A COM- BINATION OR CONTRIVANCE OF A FOLDING MATTRESS (WITH OR WITHOUT A TENT ATTACHED). HUT, AMBULANCE FOR CONVEYANCE OF WOUNDED OR SICK PERSONS. PONTOON, RAFT, AND BOAT. PORTABLE CISTERN, AND BATH
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTER
to James Beattie, of No 20, Fans race, Chelsea,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A COM-
BINATION OR CONTRIVANCE OF A FOLDING MATTRESS (WITH OR WITHOUT A
TENT ATTACHED). HUT, AMBULANCE FOR CONVEYANCE OF WOUNDED OR SICK
PERSONS. PONTOON, RAFT, AND BOAT. PORTABLE CISTERN, AND BATH,"
Sealed the 25th January 1856, and dated the 26th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Beattie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th July
1855.
I, JAMES BEATTIE, of Number 26, Hans Place, Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "A COMBINATION OR CONTRIVANCE OF A FOLDING MATTRESS (WITH OR WITH-
OUT A TENT ATTACHED). HUT. AMBULANCE FOR CONVEYANCE OF WOUNDED OR SICK
PERSONS. PONTOON, RAFT, AND BOAT. PORTABLE CISTERN, AND BATH," to be as
follows:-
A mattress made in five compartments or divisions, that is to say,
one centre piece, which may be subdivided, two side pieces and two end
pieces, all connected in a manner to allow of its being adapted to the
required forms for the several purposes above mentioned, but without
restriction as to size or the relative dimensions of the parts, as the plan
admits of any variation in those respects, as also in the nature and
quality of the materials used in the construction or manufacture, whether
of the cases or coverings, both external and internal, which may be of
canvass, or any other material or substance capable of being rendered
waterproof; or of the stuffing, which may be of any substance or fibre
having the qualities of lightness, elasticity, and buoyancy, and the
Inventor will avail himself of any material adapted for the purpose in

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Beattie in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. 1. JAMES
BEATTIE, of Number 26, Hans Place, Chelsea, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, 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, the said James Beattie, Her special licence that I, the said
James Beattie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Beattie, 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 "A COMBINATION OR CONTRIVANCE OF A FOLDING
MATTRESS (WITH OR WITHOUT A
TENT ATTACHED).
HUT. AMBULANCE FOR CON-
VEYANCE OF WOUNDED OR SICK PERSONS, PONTOON. RAFT, AND BOAT, PORTABLE
CISTERN, AND BATH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Beattie, 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 James Beattie, 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:―
A combination or contrivance of a folding mattress (with or without
a tent attached), hut, ambulance for conveyance of wounded or sick
persons, pontoon, raft, and boat, portable cistern, and bath, to be as
follows: A mattress made in five compartments or divisions, (that is to
say,) one centre piece (which may be subdivided), two side pieces and two
end pieces, all connected in a manner to allow of its being adapted to
the required forms for the several purposes above mentioned, but with-

page_text: out restriction as to size or the relative dimensions of the parts, as the
plan admits of any variation in those respects; as also in the nature of
the materials used in the construction or manufacture, whether of the
cases or coverings, both external and internal, which may be of canvass,
or any other material or substance capable of being rendered waterproof;
or of the stuffing, which may be of any substance or fibre having the
qualities of lightness, elasticity, and buoyancy; and I, the Inventor, will
avail myself of any material adapted for the purpose in any respect.
The manner in which I construct the mattress is as follows:-I make
up the interior according to the dimensions and shapes required for the
several parts, the stuffing being encased in cloth stitched through at
proper distances, as in mattresses of the ordinary description, so that
without destroying their elasticity the necessary degree of rigidity may
be attained. I then cover each part with waterproof canvass, or any
other material of sufficient strength and substance for the purpose, and
then connect them as in Figure No. 1, in plan, the joints being made by
sewing the inner edges logether, or connecting them by means of
adhesive tapes, or by a combination of both. The corners are made
watertight by triangular pieces added, as Plan No. 1, thus
and
are loose, and which, on the side pieces of the mattress being raised
perpendicularly, as in Figure 6, admit of the ends being raised in like
manner, as in Figure 7; and when fastened to the sides by the straps
marked 2, in Figure 4, or by any other contrivance suitable for the pur-
pose, the mattress is thereby converted into a boat, raft, or pontoon.
For these latter uses I add strong bands of webbing or other material
of like nature from end to end of the side pieces, crossing each other at
the ends, as in Figure 8, where I affix rings, marked t, of sufficient size
through which to reeve ropes or lines, marked u, for the purpose of con-
necting any number of the mattresses together for a raft, floating battery,
or pontoon bridge. In the middle of the sides also I affix a loop,
marked v, of rope, as in Figure 8, or some other fitting contrivance, to
serve as rowlocks for propulsion by oars when used either singly as a
boat or collectively as a raft or pontoon bridge. In the construction of
pontoon bridges, planks of sufficient substance, according to the nature
of the service, must be placed on the top for the transport of cavalry or
artillery, and also for floating batteries.
The frame of the ambulance is composed of two side picces, and two
or more cross pieces, which fit into mortices in the side pieces, and are
kept in their places by pins or flat-headed screw bolts, or any other mode

