AN IMPROVED PORTABLE BED
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edmund Edwards at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1881. A communication
from abroad by Heinrich Strauss, of Nuremberg, in the Empire of Germany.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED PORTABLE BED." [A communication from abroad by
Heinrich Strauss, of Nuremberg, in the Empire of Germany.]
This Invention has for its object an improved method of constructing a portable
bed, so that when required it can readily be opened out and adjusted for use, and
can afterwards be easily folded up and packed for convenience of carriage, whilst it
is light, simple, and not liable to get out of order. The improved bed consists,
first, of a mattress of any desired size and filled with feathers or other suitable
substance in the usual way, and divided by transverse seams into three or more
parts so that it can easily be folded up. One side of this mattress is covered with
india rubber, and the other side with woollen cloth, either side being used uppermost
according to the temperature of the air and other circumstances in which it is to
be used.
To the longitudinal edges of the mattress are sewn two woollen coverlids.or
blankets so arranged that when it is required to fold up the mattress one of the
coverlids is laid over its upper and the other over its under surface, the outer edges
of the coverlids being fixed by buttons and button holes to the mattress. In order
to support the head of the person using the bed, a rest or trestle is used adjusted
against the end of the mattress, and consisting of two horizontal bars of wood or
other suitable material bolted at their inner ends to a transverse bar which adjoins
the end of the mattress. The two horizontal bars are hinged at their outer ends to
two corresponding vertical bars which are retained in position by diagonal stays,
the front ends of which are hinged to the horizontal bars, whilst their back or
outer ends fit into corresponding notches in the vertical bars. The backs of the
vertical bars are provided with a series of transverse grooves or notches into which
fit the ends of two moveable transverse bars, to the lower one of which is nailed
or otherwise fixed the outer end of a broad strip of strong cloth, which after passing
[Price 2d.1

page_text: over the upper bar is brought down and nailed or otherwise fastened at its other
end to the transverse bar which adjoins the head of the mattress as already
described.
The moveable transverse bars may be fitted into either of the transverse grooves
or notches in the vertical bars, so as to stretch and adjust the strip of cloth in any
desired position to serve as a pillow; and in order to make the bars more secure
when in position their ends may be provided with pins or studs which fit into
corresponding holes in the vertical bars.
When the portable bed constructed as described is to be removed, the parts of
the head rest described are separated and it is folded together by its hinges, the
mattress being then wrapped round it, and the whole can be readily carried by a
leather or other strap.