IMPROVE- MENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND SEATS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 10, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, in the
County of Middlesex, and 18, Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND SEATS."-A communication from
Joanny Laurent, residing at Lyons, in the Empire of France,
aforesaid.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th May 1868.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent
5 Offices, 10, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, and
18, Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France, Patent Agent, do

page_text: hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for" IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPRING MATTRESSES AND SEATS," a communication from Joanny Laurent, a
person resident at Lyons, in the Empire of France, aforesaid, to be as
follows:-
The Invention communicated to me relates to a novel kind of spring
for mattresses and seats consisting in a spiral, of which one-half of the
spires are juxtaposed, whilst the other half is wound with the spires
apart from one onother. One-half of this spring is therefore capable of
extending itself, whilst the other half on the contrary may be com-
pressed. It may be used horizontally or vertically. The vertical spring
contains a hollow or massive cylinder fixed with the upper or com-
pressible portion of the spring to a flexible cross piece in connection
with the frame of the seat or mattress, and the two portions of the
spring are separated by a flat iron band fixed transversally on the inside
of the frame. The lower portion of the spring and of the cylinder is
free. As regards the horizontal spring a double rod curbed in the shape
of a ring, on which are fixed straps or metallic blades forming the
bottom of the scat or mattress, is placed on the inside or outside of the
compressible part of the spring. The curbed extremities of this rod,
towards the middle and on each side of the spring, hook on to one of
the spires, or are arrested by a key running through the said spring.
The cylinder is traversed by a rod the extremities of which are fixed,
one to the frame of the seat or the mattress, and the other to a rundle
or cap fixed to the extremity of the cylinder or on the double rod.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents the vertical
spring at half its size, and Figs. 2 and 3 the horizontal spring.
.
A is the compressible part; B, the extensible part; C, the double rod
of the horizontal spring; D, the cylinder; D, E, the rod; F, the
straps; G, the frame; H, the cross piece, or the hooks or keys fixed to
the middle of the spring; J, the flexible cross piece for the vertical
spring; K, the extreme end of the cylinder of the vertical spring
fixed to the flexible cross picce; R, the rundle or cap in the horizontal
spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of. the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th November 1868. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 10,
Sackville Strect, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, and 18,
Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville,
Her special license that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henri
Adrien Bonneville, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND SEATS," a communication
from Joanny Laurent, a person resident at Lyons, in the Empire of France,
aforesaid, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henri
Adrien Bonneville, 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 Henri Adrien Bonneville, 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:-
The Invention communicated to me relates to a novel kind of spring
for mattresses and seats, consisting in a spiral of which one half of

page_text: the spires is juxtaposed whilst the other half is wound apart from
one another; one half of this spring is therefore capable of extending
itself, whilst the other half on the contrary may be compressed; it
may be used horizontally or vertically. The vertical spring contains
a hollow or massive cylinder fixed with the upper or compressible portion
of the spring to a flexible cross piece in connection with the frame
of the seat or mattress, and the two portions of the spring are separated
by a flat iron band fixed transversally on the inside of the frame. The
lower portion of the spring and of the cylinder is free. As regards
the horizontal spring, a double rod curved in the shape of a ring, on
which are fixed straps or metallic blades forming the bottom of the
seat or mattress, is placed on the inside or outside of the compressible
part of the spring. The curved extremities of this rod, towards the
middle and on each side of the spring, hook on to one of the spires or
are arrested by a key running through the said spring. The cylinder
is traversed by a rod, the extremities of which are fixed one to the
frame of the seat or the mattress and the other to a rundle or cap fixed
to the extremity of the cylinder, or on the double rod.
Having thus summarily described the nature of the said Invention,
I will now more particularly explain the same, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 of which is an elevation of a
spring to be used vertically; Fig. 2, an elevation of a spring with the
rod placed inside the spring; Fig. 3, the same with the rod placed
outside; these two systems are used horizontally. Fig. 4 is a plane of
a mattress to which the said springs have been applied.
A, distended part of the spring; B, compressed part of the same;
G, mattress frame made of wood, or preferably flat, round, or T-iron;
H, little flat, round, or T-irons placed transversally inside the frame,
and serving to separate the compressed part of the spring, working in
that case like the rings and the keys H, H, of the Figs. 2 and 3.
Distension and Compressure of the Spring. See Figs. 2 and 3.-The
internal or external double rod C is fixed to the head by bolts, hooks,
or ring screws P. The extremities H, H, are passed through the wire
which forms the spiral; inside this spiral spring is loosely placed the
solid or hollow cylinder, conical in its base R; in this cylinder is put

