US3854153A

US3854153A - Sofa-sleeper

Info

Publication number: US3854153A
Application number: US00323231A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Fadler; C Findley
Original assignee: Leggett and Platt Inc
Current assignee: Leggett and Platt Inc
Priority date: 1973-01-12
Filing date: 1973-01-12
Publication date: 1974-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-17

Abstract

A sofa or davenport having a foldable bed frame adapted to provide a seat when used as a sofa and a forwardly extending unfolded bed frame when used as a bed. The foldable frame includes pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot sections and a linkage operable to automatically control extension and contraction of supporting legs and to control folding of the head section beneath the back rest cushion of the sofa. The foldable head, body, and intermediate sections of the frame are covered by a laterally and longitudinally tension wire link fabric, which fabric is reinforced by tensioned wires beneath the body section of the fabric. These wires provide a better seat cushion foundation when the unit is used as a seating surface and an improved mattress foundation when the unit is used as a bed. The unit also includes a front bed cross rail supporting leg and a detachable front mattress retainer.

Description

[111 3,854,153 [4 1 Dec. 17,1974

United States Patent [1 1 Fadler et al.

Primary Examiner'Casmir A. Nunberg SOFA-SLEEPER Inventors: Leonard L. Fadler, Carthage; Attorney, Agent. or FirmWo0d. Herron & Evans Robert Findley, Joplin, both of Mo.

Leggett & Platt Incorporated, Carthage, Mo.

e m a .n d e b h b a M .m a m .m TV m B n 0 D. n e V a d r O .m 1 MS [A [73] Assignee:

adapted to provide a seat when used as a sofa and a [22] Filed: Jan. 12, 1973 Appl. No.: 323,231

forwardly extending unfolded bed frame when used as [21] a bed. The foldable frame includes pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot sections and a linkage operable to automatically control extension.

and contraction of supporting legs and to control fold- Id i s h 5/12 13 30 51 D ing of the head section beneath the back rest cushion [58] N 2 g 1 5 6 of the sofa. The foldable head, body, and intermediate 31 3 2 sections of the frame are covered by a laterally and 2 which fabric is reinforced by tensioned wires beneath the body seclongitudinally tension wire link fabric,

References-Cited tion of the fabric. These wires provide a better seat UNITED STATES PATENTS cushion foundation when the unit is used as a seating 5/203 surface and an improved mattress foundation when 5/322 the unit is used as a bed. The unit also includes a front 5/ 13 bed cross rail supporting leg and a detachable front 2; mattress retainer.

Twomey Schneider MlkOS Metayer....................................

11 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 2.92% e mafi E s 2 PATENTH; SEC 1 7 I974 SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTEE 3E5! 974 SHEET 3 OF 4 PATENTEL SEE] H974 SHEET t 0F 4 I SOFA-SLEEPER This invention relatesto a combination sofa-sleeper bed and more particularly to a. sofa of the type which includes a foldable bed which may be collapsed and hidden in the bottom of the sofa when theunit is used as a seating surface.

Prior foldable sofa-sleepers have long beenavailable but have always been characterized by a relatively poor sleeping surface. In general, the prior sofa-sleepers have always represented a compromise between a good bed and a goodsofa with the result that the combination sofa-sleepers, no matter how well constructed, were not as good for sleeping as most beds and were not as good for seating as most sofas. In generaLthe poor sleeping quality was attributable to apoor founda: tion beneath the mattressand the poor. seating quality was attributable to the same-source, the lack of afirm foundation beneath the seatcu shions.

It has therefore been one objective of this invention to improve the sleeping and seating'comfort ofa combination sofa-sleeper. This objective has been accomplished and one aspect of this inventionis predicated upon the discovery that crossedwires locatedbeneath.

the tensioned wire fabric of a body-supporting section of a collapsible frame has the dual effect of improving the comfort of a unit both as a sleepingsurfaceand as a seating surface. We have discoveredthatthe crossed wires prevent sagging of the tensionedfabric withthe resultthat they markedly increase, the support founda-- tion for both the, mattress and'the seatcushions and consequently these simple crossedwires markedly improve the comfortability of the unit for. both sleeping.

and seating purposes;

Another disadvantage of all prior. combination sofasleepers has been the necessity for providingnumerous different styles and shapes of sleeper fixture units for each style and shape of.sofa construction. If the sofa required a 17 inch high seating surface, the fixture was.

designed differently than if the sofawere intended to have a 16inch seatingsurface. Alternatively, ifthe sleeper were intended to house a inch thick mattress,

it always required a completely-different fixture design than one which was intended to house a 3%, inch thick mattress.

