IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION OF MAT- TRESSES AND OTHER ARTICLES. FOR. SITTING OR RECLINING UPON
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Pickering, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Spring Mattress Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Pickering at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents,-with-his-Petition; on the
9th August 1872...
I, JOHN PICKERING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Spring Mattress Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRING MAT-
TRESSES AND OTHER ARTICLES. FOR. SITTING OR RECLINING UPON," to be as
follows

page_text: other articles for sitting or reclining upon. The network consists of
hexagonal or other suitably formed meshes made of short lengths of
wire, the ends of which are linked together or to intermediate rings, and
the outer wires are connected to a frame of wood or other material, or
to the bedstead or other article. This wire network is of itself suffi-
ciently elastic for most purposes, but its buoyancy may be increased by
flat, coiled, or other springs placed under the network of wire, or by
springs acting on the frame to which the network is connected.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John
Pickering in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PICKERING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Spring Mattress
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Pickering, Her special licence that I,
the said John Pickering, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Pickering, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
_STRUCTION OF SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER ARTICLES. FOR SITTING OR RECLINING
UPON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Pickering, 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 on or before the Twenty-first day of
July One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
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page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Pickering, 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 (that is to say):-
..My Invention consists in an improved mode of connecting together
links of wire so as to produce elastic spring mattresses or couches or
other articles for sitting or reclining upon. The network consists of
hexagonal or other suitably formed meshes made of short lengths of
wire or other suitable material, the ends of which are linked together
or to intermediate rings, and the outer links are connected to a frame of
wood or other material, or to the bedstead or other article. This net-
work is of itself sufficiently elastic for most purposes, but its buoyancy
may be increased by flat, coiled, or other springs placed under the
network of wire or other material, or by springs acting on the frame to
which the network is connected.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 an edge view of a spring mattress con-
structed according to my improvements. The network of which the
mattress is composed consists principally of the oblong hexagonal
meshes a, a, which are formed by connecting together links of wire or
other material with intermediate rings, or by rings or hooks made upon
the wire. In the centre of the mattress lengthwise the meshes are con-
tracted as shown at b, b, in order that the longitudinal strength may be
increased at that part. The wire network is connected at the head and
foot to the ordinary tucker springs c,.c,.or.to-springs-of-any-other suit-
able description. The strength of the wire network is increased trans-
versely near the head of the mattress, and again at about half-way
between the head and the foot, by means of the short links d, d, in order
to increase the power of resistance at the points where the greatest
weight has to be supported, and the outermost links d, or the inter-
mediate-rings-to-which-they are-hooked, are connected to the tucker or
other springs. e, e. All the springs are secured to the frame of the
mattress or to the frame of the bedstead,

page_text: When I vary the construction by placing the oblong meshes trans-
versely on the frame (as I do for the better mattresses) the short links
d, d, then pass down the centre lengthwise, and the oblong contractions
b, b, run transversely across the mattress.
In forming the bands for giving additional strength at certain parts |
of the mattress do not confine myself to the modes shown in the
Drawing.
I wish to observe here that the network of the mattress may be made
of plain, hexagonal, or other suitable shaped meshes, and without the
longitudinal and transverse bands, to increase the strength at certain:
parts; the links forming the network may be made of round or flat steel
or other metal, and in some cases the network may be composed of cord,
leather, or other suitable material. The buoyancy and strength of the
mattress may be increased by the application of flat; coiled, or other
springs placed under the network, or by springs acting on the frame to
which the network is connected.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of Tucker's spring, which is so con-
structed as to dispense with the usual support under the rod, and which
is adapted to iron bedsteads, a hook from the spring catching under the
lower rib of the angle iron.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent two views of my improved Tucker's spring,
which is constructed to answer the purpose of two of the ordinary
Tucker's springs, and to dispense with the usual supporting rod. This
double spring is also applicable to iron bedsteads, being provided with
hooks to catch on the lower rib of the angle iron to reduce the height.
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The improvements above described in the construction of spring
mattresses are also applicable to the scats of couches and other articles
for sitting and reclining upon.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First. The improved mode-of-constructing clastic spring mattresses
and other, articles for sitting and reclining upon with a network. of
hexagonal or other suitably shaped-meshes, and with or without springs.
at the ends and sides and below, as shown and described.

page_text: And, Secondly. The improved single and double Tucker's springs
shewn and described, and the mode of connecting them to iron bed-
steads.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pickering, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.