Improvements in the Attachment of Distensible Wire Fabrics to the Framings of Bedsteads, Furniture, and other Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
Improvements in the Attachment of Distensible Wire Fabrics to the
Framings of Bedsteads, Furniture, and other Articles.
We, WILLIAM WATERHOUSE, THOMAS WALLEY BLANTERN and WILLIAM MANSER
SPRIGGS, all of the Birmingham Woven Wire Mattress Company Limited, of Acocks
Green, near the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for attaching or securing distensible wire fabrics or
woven wire fabrics to the framings of bedsteads, cots, mattresses, bed-rests and the
like, also to the framings of articles of furniture, such as couches, chairs and seats,
and to other articles, such as door-mats, hammocks, ambulances and railway carriage
luggage racks, and has for its object, a simple method of making a union between a
frame and the ends of a piece of wire fabric, whether it be of the coiled or woven type
or of the netting or well-known "Dominion or other type.
"
The invention consists in providing the ends of such fabrics or sackings with
threaded or inserted introduced stretcher bars, either in the form of a metal rod, or
in the form of a stiff core, which is directly connected to the ends of a bedstead or
other fixed framing by hooks, loops or equivalent, taking round or engaging with the
said stretcher rods and taking through holes or otherwise engaging with the framing
ends.
In carrying out one form of our invention, we take a piece of ordinary woven or
coiled wire fabric, with borders of any approved construction, and turn the raw ends
of the component spiral wires over end stretcher rods or stout wires, which are of
length a little greater than the normal breadth of the fabric and have their ends
turned into loops which pick up or engage with the corners of the fabric, which are
thus kept at given distances apart. Series of double hooks, open-jointed or split
rings, cleats or like devices are employed to connect the said ends of the fabric to
the end bars of a frame through the medium of the stretcher wires. The frame,
which is an ordinary solid one, (when used in connection with a bedstead) preferably
has he-dovetails adapted to engage in she dovetails on the corner pillars, but we do
not limit ourselves to this particular construction.
Instead of the hooks or rings taking through holes in the framing ends, they may
take over or around studs upon the same.
As a further form of our improvements we take a length of fabric, which may be
of any constitution, and intercoil with each of the raw end edgings a stout wire
helix or coil, which forms as it were a series of eyes which are brought into line with
the eyes of a series of rings, double hooks or equivalents attached to the ends of the
framing. Then by threading a rod, core or equivalent through the coincident eyes

page_text: of coil and rings respectively, a simple and efficient connection of the fabric to the
frame is made.
Instead of the rings or hooks taking through holes in the framing ends they may
take over or engage with hooks, studs, staples or equivalents thereon.
The stretcher rods may be formed with a series of integral loops which may pass
over the studs on the framing ends or be connected thereto by rings.
The fabric may be tensioned by screw pins or bolts passing through wormed end
or other eyes of the stretcher rods and through holes in the ends of the framing and
having nuts taking on the ends, so that by rotating the said nuts or the heads of the
bolts, the necessary tensioning may be effected.
As a further modification the ends of the fabric may be attached to wooden laths
by nails or by staples passing over the stretcher bars, and in order to stiffen or
support the body fabric or mesh, separate, loose or independent and closely woven
bands of fabric or strengthening stripes are arranged underneath the said fabric and
are connected at their ends to the stretcher rods or wires.
WILLIAM WATERHOUSE.
THOMAS WALLEY BLANTERN.
WILLIAM MANSER SPRIGGS.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
WILLIAM WATERHOUSE.
THOMAS WALLEY BLANTERN.
WILLIAM MANSER SPRIGGS.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
Improvements in the Attachment of Distensible Wire Fabrics to the
Framings of Bedsteads, Furniture, and other Articles.
We, WILLIAM WATERHOUSE, THOMAS WALLEY BLANTERN and WILLIAM MANSER
SPRIGGS, all of the Birmingham Woven Wire Mattress Company Limited, of Acocks
Green, near the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to means for attaching or securing distensible wire fabrics
or woven wire fabrics to the framings of bedsteads, cots, mattresses, bed-rests and the
like, also to the framings of articles of furniture, such as couches, chairs and seats,
and to other articles, such as door-mats, hammocks, ambulances and railway carriage
luggage racks, and has for its object, a simple method of making a direct union or
connection between a frame and the ends of a piece of wire fabric, whether it be of
the coiled or woven type or of the netting or well-known "Dominion
type.
