IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC SKELETON SPRING PALLIASSES AND MATTRESSES AVAILABLE FOR VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF BEDSTEADS, SOPAS, COUCHES, AND FOR BERTHS OF STEAM AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dionisio Vericchio, of Foley Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Metallic Spring Mattress Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC
SKELETON SPRING PALLIASSES AND MATTRESSES AVAILABLE FOR VARIOUS
DESCRIPTIONS OF BEDSTEADS, SOPAS, COUCHES, AND FOR BERTHS OF STEAM AND
OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 11th June 1872, and dated the 12th December 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dionisio Vericchio at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th December 1871.
I, DIONISIO VERICOHIO, of Foley Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Metallic Spring Mattress Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC
SKELETON SPRING PALLIASSES AND MATTRESSES AVAILABLE FOR VARIOUS DESCRIP-

page_text: TIONS OF BEDSTEADS, SOFAS, COUCHES, AND FOR BERTHS OF STEAM AND OTHER
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
I construct two equal sized frames, square or otherwise shaped as
required, made of iron or other metal, and of any suitable thickness and
pattern. These frames are placed together one over the other, and between
them on each of them long or equivalent sides are fixed two or three
carriage springs made in proportionate dimensions. On the large size
frames one or two similar carriage springs are placed at the head or short
sides, and sometimes at the foot end. Light hoops or bands are rivetted or
secured and cross each other so as to form within the space of the frames
a bearing surface, and on all or only on some of the points of interlacing
of the above-named hoops or bands one spiral spring is fixed, thus
completing a perfect spring skeleton, portable and easily moveable and
available for use on either surface, fitting any bedstead and ready to
have placed upon it any kind of wool, hair, or other mattress of soft
material.
A far more effectual arrangement than the above skeleton is obtained
by stretching across the top frame seven or eight (or more) wire bands
or belts five inches wide or more or less, and at distances of say about
four inches apart from each other. These bands or belts are made of
wire coils of a suitable gauze connected together so as to form a kind of
wire chain or wire web resting on all the rows of the spiral springs,
forming a perfect bearing surface enclosed by the upper frame and
ready to yield to any light pressure. Various kinds of springs may be
used with such a surface. The upper frame is secured to the under
frame by brackets or their equivalents.
To either of the above arrangements I add a shallow moveable extra
frame (especially when flat bow springs are used) at the upper ends
connected by light hoop bands rivetted to small spiral springs resting on
a strong iron bar having two racks attached thereto, so that the head
and shoulders of the person using the mattress can be thereby raised up,
and the body placed in a convenient sitting posture if desired supported
by springs. This arrangement is suitable for various kinds of spring
mattresses.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Dionisio Vericchio in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DIONISIO
VERICCHIO, of Foley Street, in the County of Middlesex, Metallic
Spring Mattress Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Dionisio Vericchio, Her special licence that I,
the said Dionisio Vericchio, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Dionisio Vericchio, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
METALLIC SKELETON SPRING PALLIASSES AND MATTRESSES AVAILABLE FOR VARIOUS
DESCRIPTIONS OF BEDSTEADS, SOFAS, COUCHES, AND FOR BERTHS OF STEAM AND OTHER
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Dionisio
Vericchio, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
OP

page_text: which are these :-I construct two equal size frames, square or shaped,
made to any given measure of iron or other metal, and of any suitable
thickness and pattern. These frames are placed together one over the
other, and between them on each of their long or equivalent sides are
fixed two or three carriages springs made in proportionate dimensions.
On the large size frames one or two similar carriage springs are placed
at the head or short sides, and sometimes at the foot end. Light hoops
or bands are rivetted or secured and cross each other so as to form
within the space at the frames or bearing surface; and on all or only on
some of the points of interlacing of the above-named hoops or bands one
spiral spring is fixed, thus completing a perfect spring skeleton, portable
and easily moveable and available for use on either surface, fitting any
bedstead, and ready to have placed upon the same any kind of wool,
air, or other mattress of soft material.
But instead of these improvements invented and used by me I now
prefer to use (wherever a superior article is required) what I consider a
more effectual arrangement than the above, which consists in stretching
across the top frame seven or eight or more wire bands or belts five
inches wide (or more or less) at a distance of say about four inches apart
one from each other. These bands or belts are made of wire coils of a 1
suitable gauge connected together so as to form a kind of wire chain or
wire web resting on all the rows of the springs forming across the spring
palliass or mattress a perfect bearing surface enclosed by the upper
frame, and ready to yield to pressure. Various kinds of springs may be
used with such a pressure, for instance, small elliptic carriage springs
may be used fixed on hinges and made to fold up flat for convenience of
transport.
Brackets may in some cases be used, and the side carriage springs
dispensed with (principally for infirmaries and hospital use).
To either of the above arrangements I add if desired a shallow
moveable extra frame connected (when flat bow springs are used) at the
upper ends of the spring mattress or palliass by light hoop bands rivetted
to small spiral springs resting on a strong iron bar having two racks
attached, whereby the head and shoulders of the person using the
mattress can be raised up, and the body gradually placed in a convenient
sitting posture if desired supported by a spring surface. This arrange-
ment is suitable for various kinds of spring mattresses.

page_text: Having in the foregoing descriptive statements in regard to my said
Invention particularly described and ascertained the nature thereof I
will now refer to the Drawings accompanying this Specification, so as
with the foregoing statements to particularly describe and ascertain in
what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice.
The general construction consists as before mentioned of two equal
metal frames square or of other form (interlaced lengthwise and across
with light iron hoops), such frames having fixed between them numbers
of spiral springs and small elliptic springs at the sides of the frames
(see Drawing, Fig. 1, A, A). These frames likewise have attached
thereto (though it may be dispensed with if desired) a separate iron
frame at the head made to work on two racks so as to raise the body to
any desirable reclining or sitting posture. This head spring bed rester
(entirely original) is to be fitted in a way easy to remove or be replaced
at any time. It may be made to fit a number of different spring
palliasses or mattresses for hospital use (see Drawing, Fig. 1, B).
In place of the iron hoops across the palliasses or mattresses I prefer
to use the novel and special arrangement of wire bands of suitable
width and strength resting on the spiral springs, and yielding to the
movement and weight of the person lying upon them far better than
any water bed or air bed (see Drawing, Fig. 2, C, and Fig. 4, where a
detached piece of wire band shows the construction thereof).
In the spring skeleton palliass or mattress having the wire bands across
(in some cases for hospital use) I can dispense with the side carriage
springs, and fix in their place some suitable kind of bracket. Or I
dispense with all the spiral springs and substitute small elliptic carriage
springs that are fixed on hinges and made to fold up flat for convenience
of exportation, each requiring only 1½ inch space in depth (see
Drawings, Fig. 3). Fig. 5 shows one of these elliptic carriage springs
and the mode of its attachment to the bar by the hinge to admit of
folding.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, the "Improve-
ments in the Construction of Metallic Skeleton Spring Palliasses and

page_text: 2. The wire webbing applied or adapted as before described.
3. The folding arrangement before described and illustrated by
Figs. 4 and 5.
In witness whereof, I, the said Dionisio Vericchio, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two..
1
DIONISIO VERICCHIO. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
S.W.