IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Christophe Martin Cramer, of Paris, France,
Joiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Christophe Martin
Cramer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th July 1859.
I, HENRY CHRISTOPHE MARTIN CRAMER, of Paris, France, Joiner, do hereby.
declare the nature of my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS," to.
be as follows, that is to say :-
These improvements relate to the mode of fastening the component parts of
wooden bedsteads together, and have for object to facilitate the putting up.
and taking down of the same.
The improvements are also applicable to forming some of the said parts of a
bedstead of several pieces which are usually made of one, by which their
volume may be reduced. And my Invention consists in the construction of
wooden bedsteads with metallic strips or rails fitting into metallic grooves or
slots suitably applied or formed on and in the pieces composing the bedstead,
so as to correspond at the parts to be united, whereby screws and other similar
contrivances hitherto in use for fixing together the various parts of bedsteads
are superseded.
To set up a bedstead, the rails or strips of metal on the front and back
pieces are successively slid into the grooves or slots in the side pieces, and are
then suitably fastened in their places, and the uprights and cross pieces are
set up by a similar arrangement. The side pieces may be made in two parts,

page_text: and joined in the middle by means of a slot and rail fitting into it, and the
upper part of the head and foot pieces may be made to take to pieces by a
similar arrangement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Christophe Martin Cramer in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CHRISTOPHE MARTIN CRAMER, of Paris, France, Joiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
.Patent, bearing date the. Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Christophe Martin Cramer, Her special license that I, the
said Henry Christophe Martin Cramer, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Christophe Martin Cramer, 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Christophe Martin
Cramer, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Christophe Martin Cramer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing 'hereto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
These improvements relate to a mode of fastening or uniting the component
parts of a wooden bedstead together, and have for object to facilitate the
putting up, taking down, and cleaning the same.
.
.
These improvements are also applicable to forming some of the said parts of
4

page_text: a bedstead of several pieces which are usually made of one, by which they are
rendered more convenient for packing up. And my Invention consists in con-
structing wooden bedsteads with metallic strips, formed with tenons or tongues
fitting in grooves or slots formed in corresponding bands or strips, and which
are suitably applied to the pieces composing the bedstead, whereby screw
bolts, the ordinary tenons and mortices, and other similar means of fastening
various parts of bedsteads together hitherto in use, are superseded.
. In setting up a bedstead, the tenors or tongues are successively slid into the
grooves or slots in the side and end pieces. The side pieces may be made in
two parts, and joined in the middle by means of a tenon and grooved band,
as above described. The end pieces may be made to take to pieces in a
similar manner.
:
In order that my Invention may be better understood, I will now refer to
the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view
of the component parts of a wooden French bedstead previous to being put
together, and fitted with my improved fastenings; Figure 2 is a front view ;
and Figure 3, a plan of one of the end pieces, fitted to the posts by the tenon
and grooved strips or bands; Figures 4 and 5 are similar views of a post with
a portion of the side framing attached. Similar letters in the Drawing refer
to corresponding parts.
In constructing a bedstead according to my improvements, the posts A, A',
are fitted with metallic strips or bands B formed with a tenon or tongue C in
the form of a dovetail, as shewn in elevation and plan on an enlarged scale in
Figures 6 and 7. This tenon or tongue fits into a corresponding groove D
formed in the metallic band or strip E, as shewn in elevation and plan in
Figures 8 and 9. These strips or bands are fixed to the various parts
requiring to be joined of the bedstead by means of screws F, and are shewn
united together at Figures 10 and 3. The side frames G, G', are each
furnished at their ends with the said strips, as represented in Figure 1, by
which they are fitted to the posts A, A'. 'The side frames may be formed in
two parts for convenience in packing, and fitted together by means of the
strips or bands B and E. The end pieces may be constructed in several parts
by employing the said arrangement. H, H', are upper and lower cross
pieces; I, I, panels; J, J, uprights; K, K, brackets.
Figures 11, 12, 18, and 14 represent in elevation and plan a modification
of the strips or bands in which the tenon or tongue L is formed in the shape
of a T, and which fits in a corresponding groove M in the strip
These bands are fastened to the bedstead by means of screws O.
shews these strips united together.
or band N.
Figure 15

page_text: Figures 16, 17, and 18, are perspective views of a modification in which
the uniting pieces are formed of a tubular shape.; and Figures 19 and 20 are
plans of the same; Figure 21 is a view of the same united together. These
tubes P are formed with slots or grooves Q, and are fastened to the bedstead
by screws R. This improved arrangement of tenon and groove fastening is
also applicable to other articles of furniture.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be observed that I do not
confine myself to the precise details of construction, so long as the main
features of my Invention are retained. What I claim and desire to be secured
by the herein-before. in part recited Letters Patent, is,― :
First, the application in the construction of wooden bedsteads of strips or
bands of metal with tenons and grooves; or a modification of the same, for
uniting together the different parts thereof, as herein-before described and
shewn in the Figures of the Drawing.
Secondly, the application of the said strips or bands to the side, and end
pieces of wooden bedsteads, whereby they may be taken to pieces and rendered
more convenient for packing, as herein-before described and shewn in Figure 1
of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Christophe Martin Cramer, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ADD