US3039118A - Adjustable height bed - Google Patents

Description

June 19, 1962 c. B. HUTT 3,039,118

ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT BED Filed-Nov. 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmu/nnuunll.

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` JNVENToR. GLYDE B. rHUT-r BY l lI AT ORNEY June 19, 1962 c. B. HUTT ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLYDE B. HUTT ATTORN EY 3,039,118 ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT BED Clyde B. Hutt, 601 E. 22nd, Vancouver, Wash. Filed Nov. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 70,998 3 Claims. (Cl. 5-63) This invention relates in general to beds in which the height of the spring and mattress from the floor can be adjusted when and as desired. More specifically, the present invention relates to invalid beds and hospital beds in which height adjustability is a most desirable and even an essential feature.

It is customary with ordinary hospital beds to have the spring and mattress located at a relatively high fixed level above the floor, since such height is a considerable convenience to nurses, doctors and attendants who administer to the patient. On the other hand, being confined to a bed in which the spring and mattress are posi- Ationed much higher from the floor than in an ordinary bed very often has a bad psychological effect on the patient, and furthermore during the ambulatory stages of convalescence it is highly desirable that the spring and mattress be positioned at a sufficiently low level to enable the patient to get out of bed and get back into bed, when he is in condition to do so, without hazard or unnecessary diiculty.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved and practical bed construction in which the height of the spring and mattress can be quickly and easily adjusted within a satisfactorily and desirable height range.

While various types of adjustable height beds have been invented heretofore, a number of these have ernbodied complicated mechanisms which would add considerably to the cost of the bed, or which would present a maintenance problem, and thus have not found very general acceptance. Other adjustable height beds have included lengthy cables or other adjusting parts which are exposed and unsightly and on which bed clothing would be apt to catch. Accordingly a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustable bed having relatively simple adjusting mechanism which can be almost completely housed within the headboard and footboard portions of the bedstead, which will not be expensive to manufacture, and which will not involve any maintenance problem.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a bed in which the height of the spring and mattress from the oor can be quickly adjusted within a satisfactorily wide range by mechanism contained almost entirely in the headboard and footboard portions of the bed, but without requiring these portions themselves of the bed frame to be oversize.

A still further object is to provide a simple and practical adjustable bed in which the height .adjustment can be accomplished easily without any excessive effort on the part of the attendant.

The manner in which these objects and other incidental advantages are attained with the adjustable bed of the present invention, and the construction and method of operation of the adjusting mechanism, will be readily understood from the following brief description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FG. 1 is an elevation of the footboard portion of the ares arent ar 1C@ l bed, taken on the line indicated at 1-1 in FIG. 5, but drawn to a larger scale, with parts of the outer face plate removed from the housing in order to show the housed mechanism more clearly, the bed being represented as adjusted to the maximum raised position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation through part of the same footboard portion, taken on line 2-2 yof FIG. 5 and drawn to a still larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation corresponding in part to FIG. l, illustrating the position of part of the mechanism in the footboard portion when the bed has been lowered;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a fore-shortened side elevation of the entire bed drawn to a much smaller scale;

FIG. 6 is a partial elevation of the headboard portion of the bed, drawn to the same scale as FIG. l, with part of the outer face plate shown broken away for clarity,

.this view being taken on the line indicated at 6--6 in FIG. 5, and illustrating a modified form for part of the adjusting mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of the mechanism of FIG. 6.

Referring first to FIG. 5, the bed frame represented by this figure includes a footboard portion, indicated in general by the reference character 10, which footboard portion has a pair of adjustable legs 11, one of these being shown, and includes a headboard portion indicated in general by the reference character 12., this headboard portion similarly having a pair of adjustable legs 13 of which one is shown; and the bed frame also includes the customary pair of removable side rails, one of which is indicated by the broken lines 14, and a longitudinallyextending rotatable adjusting shaft 15 to be referred to later, which is supported at its ends in the footboard portion 10 and headboard portion 12 respectively.

The footboard portion 10 and the operating mechanism contained therein will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In FIG. l the footboard portion 10 as shown consists of a housing comprising a rectangular frame 16 having a side wall 17 and an outer face plate 18, the inside spacing between the walls 17 and the face plate 18 being preferably approximately 21/2 inches. A pair of tubular guideways 19 for the adjustable telescoping legs 11 are rigidly mounted in the frame 16 adjacent the side ends thereof respectively, and these guideways extend a short distance down below the bottom of the frame 16. At their upper ends these guideways terminate about midway between the bottom and top of the frame 16.

