Improved Spring Wire Bedstead Bottom, Mattress, or Seat.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1899-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Spring Wire Bedstead Bottom, Mattress, or Seat.
We, HENRY CLAY FLETCHER, of Nos. 110 and 112, Franklin Street, Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, Manufacturer, and SIDNEY HERBERT CORNISH, of Empire
Buildings, Collins Street, Melbourne, as aforesaid, Stock and Sharebroker, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for Improved spring wire bedstead
bottom, mattress or seat" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly .described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
'
This invention consists of an improved spring wire bedstead bottom, mattress.
or seat bottom, composed of a number of independent spring ended stretched
wires arranged longitudinally and transversely within the bedstead or other franie
and laced over and under each other. Each independent wire has a short coiled
or helical spring at its end part just within the bedstead bars or mattress or
seat frame in order to give it the requisite flexibility. Said coiled or helical
springs at each end of the independent wires, either have a clip formed at their
ends to grip the side and end bars of the bedstead or mattress or seat frame or they
have hooks or eyes formed on them in order that they may be coupled or attached
to suitable clasps or clips loosely arranged on the bedstead bars or mattress frame
or such clips may engage holes or pins provided at intervals in any of such frames.
In order that the invention may be well understood it will now be described
aided by a reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings.
4
Fig. 1 shewing a single bedstead with the bed bottom formed of a number of
longitudinal and transverse independent stretched wires A each of which has a
coiled or helical spring A¹ formed on its end part and with a hook A³ at end of
each spring and as clearly shewn in detail in Fig. 4, engaging a hook at end of a
wire clip or clasp A3, the requisite number of which clips fit loosely over the side
and end angle bars B of the bedstead or frame and each clip has another hook at
its lower part to engage the lower edge of the angle bar.
Fig. shews a plan of a mattress wherein each independent stretched wire A
with its coiled or helical springs A' and its clip or clasp A³ is made up in one con-
tinuous length as clearly shewn in the detail views Figs. 5 and 6 the latter shewing
the clip A engaging a tubular bar, Fig. 2 also shews that extra independent
spring ended wires A may be stretched across the centre of the bedstead both
longitudinally and transversely as at a and a respectively where the greatest
stram usually occurs, furthermore this fig. shews that independent spring ended
wires A may be stretched diagonally across the mattress as shewn by dotted lines,
the end clasps or clips A³ thereof either passing to holes B¹ in the mattress bar B,
as shewn in Fig. 7 or the end of each wire may have an eye on it to engage a pin
or stud B as shewn in Fig. 8. B3 is a stay bar at each corner of frame B.
It will be obvious that in the bedstead shewn in Fig. 1 and the mattress shown
in Fig. 2 any number of both longitudinal and transverse independent spring
ended wires A may be employed as the clip or clasp A3 of the type shewn in Figs..
and 5, at end of each wire A is free to be placed at any position along the bedstead
or mattress frame angle bars also said stretched wires are laced over and under
one another.

page_text: Fig. 3 shews that the independent spring ended wires A may be arranged to
stretch diagonally within the bedstead or mattress frame B and in this instance
the clip or clasp ends A³ of the stretched wires A either-pass-into holes B' formed
in the frame bars as shewn in Fig. 7 or a hook or eye may be formed at each end
of the independent stretched wire beyond the spring A to engage the pin or
stud B as shewn in Fig. 8.
Fig. 9 shews a form of clip or clasp A³ which may be employed for a wood
frame bedstead, mattress or seat, the bent in part of the clip passing to a hole 1
in the outside of frame bar. B. Figs. 10 and 11 shew further modified forms of
the clip or clasp A³ as designed for engaging the frame bars B when of a rect-
angular section whilst Fig. 12 shews a form of clip or clasp A suitable for
engaging a circular or tubular frame bar B. Fig. 13 shews that the coiled or
helical spring A' may be formed in one piece with the clip or clasp A in place
of being in one piece with the wire A the latter being in one continuous length
between the springs and Fig. 14 shews that the clips or clasps A³ when formed
separate from the stretched wire A and spring A' may have more than one eye a
formed on them in order to provide for any small variation in the sizes of bed-
stead or mattress or seat frames.
Although the bed bottom, mattress or seat bottom has been described as being
composed of a number of independent spring ended stretched wires, such stretched
supporting medium may also be made of light spring ribbon and further the said
stretched wires and springs may either be of circular or polygonal section and be
of steel or other suitable spring metal. Also when so desired the wires A may
be waved, crimped or dimpled of a pitch to engage at the intersections. Further
it will be obvious that a seat bottom for such as a railway carriage can be con-
structed in a similar manner to either form of mattress herein described and
shewn in the drawings and in each form of mattress it will be noted that each
stretched wire is supported from a coiled or helical spring at each end and that
each stretched wire with its springs is quite independent from any other stretched
wire and springs, such wires not being permanently woven or secured to one
another beyond being laced over and under one another as herein before 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: -
1. A bedstead bottom, mattress or seat constructed of a number of longitudinal
and transverse stretched wires each independent of one another and having coiled
or helical springs at their end parts and supported within the frame by clips or
clasps which engage the frame bars or engage holes or pins in or upon the frame,
substantially as described and shewn.
2. A bedstead bottom, mattress or seat constructed of a number of diagonally
arranged stretched wires each independent of one another and having coiled or
helical springs at their end parts and supported within the frame by clips clasps
or eyes engaging the frame bars or holes or pins in or upon the frame bars sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
3. In a bedstead bottom mattress or seat a wire as A having a coiled or helical
spring as A formed at both its ends and provided with a hook or an eye as A² for
attachment to an eye or hook on a clip or clasp as A3 designed for being attached
to either the side or end bars of a bedstead, mattress or seat frame, substantially
as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.
4. In a bedstead bottom mattress or seat a wire as A, having springs as A¹ near
its ends and a clip or clasp as A³ at each end, all formed of one continuous length.
said clips or clasps being designed to grip the side or end bars B of a bedstead
mattress or seat substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 of the
"drawings.
5. In a bedstead bottom mattress or seat a wire as A having end springs at A
and a clip or clasp at its ends, all made in one continuous length said clips or

page_text: clasps being either made as shewn in Fig. 5 to grip an angle bar or as shewn in
Fig. 6 to engage a tubular bar or as shewn in Fig. 7 to engage holes as B in the
angle bar or as shewn in Fig. 8 to engage pins, or studs as B2 on the bars or as
shewn in Fig. 9 to engage a hole as 134 in the outer side of bars substantially as
here described.
6. In a bedstead bottom mattress or seat, clips or clasps as A³ of any of the
types described and shewn formed in one piece with a spring as A', combined
with the wire as A having a hook or eye formed at each of its ends for attachment
to said springs, substantially as herein described and shewn in Fig. 13 of the
drawings.
7. In a bedstead bottom mattress or seat, clips or clasps of either type shewn
in Figs. 4, 10, 11, 12 and 14 of the drawings, combined with wires as A having
a spring as A and a hook or eye connection formed at each end, substantially as
herein described.
Dated this 17th day of May 1899.-
HENRY C. FLETCHER.
SIDNEY H. CORNISH.
F. Wise Howorth,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.