IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
FORD STURGES and JONATHAN HARLOW, both of Birmingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great. Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Richard Ford Sturges and Jonathan Harlow, our exors, admors, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we,
the said Richard Ford Sturges and Jonathan Harlow, our exors, adiñors, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Ford Sturges and Jonathan
Harlow, our exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that we, the said Richard Ford Sturges and Jonathan Harlow, or one
of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Richard Ford Sturges and Jonathan Harlow, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, are fully described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
Our Invention consists,-
-
First, in giving elasticity to the four angles of the frames of bedsteads which
carry or support the bedding.
Secondly, in the making of laths of gutta percha, and also improvements in
the construction of metallic laths.
Thirdly, for improvements in the construction of the frames of iron
bedsteads.
Figure 1 shews part of a side view, and Figure 2 a plan of so much of a
bedstead as will enable us to explain the first part of our Invention. a is a
spiral spring contained in a box or recess formed around each post or pillar of
the bedstead; b is part of a frame supported on the springs a. To the frame
6 the laths or sacking is attached (which may be of the ordinary kind, or such
as will be hereafter explained). The effect of supporting the frame b at the
angles will be to obtain an elastic bearing to the frame separate from and in
addition to the elasticity of the bedding. Figures 3 and 4 shew another
arrangement where a like effect is obtained, the springs a being tabular pieces
of vulcanized or other india rubber placed around the posts of the bedstead
supporting the frame b in like manner to the spiral springs above described;
and although we have only shewn two descriptions of springs, we do not
confine ourselves thereto, as the form of the springs may be varied, and other
materials for springs may be used.
The second part of our Invention consists in the application of gutta percha
in the inanufacture of the laths for supporting the bed or mattress. Figures
5 and 6 shew two modes of carrying out this part of our Invention. Figure 5
shews a plan and edge view of part of a lath composed entirely of gutta
percha or compounds thereof, and is similar in form to the metal lath in
general use, but other forms may be used. Figure 6 shews a similar lath, the
ends being formed of metal to prevent the holes and slots receiving injury
when subjected to great strains. The best mode of making such laths of
gutta percha is to take cylindrical gutta percha, and to pass the same between
hard steel rollers in the cold state; so as to form a fillet suitable for laths. We
do not, however, confine ourselves thereto.
Another improvement in the construction of laths for bedsteads consists in

page_text: forming. them in one or more parts of their length, as shewn at c, Figure 7, in
order to obtain elasticity in the direction of their length, so that the laths may
be stretched over the projections on the frame of the bedstead, the bent parts.
c acting as springs to retain them securely in their places, and the elasticity
so obtained obviates the necessity of taking out the side rails in order to
attach or remove the laths of the ordinary construction.
The third part of our Invention consists in the construction of the frames of
bedsteads made of wrought iron, or principally of wrought iron, in order to
simplify their construction and render them less expensive than those of the
ordinary construction. Figure 8 shews a side view, Figure 9 a back view;
and Figure 10 a plan of a bedstead formed by the bending of two pieces of
iron into the form shewn, the two ends of one piece having a right and the
two ends of the other piece having a left handed screw formed thereon, which
are to be connected by 'the two screw nuts or couplings d, and in some cases
I apply springs e, e, to support the head rail, as shewn.
Figure 11 shews a section of a post and part of a rail, and Figure 12 a plan
of the same, shewing another mode of forming the frames of bedsteads. fis
one of four tubes or posts having pins f' securely fixed into one end of each,
the side and end rails 9 having holes formed in their ends for the pins f¹ to
pass through.h is one of four shorter tubes forming the legs of the bed-
stead, and acting as sockets for receiving the pins f', which parts, when put
together, compose the posts and frame of a bedstead.
g
Figure 13 shews a side view, Figure 14 a plan, Figure 15 an end view,
and Figure 16 a section of another mode of constructing the frames of bed-
steads, where it will be seen that the side rails i, i, are held together by the
head and foot rails j, j, passing through them, the ends j, j', forming the legs
or supports; and the end rails k, k, are connected by the tie rods 1, 1, which
also serve as vallance rods for the sides of the bedstead, and the side and end
rails i and are retained in their position by the tie rods 1, 1, entering into
recesses cut in the head and foot rails, as will be readily understood on
examining the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would have it understood that what
we claim is,―-
First, the applying elastic supports to the four angles of the frames of
bedsteads.
Secondly, we claim the application of gutta percha in the manufacture of
laths for bedsteads; and we also claim the mode of constructing metal laths.

page_text: Thirdly, we claim the modes of constructing metal bedsteads herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Ford Sturges, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
SIMCOX, Extra.
RICHARD FORD (L.s.) STURGES.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Richard Ford Sturges came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.