It has therefore been another objective of this invention to provide a standard sleeper fixture whichmay, with minimal adjustmentor. modification, provide dif? ferent height seat surfaces and/oraccommodate differing thickness mattresses. Thisobjective has beentaccomplished by providing a standard width-andlength foldable frame with a unique linking system for accomplishing the folding and unfolding of theframe as'well as the supporting legs.

Still another ojective of this invention has .beento.

provide a better supported .foot section for the frame. when it is extended into a bed position. To this end, the sofa-sleeper of this invention incorporates'a front-rail supporting middle leg which in the folded condition of the unit folds up against the'front cross'rail but in the. extended condition of the unitautomatically drops to a position from which it may be manuallymoved to a locked condition with a minimum'of effort. In the extended locked condition thecenter-front leg addssupport to the front of the bed .so that a person'may sit upon it without bending the front crossrail and without removed if a customer or merchandizer preferred toutilize the unit without the mattress retainer.

Still another objective of this invention has been to provide a collapsible frame for a combination sofasleeper which remains squared as the unit is folded from a bed to a sofa position. To assist in squaring the unit asit is folded, the combination sofa-sleeper frame of this invention incorporates guides for guiding and supporting the top section of the frame as it is collapsed onto the lower section in a folded sofa condition.

In general the sofa-sleeperfixture of this invention which accomplishes these objectives comprises a foldablebed frame adapted to be folded into an upholstered stationary box-like sofa frame. The foldable bed frame includes pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot sections, the first three of which support a laterally and longitudinally tensioned wire link fabric and the foot section of whichsupports a longitudinally tensioned canvas fabric. The pivotally interconnected bed sections are supportedin an extended bedposition by a plurality of pivotally mounted legs and'interconnected linkages operable to automatically retract. the legs into a folded position when the bed frameis folded into a sofa position. This linkage is also operable to. automatically lock the frame in an extended=condition when the unit is unfoldedas a bed surface andto automatically lock it in a compressed folded Jcondition'when the unit is folded into a sofa condition.

A primary advantage of the combination sofa-sleeper of this application is its adaptability to styles and shapes of upholstered sofa constructions which have differing seat height surfaces and/or. which house differing thickness mattresses. Thisability to accommodate differing heights and different mattresses enables a single fixture to fitnumerous styles and variations of sofa-sleepers.

Another. distinct advantage of this sofa-sleeper resides in the comfort of its seating and sleeping surfaces.

, This improved comfort primarily results from the better foundation provided by the tensioned crossed wires located beneath andsupporting the wire link fabric in the body section of the frame.

These and other objects and advantages of this inventionwill be more readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a foldable sofa-sleeper fixture embodying the invention of this application, the sleeper being shown in the extended bed position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the sofa-sleeper of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the forward end of the sofa-sleeper of .FIG. 1 but with the foot section partially folded;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the sofa-sleeper of FIG. lbut with the footsection folded into overlying relation with the body section and illustrating the second step in folding the frame. to a sofa position;

FIG. 5 is a side' elevational view of the frame in completely folded sofa position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bed lock plate portion of the linkage system in a folded sofa position;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view through the bed lock portion of the linkage system taken on line 7-7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the removable mattress retainer and of the end cross rail of the bed frame;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view through the mattress retainer taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view, partially in phantom, of the front center leg for supporting the front cross rail of the foot section of the bed;

FIG. 1 1 is a cross sectional view of the front cross rail taken along line l1-1l of FIG. 10.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the combination sofa-sleeper fixture 10 is illustrated as being mounted upon a frame of an upholstered sofa which has a backrest cushion 16 and sofa arms 17. The sofa does not form any part of the invention of this ap plication and may comprise any well known standard upholstered frame construction. In fact, one aspect of this invention is predicated upon the fact that this sofasleeper fixture 10 easily accommodates itself to differing upholstered sofa frames which have seat sections of differing heights and mattresses of differing thicknesses.

The foldable sofa-sleeper fixture 10 comprises a pair of anchor plates 18 which have top flanges 19 extending outwardly. These top flanges 19 are intended to be mounted on top of the side mounting rail of an upholstered sofa arm. Alternatively, the flanges 19 may be mounted in a slot or lip of a side rail of a couch arm or they may be mounted on top of a mounting block'ifthe unit is to be spaced away from the arm 17 of the upholstered couch assembly. In any event, and as may be most clearly seen in FIG. 4, the side stationary frame plate 18 is fixedly attached as by screws (not shown) to the upholstered wooden frame of the couch assembly in a position in which the frame 18 is spaced substantially above floor level.

