IMPROVE- MENTS IN PORTABLE BEDSTEADS, AND IN THE MATTRESSES TO BE USED THERE- WITH
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PORTABLE BEDSTEADS, AND IN THE MATTRESSES TO BE USED THERE-
WITH." A communication from abroad by Eugene Etienne Barbier
St. Ange, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant.
Sealed the 23rd October 1860, and dated the 26th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th April 1860.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE BEDSTEADS, AND IN THE MATTRESSES TO BE USED
THEREWITH," a communication from abroad by Eugene Etienne Barbier
St. Ange, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, to be as follows:—
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
portable or folding bedsteads suitable for hospitals, camps, or long journeys,
and also to a peculiar form of mattress to be used therewith.
According to this Invention it is proposed to construct a bedstead of a
number of separate frames or compartments, which are each made narrower

page_text: than the other towards the foot, and are connected together by pin joints or
other convenient form of hinge, so that the whole of the compartments may
be folded one inside another, and enclosed within an ordinary sized trunk or
ottoman, to one side of which the compartment nearest the head is jointed.
Each of these compartments or frames is covered with a separate tick, so that
when opened out a suitable support is afforded to the mattress. This mattress
is also made in several compartments, agreeing in length and width the com-
partments or frames of the bedstead, and consequently tapering in width
towards the foot. The pillow is supported upon an inclined frame placed in
the top of the containing box or ottoman, which forms in itself the head of
the bedstead, and is large enough to enclose not only the bedstead, but the
pillow and mattress, with bedding. A top and side is provided to be applied
to the box when packed, and secure and enclose its contents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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
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 PORTABLE BEDSTEADS, AND IN THE MATTRASSES TO BE USED
THEREWITH," a communication from abroad by Eugene Etienne Barbier
St. Ange, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of.
portable or folding bedsteads suitable for hospitals, camps, or long journeys,
and also to a peculiar form of mattrass to be used therewith.
According to this Invention it is proposed to construct a bedstead of a
number of separate frames or compartments, which are each made narrower
than the other towards the foot, and are connected together by pin joints or
other convenient form of hinge, so that the whole of the compartments may
be folded one inside another, and inclosed within an ordinary sized trunk or
box, to one side of which the compartment nearest the head is jointed. Each
of these compartments or frames is covered with a separate tick, so that
when opened out a suitable support is afforded to the mattrass. This mat-
trass is also made in several compartments, agreeing in length and width with
the compartments or frames of the bedstead, and consequently tapering in
width towards the foot. The pillow is supported upon an inclined frame
placed in the top of the containing box, which forms in itself the head of the
bedstead, and is large enough to incloso not only the bedstead, but the pillow
and mattrass, with the requisite bedding. A top and side is fitted to the box
when packed, so as to effectually inclose its contents.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal section, and Figure 2
a plan, of a hospital bed of 6 compartments A, B, C, D, E, F, constructed
according to this Invention; the several compartments folding or entering
one within another, and the whole together entering the first compartment A,
which forms a box or enclosing receptacle. The last compartment F is a
species of stool, as shewn by the transverse section, Figure 3. This stool is
composed of two side pieces a, a, hollowed out as shown in Figure 1, and united

