US2668302A - Vibrating bed - Google Patents

Description

E. DrMGROVE VIBRA'FING BED Filed May 26I 1949 INVENTOR 'EDWARD DENGRovE ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIBRATING BED Edward Dengrove, Interlaken, N. J. Application May 26, 1949, Serial No. 95,437 4 Claims. (Cl. 5-104) This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to beds and means detachably applied hereto for automatically inducing sleep.

Heretofore numerous beds or cribs have been designed for this purpose but the majority of these involve rather complicated linkages and drive mechanisms and necessitated the construction of the bed or crib in the first instance for the particular purpose intended and did not in any way provide a convenient means for converting a conventional bed or crib for the purpose of automatically inducing sleep.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means whereby a conventional bed or crib may be caused to vibrate at a relatively low frequency and amplitude in order to promote or induce sleep in the occupant thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means which may be conveniently substituted for the castors or other supporting means on a conventional bed or crib and in addition means which may be conveniently attached to the frame thereof for producing vibratory movement in order to induce sleep.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vibration producing attachment for a bed or crib in which the frequency of vibration may be conveniently varied and in which a timing device is included in order that the interval of vibration may be pre-set, the device automatically ceasing to operate upon completion of this time interval.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a crib showing yieldable supporting means applied to the legs thereof and the vibration producing device of this invention applied to the head or foot board of the crib;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view of the vibration producing device showing the internal arrangement of parts;

Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, particularly showing the arrangement of the variable speed motor and eccentrically mounted weight;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary detailed view with parts in section for greater clarity and showing the particular clamping means utilized to secure the vibration producing device to the bed or crib; and,

Fig. 5, a fragmentary sectional view showing the yieldable supporting means attachment thereof to the leg of a bed or crib.

and manner of With continued reference to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. l a bed having side rails I9, legs II and a head or foot board I2. The bed may be supplied with a conventional mattress I3 and if desired may have upstanding side bars I4 and top rails I5 in order to confine a child therein.

Since this invention is concerned primarily with the provision of means for converting a conventional bed or crib to one in which vibration thereof may be automatically produced, there is provided as shown in detail in Fig. 5 yieldable supporting means having a cup-shaped base I6 provided with a flange I1 which may rest upon the floor or other supporting surface or be secured thereto by suitable fastening means extending through apertures I8. Cup-shaped base I6 is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange I9 to which may be secured by vulcanizing or the like a substantially disc shaped rubber or other yieldable member 20, this member being provided with a centrally disposed aperture 2I.

Attaching means in the form of an elongated rod 22 may be secured in the aperture 2l by any desired means, such as a nut 23, the rod 22 being rotatably recived in a socket 24 disposed in a bore in the leg II of the crib or bed. Socket 24 is of the type commonly employed to receive and secure a castor to the bed and for this purpose the socket is provided with inwardly extending projections 25 which are adapted to engage an annular groove 26 in the rod 22 thus rotatably retaining rod 22 in socket 24. Therefore, all that is necessary in order to properly support the bed or crib for vibratory movement is to remove the conventional castors and substitute the yieldable support shown in Fig. 5 by inserting the rod 22 within the socket 24 until groove 26 engages projections 25.

In order to conveniently produce vibration of the bed or crib there may be provided a generally rectangular container 21 in which is mounted a variable speed electric motor 28 having a power shaft 29 extending therefrom and to which is secured for rotation therewith an eccentrically disposed weight 30. Weight 30 is secured to the shaft 29 by a rod 3l xed to a hub 32 secured to the shaft 29. If desired, the weight 30 may be adiustably mounted on the rod 3l in order to pre-set the amplitude of the vibrations to the desired value. Ordinarily motor shaft 29 will be vertically arranged in order that the vibrations will be in a horizontal plane but obviously if desired this shaft could be so disposed as to result in vibration in any desired plane. The container 21 may also be provided with an arcuate extension 33 in order to permit rotary movement of the weight 30 while maintaining the dimensions of the major portion of the container 21 as small as possible.

Also mounted on the container 21 is speed control means in ing upon the setting of the knob 38 As asafety feature, a fuse i9 disposed within the container 2l may be connected in the motor circuitand an exteriorly disposed cap 4I permits convenient renewal of the fuse inthe event or failure `thereof. The vibration producing unit may, be conveniently supplied with power through a..cable 42 connected to a oenventionalwall ` outlet 4,3, 01 to a direct current-source which may or may not be of a portable nature. The container .27 might be of a size to receive. a battery thus protery could be carried inA aseparate housing. .The device would thus be adapted for use; on baby carriages and the like at any point remote from a` permanent source of power;v l

f In order to ada-pt theyibration producing unit for application to a conventional'fbedor crib or any other desired obect, clamping meansmay be providedin the form of avbar 4 4 secured .to therear surface of the container 27, the ends of the bar extendingbeyend the ends of the container. The ends of bar 44 are provided'with slots in which are slidably `disposed clamping members 45 having angularly disposed outer ends 46 which may engage one surfaceof lthe head or foot board.Y l2 to clamp the sameagainst .the surface of the bar 44.

It will be seen that by this invention there has been provided a simple, convenient and easily adgusted means for vibrating a crib or bed at any desired frequency within the limits of the for a predetermined period of time in order to induce or promote sleep in the occupant thereof. This device may be economically in the appended claims.

What is elaimediss- 1t A bed, resilient cushioning means wholly thereof,a vibrator mechanism secured to said bed for inducing vibrations therein.V K- .2.-A bed, resilient cushioning means Wholly therein, in horizontal directions.

3. A bed, as set forth in Vclaim 2, wherein said vibrator, mechanism comprises `an eccentrically rotative ina horizontal plane and means for rotating said weight. f

4. A bed as set forth in claim 3, including means for varying the radius ,of rotation of said Weight.

EDWARD DENGROVE.

Rem-entes cited' inV the me of thisv patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number 1 Name Date 611,174 King Sept. 20, 1898 652,896 Johnson July 3, 1900 910,888 Wilson Jan. 26, 1909 923,509 Gooding June 1, 1909 928,415 Wilson July 20, 1909 1,420,134 Nisle June 20, 1922 1,500,009 Smaldo'ne July 1, 1924 y1,787,449 Jackson iJan, 6, 1931 1,806,620 Flam May 26, 1931 1,827,586 Keeler pct. 13, 1931 2,255,799 Meinzr Sept. 16, '1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 529,274 France Sept. 5, 1921

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