The foldable bed frame 20 of the fixture includes pivotally interconnected'and transversely arranged bed frame head section 21, body section 22, intermediate section 23, and foot section 24, the pivotal connections being indicated at 25, 26, and 27, respectively. Substantially parallel side frame rails or angles 21 22', 23' and 24 of these

bed sections

21, 22, 23, and 24 may be made of any suitable metal shape such as angle iron.

The side frame angles 21' of the head section 21 are interconnected by a transverse mattress retainer angle 29. Adjacent their opposite ends, the side frame angles 22, 23' of the body section 22 and intermediate section 23 are interconnected by downwardly offset

transverse cross ties

30, 31; and the side frame angles 24' of the foot section 24 areinterconnected by a front rail or cross tie 32.

Stretched between the side frame angles of the head, body, and

intermediate sections

21,22, and23 of the frame 20 is a continuous interconnected link fabric 34 of conventional construction. The transverse wires of the link fabric 34 are resiliently connected to the side frame angles of the head, body, and intermediate sections by coil springs 35. The longitudinally extending wires of the link fabric are connected to the mattress retainer angle 29 by coil springs 36.

The foot section 24 of the frame 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 the front rail 32. The rod 40 is not connected to the bed frame. I

The back or rearward edge of the canvas strip 38 is cut in a curved form as indicated at 42 and is similarly provided with a folded sleeve 43 which receives a pliant tensioned flexible curved wire 44. The wire is pivotally connected at its ends as at 45 to the rear ends of the angles 24 of the foot section 24. The back or rear comers of the canvas strip are connected with the foot bed section 24 at the connections of the wire element 44 to the angles 24 of the foot section.

The length of curved wire element 44 is greater than the transverse width between the parallel side frame angles 24 of the foot section 24. The tension curved wire element 44 serves to longitudinally stretch and tension the canvas strip 38 independently of the adjacent longitudinal wires of link fabric 34. These longitudinalwires of link fabric 34 are connected at their ends 46 to strip 38 through the wire element 44. The canvas strip is thus stretched longitudinally of the bed frame 20 but is not stretched transversely of the bed frame. This connection of the canvas strip 38 to the bed frame maintains the canvas strip under tension when the bed sections are folded as illustrated in FIG. 5 or extended as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and provides a soft yieldable front edge portion for the sofa seat when the bed frame is folded into the sofa position.

The top section of the bed frame including the link fabric 34 and canvas strip 38 which has been heretofore described forms no part of the invention of this application. It. is completely illustrated and described in US. Pat. No. 2,878,490.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the link fabric 34 and canvas strip-38 support a mattress'48 in a conventional construction and selected thickness. This mattress is capable of being folded intermediate its ends as illustrated in that figure.

In order to better support the middle section of the fabric or that section of fabric located within the body section 22 of the frame, a pair of crossed wires 47, 47A extend between diagonally opposed comers of this section of the frame. In the preferred embodiment these wires 47, 47A are twisted together at their intersection 49 so as to increase the tension in them. It has been found that the inclusion of these tensioned wires beneath the body section of the fabric 34 has the dual effect of increasing the foundation or support of the fabric in the bed or sleeping position and of increasing the support of the fabric when the fixture is in a sofa position. In either a seating or a sleeping position of the fixture, the majority of weight carried by the cushions or mattress is ultimately supported by the wire link fabric located in the body section of the frame and reinforced in that section by the crossed wires 47 and 47A.

Because of the presence of these tensioned crossed wires beneath the link fabric in the body section of the frame, the fixture. 10 has been found to provide a more firm foundation for the mattress so thatit does not sag in the middle when a person is sleeping upon it. And

these crossed wires also provide a firmer foundation for the sofa cushions when a person is seated over that section. It is to be noted'that the crossed wires are located immediately beneath the fabric seat section 24 of the frame when the unit is fully folded as illustrated in FIG. 5. Consequently, a person seated on a cushion located above the fabric deck 38 is supported from the body section 22 of the link fabric which is reinforced at that point by the crossed wires 47 and 47A. The crossed wires 47, 47A thus prevent sagging and render the unit more comfortable in both a sitting or sofa condition and in a bed or sleeping position.

The complete bed frame is supported from the two anchor plates 18 upon a pair of fixed or stationary rear hanger arm posts 50 and a pair of main pilot arms 58 which are pivoted to the anchor plates '18 by rivets 77. The posts 50 are reinforced by post braces 51 which extend between and are riveted to the post 50 and the anchor plates 18.

