IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES."-A communication. from
abroad by François Ferdinand Zephir Bully, of Caen, in the Empire.
of France Manufacturer.
Sealed the 26th April 1870, and dated the 2nd December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd December 1869.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES," a communication
from abroad by François Ferdinand Zephir Bully, of Caen, in the Empire
of France, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
spring mattresses, whereby facility for packing in small bulk for trans-
port is combined with cheapness and simplicity of construction..

page_text: According to this Invention a wooden frame is constructed consisting
of two longitudinal or side pieces. and two transverse or end pieces at
each extremity, connected together by pins or dowels, so as to be readily
taken apart when the mattress is to be packed for transport or fitted in
their places again when the mattress is required for use. The springs
are connected at their lower ends to transverse supporting bars resting
on ledges formed on the inner sides of the framing, whilst their upper
ends are connected to elastic transverse laths or wooden strips made by
preference of ash, these laths being connected by nails to the ticking of
the mattress. This ticking has a wooden stretcher bar secured to each
end, and through these stretchers pass tension screws for stretching or
tightening the ticking, such screws also passing through the lower cross
bars fixed by hooks and staples to the under edges of the side frames at
their ends. The upper transverse fixed bars take the strain of the
ticking which is stretched over them by the action of the screws, and in
order to prevent any bending of these bars they may be strengthened
by metal plates and strutts underneath. To the sides of the ticking are
stitched broad borders of sufficient depth to fold over and conceal the
side frames, to the under edge of which they are attached by an arrange-
ment of books and eyes. An outer covering of more sightly fabric may
then be applied so as to entirely conceal the ticking, and thereby
improve the general appearance of the mattress.
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 1st June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year,
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-.
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, adminis

page_text: trators, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES," a communication to me from abroad by
Francois Ferdinand Zephir Bully, of Caen, in the Empire of France,
Manufacturer, 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 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 Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement
of spring mattresses, whereby facility for packing in small bulk for
transport is combined with cheapness and simplicity of construction.
According to this Invention a wooden frame is constructed consisting
of two longitudinal or side pieces and two transverse or end pieces at
each extremity, connected together by pins or dowels, so as to be readily
taken apart when the mattress is to be packed for transport or fitted in
their places again when the mattress is required for use. The springs are
connected at their lower ends to transverse supporting bars resting on
ledges formed on the inner sides of the framing, whilst their upper end's
are connected to elastic transverse laths or wooden strips, made by
preference of ash, these laths being connected by nails to the ticking of
the mattress. This ticking has a wooden stretcher bár secured to each
end, and through these stretchers pass tension screws for stretching or
tightening the ticking, such screws also passing through the lower cross-
bars fixed by hooks and staples to the under edges of the side frames

page_text: at their ends. The upper transverse fixed bars take the strain of the
ticking which is stretched over them by the action of the screws, and
in order to prevent any bending of these bars they may be strengthened
by metal plates and strutts underneath. To the sides of the ticking
are stitched broad borders of sufficient depth to fold over and conceal
the side frames, to the under edge of which they are attached by an
arrangement of hooks and eyes. An outer covering of more sightly
fabric may then be applied so as to entirely conceal the ticking, and
thereby improve the general appearance of the mattress.
The chief advantages possessed by this Invention are,-
Firstly. The mattress is readily taken to pieces and may be packed up
in a small compass for transport.
Secondly. It may be brought to tension simply by means of adjusting
screws or rollers.
Thirdly. The springs are attached to wooden cross pieces instead of
being secured as heretofore by string which was liable to be speedily
destroyed.
Fourthly, and lastly. The improved mattress while it presents all the
requisites of strength and comfort may be constructed at a very low
price.
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 shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents the covering and springs of the
elastic mattress detached in longitudinal section; Figure 2 is a longi-
tudinal section of the mattress when ready for use; Figure 3 is a plan
of the under side of the same; Figure 4 is a transverse section of the
mattress taken along the line 1-2, in Figure 2; Figure 5 is an elevation
of one of the ends; Figure 6 represents in detail the parts constituting
the frame of the mattress.
The mattress is composed of a wooden frame consisting of two large
side pieces E, two cross pieces or beams D attached by pins i as seen
in Figure 6, and two cross pieces B attached at the sides E by hooks d.
The upper part is composed of ticking A attached at its extremities to