page_text: of fastening. At each side and ends are placed upright rods of any
material of sufficient strength, from which is suspended on bands of
elastic webbing the mattress, folded as shewn in Figure No. 11. The
tops of these rods above the part from whence the bands are hung, being
intended only to support a light covering, need not be of the same sub-
stance as the lower parts. No particular form or mode of adaptation is
necessary for these several parts, so that they are capable of being easily
and readily put together and taken to pieces.
The following is an explanation of the several Figures in the plan:-
No. 1, birds-eye view of mattress extended; 2, side view with tent
attached; 3, end view extended; 4, birds-eye view, folded as boat, raft,
pontoon, portable bath, or cistern; 5, side view, ditto; 6, the same, shew-
ing the positions of the corner pieces, m being up, n being down; 7, end
view, folded as boat; 8, diagonal or perspective view, folded as boat,
&c., with rope reeved for construction of raft, pontoon, &c., with crossed
bands for the rings t, t, and rowlocks v, v; 9, birds-eye view, as packed
for transit or stowage when not in use; 10, end view, ditto; 11, ambulance
or conveyance for general purposes.
I will now describe the mode in which my said Invention is to be
used: First, as a mattress, spread on the ground or elsewhere, as in
Figure No. 1, the waterproof pieces at the corners, marked a, a, a, a,
being loose, except at the two inner edges thereof, where they are
united to the external case; but in lieu of these pieces an entire piece of
cloth covering the whole surface may be added, when of course it would
be necessary only to leave those parts marked a, a, a, a, left loose, and
affix the other portion adhesively to the remainder, which would thus
present a smoother surface, and be stronger and better in every way
than the other mode, especially where expense is no consideration. The
mode in which the foregoing is used with a tent is shewn in Figure No. 2,
wherein a is the mattress, spread on the ground or elsewhere; b, b, the
tent, made of any material fit for the purpose, whether waterproof or
not; c,c, the oars, now used as poles_to_support the boat-hook d, from
which the tent b, b, is suspended; e, e, are lines on each side from the top
of the tent, having pins or screws at the ends for insertion in the ground
at proper angles for lateral support. The bottom of the tent at f, f, is
either hooked to the ends of the mattress or pinned to the ground, as
circumstances may render desirable.
When used as a hut or row of huts, the required number of the
mattresses are placed on the ground, as in Plan No. 1. Others are

page_text: placed upright on their ends on each side of those on the ground, the
upper surfaces inside, each being kept extended by laths or bands at
the outer surface, and the roof being formed by others, folded as in
Figure No. 6, and inverted, the ends being opened or shut on either side
for ventilation or otherwise, as may be expedient; the whole stayed by
lines from the rings at the ends of the top row carried to the ground,
where they are fastened by pins or screws.
When used as an ambulance, No. 11, the mattress a is folded as in
Figure 8, and suspended on bands b, b, b, b, b, b, b, b, of clastic webbing or
otherwise attached to staves or uprights c, c, c, c, c, c, c, c, of wood or
metal fixed into sockets in frame d, d, d, d. The upper portions e, e, e, e,
e, e, e, e, when used are for the support of a slight frame f, f, f. f,
whereon is stretched a covering to protect the inmates of the mattress
from exposure to the weather. These uprights are removable. In cases
where for other purposes extreme ease of motion is not required, the
mattress may rest upon the frame d, d, d, d, itself. The frame d, d, d, d,
is connected with the axle y by a spring on each side; the whole being
readily adapted or taken to pieces for packing when not in use or for
transit.
When used as either pontoon or raft, it is folded as in Figure 8, and
the bridge or raft is formed by ropes passed through the rings at the ends,
as in Figure 8, and thus connecting any number of the mattresses side by
side, and laying upon their tops planking of sufficient substance for the
particular nature of the service required; or, if for infantry or foot
passengers only, a single or double tier of the mattresses extended flat-
wise, on which may be laid stout cocoa nut fibre or other matting. When
used as a boat, it is folded as lastly described in Figure S, and propelled
by the oars, marked c, in Figure No. 1. The cross piece d in same Figure
being now available as a boat-hook or staff. When used as a portable
cistern or bath, it is folded as in Figure 8.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Beattic, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of
Our Lord One thousand cight hundred and fifty-six
Signed and scaled in the presence of
JNO. W L. MAUDE,
Law Stationer,
61, Chancery Lane.
JAMES BEATTIE. (L.S.)