US909620A - Collapsible cot. - Google Patents

Description

C. B. LAMB.

v GOLLAPSIBLE GOT.

AEPLIGATION FILED MAY 14, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1.909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.*

C. B. LAMB.

l COLLAPSIBLE COT. APPLIGATION FILED MAY 14, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

926351566 @ax/M f CHARLES B. LAMB, OF DANVILLE, GEORGIA.

GOLLAPSIBLE COT.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed May 14, 1908. Serial No. 432,876.

v Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Cote, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding cots or camp beds, and the primary object of the f same is to provide a device of this class l' perspective view of one of the composed of a series of separable parts which may be readily disengaged and reduced to compact form for storage or transportation and when desired may be expeditiously associated, and thus produce a cot or bed embodying' superior advantages for use in military and naval service as Well as in general camp life. The improved cot is mainly composed of metallic members, sheet steel of a desirable thicknessbeing used in thelcoiistruction of the members and wherein the attaching means are of such simplified and practical form that accidental separa` tion of the members or parts Will not ensue when the cot is set up for use and loss or displacement of the said attaching means is not liable to occur. The improved cot is also comparatively light in its structure and also exceptionally strong and durable.

in the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective vieu* of a cot or camp bed embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. F ig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a part of the cot. F ig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the cot frame. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate detail perspective views of members of the cot. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the fabric bed bottom or deck of the cot. Fig. 9 shows detail views in elevation of the bed bottom folded and members of the frame and particularly illustrating the relative lengths of the said parts. Fig. 10 is a detail braces.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the opposite side f rails, 2 the legs and 3 the fabric bed bottom or deck. These three parts constitute the main elements of the cot and each has individual structural characteristics which Will now be fully explained.

Each side rail 1 is made up of tivo sheet metal tubular members 4 and 5 of equal length and an intermediate coupling member 6, all of the members 4, 5 and 6 preferably having upper curved edges or top portions 7 with sl ots 8 extending longitudinally therethrough from end to end and alinin when thesaid members are assembled. The bottoms 9 of the members 4, 5 and 6 are horizontally flat, and the cross-sectional dimensions of these members is such as to ren der them practically eective for the purpose for which they have been devised. The outer ends of the members 4 and 5 are each provided with a bottom recess 10 and upperside recesses 11 in transverse alinement for purposes which will be presently eX- plained, and near the inner end of each of the said members an opening 12 is also formed in the center of the bottom 9. The coupling ni'ember 6 has its opposite ends 13 out off at a downward incline or bevel to.. facilitate the application thereof to the members 4 and 5 and prevent the formation of objectionable shoulders on each rail and which might be the case if the ends of the coupling members 6 were cut ott squarely or in planes at right angles. The bottom '9 of the members 6 at each end is formed With an opening 14, the openings 14 coinciding with the openings 12 of the members 4 and 5 when the latter are assembled in the coupling members 6. The members 4 and 5 also have openings 15 in the bottoms 9 at the outer ends provided with the recesses 10 and 11.

rllhe legs 2 are formed of a single strip of metal, preferably sheet steel, as shoivn by Fig. 7, and each has at its upper or head extremity/'a right angular offset or supporting bend 16 from which a vertical spur 17 centrally projects, and continuing from the offset or supporting bend 16 is a closing member 18 having such dimensions and contour as to snugly fituf'ithin the outer recessed end of either of the members 4 or 5, the closing member being formed With embracing lugs 19 projecting inwardly at right angles thereto and adapted to bear against the sides of the members 4 and 5 adjacent to the recesses 11, the opposite portions 2O of the closing member 18 at the bases of the lugs 19 being laterally projected far enough to fit in the recesses 11. The depth of the recesses 10 and 11 is just equal to the thickness of the closing member 18 and the lugs 19 and eX- tended portions 2O so that a snug fitting of the closing member of each leg and the outer end of each rail will ensue when the said rods or stays parts are assembled. The projecting spurs 17 of the legs engage the openings 15 and when the attachment of the legs has been completed accidental separation of the head ends thereof from the outer ends of the rails or of the members 4 and 5 will be obstructed. The legs 2 are each deflected or bent as at 21 to permit them to be folded, and at an intermediate point each leg also has an opening 22 formed therein. The pairs of legs at opposite ends of the cot are held in associated hinged relation by fulcrum screws 23, one screw engaging each pair of legs and provided with an inner clamping or winged nut 24, and by this means the legs are rendered readily separable, or if it is desired to close up the cot without detaching the parts the fulcrum screws 23 serve as pivots for the legs. The fulcrum screws 23 also serve as attaching means for brace rods 25 arranged in pairs and having outer angular apertured ends 26 fitted over the inner extremity of each fulcrum screw and immovably clamped against the inner side of the legs by the clamping nuts 24. The inner ends of the braces 25 are angularly bent to forml locking terminals 27 which are inserted through the coinciding openings 12 and 14 in the bottoms 9 of the members 4, 5 and 6 and prevent movement of the said clamping members 6 with relation to the members 4 and 5. The opposite pairs of braces 25 converge from the clamping members 6 towards the fulcrum or clamping screws 23, as clearly shown by Fig. 3, and the said braces also act as a means for strengthening the cot and distributing the pressure strain thereover and particularly operate as stays or reinforcing devices for the pairs of legs.