The adjustable legs 11 (see FIG. 2) are hollow tubular members slidably mounted in the guideways 19. Each leg 11 has an integral bottom plate 20 on which is rigidly mounted a cylindrical center bar 21 of sufiiciently less diameter than the leg 11 so as to be spaced from the inside wall of the tubular leg. This center bar is approximately the Vsame height as the tubular leg. The center bar 21 has a reduced diameter portion 21 at the top end of the bar (shown in broken lines in FIG. 2).

Secured to the top of the center bar 21 is a flexible member 22, having the same outer diameter as the center bar `21, and composed of wire formed into 4a tight spiral so as to enable the member 22 to be laterally flexible but non-compressible in an axial direction. The upper end of each guide-way 19 is formed with an integral, downwardly-extending inner cylindrical guide flange y23 in which the flexible member 22 is slidable. This guide flange 23' terminates at the bottom in an annular flange 24. A coil spring 25 extends around the center bar 21 and around part of the flexible member 22 and is held under compression at all times between the bottom plate in the leg r11 and the bottom annular flange 24 of the guide flange 23. As apparent `from FIG. 2, this spring constantly exerts a force tending to move the telescoping leg l1li downwardly with respect to the guideway 19 and footboard 10, that is to say, exerts a force tending to raise the bed frame, but enabling the leg 11 to be moved upwardly, and thus the `footboard 10 to be lowered, against the force of the spring 25.

A `lug 126 (-FIG. 2) is secured to the top of the flexible` member 22, this lug 26 having a reduced diameter portion 26 (shown in broken lines) which extends down into the top of the tight spiral forming the flexible member 2-2. A cable 27 extends down through the lug 26 and down through the center of the flexible member 22 and has its end secured in the center bar 21, as for example, by a set screw 28. This cable 27 is also firmly secured in the lug 26 by a set screw (not shown) or secured in any other suitable manner. A second cable 29, to be referred lto later, has its end anchored in the lug 26. While FIG. 2 shows the details of only one of the leg assemblies of the `footboard portion 10 it is to be understood that both leg assemblies (FIG. l) are the Same.

A vertical shaft 3G (FIG. l) is located at the center of the footboard housing `and is rotatably mounted in bearings at the top and bottom of the housing frame 16. This shaft 3f) extends down below the frame y16 and through a gear housing 3-1. A worm gear 31 is secured on the shaft in the gear housing 311. This worm gear meshes with a worm on the adjusting shaft y15.

The cable 27, which has one end secured in one leg 11, as previously described with reference to FIG. 2, extends through an aperture -in the shaft 30 (FIG. l) and is secured therein and has its other end similarly secured in the other leg. A series of grooved rollers 32 are rotatably mounted in the housing on the Wall 17 and are ylocated in a path extending upwardly from the top of the guideway 19 and inwardly towards the center of the housing from each leg assembly. When the legs '1l1 are in the maximum lowered position of FIGS. l and `2 (thus when the bed is raised to its highest posi-tion), the cable 27 will extend from one leg assembly over one set of rollers 32, then through the shaft 39, over the other set of rollers 32, to the other leg assembly. As apparent from FIGS. l and 3, rotation of the shaft 30 would then result in portions of the cable 27 on the opposite sides of the shaft 30 being wound in opposite directions on the shaft 30, which in turn would cause the upper ends of the flexible -members 22 of the two leg assemblies to be pulled upwardly and inwardly towards each other, as shown in par-t in FIG. 3, thus raising the legs 11 within the yguideways 19 and consequently lowering the bed. An upper series of guide rollers 3*3 are arranged in spaced relation to the series of lower rollers 32 so as to for-m a cur-ved guideway for the flexible members 22 in each of the two leg assemblies.

The second cable 29, which has its ends anchored in the lugs 26 at the tops of the two flexible members 122 respectively, also extends through the shaft 30 and is secured therein. The end portions of this cable 29 pass under a pair of grooved guide wheels 33 before reaching their respective lugs 26. The cable 29 is made of suilicient length so that por-tions ofthe cable on opposite sides of the shaft 30 can be wound in opposite directions on the shaft when the leg assemblies are in the position shown in FIG. l. In such case the turning of the shaft 30 inthe direction for unwinding the two portions of the cable 29 will produce corresponding winding of the two portions of the cable 27, thus bringing the leg assemblies into the position illustrated in part in FIG. 3. As the flexible members 22 move up- 4 wardly and inwardly the attached ends of the cable 27 will be pulled over the grooved rollers 32 (see FIG. 4).

The two cables 27 and 29 are taut at all times and consequently both cables cooperate in holding the members 22 of the leg assemblies lfirmly in the position to which they are moved as a result of the turning of the shaft 30 in one direction or the other. The coil springs 25, by exerting pressure tending to raise the bed to the highest level, act in opposition to the weight of the spring, mattress and person on the bed, and thus reduce the amount of force required for adjusting the legs. Since the shaft 30 has a worm gear connected with the adjusting shaft 15, rotation of the latter in either direction produces rotation of the shaft 30.

