AN IMPROVED SPRING SACKING OR FOUNDATION FOR A BED, MATTRASS, OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLE, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' USE, BARRACKS, HOSPITALS, AND MILITARY CAMPS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR DOMESTIC DWELLINGS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Burke, of Gilbert Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SPRING SACKING
OR FOUNDATION FOR A BED, MATTRASS, OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLE, ESPECIALLY
ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' USE, BARRACKS, HOSPITALS, AND MILITARY CAMPS,
APPLICABLE ALSO FOR DOMESTIC DWELLINGS."
Sealed the 12th March 1861, and dated the 15th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Burke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th September 1860.
I, MICHAEL BURKE, of Gilbert Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPRING
SACKING OR FOUNDATION FOR A BED, MATTRASS, OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLE, ESPECIALLY
ADAPTED FOR SHIPS' USE, BARRACKS, HOSPITALS, AND MILITARY CAMPS, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR DOMESTIC DWELLINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed for the purpose of simplifying the construction of
spring sackings or foundations for beds and other similar articles, also for
rendering same more durable, considerably less expensive, more healthy, and
quite as efficient as spring sackings or foundations for beds as heretofore

page_text: constructed. The means by which I propose to effect the above objects are as
follows: I connect together by dovetail joints two side and end pieces of
wood, the end pieces being considerably deeper than the side pieces; at the
upper part of each of the aforesaid end pieces I form a number of curved
recesses, into which fit or rest loosely by their ends a corresponding number of
strips or lengths of wood or other suitable flexible material of eliptical shape
as regards their section. The uppermost parts of the ends of the afore-
said strips are covered over by flat pieces of wood connected to the upper
end of each of the end pieces aforesaid; the sacking or foundation thus formed
is now ready to receive a bed, mattrass, or other like article, and constitutes a
perfectly flexible sacking or foundation without the aid of metal or other
springs; the aforesaid flexible strips are capable of moving sideways as well as
lengthways, so that any irregular pressure or change of position of a person
reclining thereon is not attended with inconvenience by rigid angles or pro-
jections, but the eliptical strips yield gently in both directions; moreover, the
bed or mattrass being supported away from the floor of the room or cabin
admits of free circulation of air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Burke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
BURKE, of Gilbert Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Michael Burke, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Burke, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael
Burke, 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 "AN IMPROVED SPRING SACKING OR
FOUNDATION FOR A BED, MATTRASS, OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLE, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED

page_text: FOR SHIPS' USE, BARRACKS, HOSPITALS, AND MILITARY CAMPS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
DOMESTIC DWELLINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Michael Burke, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 Patent.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Burke, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed for the purpose of simplyfying the construction
of spring sackings or foundations for beds, and other similar articles, also for
rendering same more durable, considerably less expensive, more healthy, and
quite as efficient as spring sackings or foundations for beds as heretofore
constructed. The means by which I propose to effect the above objects are as
follows:-I connect together by dovetail joints two side and end pieces of
wood, the end pieces being considerably deeper than the side pieces; at the
upper part of each of the aforesaid end pieces I form a number of curved
recesses, into which fit or rest loosely by their ends a corresponding number of
strips or lengths of wood or other suitable flexible material of elliptical shape
as regards their section. The uppermost parts of the ends of the aforesaid
strips are covered over. by flat pieces of wood connected to the upper end of
each of the end pieces aforesaid; the sacking or foundation thus formed is
now ready to receive a bed, mattrass, or other like article, and constitutes a
perfectly flexible sacking or foundation without the aid of metal or other
springs; the aforesaid flexible strips are capable of moving sideways as well as
lengthways, so that any irregular pressure or change of position of a person
reclining thereon is not attended with inconvenience by rigid angles or
projections, but the elliptical strips yield gently in both directions, moreover.
the bed or mattrass being supported away from the floor of the room or cabin
admits of free circulation of air.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into. practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of .
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively as follows:-.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a side view of my
improved spring sacking or foundation for. a bed, mattrass, or other like
article; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 an end view (partly in section) of
the same; Figures 4 to 16 inclusive exhibit details and various modifications
in the construction of my improved sacking or foundation. At each of the
foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding
parts, insofar as such parts appear, or can be seen at each of such said Figures
respectively.
A, A', are two wooden end rails or pieces forming the head and foot of the
spring sacking or foundation, these rails are connected together by longitudinal
frames or side pieces B, B', dovetailed in the end rails or secured, by screws or
other means; C, C, are laths or strips of wood or other suitable flexible
material of an elliptical shape, as shewn in section at Figure 11 full size.
These laths are placed at each end in curved or concave recesses or sockets
D, D, formed in the bearing pieces E, E, screwed to the head and foot rails,
which may also be of a curved form as in Figure 4. These.recesses are covered
with cloth, leather, lead, or other suitable material F, Figure 3, on which the
ends of the laths rest, and are capable of moving sideways. Each lath being
placed in its respective recess, the caps G, G¹, are placed over the screws H, H,
as shewn in Figure 3, and on being lowered the screws enter the holes I,
Figure 2. The cap is then pushed horizontally to allow the screws to pass
along to the end of the slot J, and in this manner secure the laths in their
proper position. These bedsteads may be formed with a head board K fastened
by hinges or other means to the head rail, and which board may be kept in an
upright position when the spring sacking or foundation is in use by bolts L or
by any other convenient mode. The said spring sacking or foundation may
also be mounted on legs, as shewn by dotted lines, Figure 1.
In adapting my Invention to iron bedsteads I form the head and foot rail of
the spring sacking or foundation of cast or wrought iron, either curved or
bridge form, as shewn in front view and plan, Figures 4 and 5, or straight as
in the front and end views, Figures 6 and 7. These pieces are fastened by the
feet M to the iron framing of the bedstead by bolts and nuts or other suitable
means. O is an abutting piece cast with rails for the purpose of preventing
the laths moving endwise. These separate iron head and foot rails are formed
with curved recesses or corrugations D, D, (or they can be made in the
framing itself) in which are placed the elliptical laths or strips, as in the wooden