' A suitable fabric bottom or deck forms a part of the Y complement of the cot and consists of a canvas or other sheet 28 of a length equal to the maximum length of the rails and of a width corresponding to that usually adopted in cot structures. This bottom or deck 28 has'pockets 29 extending along opposite edges to receive stiffening. 30, the pockets being centrally obstructed or divided by stitches or analogous means, as at 31, and four stiifening rods or stays are used and inserted in the said pockets from the outer ends, the latter ends being then sealed or closed and the rods thus always held in proper relation in connection with the sheet of canvas or analogous material. By intermediately or centrally dividing the pockets and using four stay rods or stifl'ening devices, the bed bottom or deck may be longitudinally folded and then rolled to reduce the same to compact form.

In assembling the parts of the cot the inner ends of the members 4 and 5 of each rail are inserted in the opposite beveled ends 13 lof a coupling member' 6, the movement of the members 4 and 5 into the coupling member being continued until the openings 12 aline or coincide with the openings 14. The braces 25 attached to the pairs of legs serve yto lock the coupling members against movement as hereinbefore indicated. After the railshave been assembled the bed bottom or deck is then applied to one end of each rail by turning down the side edge portions of the opposite parts of one end of the bottom and inserting the web of fabric or can-y vas into the slots 8 of the rails and either pushing the edge portions of the bottom or deck and stilfening or stay rods into the rails or pulling the bottom or deck from one end over the rails. The legs and braces are then applied, the inner locking terminals 27 of the braces being inserted in the coinciding openings 14 and 12 of the rails and the upper or head extremities of the legs fitted in the outer ends of the rails, as hereinbefore explained, and closing said ends of the rails. Care will be taken to tighten up the clamping screws and nuts 23 and 24 sufficiently to maintain the braces in proper position and prevent looseness of the legs. `When the cot is opened or the rails spread apart for use the bed bottom oi' deck will be drawn tautand the stay rods will be brought into close contact with the upper inner portions of the rails over the slots 8. When the upper or head extremities of the legs are applied to the opposite ends of the rails the bed bottom or deck cannot shift longitudinallyy out of properly applied position with respectto the rails.

It will be noted that the clamping screws 23 and'clamping nuts 24 are the only small fastening devices used, and the braces 25 may be individually applied to the associated'rail and brace members and then attached to the legs, or said braces may be first connected to the legs and then applied to the rails and the legs afterwards operatively assembled in connection with the rails as the user may selectv or desire. The intermediate coupling or brace members prevent the rails from interinediately sagging or bending, particularly after the braces 25 have been applied and a durable construction is thus provided without materially increasing the weight.

In detaching the parts the operation is very simple and is just the reverse of that pursued in assembling the saine. The proportions and dimensions of the several parts of the cot have been so determined that the longest constituents are the rail members 4 and 5, the bed bottom or deck when folded being of the same length as these rail members, as shown by Fig. 9, and the legs aswell as the braces are shorter than the rail menibers. This provision is advantageous in that a certain uniformity exists conducive to regularity in the dimensions 'of the folded seegcaov or collapsed parts of the cot, and owing to the materially reduced dimensions of the separated parts of thecot, the latter in its dissociated'condition'may be stored or 'transported in a minimized compact form.