page_text: by the two cross bars b, b. It is covered by a cloth c, suitably stretched to
form a sacking. The compartment F is capable of turning as shewn by the
blue dotted semicircle in Figure 1 on the screws or pins f, f, inserted into
the side pieces d, d, of the next compartment E, and through the side
pieces a, a, of the compartment F. This turning of the part F is so effected
as to bring that part underneath and within the preceeding part or compart-
ment E, which is of course made rather larger than F for that purpose. The
compartment E is provided with only one cross bar g, and is connected to
the compartment D by the pins or screws 7, 1, passed through the sides h, h, of
that compartment, and through the sides d, d, of the compartment E. The two
compartments C and D are precisely similar to the one marked E, and are
similarly connected or jointed together, and the compartment B is also of a
similar construction, but in place of folding or turning under like the previously
described compartments, it turns or folds over as shewn by the three concentric
dotted blue semicircles, the pins m, m, in the opposite sides of the box A
serving as the turning centres. By this arrangement the whole of the com-
partments C, D, E, and F, having been folded over into the other, as shewn
by the blue dotted lines, and all contained in the compartment B, they are in
conjunction with that compartment turned over on to the bottom of the first com-
partment or box A, as shewn by the blue lines in Figure 1. Each of the com-
partments B, C, D, and E, is provided with a distended fabric or bed sacking c
similar to that described in reference to the compartment F, the sacking of
one compartment covering or overlaying the edge of the previous one, so that
a continuous sacking will be formed from the head to the foot, such sacking
gradually diminishing, however, in width towards the foot of the bed as shewn
in Figure 2. The box A is provided with a frame on which is distended a
fabric or tick, and this frame which is hinged to the interior of the box is
placed in an inclined position therein as shewn in Figure 1, space being left
beneath it inside the box A, in which any articles or property may be packed.
When the bed is opened out, a pillow G is placed on the inclined frame, and a
mattrass laid upon the five compartments B, C, D, E, and F. This mattrass
is itself made in five compartments, the width of which diminishes in corre-
sponding manner to the compartments of the bedstead. As the box A when
the bed is open has only four sides, or rather three sides and a bottom, the two
other sides, namely, the top and front, may be made loose or detachable, so
that they may be readily removed when requisite, and re-applied when the
bed is to be packed up, as shewn by the red section lines in Figure 1, any
suitable contrivance being adopted for securing them to the other sides so as
to complete and close in the box. The pillow and mattrass may be packed

page_text: inside the folded compartments, and in the space left above them inside the
box A. A convenient space will still remain in the upper part of the box for
the reception of any other articles which may be required to be transported.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of the bed opened out for use; and
Figure 5 is another external view of the bed packed into its box; Figure 6
is a plan of this box when closed. If desired, a bed of this construction may
be made to fold up into the size and form of a soldier's knapsack. For this
purpose the last compartment of the bedstead is made in the form of a knap-
sack; it is composed of three sheets of metal, which form the three sides of a
space, closed on the fourth side by the tick or canvass of the bed, and on the
fifth and sixth at pleasure by a covering cloth or piece of fabric. Figure 7
represents an elevation of this bed opened out, the part shown in red lines
representing the mode by which an inclination is given to the head by the aid
of noveable feet a, which fold inside the framing of the bed; Figure 8 is a
plan of the bed; Figure 9 is a back view of the same when folded up in the
form of a knapsack; Figure 10 is a plan, and Figure 11 a side elevation of
the folded bed. It will be clearly understood that the ticking or straps of the
bed b, by arranging themselves one over the other, form that part of the knap-
sack which bears against the back of the soldier, and by presenting a soft and
yielding surface is not liable to hurt or gall him when on the march. The
supports c of the bed fold ono under the other, and the frames d, which carry
the angles, form the two sides or ends of the knapsack. The last compart-
ment E folds inside all the others, and the interior of this compartment, three
sides of which are mado of sheet metal, constitutes the knapsack proper, and
contains all the requirements usually placed in the knapsack of a soldier.
Figure 12 is a section of this compartment E.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that 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 constructions and arrangements of portable bedsteads
and mattrasses to be used therewith, as herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
Second, the constructing of portable bedsteads in several compartments,
which are hinged together and capable of folding one within another, the
whole when folded up being contained within an ordinary sized trunk or
receptacle, as herein-before described.

page_text: Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of hospital folding bed-
steads, substantially as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of mattrasses formed in several compart-
ments or lengths of diminishing width towards the foot, in the manner and for
the purpose herein-before described.
Fifth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of knapsack bedstead,
substantially as herein-before described.
Sixth, the combination of a folding bedstead with a soldier's or taveller's
knapsack, capable of containing the various articles usually carried in a knap-
sack, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)