page_text: wooden bars 6 which serve to bring it to tension in the direction of its
length by means of screws c, which draw it towards the cross pieces B.
The tick is stretched in the direction of its breadth by flexible ashen
rods a, and is supported in the central part of the mattress by the
springs R which may vary in number from nine to eighteen according
to the breadth of the mattress. These springs are attached below to.
three moveable cross pieces or bars F which rest upon two ledges e fixed
to the side pieces E, and pinned to the springs by pins ; they are also
attached above to the rods a which serve, as above stated, to stretch and
support the ticking A. These rods a are attached to the ticking by means
of small nails inserted from above and covered with two tresses of wool
which are themselves retained by means of nails sunk into each rod.
The two edges or selvages of the ticking are strengthened by a sewn
webbing which serves to support the rods a to which it is nailed. The
two sides are of damask A', sewn on at about two inches from the edge
of the tick A and attached to the interior of the frame by metal hooks or
fastenings y. The mattress is also covered with a damask cloth sewn
to the two edges, and attached at the centre by twine which fixes the
stuffing between the ticking and the upper part; the seam at the edges
is also covered by a binding. The tension may be regulated at pleasure
by adjusting screws c, and in order that the cross pieces may not bend
under the tension, each cross piece D has at its centre underneath a
metal plate to which is screwed the stanchion f¹ which thus forms a
tie piece (see Figures 2 and 5). It may be here observed that the
mattress whether stuffed or not may be taken to pieces in the same
manner (that is to say) by unhooking the ticking A and slightly loosening
the screws c; the cross bars B are unfastened by undoing the hooks d,
which will not however prevent their remaining attached to the tick A.
as well as the springs R (see Figure 1); the whole admits of being
easily rolled up into a small package which may be placed upon the
sides E of the framing. Figures 7 and 8 shew a modification of the
above arrangement, Figure 7 being a longitudinal section, and Figure 8
a plan view of the mattress, the ticking being removed the better to
show its interior construction. The mattress is composed of two large
side pieces A, A', which are provided with ledges a, a', in which are
set the moveable cross pieces F connected to the springs R, which are
themselves attached to the wooden cross bars t. The distance between
the sides is maintained by the bar B at one end and by the roller C at the

page_text: other end, although these parts belong to the ticking T, also by the cross
bars D and D. The bars are, as in the first arrangement, kept at the
required distance by a kind of tape or edging (see Figure 2) in the first-
'mentioned arrangement, sewn on to the ticking T. The ticking T to
which are attached the cross bars D and D', the cross bar B, the wooden
rods t, and the tension roller C may be rolled up into a small package.
In order to put the whole together it is only necessary to insert the
cross pieces, the bar B, and the roller in the side framing. The ticking
may then be stretched over from the bar B to C, in the following
manner: The roller is turned more or less by means of the handles m, m³,
which will draw forward the ticking and maintain it at the desired
tension by causing hooks c, c', on the framing A and A¹, to take into
holes o in the roller C. In order to prevent the side frames from
bending outwards they are provided towards the middle of their length
with hooks f, which take into ring bolts on the moveable central cross
piece F of the springs. It will be understood that the handles m and m¹
serve only to work the roller which stretches the ticking, and that they
may be removed immediately this operation has been performed.
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 peculiar construction of spring mattresses, whereby they
may be readily taken to pieces and packed into a small compass, as
herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. The constructing the frames of spring mattresses of loose side
pieces connected together by moveable transverse bars, substantially in
the manner herein-before described.
Third. The supporting the springs of spring mattresses on moveable
cross bars, and the mode of securing such springs in their places without
the aid of strings, as herein-before described.
Fourth. The application and use of the flexible wooden rods a and t,
attached to the ticking of a spring mattress, substantially as and for
the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.

page_text: Fifth. The application and use to and in spring mattresses of a loose
ticking stretched by means of tension screws, or by means of a roller
as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, this First day of
June One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)