US2758317A - Convertible folding play-yard and crib constructions - Google Patents

Description

H. J. LANDRY Aug. 14, 1956 CONVERTIBLE FOLDING PLAY-YARD AND CRIB CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Oct. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

HENRY- J. L;ANDRY.

Aug. 1955 H. J. LANDRY 2,758,317

CONVERTIBLE FOLDING PLAY-YARD AND CRIB CONSTRUCTIONS M I F A INVEN TOR.

HENRY :1. LANDRY.

CONVERTIBLE FOLDING PLAY-YARD AND CRIB CONSTRUCTIONS Henry J. Landry, Ashburnham, Mass.

Application October 8, 1953, Serial No. 384,949

9 Claims. '(Cl. -99) This invention relates to a new and improved convertible play-yard and crib construction inclu'ding'means for automatically folding the same in part to provide a cribsized construction from a play-yard-size construction, and including means whereby the entire device is fol'dable for storage and transportation.

Another object of the invention includes the provision of means for automatically folding the device at least in part and including treadle means for at least initiating the pivoting of a unitary floor member and including infolding side wall connections between the front and rear wall of the device, the floor pivoting causing the walls to approach each other simultaneously with the folding of the floor, this action in turn providing for the infolding action of the side walls.

A further object of the invention includes the pro vision of a new and improved crib or play-yard folding mechanism comprising a pivoted pedal or lever having a free end engaging the floor of the play-yard or crib and raising the same upon depression of the otherend thereof, and including an articulated linkage pivoted between said lever and the opposite side of the structure for drawing the two sides together upon the raising of the floor, said linkage including a member pivoted to said treadle at a point removed from the treadle pivot and another member pivoted to a rear part of the device and including stop means for providing against dropping of said linkage below a certain predetermined point.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a View in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3 and showing the initiation of the folding action;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating one side of the device completely folded;

Fig. 6 illustrates the modification of the floor hinge construction; and

Fig. 7 is a view, partly in section, illustrating the folding operation of the construction.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the invention comprises a structure having corner posts 10, 12,, 14 and 16 and centrally located center posts 18 and 20, the latter being connected by a central beam 22. Hinged to the central beam 22, there are two oppositely pivotably mounted floor members 24 and 26 which are rectangular in shape and together with each other and beam 22 form a complete door for the entire device.

The structure in general provides for a play-yard when fully extended as in Fig. 3, or a crib construction when one-half is folded as shown in Fig. 5, and reference is hereby made to my copending application, Serial No. 384,911 filed October 8, 1953, which describes in greater 2,758,317 Patented Aug. 14, 1956 detail the advantages of the convertible play-yard and crib construction.

In the present case, the floor parts 24 and 26 are not multi-part but are single, solid continuous members as shown and each is provided with means for raising the same.

The means for raising the floor to fold the structure comprise in each case a pivoted lever 28 mounted on pivot 30 which may depend by any desired means from the rail 32 stretching between the corner posts 14 and 16 or 10 and 12. The lever 28 is provided with two free ends, one of which at 34 is a foot treadle or the like, and the other of which at 36 is an operating end engaging the fioor member 24 or 26 (see Fig. 4) and initiating the same in a direction to pivot about the respective hinges 38 from the Fig. 3 position to the Fig. 5 position, wherein the respective corner and center posts may be latched as by a simple notched latching member 40.

In order to achieve the upright position of Fig. 5, however, there is provided a special new and useful linkage comprising a member 42 which is pivoted at 44 to the member 28 intermediate the free end 36 and the pivot 30. This lever is in turn pivoted at 46 to another lever 48, the latter in turn being pivoted as at 50 to a depending bracket 52 on the floor member 24 (or 26) at the rear or hinged edge thereof.

These brackets are oifset made as shown and they extend downwards and are curved rearwardly to come into substantially offset alignment (see Fig. 4).

Each lever 28 is provided with a stop member 54 that underlies the linkage member 42, and the links 42 and 48 are provided with an inter-engaging tongue and notch means preventing the links from dropping below a horizonal position as in Fig. 4.

When it is desired to fold the apparatus from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5, it is merely necessary to depress the end 34 of the lever 28, which results in pivoting the lever in a clockwise direction and the free end thereof at 36 then engages the under side of the floor member as 24 and initiates a raising action of the same in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in the drawings, about the axis of the hinges 38.

As lever 28 continues in the clockwise direction, the linkage 42, 48 is now stretched to its longest relation, and it is brought upwardly and to the right in Fig. 4, in which case the floor member 24 is continued in its counterclockwise motion due to the fact that the pivot at 50 of link 48 to the bracket 52 is offset from and below the pivot axis of the hinges 38, and this motion continues until the floor member 24 is upright as shown plainly in Fig.7.