The adjusting shaft `15 extends the length of the bed, as indicated in FIG. 5, and, with the installation of a similar pair of leg assemblies and adjusting mechanism in the headboard portion 12 of the bed, and with the adjusting shaft 15 similarly connected by worm gear means with such headboard assembly, the rotation of the adjusting shaft 15 will result in both footboard and headboard portions of the bed being raised or lowered simultaneously and equally. The adjusting shaft 15 may be operated by a simple hand crank, as shown at 34 in FIGS. 3 and 5, or, if preferred, a small electric motor (not shown) could be `mounted at one end of the bed and connected with the shaft 15 and controlled by a conveniently positioned switch.

I-t will be noted from FIGS. 1 and 3 that the employment of the flexible -member 22 as the upper extension leg, and the provision for confining such flexible member to an inwardly curved path, enable the housing in which the assemblies and mechanism are contained to be much shorter in height than would be the case if the legs were confined entirely to the straight vertical path. This is an additional and important feature of the invention, especially with the -footboard portion of the bed, since a high `footboard is inconvenient as well as unsightly.

Since it is not so important to limit the height of the headboard portion of the bed, a modified form of the invention, requiring a tal-ler housing space, may be used optionally at the headboard if desired. This modified -for-m of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6` and 7. In FIG. 6 the housing for the leg assemblies and adjusting mechanism includes a rectangular frame 35, similar to the yframe 16 in FIG. l, but considerably taller. The telescoping legs, one of which is shown at 13, are similarly mounted in tubular guideways 37. Each leg has a center bar 318.

VHowever this center bar, instead of extending only to the top of the lower body or telescoping portion of the leg and then being surmounted with a flexible member, as in the case of the leg assembly in FIG. 2, extends upwardly for an additional distance equal to the length of the flexible member 22 of FIG. 2. The center bar I38 slides in a guide flange 39 (FIG. 7) similar to the guide flange 23 of FIG. 2. A coil spring 40 (FIG. 7), similar to the coil spring )25 in FIG. 2, extends around the center bar 3S and similarly is held up under compression between the bottom of the lleg 13 and the bottom of the guide flange 39.

An upper cable 41 has its ends secured respectively in the upper ends of the -two center bars 38 of the two leg assemblies. Each end portion ofthe cable 411 passes over and under a pair of guide pulleys 42 and 43, one such pair lbeing shown in FIG. 6i, and the cable passes through and is secured in a central vertical rotatable sha-ft 44 and thus is so arranged as to be wound on the shaft 414 in the same manner and under the same conditions as the upper cable 27 previously described with reference to FIG. 3.

A second cable 45 also has its ends secured respectively in the upper ends of the center bars 38, and each end portion of this second cable 45 passes under a guide pulley 46 located adjacent the top of the tubular guide way 37. Cable 45 extends through and is secured in the vertical shaft 44, and, like cable 29 in FIG. 3, portions of this cable will become wound on the shaft 44 as the shaft is turned. The -two cables 41 and 4S are taut at all times and consequently hold the center bars 38, and therewith the telescoping legs 13, firmly in the position to which they are adjusted by the turning of the Vertical shaft 44.

By having the vertical shaft 44 of the same diameter as the shaft 30 of FIGS. l and 3, and by having both shafts connected with the Iadjusting shaft through identical gears and worms, the pairs of legs at the headboard portion and at the footboard portion will be raised or lowered in unison regardless of whether the adjusting mechanism in the headboard portion is identical to that in the .footboard portion or is in the modified form illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In both forms in which the invention has been shown the major portion of the leg assemblies and the adjusting mechanisms for such assemblies are entirely housed within a simple practical housing. There are no exposed cables, pulleys, or other elements on which bed clothing may catch or on which dust may collect, `and the problem of maintenance of the moving members of the adjusting mechanism is reduced lto a minimum as a result of their complete housing enclosure.

