US111989A - Improvement in cradles for children - Google Patents

Description

UNITED TATEs PATENT OEEIGEa WILLIAM QI. STOVELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CRADLES FOR CHILDREN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 111,989, dated February 21, 1871; antedated February 20, 1871.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. STowELL, of the city and county of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Cradle for Children; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l, Plate 1, is a view of one side of the cradle. Fig. 2, Plate 1, is a top view of the same. Fig. 3, Plate 2, is a section taken longitudinally and vertically through the center of the cradle. Fig. 4, Plate 2, is a view of one end of the cradle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention relates to certain improvements in cradles for children, which consist, first, in suspending and guiding the body of the cradle in such a manner that it will swing freely in a direction with its length without being allowed to have lateral motion, thus preventing the injurious consequences so often experienced in children which are tossed froln side to side in the laterally-rocking cradles and cribs, as will be hereinafter explained; second, in a treadle arrangement adapted for swinging the cradle, which treadle has a horizontal vibrating motion, and consequently does not require the foot to be moved up and down while swinging the cradle; third, in suspending the longitudinally-swinging cradle from posts of a portable frame by means of rods and springs, so that there will be no concussions communicated to the cradle while swinging it, and so that a free elastic up-a11d-dowu motion will be aiforded, as will be hereinafter explained.

The following description will enable others skilled in the art to widerstand my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the body ot' the cradle or crib, which is of a rectangular form, and may be ornalnented in any suitable manner. This cradle is provided with a spring-bottom, G, the four corners of which are mounted on springs t, so as to afford an easy elastic support, as shown in Fig. 3.

B B B B are four posts, which are connected together at their lower ends by crosspieces C, and rise perpendicularly therefrom, and are connected together at their upper ends by transverse rounds B B', thus constituting a portable frame for the cradle A.

The cradle A is suspended within its frame by means of four rods, c (t a a, and a corrc sponding number of springs, b Z1, which latter are attached at a to or near the corners of the cradle, and also to the lower ends of the suspension-rods a, as shown in the drawing. The upper ends of the rods a are attached by pivots to the posts B, near the upper ends thereof.

Beneath the cradle A, and pivoted at s to one of the pieces G, is a lever or treadle, D, which is allowed-to receive a longitudinal motion, and also, when not in use, to be turned in beneath the cradle out of the way.

A foot-loop, d, is applied to the outer end of the treadle, and to its inner end a cord, b, is attached, which is passed around a pulley, c, and attached to an eye fastened to the bottom of the cradle near its foot.

By vibrating the treadle, motion will be communicated to the cradle.

The rod d', which is attached to the inner end of the treadle, will hold up that portion of the cord b which extends from pulley c to the foot of the cradle when the treadle is turned around out of the way.

It will be seen from the above description that I have a portable cradle which is hung in such manner that it will only swing in the direction of its length-that is to say, in the direction of the length of the infant lying in it. Consequently the occupant will not be tossed from side to side nor moved out of its position by said swinging motion.

To obviate any lateral motion of the cradle A, I apply along staple, f, to one side thereof, and use in conjunction therewith perpendicular rods g g, which rise from the bottom of the frame and are received by said staple, as shown in Fig. 2.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The cradle or crib A, arranged and guided Within im portable frame, and to swing only combination with the cord b and cndwiseeudwise upon Suspenders or rods a, which are swinging cradle A, substantially in the manmade With or W1thout the springs b, and are 11er described.

attached to the posts of the portable frame 1 and cradle or crib, substantially in the man- WILLIAM J' STOWELL' 11er described. Vitnesses:

2. The horiz@tally-vibrating treadle or 1e- J. N. CAMPBELL, ver Dmade with or Without the rod d', in R. T. CAMPBELL.

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