A COUCH, WHICH I DENOMINATE A PALENQUIN COUCH, UPON AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FIGGINS, of Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, Upholsterer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of
February, in the fifty-second year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Figgins, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Figgins, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the, term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A COUCH,
WHICH I DENOMINATE A PALENQUIN COUCH, UPON AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION;" in
which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that if I, the said Thomas
Figgins, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and
by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Figgins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained as follows (that is to say):-
I make a square frame of wood, about six feet long & from two to three
feet wide, to fold in the middle, with iron or brass hinges, and a canvas or
cane bottom thereto, with six or more screw legs to the same, made of wood,
iron, or brass; and I make a scrole head to the same, of wood and canvas,
stuff'd with bair, wool, or flocks, the scrole to fix to the above frame at
pleasure with two iron screw bolts and hand nuts. To each end of the wood
frame are two iron frames about the same width, and about three feet three
inches high, with three joints in the middle, to fold, and fixed to the wood
frame at bottom with four iron bed screws and nuts; about four inches from
the bottom of the iron frame are four iron spikes, about six inches long, to
traverse, which support the iron frame when turned up. At the four top
corners of the two iron folding frames are four pulley wheels for the lines
to run in, for the support of the curtains and canopy. One iron or brass
rod, about six feet long, separates or folds in the middle, which fixes on the
top of the two iron folding frames and supports the canopy and curtains when
turned up as a bed. The sides and ends are made of canvas, with a pair of
clews to swing, if wanted so to do); squabs, pillows, &c., the same as other
couches. In the day-time it forms a handsome couch; in the night, when
turned up, a handsome bed, to swing or stand, with canopy and curtains.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Figgins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twelve.