At its upper end each post 50 pivotally supports one end of a pivot arm 52. The opposite end of the pivot arm is pivotally connected as at 53 to one comer of a generally triangular shaped stabilizing plate 54. Immediate its end the pivot arm 52 has attached a spring tag 55. This tag supports one end of a tension spring 56, the opposite end of which is fixedly attached to an extension arm 57 of the main pilot arm 58. This tension spring 56 holds the frame 20 in a collapsed sofa position, assists the opening of the sofa-sleeper unit, and holds the frame 20 in a partially opened counterbalanced position.

The rear corner of the head section angle 21 is pivotally attached to the stabilizer plate 54 by a rivet connector 60. In order to further stabilize'and prevent side sway of the rear section of the frame, a finger 61 protrudes upwardly from the head section angle 21 and over an arcuate section 62 of the stabilizing plate 54. This finger 61 further acts as a stop engageable with a raised abutment 63 of the stabilizing plate to limit movement of the plate relative to the head section 21 of the bed frame.

To further stabilize the head section of the frame and prevent its lateral movement, two stabilizing

bars

65 and 66 interconnect the pivot arm 52 to a pilot actuating arm 67. This arm 67 has a depending tab 68 to which the forward ends of the two

arms

65 and 66 are pivotally connected. The rear ends of these

same arms

65, 66 are pivotally connected to the pivot arm 52 at 69 and 53, respectively. v

The pilot actuating am 67 is pivotally connected at its forward end to both the upper end of the main pilot arm 58 and a bed lock plate 72 by a single rivet 73. The

- bed lock plate is in turn pivotally connected to the body section angle 22' by a pivotal connector or rivet 75. There is also a pin 76 which protrudes from the body section angle 22' of the bed frame and through an arcuate slot 74 of the bed lockplate. This latter-pin or rivet 76 limits the rotational movement of the bed lock plate 72 to an angle of approximately 105.

When extended into a bed position, the frame 20 is supported by a pair of foldable center legs 80 and a pair of front legs 81. The center legs 80 are pivotally attached at their upper ends (pivot 26) to the forwardrnost end of the body section angles 22' and similarly the front legs are pivotally attached near their upper ends to the foot section angles 24 by a rivet 79. When unfolded, these legs support the center and forwardmost ends of the frame 20 in an unfolded or bed position.

In order to control folding of the center legs 80, a center leg-actuating arm 82 is pivotally connected at its forward end, as by a rivet 83, to each of the center legs 80 and at its rear end to each of the bed lock plates 72. The connection between the bed lock plate 72 and the actuating arm 82 is preferably a rivet 84.

As may be seen in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the actuating arms 82 cause the center legs 80, which are preferably interconnected by a cross brace 86, to fold up under the body section 22 of the frame when the unit is collapsed from a bed to a sofa condition, and similarly the arms 82 cause the legs to be extended to a condition normal to the body section 22 when the frame 20 is unfolded from a sofa to a bed condition. There is preferably a roller 85 on the lower end of each center leg so as to enable that leg to roll over a floor surface.

In order to collapse the front legs 81 from a vertical position to a position in which they are generally parallel to the foot section 24 of the frame 20, an actuating arm is pivotally connected at one end to the top of the leg as at 91 and is pivotally connected to the intermediate section angle 23' as at 92. As may best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, lifting of the foot section of the frame from a horizontal to a vertical position automatically causes the front leg 81 to be collapsed into a position in which it is substantially parallel to the foot section angles 24 and, similarly, lowering of the foot section automatically extends the legs 81 beneath the frame 20.

In order to position the intermediate section 23 of the frame in a substantially vertical plane when the bed frame is folded into a sofa position, a link 94 is pivotally connected at one end 95 to the intermediate section angle 23'. The other end of the link 94 is provided with a pin 96 which is slideably received within a longitudinally extending slot 97 provided in the body section angle 22 adjacent to the pivotal connection between the center leg 80 and the body section angle 22'. The pin 96 abuts the back end of the slot 97 when the foot, intermediate and body sections of the bed frame are in a final folded position as shown in FIG. 4. When the bed frame is in a fully extended or bed position, the pin 96 is positioned adjacent the forward end of the slot as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In order to control articulation of the foot section 24 I of the frame relative to the intermediate section 23 and pression arm 99. The opposite end of the compression arm has a pin which extends through and is slideable within a slot 106 of the actuating arm 82. The opposite end of the bell crank is pivotally connected as indicated at 107 to the bell crank actuating arm 100, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at 108 to the foot section angle 24'.

Referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the length of the slot 106 in the actuating arm 82 is such that after the foot section 24 of the frame has been folded to a vertical position, any further rotational movement of the foot section about the pivot 27 is precluded by the compression arm 99, the bell crank 101 and the bell crank actuating arm 100 because of the pin 105 attached to the compression arm 99 having bottomed against the forward end 111 of the slot 106. Thereafter, continued rotational movement of the foot section 24 causes the intermediate section 23 of the frame to pivot about the pivot point 26 until the intermediate section 23 reaches a position in which it is approximately perpendicular to both the body section 22 of the frame and the foot section 24. At this point the pin 96 of the main brace stop arm 94 engages the rear end of the slot 97 and prevents any further rotational movement about the pivot 26 (see FIG. 4).

This same linkage, including the bell crank actuating arm 100, the bell crank 101 and the compression arm 99, also serve to lock the foot section 24, the intermediate section 23 and the body section 22 of the frame in a fully collapsed condition when the frame is completely folded into a sofa position. To this end it will be noted in FIGS. 4 and 5 that the last increment of movement as the frame moves from the position illustrated in FIG. 4 to that illustrated in FIG. 5 is for the bed lock plate 72 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in this figure until the stop pin 76 engages the lowermost end 110 of the slot 76. This final increment of movement of the bed lockiplate 72 causes the actuating arm 82 to be moved downwardly and rearwardly until the stop pin 105 engages the end 111 of the slot 106. Continued rotational movement of the lock plate then causes the compression arm 99 to rotate the bell crank 101 in a clockwise direction to the overcenter position illustrated in FIG. 5 in which the folded mattress (illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 4) is fully compressed between the body section 22 of the frame and the foot section 24. In'this locked compressed condition of the mattress between these two

sections

22 and 24 of the frame 20, the canvas fabric 38 over the foot section 24 forms a'firm rearwardly sloping seat for the sofa and one which does not collapse or give when a person sits down upon it.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the bed frame 20 includes a third front leg 115, which is pivotally attached as at 116 to the center of the front cross rail 32. When viewed in cross section (as may be most clearly seen in FIG. 1 l) the third leg is half-moon or crescent shaped so that when folded into the phantom position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10, it fits snugly around the tubular front rail 32. The fit of the leg around the cross rail, though, is loose enough so -that the center leg automatically drops down to an open position when the frame is folded to an open or bed position. A friction lock at the top of the leg prevents the leg from dropping completely down so that it must be manually moved to an overcenter position in which it minimizes the chances of the front legs 81 collapsing under excessive loading and, of course, it relieves the front legs 81 of some weight so that they need not be reinforced.

In order to retain the mattress 48 on the frame, the preferred embodiment of the fixture 10 includes a removable mattress retainer 120. As may be seen most clearly in FIGS. 1, 8, and 9, this retainer is generally Z- shaped in cross section and comprises a horizontal shelf section 122 from which there extends a rear vertical flange 123 and a front vertical section 124. The front section 124 serves as a barrier to prevent the mattress from sliding past it over the cross rail 32.

In order to secure the retainer on the cross rail, it includes two generally L-shaped

slots

125, 126 which extend through the depending rear flange 123 and the horizontal shelf section 122. The spacing of the slots is identical to the spacing of the two center coil springs 41 which extend between the front cross rail 32 and the canvas deck 38. Consequently, the mattress retainer may be slipped over the springs and then shifted laterally so as to removably secure it onto thecross rail 32.

Because the retainer 120 is removable, persons who wish to remove it may easily do so to accommodate their sitting on the end of the bed. With a normal height 'mattress, though, the retainer should not interfere with sitting on the bed because of its small size and low height. 1

OPERATION 5 rail 32 until thefoot section 24 of the frameis located defines an included angle a of approximately 105. The

friction lock in the over center position of the leg with respect to the center rail prevents the leg from folding or collapsing when weight is applied to the end of the cross rail. This center leg 115 is preferably l/l6 inch bowing of the front rail 32 when someone sits on the end of the frame. It also reduces side sway and thus in a vertical plane. As a consequence of this movement, the frontlegs 81 are caused by the actuating anns to fold in parallel to the foot section angles 24'. Simultaneously with or immediately after this folding of the front foot section of the frame 24, the front center leg is folded up against the front cross rail 32.

The next step in the sequence is to continue the folding'movement of the foot section 24 of the frame pushing it rearwardly from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to that illustrated in FIG. 4. After the foot section 24 reaches the vertical position of FIg. 2, it is precluded from any further pivotal movement about the pivot 27 by the bell crank actuating arm 100, the bell crank 101 and the compression arm 99. Consequently, continued pushing against the top of the crossrail 32 causes the frame to pivot about the pivot point 26 thereby lifting the intermediate section 23 of the frame into a vertical condition. In the vertical condition of the intermediate section of the frame the forward endof the mattress 48 is completely folded over upon itself to a double thickness as shown most clearly in FIG. 4. When the intermediate section 23 of the frame reaches a vertical position, the foot section 24 is then located in a horizontal plane over the top of the double thickness mattress. The intermediate section 23 is then precluded against continued rotational movement about the pivot 26 by the stop arm 94.