When the invention is made in the form as described with reference to FIGS. l to 4 inclusive, it is possible, by housing the mechanism in a footboard compartment having a height of `only 16 inches, to adjust the bed from a low position in which the mattress will be only approximately 18 inches above the floor to a maximum high position of 32 inches above the floor. When the modified form of the invention, as described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 is used, the compartment having a height of 2l inches is required for the mechanism for producing the same range for the bed adjustment. Thus with such arrangement both footboard and headboard portions are not required to be any higher than for ordinary modern household beds.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable height bed of the character described, a housing at an end portion of the bed, a pair of vertical leg guideways in the opposite sides of said housing respectively, `said guideways open at top and bottom and the upper ends of said guideways terminating in said housing between the bottom and the top of said housing, a leg assembly slidable in each guideway, each leg assembly including a hollow floor-engaging leg, a center rod in each leg spaced from the inside wall of the leg, the bottom of said rod secured to the bottom of the leg, a flexible extension on each rod extending up fro-rn the top of the leg and beyond the top of the guideway, a guide flange in the top of each guideway for the flexible extension, a coil spring extending around the center rod and part of said flexible extension in each leg assembly, said spring held under compression at all times between the bottom of the leg and the guide flange, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the center of said housing, means for rotating said shaft in either direction, a flexible cable in said housing having its ends connected with the pair of leg assemblies respectively, the center portion of said cable secured to the upper portion of said vertical shaft and extending to said shaft from opposite sides from the upper ends of said flexible extensions of said rods respectively, guiding means in said housing leading upwardly and inwardly towards the upper portion of said shaft from each of said vertical guideways, whereby the rotation of said shaft in said housing in one direction will cause said cable and therewith the upper portions of said flexible extensions to be pulled over said guiding means towards said shaft, a second flexible cable in said housing having its ends secured to the upper ends of said flexible extensions of said rods respectively, guide pulleys leading said second cable inwardly to said shaft from the upper ends of said vertical guideways respectively, said second cable secured to said shaft and wound on said shaft oppositely with respect to said first mentioned cable, said cables being taut at al1 times, whereby the rotation of said shaft in said housing 6 in one direction, causing the winding of said first cable and the unwinding of said second cable on said shaft, will cause said leg `assemblies to be raised in said vertical guideways, while the rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction will cause the leg assemblies to be lowered in said guideways.

2. In an adjustable height bed of the character described, a housing in the footboard portion of the bed, a pair of vertical leg `guideways in the opposite sides of said housing respectively, a leg `assembly slidable in each guide- Way, each leg assembly including a hollow floor-engaging leg, a center rod in each leg spaced from the inside wall of the leg, the bottom of the rod secured to the bottom of the leg, a flexible extension on each rod extending up from the top of the leg and beyond the top of the leg guideway, a guide flange in the top of each guideway for said flexible extension, each flexible extension comprising a formed wire held in a tight spiral, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the center of said housing, a flexible cable in said housing having its ends connected with the pair of leg assemblies respectively, the center portion of said cable secured to the upper portion of said ver-tical shaft and extending to said shaft from opposite sides from the upper ends of said flexible extensions of said rods respectively, guiding means in said housing leading upwardly and inwardly towards the upper portion of said shaft from each of said vertical guideways, whereby the rotation of said shaft in one direction will cause said cable and therewith the upper portions of said flexible extensions to be pulled over said guiding means towards said shaft, a second flexible cable in said housing having its end secured to the upper ends of said flexible extensions of said rods respectively, guide pulleys leading said second cable inwardly to said shaft from the upper ends of said Vertical guideways respectively, the center portion of said second cable secured to said shaft and wound on said shaft oppositely with respect to said first mentioned cable, said cables being taut lat all times, whereby rotation of said shaft in one direction, causing the winding of said first cable and the unwinding of said second cable on said shaft, will cause said leg assemblies to be raised in said guideways, and the rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction will cause said leg assemblies to be lowered in said guideways, and manual means for rotating said shaft in either direction.

3. In an adjustable height bed of the character described, a housing at an end portion of the bed, a pair of vertical leg guideways at opposite sides in said housing, said guideways being open `at top and bottom, the upper ends of said guideways terminating in said housing between the bottom and the top of said housing, a pair of legs slidable in said guideways respectively, a pair of flexible upper leg extension members secured to said legs respectively and extending up above said guideways, guiding means in said housing for said flexible extension members leading upwardly from the top of said guideways and inwardly in opposite directions respectively towards the middle of said housing, upper flexible cable means connected with said legs and flexible extension members and extending along said guiding means, lower flexible cable means secured to .thetop ends of said flexible members, guide pulleys leading said lower flexible cable means inwardly towards the middle of said housing from the upper ends of said guideways, and cable operating means in the middle portion of said housing connected with said upper cable means and said lower cable means, said operating means and said upper and said lower cable means so larranged that the operation of said operating means in one direction will cause said upper cable means, and therewith said flexible extension members, to move in upwardly and inwardly extending paths from the top ends of said guideways respectively towards said operating means, and the operation of said operating means in the opposite direction will cause said lower cable means to move inwardly towards said operating means and cause 7 said exible extension members to be moved outwardly 1,533,804 and downwardly from said operating means. 2,698,442 2,807,898 References Cited in the le 0f this patent 2,854,180

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 327,605 Shaw Oct, 6, 1885 McCoy Apr. 14, 1925 Travis Jan. 4, 1955 Wetzler Oct. 1, 1957 Bruckhorst Sept. 30, 1958 FOREGN PATENTS Australia Oct. 18, 1956

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