IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN'S COTS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Washington Moon, of Regent Street, in the.
County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHILDREN'S COTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Washington Moon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1881.
GEORGE WASHINGTON MOON, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,.
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN'S COTS."
The object of my Invention is to construct children's cots in such manner that
they can be lengthened or shortened according to the height of the child. For this
purpose I construct the side frames of the cot in such manner that they can be.
extended at will, and in carrying out my Invention I prefer to make the side
frames of top and bottom bars connected to one of the end frames, and of top and
bottom tubes connected to the other of the end frames, the said tubes fitting over
and being free to slide upon the corresponding bars. In each of the bars I form a
series of notches or depressions, say, 3 inches apart, more or less, and in each of the
tubes I form a hole through which to pass a screw into one of the notches in the
corresponding bar, so as to fix the bar and tube together in the position to which
they may have been adjusted. Instead of bars and tubes, as above described, I
may employ any other suitable construction of sliding frame, such for instance as.
bars connected to one end frame, and made to slide in grooves or guides in bars
connected to the other end frame.
The clongating cot, constructed as hereinbefore explained, may be provided with
hooks at its ends, to enable it to be hung to standards, such as are now sometimes
In some
employed, or it may be supported or held in any other suitable manner.
cases I employ a stand for the cot, consisting of a frame capable of being elongated:
in a similar manner to the cot, the said frame being provided with legs to raise the
cot from the floor.
My Invention further consists in constructing children's cots of lattice work
combined with an elongating frame, such as above described. The sacking which
forms the bottom of the cot connects the sides of the lattice work, and prevents
their tendency to bulge outwards, or assume a rounded form, while the sides of the
elongating frame which are within the lattice work prevent it moving inwards
when the frame is elongated; the expansion of the lattice work thus takes place at
the ends only, and in proportion to the elongation of the frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Washington Moon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th August 1881.
GEORGE WASHINGTON MOON, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer.. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN'S COTS."
The object of my Invention is to construct children's cots in such manner that
they can be lengthened or shortened according to the height of the child. For this
purpose I construct the side frames of the cot so that they can be extended at
will; and in carrying out my Invention I may make the side frames of top and
bottom bars connected to one of the end frames, and of top and bottom tubes
connected to the other of the end frames, the said tubes fitting over and being free
to slide upon the corresponding bars. In each of the bars I form a series of notches
or depressions, say, 3 inches apart, more or less, and in each of the tubes I form a
hole through which to pass a screw into one of the notches in the corresponding
bar, so as to fix the bar and tube together in the position to which they may have
been adjusted. Instead of bars and tubes as above described, may employ any
other suitable construction of sliding frame, such for instance as bars connected to
one end frame, and made to slide in grooves or guides in bars connected to the
other end frame.
The elongating cot, constructed as hereinbefore explained, may be provided with
hooks at its ends, to enable it to be hung to standards, such as are now sometimes
employed, or it may be supported or held in any other suitable manner.
In some
cases I employ a stand for the cot, consisting of a frame capable of being elongated
in a similar manner to the cot, the said frame being provided with legs to raise the
cot from the floor, or it may be made with a curved bottom.
One manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect is represented in
perspective view in Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings, which shows its application
to a cot resembling the folding cot described in the Specification of former Letters
Patent granted to me, and dated the 30th October 1878, No. 4375. According to
my present Invention the longitudinal bars of the upper frame are made telescopic,
that is to say, there are bars or rods a, a, attached to or formed in a piece with the
end frame or bar b, and free to slide in tubes a¹, a', attached to or formed in a picce
with the other end frame or bar 6. The bars a, a, have a series of notches or
depressions, say, 3 inches apart, more or less, and each of the tubes a¹, a¹, has a hole
through which to pass a screw c into one of the notches in the corresponding bar,
so as to fix the bar and tube together in the position to which they have been
adjusted. In like manner the lower frame d of the cot (which is for keeping the
lacing or fabric of the cot distended, as described in my former Specification) is
made capable of extension by a similar telescopic arrangement. The upper frame
is shown as attached by screws e, e, to the tops of a stand composed of a pair of
V shaped frames f, f, similar to those described in my said former Specification;
these frames I also make capable of elongation by means of a similar telescopic
arrangement, and they are fixed in the position to which they are adjusted by
means of screws g. g. In order to allow the frames f, f, to be folded into a small
compass for packing, I make them with a joint or hinge at h, so that the upper
part may fold upon the lower, as seen in Figure 2, which represents this frame
folded. is a cross bar forming a stay to keep the two frames f, f, apart when in
use; this bar has a hinge or joint at k, to allow it to fold up when the frames are
folded. I do not limit myself to the peculiar form of stand shown, as other forms
of stands or frames for the elongating cot may be employed.
My Invention further consists in constructing children's cots of lattice work

page_text: combined with an elongating frame, such as above described. This part of my
Invention will be understood on reference to Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 being a
view of the cot complete (but with one half the lattice work broken away to allow
the arrangement to be better seen, and without the linings and other usual fittings),
and Figure 4 being a separate view of the stand. a, a¹, are two curved frames, the
frame a being tubular, so that the frame a can slide in it, in order that the length
of the cot can be adjusted as required. The frames a, a', are supported by legs f,f,
which can be detached for packing by taking out the screws h, h. To these legs,
about the middle of their height, are attached by screws j, j, two horizontal
Tpieces l, l, the longitudinal limbs of which are telescopic, and can be fixed in any
required position by a screw m, which passes through a hole in the outer T piece,
and takes into one of a series of notches in the inner T piece. For packing, the
T pieces can be detached from the legs f, f, by unscrewing the screws j, j. p, p, is
the lattice work forming the cot proper; it is fitted over the upper frames a, a', the
heads or knobs of the screws h, h, holding it in place by passing through rings
attached to it. The bottom of the lattice work has sacking attached thereto by
means of rings and strings or otherwise; this sacking is long enough to allow the
lattice work to be extended to the length of the cot when fully elongated, but its
width is only equal to that of the frame a, a¹, and therefore the tendency of the
lattice work to bulge outwards or assume a rounded form is prevented, while the
sides of the elongating frame, or the knobs h, h, thereon, prevent the lattice work
moving inwards when the frame is elongated; the expansion of the lattice work
thus takes place lengthways only, and in proportion to the elongation of the
frame.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. Constructing children's cots, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, so that they can be lengthened or shortened
as required.
Second. Constructing children's cots of expanding lattice work, in combination
with an elongating frame, substantially as herein before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Washington Moon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
GEO. WASHINGTON MOON. (L.S.)