page_text: spring sacking or foundation herein-before described, and they are secured
in their proper places either by a wooden cap G, as shewn in Figure 4,
which is screwed to the iron rail, or by a cap made of angle iron marked N,
Figures 6 and 7. The rail is in this case made without the abutting piece O,
as shewn in Figures 4 and 5, in order to allow the recesses to be filed or
rendered smooth. With reference to Figures 6 and 7 I would observe that
the laths are prevented from working out of the recesses endwise by the angle
iron cap N fastened to the rail by screws P, P. When iron rails are employed
covering the recesses with cloth or other material is rendered unnecessary.
The recesses may be formed of a square shape, as shewn in the modification,
Figure 10, or as in Figures 8 and 9, by stout pins Q, Q', placed in holes in
the framing at suitable distances apart, and between which the flexible elliptical
laths C are placed. The ends of the laths are represented as resting on and
abutting against angle iron R screwed to the wooden framing. The iron head
and foot rails can, if required, be fitted to a wooden frame R¹ tenoned and
mortised, or otherwise fixed together so as to form a spring sacking or
foundation as represented in Figures 12 and 13. And in the cabins of ships
the pieces or rails A, A¹, may be arranged and fastened to the bulkheads of
the vessel.
.
The end rails may be formed with hinges, S, in the centre as in the
modification, Figure 14, so as to shut up like a book, and render them more
portable for use on shipboard, or for camps. When used in ships, the bedstead
is fastened by the four corners to ropes or otherwise, and suspended, so as to
form a hammock.
Another modification of the aforesaid spring sacking or foundation is shewn
at Figure 15, in which the head and foot rails may either be formed of
corrugated wrought iron, as at A, or of cast iron, as in Figures 4 and 6, and
fixed by bolts and nuts or other means to wrought iron or wooden cross
bearers T, fastened together by a pin U. By this mode of constructing the
spring sacking or foundation a springing action is obtained at the head and
foot rails as well as by the wooden longitudinal laths or strips C.
Another mode of effecting this object is to allow the end frames or rails to
rest upon helical steel springs V, Figure 16, placed on the screw pins or
bolts W, or flat steel springs may be employed if required. I would here
observe that the spring sacking or foundation above described may be adapted
to sofas, couches, settees, and such like articles of furniture.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said
Invention of an "Improved Spring Sacking or Foundation for a Bed,

page_text: Mattrass, or other like Article, especially adapted for Ships' Use, Barracks;
Hospitals, and Military Camps, applicable also for Domestic, Dwellings,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby declare my
Invention to consist in; and I claim the several forms of construction above
described, set forth, and represented by the accompanying illustrative Sheet of
Drawings as constituting an improved spring sacking or foundation for a bed,
mattiass, or other like 'article, and especially I claim the laths and the manner
of connecting them by their ends to the head and foot rails, as described and
represented for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Burke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
MICHAEL BURKE. (L.S.)