Roller guide for foldaway bed

[typonaut]

I have made a high sleeper bed, with a desk beneath. To add to the utility of this unit I want to install a fold-out bed, that effectively stands behind the desk when not in use, and extends beneath the desk when required. That is to say that the foldaway bed has the foot postion on the left, the head position on the right and the width stands upright against a wall.

I can conceptualise the way to make this work, with a curved roller guide at each end of the bed frame, so that when pushed from the "open" side the guide raises the bed on the "closed" side until is is vertical (ie parallel to the wall), but I can’t figure out how to engineer the thing. I have seen custom rollers and guides online, but these look like they are designed for food production conveyor belts (or similar) in horizontal rather than vertical configurations.

Any suggestions?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Maybe try looking at UHMW (HDPE) linear guides, which certainly have the duty cycle you need, or possibly go the other way and consider turned polished steel "mushroom" pegs running in a track machined from 40 to 50mm thick UHMW plastic (HDPE 1000 grade). I think the biggest problem you'll face is producing the curved track and making sure that the frame which holds the two ends together is rigid enough, which is why I suggested captive mushroom headed pegs running in a track. TBH I think I'd want to weld-up a steel frame to carry the lower bed base if only to reduce the strain put onto the main (presumably timber) frame

 

[foxhole]

Looks overly complicated simple folding bed is easier .

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corner-Folding-Shaped-Sliding-Teenager/dp/B09TPGMYSH

 

[typonaut]

Looks overly complicated simple folding bed is easier .

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corner-Folding-Shaped-Sliding-Teenager/dp/B09TPGMYSH

Well, that's one bed, my problem requires two. The desk is more like an ironing board. And did you miss the price?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Your idea reminds me of an upside down, up and over garage door mechanism!
Probably not helpful, but it may lead to inspiration (and 2nd hand parts from eBay)!

 

[foxhole]

Well, that's one bed, my problem requires two. The desk is more like an ironing board. And did you miss the price?

Wasn’t suggesting you buy it , make it for lower bunk, single fold lengthwise should do it .

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Galvanised 25mm electrical conduit, formed into a 90 deg at the rear corner - it would need bending in a machine, any industrial electrician would have access to such a bender. Source eight brass rollers with V's in the circumference, four needed at each side. Weld, or have welded on the outer edge of the 25mm tubes some 25mm x 5mm brackets to allow the conduit to be fixed to the bed base and the wall. Rollers fix on more brackets, mounted on the movable part of the bed on the inner sides of the tubes. You end up with the roller brackets on the inside, the other side has the support brackets which are able to pass between the rollers.

It will need some effort to heave the back edge up around the 90 degree bends so maybe some sort of springs at the back edge to assist with the lifting.

25mm conduit would make for a less sharp bend than the next size down 20mm.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

That'll be noisy!

 

[typonaut]

Your idea reminds me of an upside down, up and over garage door mechanism!
Probably not helpful, but it may lead to inspiration (and 2nd hand parts from eBay)!

Ok, I think that is not a bad idea, although requires a completely different roller guide (but more straightforward), ie a straight, vertical guide. So, I think with that method, I would also need to find a way to encourage the inside edge to lift - which I think I have an idea on too.

 

[typonaut]

… Source eight brass rollers… Rollers fix on more brackets…

Perhaps urethane rollers would be a quieter solution? However, still stuck on the problems of brackets… ie making them up of getting them supplied…

 

[typonaut]

Wasn’t suggesting you buy it , make it for lower bunk, single fold lengthwise should do it .

This won’t work. First reason is that it won’t take a standard mattress. However, overriding that is that under desk height is approximately 730mm, and the bed length is in the region of 1950mm. 1950mm/2 is substantially more than 730mm, without allowing for any ground clearance… so it wouldn’t fit under the desk.

That would mean at least two folds, which would probably get the depth to about 500mm with a slim mattress, so again I think not really workable.

 

[RandomGrinch]

Perhaps urethane rollers would be a quieter solution? However, still stuck on the problems of brackets… ie making them up of getting them supplied…

...Harry has now reminded me of a project I have on the back burner - slide out ladder storage. I had planned to use 41mm Unistrut channels, brackets, and channel trolleys; a very solid system (generic, cheaper, alternatives to Unistrut are available!).
...but I would still go for the more straightforward garage door type approach!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That'll be noisy!

No one mentioned noise concerns - delete brass rollers, use nylon rollers. Nylon rollers can be homemade, from a round nylon cylinder - cut a section off, drill centre hole, fit and tighten long nut and bolt, then spin it in a drill chuck to cut/form a V in the edge.

 

[Diver Fred]

How far do wish/need the bed to project from under the frnt of the Desk?

And rather than a track why not have a hinge arrangement - something like the attached?

 

[Alec_t]

I wouldn't bother with a track/guide. Just use small wheels at the bed base corners, Like this :-