Wall bed
United States Patent Bue et al.  
 [ Apr. 15, 1975 [75 Inventors:  
 Assignee:  
 Filed:  
 Appl. No.:  
 WALL BED Richard C. Bue, Chaska; Neil M. Beltt, Minneapolis, both of Minn.  
 Sico Incorporated, Edina, Minn.  
 Jan. 28, 1974 Primary Examiner--Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Merchant, Gould, Smith &amp; Edell [5 7] ABSTRACT A panelled frame structure having one or a pair of vertically spaced beds mounted for pivotal movements between horizontally and vertically disposed operative and storage positions respectively. Each bed includes a rectangular bed frame, and a pair of aligned shafts journal the bed in bearings at opposite ends of the frame structure. Torsion bars extend within the shafts and are connected at their outer ends to the frame structure. The torsion bars are connected to the bed by mounting members that are movable on the bars to vary the effective length of the bars. The bed frames have panels mounted thereon which conceal the torsion bars and shafts, and give the appearance of a panelled wall when the bed or beds are moved to their vertical storage positions.  
 12 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,747,202 5/1956 Driver 5/136 X 2,779,032 l/l957 Van Der Slays 3,550,167 12/1970 Bennett 5/136 PATENIEDAPRISIQYs sum 3 p53 Lam W-&#34;wh FT WALL BED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wall beds are well known, these usually being foldable into recesses provided for them so as to afford more adequate living space in a room, such as in motels, on shipboard and the like. Many of these are quite heavy and require strong counterbalancing springs, levers, cables and other mechanisms to aid in the moving of the beds between operative and storage positions. Types of folding or hinged beds are disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 3,116,494, 3,179,956, and 3,550,167.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is the provision of a wall bed or folding bed that is highly simplified in construction and which in its folded or storage position occupies a minimum of space.  
  Another object of this invention is the provision of a bed having a novel counterbalancing arrangment that may be quickly and easily adjusted to accommodate bed structures of different weights.  
  To the above and other ends which will become apparent, there is provided a panelled supporting frame structure and a bed including a bed frame structure that is pivotally mounted in the supporting frame structure for movements between a horizontally disposed operative position and a vertically disposed strorage position. The bed frame structure includes panelling which, when the bed is moved to its storage position, forms, the front wall of the wall bed structure. In one embodiment. the supporting frame structure comprises superposed upper and lower sections secured together&#34;, each section having end frames and horizontal upper and lower frame members connecting the end frames. Each section has a separate bed including a bed frame structure pivotally mounted therein by aligned shafts journaled in bearings, the shafts and bearings being mounted on respective ones of the bed frame structure and end frames. Generally straight torsion bars are disposed on the axes of the shafts and are operatively connected at their outer ends to the end frames and toward their inner ends to the bed frame structures to yieldingly urge the bed frame structures toward their storage positions. The connections of the torsion bars to the bed frame structures are adjustable longituidnally of the torsion bars to vary the effective lengths of the torsion bars and thereby the yeidling bias exerted by the torsion bars on the bed frame structures toward the storage positions thereof. The superposed bed frame structures are pivotally connected to supporting legs for common pivotal movements between their operative and storage positions; and cushioning devices are provided between cross frame members and adjacent portions of the bed frame structures to prevent injury to persons using and folding the beds.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective ofa wall bed structure showing the bedsthereof in their inoperative storage positions;  
  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in end elevation of the wall bed construction, showing the beds thereof by full lines in their operative positions. and one thereof, by dotted lines. in its inoperative storage position, some parts being broken away and some parts shown in section;  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, as seen from the line 33 of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3;  
  FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail in perspective of that portion of FIG. 1 contained in the broken line circle A of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in top plan and partly in section, taken generally on the line 8--8 of FIG. 2;  
  FIG. 9 is a further enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8; and  
  FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of that portion of FIG. 8 enclosed with the broken line circle B of FIG. 8.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The wall bed of this invention includes a supporting frame structure involving superposed upper and lower rectangular frame structure sections 1 and 2, respectively, these being substantially identical in their construction. Each of the sections 1 and 2&#39;includes a pair of vertically disposed end frames 3 and 4 and pairs of upper and lower front and rear frame members 5 and 6, respectively, that are welded or otherwise rigidly secured at their opposite ends to adjacent corner portions of the end frames 3.  