وو
or other
The invention consists in providing the ends of such fabrics or sackings with
threaded or inserted introduced stretcher bars, either in the form of a metal rod, or
in the form of a stiff core, which is directly connected to the ends of a bedstead or
other fixed framing by hooks, loops or equivalent taking round or engaging with the
said stretcher rods and taking through holes in, or being otherwise connected to the
framing ends.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a plan of a bedstead mattress
framing, with the ends of the wire fabric or sacking connected directly to the end
rails thereof in accordance with one form of our invention.
Figure 2 represents, also in plan, upon an enlarged scale, a corner of the said
mattress frame, showing more clearly the method of attaching the end of the sacking
thereto.

page_text: Figure 3 is a transverse section of figure 2 upon the dotted line x and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of figure 2, taken on the dotted line x¹, and on
an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 represents another transverse section, taken upon the same line as figure 3,
but on the same scale as figure 4.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in figures 1 to 5.
Thus, in carrying out that form of our invention represented in the said
figures 1 to 5, we take a piece of ordinary woven or coiled wire fabric a, constituting
the body mesh of the mattress, having borders a¹, and strengthening strips a², which
may be of any approved construction or pattern, and turn the raw ends aº, of the
component spiral wires over end stretcher rods or stout wires b, (after the said bars
have been threaded through the sheds across the fabric) which are of a length rather
greater than the normal breadth of the fabric and have their ends b¹, turned into
loops 62, which engage with the side rails c¹, of the framing c, by taking in holes c²
formed near the corners c³.
Series of double hooks or ties d, are employed to connect the said ends of the
fabric to the end bars of the frame through the medium of the said stretcher wires or
rods, said connection being effected by the hooked parts d', d², respectively
engaging over the stretcher rods b, and with holes c, in the end rails c5, of the frame,
which may have he dovetails co, adapted to engage in she dovetails on the corner
pillars of a bedstead, but we do not limit ourselves to this particular construction.
The sides a³, of the mattress sacking are secured to the side bars c¹, of the frame,
by connections e, with the ends e¹, e², engaging respectively with holes c7, in the one
and over side or stretcher wires f, threaded longitudinally up the outermost coils a¹,
of the fabric and having the ends fashioned into loops f¹, engaging in holes c³, in the
end bars.
Figure 6 represents a plan of a similar frame as shown in figure 1, but with the
mesh connected or united directly to the end bars according to a modification of our
invention.
Figure 7 is a plan, upon an enlarged scale, of one corner of figure 6.
Figure 8 is a transverse section of figure 7 upon the dotted line x2.
Figure 9 is a horizontal section of figure 7 upon the dotted line ³, but upon a
further enlarged scale.
And Figure 10 is a like section as figure 8, but drawn to the same scale as figure 9.
In this modification the ends of the body mesh a, are connected to the end rails c³,
of the frame c, by means of a series of rings d, which engage both over the stretcher
bars b, and also with holes c, in the said end rails. The terminations of the
stretcher bars are formed into loops 62, bent back at a right angle or nearly so and
made to engage holes c', in the bars c, whilst the side wires f, (through which and
the connections e, borders or edges a¹, of the sacking are secured to the side rails c¹)
are likewise formed and made to engage with the holes c², near the corners.
The tying rings employed may be either closed as shown or split or open jointed,
and may also be of an oval or loop-shaped figure.
Figure 11 represents a plan of another modification of our invention.
Figure 12 is an enlarged view of one corner of the same.
