An Improved Bolster or Pillow to be used on Bedsteads, Sofas, and other like Articles of Furniture.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr:, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bolster or Pillow to be used on Bedsteads, Sofas, and
other like Articles of Furniture.
SAMUEL WILSON 156 Ledsam Street, Bedstead Manufacturer in the City of
Birmingham County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
It consists in making bolsters or pillows of woven or threaded wire instead of
feathers wool or other like materials. In carrying out my invention I proceed as
follows. I form the wire required for my improved bolster or pillow by the usual
process of weaving or threading. I then construct or form end pieces of wood, iron
or other suitable material of the shape it is intended to give to the bolster or pillow
and I attach the said end pieces to wood or other suitable strips which together con-
stitute the bottom & frame work of my bolster or pillow. I then attach the woven
or threaded wire, stretched to its proper tension, to the said frame work by nailing or
otherwise. I form on the underside of my bolster or pillow suitable studs or other
fastenings for retaining my said bolster or pillow in its place on the bedstead or
mattress frame. Instead of constructing my bolster or pillow seperately I sometimes
prefer to form them together that is to say in one piece with the woven or threaded
wire forming the mattress or sofá, bottom the framework of the said mattress or sofa
being shaped so as to give the required elevation and form to my improved wire
bolsters or pillows when attached to the said frames.
D
11000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bolster or Pillow to be used on Bedsteads, Sofas, and
other like Articles of Furniture.
I, SAMUEL WILSON of 156 Ledsam Street, in the City of Birmingham, Bedstead
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
me is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to bolsters or pillows, to be used with bedsteads, cots, couches,
sofas, and other articles of furniture.
My invention has for its object, an unstuffed bolster or pillow, and consists in applying,
or employing in connection with the framing, a woven wire mesh, or distensible
surface, as hereinafter described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents a bedstead, provided with a
loose, or detachable bolster, made and constructed according to my invention. This
bolster, which is hoth ventilated, and the surface distensible, consists of a body
framing, covered or partly encircled by a distensible woven wire, or other mesh,
tensioned from the ends of the framing.
The surface presented to the head of a person, is both cool, yielding, and comfortable,.
and moreover, the same never requires to be "made," or shook up, as is the case with
bolsters, or the like, stuffed with feathers, flocks, or hair.
Figure 2 represents upon an enlarged scale, a longitudinal vertical section of my
new or improved bolster. This view exemplifies how the wire mesh or distensible
surface, which is in the form of woven wire, or threaded coils of wire, or wire coiled
strands, formed with, or by intermediate spring lengths, are connected to the upright
ends, which are kept apart, and in their proper relative positions, by a single longi-
tudinal stay.

page_text: Figure 3 represents an underside plan of the said holster, which is, as is shown,
open, or unsupported at front, so that the head of a person cannot come into contact
with any of the hard material constituting the framing.
Figure 4 represents a cross section, upon the dotted lines A B figure 3, whilst
figure 5 represents an end view of the holster, showing the open end, wherethrough
cool air is allowed to pass, and circulate within the interior.
a is a single longitudinal stay, directed horizontally, and disposed at the extreme
back, and bottom of the bolster, so as to be entirely out of the way of the distensible
mesh surface b, which is stretched from the end uprights c, secured and bound angle-
wise to the stay a, by diagonal struts d.
The front 62, of the holster, lying between the uprights c, which are pierced about
their middles and marked c², is open, or unsupported, so that a person reclining the
head, has no fear of the same, coming in contact with anything, other than a yielding
surface.
The bottom of the bolster, is perfectly open, other than where the framing parts
come.
The ends of the mesh, are secured to the top edges of the end uprights c, by
nailing, or by clamping the same between the said edges, and superadded strips,
which are themselves nailed, or otherwise secured, as may be desired, although the
said ends of the mesh, may if necessary, be made detachable or attachable, by pro-
viding the ends with eyelets, which take upon the shanks of standing-up studs.
The ends of the mesh may be distended from supplementary curved framing bars,
which are themselves supported by springs, so that the same shall not be hurtful to
the head of a person, if the same come upon the ends.
The said ends may be faced or encirc'ed by a yielding coil of wire, taking the
boundary line of the edges of the end framings.
To keep the bolsters in position, upon a bedstead framing, I may provide the same
with studs; or the bedstead framing itself, may have studs, which take into the bolster
framing.
The bolster framing, instead of being made detachable, may be made a part of, or
a fixture with, the bedstead framing, or the mattress; and further, instead of the
distensible surtaceeing stretched from, or between the end uprights of the bolster,
the same may be stretched circumferentially from the rear stay. In this case, the
stretched surface is continuous from front to rear.
In case the bolster is made permanent with the bedstead framing or mattress, the
upright bracket ends, may be attachedly connected by bolts or rivetings, to the.
opposite side framings.
Although have described my invention in connection with a bedstead, yet the
same may be used in connection with any other article of furniture, such as a sofa,
couch, and the like.
Both the stay, and end framings or parts, may he composed, or made up of flat
iron, or angle iron, rivetted, chilled, or otherwise connected together.
The woven or other distensible surface thus described, may be covered with fabric,
cloth, or other soft material, or by a "pillow-slip."
The application of my invention to a pillow, differs in no essential respect from its
application to a bolster as described.
Figure 6 represents my new or improved bolster or pillow, provided with a dis-
tensible stay or framing, whereby the meshed surface of the same, is tensioned.
Figure 7 represents the tensioning device upon an enlarged scale.
Figure 8 is a transverse section of figure 7, upon the dotted lines CD.
a, a², are stay segments, united together by a right and left-handed screw e, with a
nut f, directed between the dissimilar threads. g are screw boxes, let into the inner
ends of the said stay segments a, a³, and wherein the screws, take, so that by rotating
the nut f, the parts a, a², are opened out, or drawn in, and the requisite tension given
to the mesh thereby.
The said stay segments, are prevented from turning.or rotating, by an extension a³,
taking into a recess or cut away part a, disposed between the end of the underside

page_text: of the part a, and an attached plate a³. The spaces usually left between the mattress,
and bedstead ends, are occupied by the ends of my improved bolster or pillow.
I wish it to be understood, that I do not confine myself to the transverse sectional
shape of the bolster as represented, as the same may be made inclined from top to
bottom, or composed of two inclines or curves, but in every case, I prefer that the
back part should slope, or curve to the front.
For transit or storage, the bolster or pillow framing, may be made collapsible or
folding, in manner that the end supports may be hinged, so as to turn flat, with the
mesh following them, or the ends may be made attachable, so as to leave the mesh to
lie flat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First: A hollow bolster or pillow,, having, or being provided with, a woven
or threaded wire distensible covering or surface, substantially as described and set
forth.
Secondly-A ventilated and metallic surfaced bolster or pillow, making up the
same of distensible sacking, or a woven wire or other meshed surface, tensioned
between end uprights, carried or supported by longitudinal framing, or a stay, as set
forth.
Thirdly-A woven wire, or distensible surfaced bolster or pillow, with the longi-
tudinal front lower edge, left open, or unsupported, other than by the tension directed
from the ends, whereby no obstacle is presented to the head of a person reclining,
substantially as described and set forth.
Fourthly-A distended woven wire or meshed surfaced bolster or pillow, provided
with tensioning means, as described and set forth in figures 6, 7, and 8.
Fifthly The improvements in the construction of bolsters or pillows, as herein
described and set forth, whereby the same are rendered perfectly clean, ventilated, and
cool, which is unattainable with stuffed bolsters and pillows, as ordinarily made.
Dated this 12th day of July 1890.
SAMUEL WILSON.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.