Improvements in or relating to the Supporting and Displaying of Metallic Bedsteads.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Supporting and Displaying of
Metallic Bedsteads.
WC, CHARLES SLOPER and THOMAS BEAVAN SLOPER, of 14 and 15 Brittox,
Devizes, in the County of Wilts., Drapers and House Furnishers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of an improved means of supporting, for the purpose of
exhibiting, the parts of metallic bedsteads particularly the head and foot pieces. This
is usually done by means of short sides, which are pieces of iron with dovetails at
either end, to engage in the dovetails of the head and foot pieces, but there are
several objections to this arrangement. One objection is that as different makers of
bedsteads use various sizes of dovetails these short sides rarely fit and are very liable
to let the head and foot pieces fall over, knocking others over in their fall and some-
times causing serious damage. Another disadvantage in using the short sides is that
the head and foot pieces are necessarily placed at a considerable distance from each
other and exhibit the parts of the bedsteads on which there is usually little or none of
the ornamental work and as it is necessary to stand the bedsteads a distance from each
other in order to show the parts that are ornamented a great deal of space is
required to show cach bedstead.
Now by our invention we can support the bedsteads securely in a much less
space at the same time allowing them to be exhibited to advantage. In order to
do this we prefer to use a frame or independent support which we place at the
ends of a row of the head and foot pieces either at right angles or any angle to
them that may be desired. This frame may be made of either wood or metal and
we prefer to make it with two or more horizontal rails one over the other
supported at intervals by uprights which may have castors at the bottom to assist
in moving.
One of the parallel rails we prefer about 5 inches from the ground and another
about 20 inches above it.
At one or both sides of each rail we fix pegs or equivalent devices so as to
form jaws into which the parts of the bedsteads may be inserted. The parts may
be secured from falling out of the jaws by cord, straps or equivalent devices.
The bedsteads may be secured to one or both sides of the fraine according to
requirements. The same invention may be used as a fixture by securing the strips
or rails as described to a wall or fixed support. The bedsteads may be turned
round independently after they are fixed; this is a special advantage, enabling a
salesman to show the bedsteads to great advantage. It is convenient to make the
frame in sections of about five feet each of which can be placed end to end, each
one being independent of the others.
The sizes and dimensions given above are merely for the purposes of illustration
and may be varied to any required extent, for instance, the frame would require
to be considerably higher if intended for half-tester or Persian bedsteads.
Dated this 5th day of September 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Supporting and Displaying of
Metallic Bedsteads.
We, CHARLES SLOPER and THOMAS BEAVAN SLOPER, of 14 and 15 Brittox,
Devizes, in the County of Wilts. Drapers and House Furnishers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of an improved means of supporting, for the purpose of
exhibiting, the head and foot pieces or ends of metallic bedsteads. This is usually
done by means of short sides, which are pieces of iron with dovetails at either
end, to engage in the dovetails of the head and foot pieces, but there are several
objections to this arrangement. One objection is that as different makers of bed-
steads use various sizes of dovetails these short sides rarely fit, and are very liable
to let the head and foot pieces fall over, knocking others over in their fall and
sometimes causing serious damage. Another disadvantage in using the short sides
is that the head and foot pieces are necessarily placed at a considerable distance
from each other and exhibit the parts of the bedsteads on which there usually
little or none of the ornamental work and as it is necessary to stand the bedsteads
a distance from each other in order to show the parts that are ornamented a great
deal of space is required to show each bedstead.
Now by our invention we can support the bedstead ends securely in a much less
space at the same time allowing them to be exhibited to advantage. In order to
do this we prefer to use a frame or independent support which we place at the
ends of a row of the bead and foot pieces either at right angles or any angle
to them that may be desired. This frame may be made of either wood or metal
and we prefer to make it with two or more horizontal rails one over the other
supported at intervals by uprights which may have castors at the bottom to assist
in moving.
One of the parallel rails we prefer about 5 inches from the ground and another
about 20 inches above it.
At one or both sides of each rail we fix pegs or equivalent devices so as to
form jaws into which the parts of the bedsteads may be inserted. The parts may
be secured frem falling out of the jaws by cord, straps or equivalent devices
The
bedsteads may he secured to one or both sides of the frame according to require-
ments. The same invention may be used as a fixture by securing the strips or
rails as described to a wall or fixed support. The bedsteads may be turned round
independently after they are fixed; this is a special advantage enabling a sales-
man to show the bedsteads to great advantage. It is convenient to make the frame
in sections of about five feet which can be placed end to end, each one being
independent of the others.
The sizes and dimensions given above are merely for the purposes of illustration
and may be varied to any required extent, for instance, the frame would require
to be considerably higher if intended for half-tester or Persian bedsteads.
In the accompanying drawings ;-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the frame showing some of the bedstead portions
in position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 to 11 are details
of the jaws and fastenings.