Figure 13 is a transverse section of figure 12, upon the dotted line x4, and
figure 14 represents a longitudinal section thereof on the dotted line 3, whilst
figure 15 shows a similar section as figure 12, but drawn upon the same enlarged
scale as figure 14.
a is the body mesh or mattress sacking, c the mattress framing, c¹ the side rails
and c, the end rails. b are the stretcher bars, connected to the said fabric by
twisting the raw ends aº, over them. Connection between said stretcher rods and
the end rails c5, is made by a series of staples or cleats d, which are first passed over
and closed around the bars and then the split ends d', are passed together through
the holes c, in the said rails c5, and are then opened out and clinched upon the
-underside of the angle web, as best seen in figure 14, and the ends 61, of the said
stretcher rods are further secured by being made to engage in the holes c³, in common

page_text: with the ends f¹, of the side wires f, which are threaded up the outermost edge
spirals of the fabric and are connected to the side rails c', by the double hook-ties e,
engaging with the holes c', at one end and over the rods or wires f, at the other.
Instead of the hooks or rings taking through holes in the framing ends, the mesh
may be secured in position by studs upon the frame as represented in figure 16, in
which a is a portion of the body mesh, b the stretcher rod, c5 the end rail with
separated necked studs c4 thereon, at the back of which the stretcher bar b, comes
and the mesh is passed directly over the heads of the said studs.
Instead of the connecting ties, rings or hooks taking through holes or taking over
or engaging with studs on the rails they may be made to engage with hooks, loops,
staples or equivalents suitably secured to the said end rails.
The stretcher rods b, may also be formed with a series of integral loops b¹, which
may pass directly over the rigid or swivelling studs c, on the framing ends as
represented in figure 17, or they may be connected thereto by rings.
Figure 18 represents another form of our invention, in which one end of the
fabric is adjustably connected to the framing. a is the body mesh, 6 the stretcher bar,
c the framing with side bars c¹ and end bars c. The mesh is connected to the stretcher
bar and the ends 61, of the said bar are bent back and formed into loops which are
secured to mesh tension bar g, having screwed lugs g², through which the tension
screws h, carried by the end rail ct, pass. The side stretcher wires f, are directed
between the end rails c4, and are connected to the mesh by ties, and also take
through holes g³, in the. ends of the stretcher bar g, thereby forming guides for the
said bar to slide upon when the mesh is being tensioned.
Or the tension screws may take into screwed lugs, eyes or equivalents formed
upon or attached to suitable parts of the stretcher bar, whose ends, in this case,
would preferably be looped round to side wires so as to slide thereon during
tensioning.
As a further modification the ends of the fabric may be attached to wooden laths
by nails or by driven in staples d, passing over the stretcher bars 6, as represented in
plan in figure 19 and section in figure 20, and in order to stiffen or support the body
fabric or mesh, separate, loose or independent and closely woven bands of fabric or
strengthening strips may be arranged underneath the said fabric and be connected
at their ends to the stretcher rods or wires.
The application of our invention to the direct connection of the ends of woven
wire fabrics to the framings of other articles, such as chairs, seats, couches, mats,
hammocks, ambulance-stretchers, luggage and bag racks and the like, differs in no
essential respect from its application to the securing of a mattress sacking to a
bedstead frame as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First Uniting, connecting or tying the ends of the sacking or fabric constituting
the body mesh of an article, directly to the end bars of a frame through the medium
of stretcher rods which are linked to the said end bars by ties or couplings.
Secondly Uniting, connecting or tying the ends of the sacking or fabric consti-
tuting the body mesh of an article directly to the end bars of a frame, through the
medium of stretcher wires or rods, linked to the said end bars by ties or couplings
and with their ends directly connected to the side bars of the frame, substantially
as herein described and set forth in figures 1 to 5.
Thirdly Uniting, connecting or tying the ends of the sacking or fabric consti-
tuting the body mesh of an article, directly to. the end bars of a frame, through the
medium of stretcher wires or rods, linked to the said end bars by ties or couplings,
and also connected at their ends directly to the said end bars, substantially as
described and set forth in figures 6 to 15.
Fourthly: Uniting, connecting or tying a sacking or fabric constituting the body
mesh of an article to the ends and sides of a framing through the medium of trans-

page_text: verse and longitudinal stretcher or boundary framing rods, linked or connected to the
said primary framing to the members of which the ends of the stretcher rods are
directly connected, substantially as described and set forth.
WILLIAM WATERHOUSE.
THOMAS WALLEY BLANTERN.
WILLIAM MANSER SPRIGGS.
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.