page_text: the rod D, E, D, coupling the two springs together. In the part E,
which may be straight, undulating, or broken, is fixed the strap or
band F (Fig. 4) or the springs covered or not with horsehair, or else
with round or square wire F (Figs. 2 and 3). The pressure exerted
at F is imparted to D, which being moved in the same direction by
means of the cone R first distends the spires B of the spring and then
compresses the spires A by means of little caps R, the points H
remaining stationary. This spring may be distended or compressed,
or both simultaneously; it may be used single, or by twos, threes, fours,
or more, so as to offer greater resistance or flexibility. The cylinder D
of Fig. 3 may be replaced by a rod like C turned inversely and fixed to
the extremity of the compressible spring like H, H; in that way the
spring is not conical, and the distension spring should be furnished
with a hook to work it.
The spring in Fig. 1 may be made of a much larger diameter and quite
conical in form, that is to say, the compressible spring should have from
four inches to four inches and a half in diameter. The spiral may be
extended after the spring of Figs. 2 and 3 throughout the whole length
of the mattress, but this spring is only for the sake of appearance, the
wire running through its whole length and fixing itself to the frame,
rendering it entirely ineffective. These springs are laid horizontally in
the horizontal or transversal direction of the mattress frame by means
either of the leather or cloth strap or band, or by means of metallic
blades or square or round bars covered over or not with a woven or
natural vegetable material. In order to connect to the frame and
springs these straps or bands, blades or wires, the extremities of which
are hooked and are of metal or leather, an indefinite number of
contrivances may be had recourse to. The principal ones consist in
wires which are straight, undulated, or elbowed at angles, thus forming
zig-zags alternatively, and allowing the springs to be solidly connected,
so that each strap or band, blade or wire, be through pressure controlled
by several elastics. This straight, curved, or undulating wire exists at
the foot of the mattress and corresponds with that placed in prolongation
of the springs at the head of the mattress, it is connected with the
mattress frame by means of a double hook on a little iron roller having
a catch for each hook; this roller, the extremities of which are square,
so as to be turned with a key and to be stopped by means of square ring

page_text: screws fixed on to the frame, allows of giving to the mattress as much
tension as may be required. The springs may be placed either at the
head or at the foot of the mattress, or both at the same time, or else in the
whole length of the mattress, thus forming a series of elastic chains. In
order to avoid the rustling of iron against iron or to put the springs out
of sight and to take up less room, they are placed in wooden, cloth,
leather, or metal tubes; these springs are grouped into pairs disposed
inside one another, and working or not by distension and compressure.
The vertical springs are fixed in holes, and in the midst of the said
springs a wooden cylinder is placed, as herein-before specified, carrying
a head at its extremity, so as to prevent the cylinder from entering
completely into the spring; the strap or band is fixed upon this head,
and the weight placed upon the said strap or band, and compressing
the cylinder the spring is more or less compressed.
It may here be remarked that the rod uniting the straps or bands
to the springs is flexible, and that that uniting them to the rollers
towards the foot is rigid, so that the flexibility of the mattress
really takes place only on three-fourths of its length. A transversal
strap or band, or even a rope, connects by the middle all the straps
or bands together, so as to prevent them going apart or drawing too
near one another, and the shape and iron of the case allow of easily
undoing the mattress and of setting it up in a short space of time.
This mattress affords the following advantages:-1°, the facility with
which each strap or band may be separately stretched, a result which
cannot be attained in other mattresses; 2°, the readiness with which
it may be set up and undone; 3°, the facility with which it may be
carried from one place to another by reason of its lightness and small
size; 4°, its superior flexibility.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be clearly understood that I do not intend limiting myself
to the exact details herein enumerated, as the same may obviously
be modified without departing from the principle of the Invention; but
what I claim is, the construction and application of an extensible and
compressible spring for the purpose or purposes specified, substan-

page_text: tially as herein-before fully set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Seventeenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
H. BONNEVILLE. (L.S.)