  Each end frame comprises laterally spaced vertical front and rear end frame members 7 and 8, respectively, a horizontally disposed bottom frame member 9, a top channel member 10, and a top cover member 11, the front and rear members 7 and 8, bottom frame member 9 and top channel member 10 being welded together to form a rectangular frame assembly. Each cover member 11 overlies a different top channel member 10, and is rigidly secured thereto by machine screws 12 that are screw threaded into weld nuts 13 that are welded to their underlying top channel members 10.  
  The frame members 7-10 and their respective cover members 11 of each end frame 3 and 4 are of such cross sectional shapes as to cooperate to define inwardly opening inner and outer peripheral channels or recesses 14 and 15 respectively for reception of inside and outside panels 16 and 17 respectively. The panels 16 and 17 are inserted in cross-sectionally respective end frames 3 and 4 prior to mounting of the cover members 11 thereon. As shown in FIG. 5, the screws 12 which fasten the lower one of the cover elements 12 to its respective channel member 10 extends through the bottom frame member 9 of the upper end frame 3 to rigidly secure the upper end frame 3 to the lower one and end Although not specifically shown, it may be assumed that the opposite frame members end frame 4 is secured to the lower end frame 4 in the same manner. A ceiling panel 18 extends between the uppermost cover members [-1 and is supported by the uppermost ones of the frame members 5 and 6.  
  The supporting frame structure sections 1 and 2 support respective ones of upper and lower beds 19 and 20, these being substantially identical in structure. Each bed 19 and 20 includes a mattress 21, a supporting baseboard or plate 22, and a rectangular bed frame structure 23. Each bed frame structure includes a pair of laterally spaced side rails 24 and cross-sectionalaly channel shaped end rails 25 welded at their opposite ends to adjacent ends of the side rails 24. Each of the end rails 25 is received in a different one of a pair of end rail cover members 26 secured thereto by machine screws 27 screw-threaded into weld nuts 28 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the end rails 25. The side rails 24 and rail cover members 26 are similar in corsssection to the end framemembers 7-9 and cover members 11, and cooperate to define laterally spaced peripheral channels 29 in one of which is mounted a panel 30. Each bed frame structure 23 further includes a pair of channel-shaped intermediate cross frame members 31 that are welded or otherwise rigidly secured at their opposite ends to the side rails 24, and a pair of laterally spaced parallel longitudinal frame rails 32 intermediate the side rails 24 and welded or otherwise rigidly secured at their opposite ends to the cross members 31. Like the members 31, the longitudinal rails 32 are cross-sectionally channel-shaped. For a purpose which will be hereinafter described, each of the longitudinal rails 32 is formed to provide a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 33 therethrough, see FIG. 8.  
  Each of the bed frame structures 23 is provided with a pair of axially aligned stub shafts 34 having flanges 35 at one end for engagement with an adjacent one of the end rail cover members 26. Machine screws 36 extend through suitable openings in the flanges 35, end rail cover members 26 and end rails 25, and are screwthreaded into weld nuts or like anchoring members 37 secured to the end rails 25, see particularly FIG. 10. The shafts 34 are hollow, having axial passages 38 therethrough, the shafts 34 of each bed frame structure 23 being axially aligned. The outer ends of the shafts 34 are journaled in bearing members 39 that are rigidly mounted in bearing bracket members 40 welded or otherwise rigidly secured within the front end frame members 7, the bearing members 39 being releasably locked in their respective bracket members 40 by set screws or the like 41, see FIG. 10. With reference particularly to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the shafts 34 with their mounting flanges 35 are disposed in an off-center relationship with respect to their respective bed frame structures 23, and closer to the bottoms of their respective supporting frame structure sections 1 and 2 than to the upper ends thereof. Thus, when the beds or bunks 19 and 20 are moved to horizontally disposed operative positions, as shown in FIG. 2, a greater part of the width of the beds 19 and 20 project laterally outwardly from their respective sections 1 and 2. The beds 19 and 20 are supported in their horizontal operative positions by their respective shafts 34 and by a pair of posts or legs 42.each pivotally secured to an opposite end of both of the bed frame structures 23, as indicated at 43, and on axes parallel to the axes of the shafts 34. The legs 42 are so disposed to have their lower ends engage the floor when the beds 19 and 20 are pivotally moved to their horizontal operative positions.  