Continued folding movement of the frame is then effected by lifting the seat rail 31 upwardly so as to lift what is now the front of the partially folded frame including the center legs 80 upwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 4. This upward movement of the front of the frame causes the main pilot arm 58 to rotate about its lower pivot 77 and simultaneously cause the bedlock plate 72 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. This counterclockwise rotation of the bed lock plate has the effect of completely collapsing the two center legs 80 beneath the body section 22 of the frame.

Simultaneously with the lifting of the front of the partially collapsed frame, the rear end, including the head section 21 and the rear mattress retainer angle 29, are lowered while they are moved rearwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 4. This lowering of the head section 21 of the frame and particularly the mattress retainer angle 29 enables the mattress retainer angle to be moved beneath and clear the bottom of the back rest cushion 16 preparatory to the head section of the frame being moved up into a cavity in the back rest cushion 16.

After the frame has reached the position illustrated in FIG. 4, pushing against the front section of the frame causes the main pilot arm 58 to pivot about its lower pivot 77 while the complete frame moves rearwardly about that pivot 77. In the course of this movement, the

head section 21 of the frame is caused to move from a I generally horizontal to a vertical position about the pivot point 25. When the head section 21 finally reaches the vertical position, it is located completely within a cavity contained within the back rest of the sofa (see FIG. 5).

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, it will be seen that just prior to the fixture reaching a completely collapsed or folded sofa condition, the foot section angles 24 contact and are received within a generally V-shaped recess 130 defined by an upstanding tab 131 on the forwardmost end of the pilot actuating arm 67 and an upstanding tab 132 of the bed lock plate '72. This V- shaped recess 130 is located immediately above the top of the main pilot arm 58 and functions as a guide to position the foot section angles 24 onto the top of the main pilot arm and to hold it there when the unit is in the collapsed sofa position. This guide 130 thus prevents the foot section angles 24 from dropping off on either the inside of the bed lock plate 72 or on the outside of the actuating arm 67. If the frame is slightly out of square, this guide 130 also functions to square it as it is folded and to allow it to collapse into a proper position. It also functions to prevent the seat section of the sofa (formerly the foot section of the bed) from dropping downwardly off the main pilot arm 58 when someone sits on the sofa.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be seen that there is a pilot tube 135 which extends between the two spring arms 57 of the main pilot arm 58. This pilot tube 135 is fixedly attached to the outer ends of the arms 57 so thatit pivots about the pivot point 77 with the main pilot arm 58. When the unit is completely collapsed into a sofa position, the pilot arms 58 and the attached pilot tube 135 pass over center so that the spring 56 holds the sofa fixture in a collapsed condition. In this collapsed condition, the pilot tube 135 supports the front end of the collapsed frame as a consequence of the front edge 136 of the center legs 80 resting upon and being supported by the top of the pilot tube 135. 6

Consequently, the pilot tube partially carries the weight and supports a person seating upon the sofa.

The sofa-sleeper heretofore described has numerous advantages over sofa-sleeper fixtures now commonly in use. One of the primary advantages of this construction is the ease with which it converts from a high profile seat sofa to a low profile seat sofa. All that is required to convert the low profile seat sofa to a high profile seat, i.e., approximately a 16% inch to a 17% inch height, is to add a block 140 as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 3 to the front 136 of the center legs 80. This block may be attached to the legs by any conventional connector, as for example, a screw and nut or, if the unit is made of plastic, a conventional snap-fit connector. This block is attached to the front of the center at the point at which the legs contact the pilot tube 135 when the unit is collapsed. Consequently, if the block is l inch in thickness, the addition of the block to the center legs has the effect of lifting the seat approximately 1 inch.

Another advantage of the sofa-sleeper heretofore described resides in its ability to accommodate either a deep 5 inch thick mattress or a shallow 3% inch thick mattress with a minimum of replacement parts. To convert the fixture 10 from one which accommodates a 5 inch mattress to one which accommodates a 3% inch thick mattress, all that is required is to vary the depth D of the mattress-containing cavity between foot section 24 and the body section 22 of the frame when the unit is folded. This differing depth D may be achieved by (a) substituting a shorter intermediate section angle 23; and (b) substituting a shorter bell crank actuating arm 100. The notch 141 in the front of the main pilot arm 58 then receives the top of the folded front legs. With only the substitution of these two shortened parts, this fixture 10 converts from one which houses a 5 inch thick mattress to one which accommodates a 3% inch thick mattress.