Having thus described vt-he invention, what is claimed as'neW, is:

1. A cot having tubular rails each composed of a plurality ot' separable members with alining longitudinal slots in their upper portions, and a bed bottom or deck having st-iening edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails, the Web of the bed bottom or deck projecting through the longitudinal slots in the upper portions of the rails.

2. A cot having separable rails each composed ot tubular sections fitted in the opposite extremities of a coupling member, the tubular sections and member having the upper portions longitudinally slotted, a bed bottom or deck having side edge portions removably inserted in the separable rails, and end folding legs separably attached to the rails and. provided With means for locking the rail sections and coupling members.

B. A cot having separable rails, each comprising tubular sections removably fitted in the opposite extremities of tubular coupling members, the upper portions of the sections and members being formed with alining longitudinal slots, an intermittently oldable bed or deck having stitfened edge portions removably inserted in the rails, and foldable end supports removably applied to and closing the ends of the rails.

4. A cot having rails made up of tubular members and coupling members in Which the tubular members are fitted, supporting means for the rails provided with devices for locking the tubular and coupling members. and a bed bottom or deck removably applied to the rails.

A cot having tubular rails made up of separable sections and open at the opposite ends, supporting means for the rails having devices for locking the kparts of the latter against movement, and a bed bottom or deck having` side edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails.

6. A cot having tubular rails. supporting` means for the rails. and a bed bottom or deck composed of a fabric web having stiffening devices in the opposite side edges centrally divided to permit the bottom or deck to be intermediately folded, the stitlening devices and side edge portions of the bottom or deck being removably insertible in the rails.

7. A cot having tubular rails With open ends and upper longitudinal slots and composed of separable sections, foldable supporting means removably attached to and closing the opposite ends of the rails and also provided with means for holding the sections of the rails' against movement, and a bed bottom or deckv havingV sidel edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails.

S. A cot having tubular rails open at oppositeends, supporting means for the rails having upper closing heads and angular ottsets to engage the under portions of the rails, and a bed bottom or deck having side edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails.

9. A cot having tubular rails, supporting means for the rails having upper terminal heads to tit over and close the opposite ends of the rails, the supporting means being foldable, and a bed bottom or deck having side edge portions removably' inserted and held Within the rails.

10. A cot having tubular rails, pairs of folding legs having heads and angular offsets at their upper extremities to engage and close the opposite ends of the rails, and a bed bottom or deck having side edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails.

11. A cot having tubular rails with seats and openings at their opposite ends, pairs of hinged legs having angular offsets, closing members with lugs, and projections to engage the seats and openings at the opposite ends of the rails, and a bed bottom or deck removably attached to the rails.

1Q. A cot having tubular rails each made up of two members and a coupling member in Which the inner ends of the said two menr bers are removably fitted, the engaging portions of the rails and coupling members having coinciding openings therein, legs applied to the opposite ends of the rails, braces extending from the legs and having inner locking terminals engaging the coinciding openings of the rail and coupling members, and a bed bottom or deck removably attached to the rails.

13. A cot having tubular rails, pairs of hinged legs having their upper extremities removably engaging the opposite extremities of the rails, braces extending` from the legs to intermediate portions of the rails, clamping :tulcrum screws pivotally securing the legs and attaching the braces to the latter, and a bed bottom or deck intermediately foldable and having side edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails.

14e. A cot having rails made up of separable members, pairs of legs pivotally connected and removably applied to opposite extremities of the rails, braces extending from the legs and having their inner terminals engaging the separable members of the legs and serving as locking means for the latter, and a bed bottom or deck removably attached to the rails.

15. A cot having tubular rails each made up of tubular sections equal in length and fitted in the opposite extremities of a tubular coupling member, hin ed supporting legs having upper ends to c ose fiat over the opposite extremities of the rails, and a bed bottom or deck having stiened side edge por tions removably held Within the rails.

16. A cot having tubular rails each made up of a pair of tubular sectionsequal in length and a tubular coupling member in the opposite extremities of which the inner opposing extremities of the said sections are removably fitted, the tubular member being shorter than the sections, separably associated hinged legs having their upper ends removably fitted flat against and over the 15 opposite ends of the rails and a foldable bed bottom or deck having side edge portions removably inserted and held Within the rails.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- 20 nesses.

CHARLES B. LAMB.

fitnesses H. L. D. HUGHES, W. J. SHEPORD.

Images