IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FUR- NITURE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Douglas Brown, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Cabinet Maker, for the Invention of
TannownMOT Reno Cancune AND OMIZED ADMIALDO AD AD"
Sealed the 2nd June 1854, and dated the 31st March 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Douglas Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1854.
I, ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS BROWN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FUR-
NITURE" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the arranging and constructing beds, couches,
sofas, and other articles of furniture chiefly of wood, in such manner as to
secure all or most of the acknowledged advantages attending the modern,
system of metallic structures of this nature; at the same time peculiar porta-
bility is obtained, the several component parts being easily packed in a small
compass, whilst when erected the structures possess superior strength. In con-
structing a bed according to this Invention, the main framework is made up of
thin and deep frame pieces or bars of wood, jointed together at the four corners
by a means of the wedge or dovetail joint pieces, for which I have already
obtained a grant of British Letters Patent in the year 1852. A central longi-
tudinal stretcher bar is passed between the head and foot bars of this frame as
a stay, the two ends of this stretcher being attached to the head and foot

page_text: pieces of the main frame by dovetail joints also, and the frame is additionally
stayed transversely by a cross piece at the longitudinal centre of the frame, all
the parts being connected in the same manner by dovetail joint pieces..
Either the longitudinal or the transverse stretcher bar may be made in two
pieces, as may be convenient, dovetail joints being required in such case at the
point of intersection. The frame so constructed is particularly strong, whilst it
is as portable and nearly as light in appearance as an iron frame, at the same
time possessing all the comfort and elegance of a wooden structure.
The pillars or supporting legs are dovetailed upon this frame, and the head
and foot boards are also dovetailed in between the contiguous pillars. The
head canopy or curtain supporter, beside being dovetailed to the top of the
pillars, is also sustained by metallic or wooden brackets dovetailed to the pillars
and to the canopy framing. The curtain rods or traverse surfaces are likewise
dovetailed at each end to this frame. It is obvious that couches, sofas, and
similar articles of furniture are capable of being made on this system with
advantage. The dovetailed joint pieces are of brass or composition metal,
screwed, recessed, or otherwise attached to the timber details.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Archibald Douglas Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
DOUGLAS BROWN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Cabinet
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Archibald Douglas Brown, Her special license that I, the said Archibald
Douglas Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Archibald Douglas Brown, my executors, administrators, or
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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom - of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE,"
upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Archibald Douglas
Brown, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should

page_text: 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 Archibald Douglas Brown, 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 accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the arranging and constructing beds, couches;
sofas, and and other articles of furniture chiefly of wood, in such manner as
to secure all or most of the acknowledged advantages attending the modern
system of metallic structures of this nature. At the same time peculiar porta-
bility is obtained, the several component parts being easily packed in a small
compass, whilst when erected the structures possess superior strength. In
constructing a bed according to this Invention, the main framework is made
up of thin and deep frame pieces or bars of wood, jointed together at the four
corners by means of the wedge or dovetail joint pieces, for which I obtained a
grant of British Letters Patent in the year One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two. A central longitudinal stretcher bar is passed between the head and
foot bars of this frame as a stay, the two ends of this stretcher being attached
to the head and foot pieces of the main frame by dovetail joints also, and the
frame is additionally stayed transversely by a cross piece at the longitudinal
centre of the frame, all these parts being connected in the same manner by
dovetail joint pieces. Either the longitudinal or the transverse stretcher bar
may be made in two pieces, as may be convenient, dovetail joints being required
in such case at the point of intersection. The frame so constructed is particu-
larly strong, whilst it is as portable and nearly as light in appearance as an iron
frame, at the same time possessing all the comfort and elegance of a wooden
structure. The pillars or supporting legs are dovetailed upon this frame, and
the head and foot boards are also dovetailed in between the contiguous pillars.
The head canopy or curtain supporter, besides being dovetailed to the top of
the pillars, is also sustained by metallic or wooden brackets dovetailed to the
pillars and to the canopy framing. The curtain rods or traverse surfaces are
likewise dovetailed at each end to this frame. It is obvious that couches,
sofas, and similar articles of furniture are capable of being made on this system
with advantage. The dovetail joint pieces are of brass or composition metal,
screwed, recessed, or otherwise attached to the timber details.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall now

page_text: proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto attached. Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side, and Figure 2
is a front elevation of a bedstead constructed according to my Invention. Figure
3 is a perspective elevation of the bedstead with curtains and bedding.complete;
and Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figures 1 and 2. These four Figures
shew the external appearance of the bedstead framing, and its freedom from
any outward. indication of the mode in which the parts are jointed together.
Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, inside and front views of one of the corner.posts
A at the head of the bed. Figures 7 and 8 are, respectively, front and edgeviews
of the head board B at the head of the bed; and Figures 9 and 10 are front
and end views of one of the horizontal bedstead frame pieces C... The head-
board B is secured to the two head corner posts A. by means of metallic dove-
tail wedge pieces D, which enter metallic sockets E of corresponding form,
fitted into recesses formed in the sides of the corner posts; Figure 11 is a plan
representing detached portions of the horizontal framing of the bedstead. The
corner posts A are squared upon two sides at the points at which the hori-
zontal bars C are attached to them, the attachment being effected by means of
the metallic dovetail wedges and sockets F, which are screwed into recesses
formed in the junction surfaces of the frame pieces. The bedstead frame is
strengthened by means of central bars. G, H, and it is preferred to have
the transverse bar G in a single piece, which is jointed to the longitudinal
frame bars C by 'dovetail wedges and sockets at I. The longitudinal central
bar H is in two pieces, each of which is jointed to the end cross bar C and to
the central cross bar G by dovetail wedges and sockets at J, thus forming a
very stiff frame. In Figure 12 is represented the manner in which the canopy
frame K is affixed to the head corner posts A, namely, by means of metallic
dovetail wedges, which enter corresponding metallic sockets fitted into recesses
at L in the tops of the corner posts A. Figure 13 is a front, and Figure 14
an end view of the metallic socket employed in the several joints of the
bedstead framing; and Figure 15 is a front, and Figure 16 an end view of the
metallic dovetail wedge fitting into the socket. Figure 17 is a horizontal section
through one of the corner joints of the bedstead framing, and is drawn full
size. Recesses are formed in the junction surfaces for the metallic wedges M
and sockets N, the wedges in this instance being affixed to the upright corner
post A, whilst the sockets are fixed to the horizontal frame bars C. These
wedge and socket pieces are secured in their respective places by the screws
O. The cross board P at the foot of the bed is fixed to the corner posts A in
the same manner as the head board B, as represented in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8.
The canopy frame K is additionally supported by side brackets Q, which may

page_text: be either of wood or metal, according to the degree of lightness or strength
required. The brackets are fixed to the posts A by means of dovetail wedge
and socket pieces; and the conopy frame K is fixed upon the tops of the
brackets and corner posts in a similar manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of portable bedsteads as
herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of strengthening bedstead frames by means of
central longitudinal and transverse bars arranged horizontally and jointed to
the side and end frame pieces and to each other by means of metallic dovetail
wedge and socket joints, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Douglas Brown, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
A. B. BROWN. (L.D.)