The floor is now folded but the in-folding side walls 60 are still extended, as there is 'no direct connection between the floor and the side walls, but when the lever 28 reaches the position of Fig. 7, the stop member 54 contacts the under side of link 42 and breaks the connection, so that the linkage initiates an upwardly directed movement and the front wall 58 necessarily is moved toward the center portion 22 and therefore the in-folding side walls must in-fold so as to complete the folding action of the apparatus which is finally accomplished by the operator lightly pushing on the wall 58 to accomplish the result described.

The front and rear walls of the play-yard which are indicated at 58 are connected at their corner posts to the center posts 18 and 20 by the in-folding side wall structures 60. Obviously when either wall 58 is caused to approach the center member 22 as above described, the in-folding side walls 60 have to in-fold, and therefore the entire folding action is automatic although there is no direct connection at all between the floor members and the in folding side walls. The latter may be provided with cleats 62 to assist in supporting the floor parts 24 and 26 in their horizontal positions.

in Fig. 6, there is shown a modified pivot structure for the floor parts which are indicated at 64 and 66, each of which is provided with a cleat 68 having a cylindrical pin 70 at each end thereof. These pins fit in holes 72 in the end brackets 74 and are connected by fasteners 76 entering pins 70. This construction avoids the triple hinge construction which is plainly shown in Fig. 3, and provides a modified construction for the hinges.

In this case, when the device is to be used as a crib, the usual drop side may be used at either wall 58 or instead a downwardly pivoting horizontal member 78 may be incorporated to provide an equivalent structure without sliding the same down with respect to the crib side member 80. The dotted lines 82 illustrate the member 78 in uppermost position where it may be held by a fastener or the like 84.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, iii-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single member floor hinged to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage pivotally connected to the lever at the center of the lever, and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, said lever having a portion initiating the start of raising the floor.

2. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single member floor hinged at one side edge to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage pivotally connected to the lever intermediate the ends of the latter and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, said lever having an outer treadle portion and a free-ended inner portion engaging the under side of the floor at its free edge to initiate the raising thereof.

3. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single member floor at one edge hinged to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage connected to the lever and to the fioor at the hinged edge thereof, said lever having an outer treadle portion and a free-ended inner portion adapted to engage the floor, said linkage comprising a pair of inter-pivoted links one of which is pivoted to the lever and the other being pivoted with respect to the floor at a point below and spaced from the hinge axis of the floor relative to the parallel member.

4. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single floor hinged at one edge to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the fioor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage connected to the lever and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, said lever having an outer treadle portion and a free-ended inner portion engaging the under side of the floor at the free edge thereof, a projection on the lever underlying and adapted to engage a portion of the linkage, to break the same and fold it to cause the parallel member and floor to approach the wall.

5. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single member floor hinged to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage connected to the lever and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, said lever having an outer treadle portion and a free-ended inner portion adapted to engage the floor, said linkage comprising a pair of inter-pivoted links, one of which is pivoted to the lever at a point spaced from the pivot point of the lever, a depending racket on the floor adjacent the hinged edge thereof, and the other link being pivoted to the bracket.

6. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single one-piece fioor hinged to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage connected to the lever and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, said lever having an outer treadle portion and a free-ended inner portion adapted to engage the floor, said linkage comprising a pair of inter-pivoted links, one of which is pivoted to the lever at an intermediate point between the pivot point of the lever and the free end thereof, a depending bracket on the floor adjacent the hinged edge thereof, the other link being pivoted to the bracket at a point downwardly spaced from the floor.

7. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a single one-piece floor hinged to the member, means to support the door in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, and a linkage connected to the lever and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, said linkage comprising a pair of pivoted links, one of which is pivoted to the lever at a point spaced from thepivot point of the lever, a depending bracket on the floor adjacent the hinged edge thereof, the other link being pivoted to the bracket and interengaging means between the two links to prevent sag of the links past a horizontal position, the links being swingable upwardly and forwardly by the lever.

8. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a floor hinged to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, said lever having an end to engage and lift the folding floor adjacent the free edge thereof, and a linkage connected to the lever at a point removed from the rigid wall and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, the linkage being brought bodily toward the rigid wall by swinging the lever and thereby causing the floor to continue the upward swinging movement thereof.

9. A folding structure of the class described comprising a rigid wall, a spaced parallel member, in-folding side walls connecting the rigid wall and the member, a floor hinged to the member, means to support the floor in horizontal position, and means to fold the floor by pivoting the same upwardly, said means comprising a lever pivoted to the rigid wall, said lever having an end to engage and lift the folding floor adjacent the free edge thereof, and a linkage connected to the lever at a point removed from the rigid wall and to the floor at the hinged edge thereof, a depending member on the floor adjacent the hinge axis thereof, the linkage being secured to the depending member at a point spaced from the floor and the linkage being brought bodily toward 2,523,124 the rigid wall and causing the floor to continue the 2,561,637 upward swinging movement hereof. 2,573,526 2,670,477 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 32 510 2,477,231 Bourdon July 26, 1949 6 Landry Sept. 19, 1950 Rex July 24, 1951 White Oct. 30, 1951 Pond Mar. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Mar. 20, 1902

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