  In the embodiment illustrated, each mattress 21 is provided with the usual mattress covering 44 the bottom portion of which is stitched or otherwise secured, as indicated at 45 in FIG. 6, to a covering 46 of its respective baseboard;22. The covering 46 may be of any suitable sheet material, such as fabric or synthetic plastic material, if desired. It will be seen, with reference to FIG. 6, that the stitching is inwardly spaced from the marginal edge of the respective mattress 21, to enable the edge portions of the mattress to be raised so that the edge portions of bed linen, such as a sheet, not shown, may be tucked between the mattress 21 and baseboard 22. Each baseboard 22 is secured to its underlying bed frame structure 23 by means of a plurality of clips 47 secured-to the side frame rails 24 by machine screws or the like 48, see FIGS. 2-4 and 6. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each bed frame structure 23 is provided with an inner guard rail 49 that extends upwardly from the inner one of the side rails 24.  
  When the beds 19 and 20 are pivotally moved to their inoperative storage position of FIG. 1, and as partially shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2, the mattresses 21 are disposed at one side of the aligned axes of their respective mounting shafts 34, tending to gravity bias the beds 19 and 20 inwardly of their respective support structure sections 1 and 2. Such inward movement is limited by engagement of the pivotal connections 43 with stop plates 49a welded to the upper ends of the several end frame members 7 and adjacent ends of the upper front frame member 5 of each section 1 and 2. This arrangement is shown in detail in FIG. 7. A pair of trim posts 50 are mounted on the front end frame members 7 of the lower section 2 by means of mounting brackets 51, and are aligned with the posts or legs 42 when the beds 19 and 20 are moved to their storage positions, to provide for improved appearance of the wall bed when the beds 19 and 20 are moved to their inoperative storage positions. In these positions of the beds 19 and 20, the  
 panels 30 are exposed to view and conceal the&#39;inn&#39;er portions of the bed frame structures 23. It will be noted that other stop plates 49b are secured to the upper ends&#34; of the trim posts 50 to limit inward movement&#39;of the lower bed 20.  
  Each of the bearing members 39 is formed to provide a cross-sectionally polygonal recess 52 that is axially aligned with its respective shaft 34 and disposed axially outwardly of the outer end of the shaft 34, for reception of the outer end of a different one of a pair of axially aligned torsion bars 53 associated with&#39; each bed frame structure 23. Each torsion bar 53 extends axially through its respective tubular stub shaft 34, and through suitable openings in the end rails 25, end rail cover members 26, and intermediate cross frame members 31. The torsion bars 53 are cross-sectionally polygonal to fit in the recesses 52 of their respective bearing members 39, so as to be held therein against rotation with respect to the bearing members 39 and end frames 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 9, the torsion bars 53 may be cross-sectionally hexagonal. Longituidnally inwardly of their outer ends, the torsion bars 53 are each disposed in axial sliding engagement with a different one of a pair of anchoring members 54 for each frame structure 23. Each anchoring member 54 includes a tubular portion 55 through which its respective torsion bar 53 extends, a torsion bar engaging end portion 56 having a cross-sectionally hexagonal opening 57 therein, see FIG. 9, having a sliding fit with its respective torsion bar 53, a flange portion 58 that is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to a cross bar portion 59, and flange portions on the opposite ends of each cross bar portion 59 having longitudinally sliding engagement with adjacent ones of the longitudinal frame rails 32 of their respective bed frame structure 23. The flange portions 60 have suitable openings therethrough for reception of nut-equipped machine screws 61 that are receivable in selected ones of the openings 33 in the longitudinal frame rails 32 whereby the end portions 56 engage their respective torsion bars 53 at various points longitudinally of the torsion bars 53 to vary the effective lengths of their respective torsion bars 53. The torsion bars 53 are disposed to yieldingly urge their respective bed frame structures 23 and parts carried thereby in a direction of pivotal movement toward the inoperative storage positions of the beds 19 and 20. By varying the effective length of each torsion bar 53, the yielding bias applied to the beds 19 and 20 may be varied to provide an optimum counterbalancing effect on the beds during pivotal movement thereof between their operative and storage positions.  
