment shows elastic straps 24 because they offer the dead center advantages just described, I Wish to include as my invention, to the extent that the broad interpretation of my claims may allow, the use of conventional spring hinges in place of hinges 41, which would of course eliminate elastic straps 24.

The operation of my bed elevator is simple. When the extreme corners of the elevator are lifted manually, the elastic straps with the aid of gravity pull the legs instantly into their vertical supporting positions. From this operating position, the legs may be flattened to the position shown in FIG. 2 simply by pulling on cord or cords 50 which in turn trip the legs enough so that the outside end of top 20 drops and as it drops it actuates the further flattening of the legs by increasing or continuing the pull or tension on cords 50 without further manual actuation once the legs are initially tripped. Cords 50 are fastened near the lower edges of broad legs 22 by any suitable means such as drilling holes in said broad legs threading cord 50 through said holes and fastening the cord on the other side with cement or staples. Cords 50 are intended to be long enough for the user, while sitting up in bed, to pull the cords over his shoulder thus tripping the legs without getting out of bed. This is particularly advantageous when the elevator is used in its highest position for reading in bed to encourage sleepiness. For this extensive use, it is often desirable to lower the bed to a normal sleeping position without disturbing said sleepiness by having to get out of bed to trip the legs individually by hand.

The use of cord 50 tends-to augment the natural tendency for the elevator to creep or slip toward or out at the head or foot of the bed. To counteract this tendency, I have provided a nonskid pad 51 of frictional plastic foam which appears to be particularly eifective for this purpose.

The importance of making a sleeping device independent of the bed and not only portable but usable with all conventional beds whether of double or twin size is not apparent to everybody until they realize that a sleeper becomes to dependent upon such devices, that he must take them with him when he travels or else sleep becomes very difficult. Today, especially if the traveler uses motels, he may be assigned either to a twin or a double bed for his single occupancy. Accordingly, I have made my invention convertible to either size without ma terially increasing its weight, bulk or folded dimensions.

As shown in FIG. 3, I accomplish this by pivotally mounting a plywood extension 60 on the right side and 61 on the left side as seen in FIG. 3. These pivotal mountings are staggered relative to each other on top 20, 60 being pivoted near the center crease 31 and 61 is pivoted nearer the outer edge of top 20. In both cases the carriage bolts 62 which pivotally mount the extensions extend through the top 20 and also through foundation pieces 40 and are tensioned by wing nuts 63.

I have gone to great pains to eliminate all extraneous complications found in the art to combine maximum efficiency and simplicity while retaining and combining such important features as height adjustment, compact folding, essential for postal mailing and convenience of travelers, adaptability for all, twin or double size conventional beds and quick interchangeability for travelers, tripping means operable from an in bed position and quadruple edge strength combined with lightness such as 5 lbs. for a twin bed size. Price wise this device is currently retailing for less than $9.00 as compared with more complicated devices which retail for $250.00 to $300.00, which bears evidence of the simplification of my invention.

Accordingly, I claim as my invention:

1. A portable folding mattress elevator to angularly support one end of a conventional bed mattress in an elevated position, suitable for positioning and free insertion under and removal from under either end of said mattress comprising, of a relatively fiat top, hinge means to allow folding of said top substantially into halves, separate leg means for each of said halves hinged to the under side of said top and positioned toward one end thereof, means to adjust the length of said separate leg means, stop means to separately limit the hinge movements of each of said separate leg means from a substantially horizontal position adjacent to said top to a substantially vertical position, and pre-stressed resilient means to separately actuate said described movement to said substantially vertical position of each of said separate leg means up to the limit of said stop means.

2. A portable folding wedge type mattress elevator to angularly support one end of 'a conventional bed mattress in an elevated position, comprising of a relatively fiat top, hinge means to allow folding of said top substantially into halves, separate leg assemblies to support each of said halves, hinged to the under side of said top and positioned toward the end thereof, said sep arate leg assemblies including spaced apart upper leg means individually hinged at one side to said top and having fastener means at the other side, stop means extending from said side with said fastener means to one end of said top to limit the hinged movement of said upper leg toward a substantially vertical position, two separate cross-leg means having two series of holes in each to cooperate with the fastener means in said upper leg means, said fastener means acting to clamp the upper leg and the cross legs means securely together, said series of holes providing selective height adjustment for the mattress elevator and stressed resilient means attached to the cross leg means and anchored towards the other end of the said top to hold said stop means taut when the leg assemblies are substantially vertical.

3. A portable wedge type mattress elevator to angularly support one end of a conventional bed mattress in an elevated position, comprising of a relatively fiat top, a leg assembly including flat upper leg means, hinge means joining said upper leg means, with said flat top, fiat lower leg means, a series of holes in at least one of said means alignable with holes in said other means selectively held together by transverse fasteners so as to vary the total height of said leg means, said hinge means providing moveability for said leg assembly from a position substantially adjacent and parallel to the top to a substantially vertical supporting position, diagonal stop means extending from said upper leg means to said top to determine said vertical supporting position and diagonal resilient means extending oppositely from said lower leg means to said top to actuate said moveability of said leg assembly, and said diagonal means performing their respective functions of positioning and actuation substantially unaffected by said selectively varying of the total height of said leg assembly and accordingly the height adjustment of the mattress elevator.

4. A portable folding Wedge type mattress elevator to angularly support one end of a bed mattress in an elevated position, comprising of a flat top of multilayer and internally fluted board being creased and folded back on itself and cemented together near each side end thereof to approximately quadruple the edge strength of said top, also being creased in its central position parallel to said other creasings to allow the top faces of said top to be folded together substantially into halves, separate legs for each half hinged to the bottom of said top, resilient means to actuate said legs into a vertical weight supporting position and means to stop said actuation at said vertical position.

5. A portable wedge type elevator to angularly support one end of a conventional bed mattress in an elevated position, comprised of a relatively flat top, a leg assembly including upper leg means, hinge means joining said upper leg means with said fiat top, lower leg means, a series of holes in one of said means, alignable with holes in the other means selectively assembled by transverse fasteners in positions that vary the total heights of said leg means assembly, said hinge means providing moveability for said assembly of said leg means, from a position substantially adjacent and parallel to said top to a substantially vertical supporting position, stop means extending from said upper leg means to said top to determine said ventical supporting position and resilient means extending opposited for said lower leg means to said top to actuate said leg assembly, said stop means and said elastic means performing their respective functions of positioning and actuation uninterferred with by said selectively varying of the total height of said leg assembly and accordingly the height adjustment of the mattress elevator.

6. A portable mattress elevator to angularly support one end of a conventional bed mattress in an elevated position comprising a relatively flat top, leg means hinged to the underside of said top and positioned away from one end thereof, flexible non-elastic stop means one end of which is attached near said end of said top, and the other end of which is attached to said leg means in a manner to allow and limit a movement of said leg from a substantially horizontal position adjacent to said top to a subsantially vertical and weight supporting position, and prestressed resilient means one end of which is attached towards the opposite end of said top and the other end of which is attached to said leg means in a manner and position wherein it is effective to produce an over center condition relative to the hinging of said leg means tending to keep said leg means in said horizontal position and when released therefrom to actuate said leg means to said vertical position up to the limit of said non-elastic stop means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782,276 Seifarth Nov. 18, 1930 2,012,131 Kondolf Aug. 20, 1935 2,099,936 Kieckhefer NOV. 23, 1937 2,381,509 Muenzen Aug. 7, 1945 2,390,660 Muenzen Dec. 11, 1945 2,615,501 Neiborn Oct. 28, 1952 2,663,880 Meeks Dec. 29, 1953

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