These and other advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to persons skilled in this art. Therefore, we do not intend to be limited except by the scope of the following appended claims:

We claim:

1. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot bed frame sections, said frame sections each including a pair of opposed side rails, said frame sections being extendable to form a bed and foldable to form a sofa seat, longitudinally and laterally stretched wire fabric means carried by at least said head, body, and intermediate bed frame sections, and

the improvement which comprises crossed wires attached at their opposite ends to the side rails of said body section of said frame, said crossed wires being located beneath and partially supporting said fabric means of said body section of said frame, said crossed wires being in tension and attached to the four corners of said body section of said frame, and

said body section of said frame being rigidified by at least two laterally extending cross rails bent downwardly out of the plane of said body section of said frame.

2. The fixture of claim 1 in which said body section of said frame is rigidified by at least two laterally extending cross rails bent downwardly out of the plane of said body section of said frame.

3. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising 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, said foot frame section terminating in a circular cross section tubular end cross rail,

longitudinally and laterally stretched fabric means carried by at least said head, body and intermediate bed frame sections,

a plurality of legs pivotally attached to said frame,

pivoted linkage means operable to automatically retract said legs into folded relation to said frame sections when the frame sections are folded into a sofa seat and operable automatically to extend said legs when the frame sections are extended into a bed position, and

a front cross rail leg pivotally attached to said end cross rail, said leg being crescent shaped in cross section and adapted to be received over said end cross rail when said frame is folded into a sofa and to be extended beneath said cross rail when said frame sections are extended into a bed position.

4. The foldable sofa-bed fixture of claim 3 which further includes a removable mattress retainer mounted upon said end cross rail, said retainer having generally L-shaped slots adapted to receive means extending from said end cross rail so as to removably secure said retainer on said end cross rail.

5. The foldable sofa-bed fixture of claim 3 in which said fabric means is attached to said end cross rail by a plurality of helical springs, and

a removable mattress retainer mounted upon said end cross rail, said retainer including generally L- shaped slots adapted to receive portions of said helical springs so as to removably secure said retainer on said end cross rail.

6. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising 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, a pair of fixed anchor plates adapted to be attached to said sofa frame and means for supporting said frame sections from said anchor plates,

said supporting means comprising,

a fixed rear post attached to each of said anchor plates,

a pair of first pivoted linkage means connecting each of said posts to a rear corner of said frame,

a pair of bed lock plates and means pivotally connecting each of said plates to one side of said body section of said frame,

a pair of main pilot arms, each of said main pilot arms being pivotally attached at one end to one of said anchor plates and pivotally attached at the opposite end to one of said bed lock plates,

a pair of second pivoted linkage means including a pilot actuating arm connecting each of said first linkage means to each of said bed lock plates, and

a pair of third linkage means connecting said foot sections of said frame to said bed lo'ck plates, each of said third linkage means including a bell crank pivotally attached to said body section of said frame, and guide means operatively associated with the bed lock plate attached end of said main pilot arms for guiding said foot section of said bed frame into a position on top of said main pilot arm when said frame sections are folded to form a sofa seat.

7. The fixture of claim 6 in which said guide means comprises a generally V-shaped channel defined above said main pilot arm by an upwardly and inwardly extending tab on said bed lock plate and an upwardly and outwardly extending tab on said pilot actuating arm.

8. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising 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, a pair of fixed anchor plates adapted to be attached to said sofa frame and means for supporting said frame sections from said anchor plates, said supporting means comprising,

a fixed rear post attached to each of said anchor plates,

2 pair of second pivoted linkage means including a pilot actuating arm connecting each of said first linkage means to each of said bed lock plates, and

a pair of third linkage means connecting said foot sections of said frame to said bed lock plates, each of said third linkage means including a bell crank pivotally attached to said body section of said frame, a bell crank actuating arm extending between said bell crank and said foot section of said frame and a lost motion connection between said bell crank and said bed lock plate.

9. The fixture of claim 8 which further includes a pair of center legs pivotally attached to said forward end of said body section of said frame and means including a second actuating arm connecting each of said center legs to said bed lock plate so as to cause the automatic collapse of said center legs beneath said body section of said frame when said fixture is folded into a sofa seat.

10. The fixture of claim 8 in which each of said pair of first linkage means comprises a stabilizing plate pivotally attached to said head section of said frame and extending downwardly from it when said frame is in an extended bed position and a pivot arm pivotally connected at one end to one of said rear posts and pivotally connected at the opposite end to said stabilizing plate at a pointlocated substantially below the plane of said extended bed frame.