  To aid the lower ones of the screws 12 between the upper and lower end frames in holding the upper and lower sections 1 and 2 together, and to align cross braces 5 and 6 between the upper and lower units, adjacent ones of the front and rear frame members 5 and 6 are secured together by coupler elements 62, one of which is shown in FIG. 4, and machine screws 63 extending through suitable openings in adjacent ones of the frame members 5 and 6 and screw-threaded into opposite ends of the coupler elements 62. While only a single coupler element 62 is shown, it will be appreciated that any desired number of coupler elements 62 may be used to connect the adjacent front frame members 5 together as well as the adjacent rear frame members 6.  
  In order that the beds 19 and 20 may be moved between their operative and storage positions without interfering with the frame members 5, it is required that a proper clearance be provided therebetween. T at least partially occupy some of the gap between the front frame members and the bed frame structures 23 when the beds are moved to their storage positions, a plurality of elongated cushion strips 64 are secured to the frame members 5, see particularly FIG. 4. These strips 64 are preferably made from rubber or other elastomeric material, the strips being in the nature of tubes having mounting flanges 65 thereon which may be secured to their respective frame members 5 by adhesives or any suitable anchoring means. The cushion strips 64 yield sufficiently to permit the beds 19 and to be moved to and from their storage positions but also tend to fill the gaps between the bed frame structures 23 and the frame members 5. Further, the strips 64 aid in protecting a persons fingers from injury in the event that the fingers should become caught between the beds 19 or 20 and the overlying frame members 5 during movment of the beds toward their storage positions.  
  While we have shown and described a commerical embodiment of a wall bed, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.  
 What is claimed is:  
 l. A wall bed comprising:  
 a. a vertical generally rectangular supporting frame structure including laterally spaced end frames and generally horizontal frame members connecting the end frames;  
 b. a bed including a rectangular bed frame structure for supporting a mattress thereon;  
 c. mounting means mounting the bed frame structure in the supporting frame structure for pivotal movments on a horizontal axis between a horizontal operative position projecting forwardly of the supporting frame structure and a generally vertically disposed storage position between said end frame members, said mounting means comprising a pair of axially aligned stub shafts on one of said structures and a pair of aligned bearings on the other of said structures and each having pivotal engagement with a different one of said stub shafts;  
 d. and means yieldingly urging the bed frame structure in a direction of pivotal movement toward said storage position thereof and comprising:  
 1. an elongated generally straight torsion bar disposed on the axis of pivotal movement of the bed frame structure;  
 2. means rigidly connecting one end of said torsion bar to said supporting frame structure to anchor said one end against rotation relative to the supporting frame structure;  
 3. and anchoring means rigidly connecting a portion of said torsion bar longitudinally spaced from said one end thereof to said bed frame against rotation of said torsion bar portion relative&#39;to said bed frame structure.  
  2. The wall bed defined in claim 1 in which said anchoring means comprises an anchoring member movable longitudinally of said torsion bar and secured selectively to spaced portions of said bed frame&#39;structure longitudinally of said torsion bar for varying the effective length of said torsion bar.  
  3. The wall bed defined in claim 1 in which said stub shafts are each mounted on said bed frame structure adjacent a different one of said end frames, said bearing each being mounted on a different one of said end frames for reception of an adjacent one of said stub shafts.  
