IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS A PROAL IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES; AMBULANCES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smith, of Number 32, Brydges Street, Covent
Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th October
1855.
I, JOHN SMITH, of No: 32, Brydges Street, Covent Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the'said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING
APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES; AMBULANCES, AND OTHER ARTICLES;" to be as follows:―
My said improvements have reference to certain- arrangements, by means of
which great elasticity and ease of motion may be given to that portion of a
bedstead upon which the bed or mattress is placed, and may, with equally
beneficial effect be applied to sofas, couches, carriages, ambulances; sedan
chairs, and other articles in which such elasticity and ease of motion may be
desirable. My improvements will be understood by the following observations,
and by reference to the annexed Drawings.

page_text: Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing represents the head or back end of a bed-
stead, the rails and cross bars of which are so arranged as to furnish convenient
resting places for laths or slips of lancewood, which act as springs, and are
shown in position in Figure 2. These lancewood laths or springs are intro-
duced between the rails and cross bars of the head or back end of the bedstead,
-being allowed-to-project-behind-the-same, and the other ends thereof resting in
notches, slots, or tenons in the foot end of the bedstead, or arranged in any
other suitable or convenient mode. The laths or springs being perfectly
moveable and not fixed to the bedstead, can be placed at any inclination or
angle. Great elasticity is thus obtained, and motion of a gentler and more
equable kind produced than with any of the arrangements of springs previously
used. The bedsteads may be constructed of metal or of wood. My improve-
ments consisting of the application and use of moveable laths or springs of
lancewood, the ordinary laths or sacking upon which the bed and bedding
are commonly placed may be altogether dispensed with. These improvements
may be applied to sofas, couches, carriages, ambulances for the wounded,
sedan and invalid chairs, and any other articles in which elasticity and ease
of motion are desired to be attained, and to which springs of lancewood can be
applied or adapted.
The following are the references to the annexed Drawings
Figure 1, the head or back end of the bedstead; the spaces marked A are
for the lancewood laths or springs to rest in. Figure 2, a side view of the
bedstead. A, the head or back end of the bedstead; B, the foot or bottom end
of the bedstead; a, a, a, lancewood laths or springs, shewn at different degrees
of inclination; C, mattress; D, bed; E, pillow.
SPECIFICATION.in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SMITH, of Number 359, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, but formerly of
Number 32, Brydges Street, Covent Garden, in the said County, Gentleman;
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said John Smith, Her special licence, that I, the said John Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said. John
Smith, my executors, administrators, 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 CONSTRUC-
TION OF BEDSTEADS, SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES,..
AMBULANCES; AND OTHER, ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that. I,..
the said John Smith, 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following"
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and, to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
. My Invention consists in the application of laths or springs. composed of
lancewood to bedsteads and other articles, as herein-after mentioned, by the
arrangement and use whereof great elasticity and freedom of motion, such as is.
sought to be obtained by the use of metallic springs, is secured, and at a very;
trifling cost, both in respect of workmanship and materials. My improvements:
will, be clearly understood by the following observations, and by reference to
the annexed Drawings.
Figure 1 represents the head or back end of a bedstead, the rails and cross-
bars of which are so arranged as to furnish convenient resting places for the
laths or springs of lancewood, which are shewn in position at different angles in.
Figure 2. The lancewood laths or springs are introduced between the rails and,
cross bars of the head or back end of the bedstead, being allowed to project behind
the same, and the other ends thereof resting in notches, slots, or tenons in the
foot end of the bedstead, or arranged in any other suitable or convenient mode..
Those portions of the rails at the head of the bedstead upon which it is intended.
the laths or springs shall rest may be provided with moveable reels, so as to
lessen the friction, and afford greater play to the elasticity of the material; or
the ends of the laths or springs may rest in loops. or sockets, composed of
vulcanised india-rubber, gutta percha, or of any other material adapted for the

page_text: purpose, such loops or sockets being fastened to the-hedstead in a proper
manner. The laths or springs-being perfectly moveable, and not fixed to the
bedstead, can be placed at any inclination or angle, so as to suit the fancy.or
necessities of the person using them, and thus affording to persons afflicted
with asthma and other diseases, which render a horizontal position painful, the
means of obtaining comfortable repose. These lancewood laths or springs may
be applied to every description of bedstead, whether made of wood or metal,
and, if desired; tlie ordinary laths or sacking upon which the bed and bedding
are commonly placed may be altogether dispensed with. In order to secure
uniformity of motion; the laths or springs may be placed upon a sheet of
ticking or other suitable material, or may be fitted into spaces constructed
in a double sheet of ticking or other suitable material, the same being>>
arranged so as not to impede the free action of the laths or springs, but only
having the effect of in some degree equalizing their motion.
Figure 2 is a side view of a bedstead with the mattrass and bedding, shewing
the laths or springs placed at different angles.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bedstead, shewing the position of the
laths or springs.
The use of my improved springs is not confined to bedsteads, for they are
equally applicable to couches, sofas, easy chairs, invalid. chairs, beds, or car-.
riages, leg rests, stretchers, litters, and ambulances for the sick and wounded,
and indeed to any other articles in which elasticity and ease of motion are
desirable; and to which springs of lancewood can be adapted or applied. I
also propose to apply my Invention to railway carriages, in the manner
represented in Figure 4, in the annexed Sheet of Drawings. A, A, are the
springs, which are to be placed below the carriages at each side of the same,.so
as to link or connect them together, and the effect of which will be to prevent
much of the oscillation which has hitherto been a subject of great complaint
and inconvenience. The laths or springs may be attached to the carriages by
means of iron loops or rings, or in any other suitable manner, and so that the
same can be removed whenever desired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said.
improvements, and the manner in which they are to be applied and used, I
would observe, in conclusion; that I do not confine or restrict myself to the
precise details or arrangements which I have described or referred to, as
variations may be made therefrom without deviating or departing from the
principles or main features of the said Invention; and I wish it to be distinctly
understood 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

page_text: Patent, is, the application and use of laths or springs of lancewood in the
construction or arrangement of bedsteads and other articles, as herein-before
mentioned, in the manner and for the purposes herein-before. described and
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this. Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,,
E..P. H. VAUGHAN,
59, Chancery Lane,.
Agent for Patentee.
JOHN SMITH. (L.S.)