11. The fixture of claim 8 in which each of said second pivoted linkage means includes a pair of stabilizing bars, each of said bars being pivotally connected at one end to said pilot actuating arm and at the opposite end to said first linkage means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION- Dated I Degemben 11 1 Inventofls) Leonard L. Fad ler and 'Rnhgrt- Finfilpy Patent No. 3,854,153

1 It is certified that errorappears in'the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 11, line'.22 'after "sofa" insert ---seat-- Signed and sealed this 4th day of March 1-975. I

(SEAL) v Attest:

. C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C, I ZASON Commissioner" of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks USCOMM-QC 60375-P69 h Q ".5. GOVERNMENT IIINYING OVFICE: ll! O-JBl-JS F ORM PO-105O (10-69)

Claims

1. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot bed frame sections, said frame sections each including a pair of opposed side rails, said frame sections being extendable to form a bed and foldable to form a sofa seat, longitudinally and laterally stretched wire fabric means carried by at least said head, body, and intermediate bed frame sections, and the improvement which comprises crossed wires attached at their opposite ends to the side rails of said body section of said frame, said crossed wires being located beneath and partially supporting said fabric means of said body section of said frame, said crossed wires being in tension and attached to the four corners of said body section of said frame, and said Body section of said frame being rigidified by at least two laterally extending cross rails bent downwardly out of the plane of said body section of said frame.

3. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising 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, said foot frame section terminating in a circular cross section tubular end cross rail, longitudinally and laterally stretched fabric means carried by at least said head, body and intermediate bed frame sections, a plurality of legs pivotally attached to said frame, pivoted linkage means operable to automatically retract said legs into folded relation to said frame sections when the frame sections are folded into a sofa seat and operable automatically to extend said legs when the frame sections are extended into a bed position, and a front cross rail leg pivotally attached to said end cross rail, said leg being crescent shaped in cross section and adapted to be received over said end cross rail when said frame is folded into a sofa and to be extended beneath said cross rail when said frame sections are extended into a bed position.

5. The foldable sofa-bed fixture of claim 3 in which said fabric means is attached to said end cross rail by a plurality of helical springs, and a removable mattress retainer mounted upon said end cross rail, said retainer including generally L-shaped slots adapted to receive portions of said helical springs so as to removably secure said retainer on said end cross rail.

6. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising 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, a pair of fixed anchor plates adapted to be attached to said sofa frame and means for supporting said frame sections from said anchor plates, said supporting means comprising, a fixed rear post attached to each of said anchor plates, a pair of first pivoted linkage means connecting each of said posts to a rear corner of said frame, a pair of bed lock plates and means pivotally connecting each of said plates to one side of said body section of said frame, a pair of main pilot arms, each of said main pilot arms being pivotally attached at one end to one of said anchor plates and pivotally attached at the opposite end to one of said bed lock plates, a pair of second pivoted linkage means including a pilot actuating arm connecting each of said first linkage means to each of said bed lock plates, and a pair of third linkage means connecting said foot sections of said frame to said bed lock plates, each of said third linkage means including a bell crank pivotally attached to said body section of said frame, and guide means operatively associated with the bed lock plate attached end of said main pilot arms for guiding said foot section of said bed frame into a position on top of said main pilot arm when said frame sections are folded to form a sofa seat.

8. A foldable sofa bed fixture adapted to be mounted upon a stationary sofa frame, said fixture comprising 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, a pair of fixed anchor plates adapted to be attached to said sofa frame and means for supporting said frame sections from said anchor plates, said supporting means comprising, a fixed rear post attached to each of said anchor plates, a pair of first pivoted linkage means connecting each of said posts to a rear corner of said frame, a pair of bed lock plates and means pivotally connecting each of said plates to one side of said body section of said frame, a pair of main pilot arms, each of said main pilot arms being pivotally attached at one end to one of said anchor plates and pivotally attached at the opposite end to one of said bed lock plates, a pair of second pivoted linkage means including a pilot actuating arm connecting each of said first linkage means to each of said bed lock plates, and a pair of third linkage means connecting said foot sections of said frame to said bed lock plates, each of said third linkage means including a bell crank pivotally attached to said body section of said frame, a bell crank actuating arm extending between said bell crank and said foot section of said frame and a lost motion connection between said bell crank and said bed lock plate.

10. The fixture of claim 8 in which each of said pair of first linkage means comprises a stabilizing plate pivotally attached to said head section of said frame and extending downwardly from it when said frame is in an extended bed position and a pivot arm pivotally connected at one end to one of said rear posts and pivotally connected at the opposite end to said stabilizing plate at a point located substantially below the plane of said extended bed frame.