 4. A wall bed comprising:  
 a. a vertical generally rectangular supporting frame structure including laterally spaced end frames and generally horizontal frame members connecting the end frames;  
 b. a bed including a rectangular bed frame structure for supporting a mattress thereon;  
 c. mounting means mounting the bed&#39;frame structure in the supporting frame structure for pivotal movements on a horizontal axis between a horizontal operative position projecting forwardly of the supporting frame structure and a generally vertically disposed storage position between said end frame members, said mounting means comprising a pair of axially aligned bearings each mounted in a different one of said end frames, and a pair of aligned stub shafts each secured to an opposite end of said bed frame structure and journaled in a different one of said bearings;  
 d. and means yielding urging the bed frame structure in a direction of pivotal movement toward said storage position thereof and comprising:  
 1. a pair of longitudinally spaced generally straight torsion bars disposed on the axis of pivotal movement of the bed frame structure;  
 2. means rigidly connecting one end of each of said torsion bars to a different one of said end frames to anchor said one end of each thereof against rotation relative to the supporting frame structure; and  
 3. a pair of anchoring members each being nonrotatively connected to a portion of a different one of the torsion bars in longitudinally spaced relation to said one end thereof;  
 4. each of said anchoring members having means for connection to said bed frame structure.  
  5. The wall bed defined in claim 4 in which said end frames and bed frame structure each define opposed channels, and in further combination with panel members mounted in said channels, said panel members and frame structures cooperating to provide a housing enclosing a mattress on said bed frame structure when said bed frame structure is moved to its vertically disposed storage position.  
  6. The wall bed defined in claim 4 in which each of said anchoring members is independently movable relative to said bed frame structure in opposite directions axially of said torsion bars to vary the effective lengths of their respective torsion bars, said bed frame structure having a plurality of apertures therein spaced apart longitudinally of said torsion bars, said anchoring members having mounting elements receivable in selected ones of said apertures to hold said anchoring members against movement relative to said torsion bars and bed frame structure.  
  7. The wall bed defined in claim 4 in which said stub shafts define axial passageways therethrough, said torsion bars extending through said axial passageways.  
 8. A wall bed comprising:  
 a. a vertical generally rectangular supporting frame structure including a pair of superposed upper and lower sections;  
 b. each of said sections comprising a pair of rectangular end frames and upper and lower pairs of elongated front and rear frame members connecting their respective end frames;  
 0. a pair of upper and lower beds each including a rectangular bed frame structure for supporting a pair of mattresses thereon;  
 d. mounting means mounting said bed frame structures in their respective sections for pivotal movements on parallel horizontal axes between vertically spaced horizontal operative positions projecting forwardly of the supporting frame structure and aligned vertically disposed storage positions between their respective front frame members;  
 e. a pair of legs each pivotally secured to both of said bed frame structures on axes parallel to the mounting axes of said bed frame structures for supporting said bed frame structures in their operative positions forwardly of said supporting frame structure;  
 f. and means yielding urging said bed frame structures in a direction of pivotal movement thereof toward said storage positions and comprising:  
 1. elongated generally straight torsion bars disposed on the axes of pivotal movement of their respective bed frame structures;  
 2. means rigidly securing the torsion bars at one end to their respective end frames against rotation with respect to the supporting frame structure;  
 3. and anchoring means rigidly connecting said torsion bars at portions thereof longitudinally spaced from said one end of each thereof to respective ones of said bed frame structures for common rotation of said portions with said respective bed frame structures.  
  9. The wall bed defined in claim 8 in which said mounting means comprises a pair of aligned tubular shafts for each of said bed frame structures, the shafts of each pair being mounted on opposite ends of their respective bed frame structures and extending therefrom toward respective ones of said end frames, and bearings in said end frames journaling said tubular shafts.  
  10. The wall bed defined in claim 9 in which said torsion bars are disposed in pairs of aligned bars, each bar extending axially through a respective one of said tubular shafts.  
  l l. The wall bed defined in claim 10 in which said anchoring means comprises anchoring members movable axially with respect to their respective torsion bars to vary the effective length of said torsion bars, said bed frame structures each having a plurality of apertures therein spaced apart longitudinally relative to said torsion bars, said anchoring members having mounting elements receivable in selected ones of said apertures to hold the anchoring members against movement longitudinally of their respective torsion bars and bed frame structures;  
  12. The wall bed defined in claim 8 in further combination with cushioning elements mounted on said front frame members and positioned to be disposed between said front frame members and adjacent portions of said bed frame structures when said bed frame structures are pivotally moved to said storage positions thereof.