IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS."-A communication
from abroad by George Smith, of the Town of Stratford, in the
County of Perth, in the Province of Ontario, and Dominion of
Canada, Surgeon.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd December 1870.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS," (being
a communication to me from abroad by George Smith, of the Town of
Stratford, in the County of Perth, in the Province of Ontario, and
Dominion of Canada, Surgeon,) to be as follows :—
The object of this Invention is to provide a bedstead suitable for
invalids, constructed in such a manner that the invalid may be raised

page_text: or lowered, the bed clothes changed, and various other services performed
as required in a sick room without disturbing the patient.
The main portion of the bedstead may be constructed like an ordinary
iron, brass, or even wooden bedstead, but with the legs or supports of
the same hollow, or otherwise adapted to receive the mechanism for
raising and lowering, as required, the frame on which the invalid lies.
This frame is supported by legs, on or in which are formed racks capable
of being moved up and down as required by pinions worked by means of
a handle applied to one of two transverse shafts connected together by
pulleys and an endless cord, chain, or band. By turning the said
handle the movable frame on which the invalid is supported may be
raised or lowered, and it may be held in any required position by a catch
or pin, by which means the bedding may be changed or other necessary
offices performed without disturbing the patient. There is also a head
or pillow rest composed of netting or canvas on a light frame hinged at
the inner end and capable of being adjusted to and supported at any
required angle with the movable frame by means of a toothed rack; or
the said head or pillow rest may be adjusted and supported by other
suitable means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Spence, Her
special licence that I, the said William Spence, my executors, adminis-
trators and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Spence, 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

page_text: 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 BEDSTEADS FOR INVALIDS," (communicated to me from abroad by George
Smith, of the Town of Stratford, in the County of Perth, in the Province
of Ontario, and Dominion of Canada, Surgeon) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Spence, 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 William Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
Бау):
say) :-
This Invention of "Improvements in Bedsteads for Invalids," relates
to the kind of bedstead in which a frame for the invalid to lie upon is
capable of being raised or lowered as required, and consists in adapting
and applying to such bedsteads a means of altering the elevation of the
said moveable frame from underneath the same, thereby obviating the
disadvantage and encumbrance of bed posts or raising apparatus above
the said frame.
The main portion of the bedstead may be constructed like an ordinary
iron, brass, or even wooden bedstead, but with the legs or supports of
the same hollow, in order to adapt them to receive the mechanism for
raising and lowering as required the frame on which the invalid lies.
By this arrangement the moveable frame is capable of being raised and
lowered entirely from beneath, the mechanism for effecting which
movements being made to act on legs or supports of the said
frame, so as to move such legs or supports up and down from
and into the hollow legs or supports of the bedstead. The mechanism
for working the legs or supports of the moveable frame up and down
within the said hollow legs may consist of racks and pinions with pulleys

page_text: as herein-after described, or other suitable mechanism may be employed
for the purpose so long as it leaves the moveable frame accessible or
without impediment to attendants.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed
to describe it more particularly by the aid of the accompanying Draw-
ings in which is represented a form of mechanism adapted to carry
the Invention into effect.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the bedstead shewing the moveable
frame raised; Fig. 2 is a transverse section, and Fig. 3 is a plan
or horizontal view shewing a portion of the moveable frame with a
canvas cover.
A, A, are the ordinary legs or supports of the bedstead, which are made
hollow in order to receive the legs or supports B, B, of the moveable
frame C, and admit of their being worked up and down therein as required;
D and E, are two transverse shafts, one at the head and the other at the
foot of the bedstead, which shafts carry pinions F, F, which gear with
racks G, G, formed or fixed on the legs or supports B, B, suitable
apertures being formed in the hollow legs A to admit of the said pinions
working in the racks; H, H, are pulleys on the shafts D and E worked
by an endless cord, band, or chain I, or a single cord or chain may be
wound and unwound on pulleys. By turning a handle J applied to
either of the shafts D or E, the moveable frame C may be raised or
lowered, and held in any required position by a catch or pin so as to
admit of any surgical or other attendance on the patient or invalid
without impediment from extended legs or supports or apparatus above
the said frame; K is a head or pillow rest which may be composed of a
light frame covered with netting or canvas and hinged at L, so as to
admit of its being adjusted and supported at any required angle by means
of a toothed sector rack M.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention communicated
to me from abroad as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, I hereby declare that I do not claim as of the said
Invention any of the parts herein-before described except as herein-
after stated; but what I do claim as of the said Invention is, the
construction of bedsteads for invalids with hollow legs or supports

page_text: admitting of the moving up and down therein of the legs or supports
of the moveable frame (worked by suitable mechanism), the said last-
mentioned legs or supports and the mechanism being all underneath the
frame and leaving it free for surgical or other attendance on a patient or
invalid as herein-before described.
admitting of the moving up and down therein of the legs or supports
of the moveable frame (worked by suitable mechanism), the said last-
mentioned legs or supports and the mechanism being all underneath the
frame and leaving it free for surgical or other attendance on a patient or
invalid as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
▸ Witness,
W. A. JACKSON,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.S.)