A are the standards of the frame which are connected together by one or more
horizontal rods or equivalent B, and provided with any convenient form of feet
or castors C or they may be fixed to the floor or to the wall. The frame may if
desired be stayed or strengthened in any suitable manner. The rods B which may
be either curved or straight or bent to other convenient form is of any desired
section, preferably flat thin bars say about 14 inches x inch such as shown in
the drawings, carry the pegs, jaws, or equivalent devices by which the bedstead
ends are secured to the frame. These jaws F are so arranged that they will secure

page_text: 3 bedstead post, of any diameter and so that they may be moved along the bars B
and while holding the bedstead ends E in a vertical position will allow of their
being swung round for purposes of convenience or show. The Figs. 3 to 11 of
the drawings show some of the forms which these jaws or pegs may take and it
will be understood that while simple pegs fixed in the bars B may be successfully
used it is much more convenient to have them movable along the bar and there-
fore the forms shown in detail in these drawings are so arranged.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the jaws F are shaped as shown so as to embrace the bedstead
post E and to fit and slide upon the bar B which they may entirely encircle, or
as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, may partly surround it leaving an open space
at G. The jaws should be lined with some soft material F1 such as leather, felt
or india-rubber to prevent their spoiling the posts, and this lining may with
advantage be riveted, cemented or otherwise secured to the jaws. H is a short
beam having at its ends lugs H to prevent it from dropping out and provided
with a tightening screw I screwing through the beam H and jamming the jaws F
upon the bar B as will be well understood. Instead of the screw a cam with an
arm to operate it by, may be employed and can work upon a spindle passing
through the two jaws F or through the lugs L shown in Fig. 5.
In Fig. 5 the jaws F are similarly formed to those shown in Figs. 3 and 4
excepting that the beam and screw H and I are dispensed with and the portion
of the jaw surrounding the bar B is tapered as shown in dotted lines at K, the
two edges K being preferably parallel to each other but not parallel to the face of the
jaw nor to the edges of the bar B. By this arrangement as by that shown in Fig. 9
hereinafter described the jaws when pushed up against the post E will grip it
sufficiently firmly to hold it in position without the need for any fastening such as the
screw shown in Figs. 3 and 4. To release the jaws of Fig. 5 the lugs L may be pulled
apart and the jaws easily separate. If desired a tightening screw similar to that
marked P in Fig. 6 may be used in each of the jaws F.
In Fig. 7 the arrangement is similar to that of Fig. 5 excepting that the post E is
secured by a strap or equivalent M which may be permanently fixed to one of the
jaws, passes round the post, and is secured to a pin N which passes through one of
the holes preferably eyeleted with which the strap is provided. The strap may be
quite independent of the jaws being secured to both of them by pins N or equivalent
device if desired. In this instance the strap M serves as the packing or lining to the
jaws F so that no other packing is in this case required.
In Fig. 6 a slightly modified form of jaws is shown in which the jaws F are
pivoted together at O and a tightening screw P is provided at the back of the bar B,
by tightening this screw P the heel F of the jaw is pressed against the edge of B and
this jaw turning upon the pivot O is thus caused to approach the other jaw F which
carries the screw P and thus the post E is securely gripped between them.
In Fig. 8 the jaws F are formed of angle iron or other material and a strap M
may be permanently riveted to both of them or to only one of them and adjustably
connected to the other jaw as by a pin N Fig. 7. These jaws may be perforated as
at fto fit over pins B' fixed in the bar B or in the reverse manner they may have
fixed in them the pins B¹ which would then fit into holes in the bar B. By having a
number of holes as in Fig. 8 provision is made for tightening the strap M around
the bed-post E as will be well understood.
In Fig. 9 the jaws F are in the form of straight pegs each formed with a metal
core f surrounded by a tube or covering F of india-rubber or equivalent material.
The portion of the jaw surrounding the bar B is a loose fit on the said bar and may be
hollowed out so as to leave edges K which, when the jaws are pushed up against the
post E will jam on the edges of the bar and grip it sufficiently to hold the post E in
its vertical position without necessitating any additional fastening. The jaws F may
easily be pulled apart when it is desired to remove the bedstead end. In some
arrangements the openings in the jaws within which the bars B are adjustable are
made with their edges K parallel to each other but not parallel to the face of the jaw
nor to the edges of the bar B as in Figure 5 but so long as the jaws fit sufficiently

page_text: loose upon the bar B to enable their edges to be jammed on it, it does not matter at
what angle the bar-opening is formed in the jaw.
In Figures 10 and 11 the jaws are in the form of a loop or staple which has its
ends F² bent down so that they may be passed over the edge of the bar B as in
Figure 10 or so that they may be passed through holes in the said bar as in Figure 11.
If desired however the staple or loop may be arranged to engage in holes, grooves or
the like or fit ou to pegs in the bar 8.
In another arrangement the two jaws are crossed and may be pivoted together
(though this is not absolutely necessary) at their point of intersection like the blades of
a pair of scissors and they may either be secured on the bar B by a tightening screw
or by having their back ends pressed towards each other after the manner of those
shown in Figures 5, 7, and 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;
1. The method of supporting bedstead ends by one of their posts so that they can
be turned upon that post as an axis substantially as described.
2. In a device for supporting bedstead ends the combination with a frame such
as A B of movable pegs or jaws such as F adapted to be moved longitudinally upon
the bar B and to be separated or closed together for the purpose of gripping
the bedstead post substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a device for supporting bedstead ends the combination with the bar such as B
o a jaw such as F adapted to slide freely upon and to grip B substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a device for supporting bedstead ends the combination with a pair of jaws
such as F of a beam and screw such as H and I or cam substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a device for supporting bedstead ends the combination with a bar such as B
of pivoted jaws such as F which upon being tightened upon B grip the post E
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a device for supporting bedstead ends the combination with jaws such as F
of a strap such as M serving the double purpose of holding the post in place and
preventing the jaws from scratching the post substantially as described and illustrated
in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a device for supporting bedstead ends the combination with a bar such as B
of a staple or loop arranged to engage in holes grooves or the like or fit on to pegs
in the bar B substantially as described.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete bedstead-
end supporting device substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
30
1000
CHARLES SLOPER.
THOMAS B. SLOPER.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.