Improvements in or relating to Bedsteads and Mattresses therefor
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
6
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Bedsteads and Mattresses
therefor."
A communication from CHRISTIAN AUGUST VOGES, Manufacturer, of Pragerstrasse
No. 31 Dresden, A in the Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to bedsteads and mattresses
therefor.
In spite of the fact that the sanitary science of the present day strongly recom-
mends frequent and thorough cleaning of mattresses and bedding, it is seldom
done in practice. In most cases only the upper mattress is cleaned without taking
in consideration that the spring or under mattress with its belts, corners and
edges, and the bedstead itself with its parts supporting the muttress very often
contain dust carrying germs of different diseases and affords shelter for vermin.
This carelessness is generally excused or explained by the difficulty of moving
heavy unwieldly mattresses.
This invention seeks to remedy this drawback. While in bedsteads of the
usual construction the mattress had to he raised in order to be removed, the bed-
stead according to the present invention is constructed in such manner that the
mattress can be easily removed side ways. This is effected by arranging the
part supporting the mattress and connecting the end-walls of the bedstead, lower
down, and by making the side walls, inasmuch as they extend above the mattress
support, structurally independent of the bedstead frame. In this way the lateral
walls or their equivalent in the new bedstead can be either folded or removed
without disturbing in any way the mattress-support or disturbing the connection
between the parts of the bedstead. When, however, the lateral walls of the new
bedstead are secured to the parts forming the mattress support and connecting
the end-parts, said lateral walls are arranged below the mattress support. They
form in this case, properly speaking, only a part of the support on the upper
surface of which rests the mattress which can be drawn out sideways. In all
the constructions according to present invention there is therefore the common
feature of a support connecting the ends of the bedstead and supporting the
mattress so that the latter can he moved out sideways, and is not closed in as
hitherto.
A construction more particularly adapted for wooden bedsteads is shown in
Fig. 1 in side elevation, in Figure 2 in vertical cross-section and Fig. 3 in plan.
A and B are the two end-walls of the bedstead. They carry transverse bars a
and which in combination with the two longitudinal beams c and d form the
support for the mattress M. The longitudinal bars c and d hold the bedstead
together by means of two juxtaposed hooks 1, 1 on their ends engaging in recesses

page_text: in the head and foot parts A and B which are provided with well known metallic
fittings (Fig. 1). By having at each end two hooks side by side, the bedstead
is rendered more rigid and immovable in a horizontal plane. The juxtaposed
hooks of the longitudinal bars are, moreover considerably easier to fit into the
bedstead-ends than the superposed hooks on the side-walls of the usual bedsteads.
On the support afforded by a bad rests the mattress M. Its sides are hidden
by folding side-walls C and D which we connected at their lower edges to the
bars ad by hinge-joints 2, 2.
The walls C, D are secured in their vertical position which they normally occupy,
by any desired easily detachable means.
A simple way is to use ordinary sliding latches which according to Figs.
and 3 can be mounted on the upper edge or on the inner side of the walls C, D
and engage with holes in the ends of the bed stend. Such latches prevent the
lateral walls from falling down, but cannot be used for making the bedstead more
rigid in a longitudinal direction. It is preferable, therefore to use hooks 4, 4
on C and D which engage with eves 5, 5 on A. and B. Or a lock S with a hook-
shaped holt as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. separately in Figs. 4 and on a larger
scale may be employed. This look does not form, however a part of the present
invention. Fig. 4 shows the unlocked position and Fig. 5 the locked position.
The lock is secured to the ends of the walls C and D and opposite the lock there
is in the corner posts of A and B a hole or keeper and in front of it a plate 12
(Fig. 6). If the key 6 is turned to the left, it engages first (Fig. 4) with a
tumbler resting against the pin 8 of the bolt 9 and disengages it. Then the
key engages the bolt at 9" and presses it forward, said bolt or latch being horizon-
tally guided in the front lock-plate as well as by pins 10 and 11. When the
edge of the bolt comes against the plate s, the edges 9° have already passed
the pins 10 and 11. If the key 6 is further turned in the same direction, the
bolt or latch is vertically guided by the edge 9-9 as well as by the pins 10
and 11 so that after having executed a horizontal and then a vertical motion it
comes into the position Fig. 6 and engages with the plate 12 in the manner of
a hook. The tumbler 7 in co-operation with the pin S holds it in this position.
as can be seen from Fig. 5.
Whatever means of attachment be used, the side-wall C or D can be folded
down as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. after disengaging aid attachment. It
is obvious that in folding down the side-walls the mattress-support and the
ordinary connections of the bedstead are not adfected. The mattress M can now
he pulled out side-ways from the bed and place edgeways on the floot in the
manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The mattress can thus be inspected
on all sides and thoroughly cleaned, as well as the bedstead, especially if the
second side wall D be also folded down. The corners and edges which hitherto
were covered by the mattress become easily accessible and can be cleaned and, if
necessary, disinfected.
The removing and manipulating of the mattress is considerably facilitated by
attaching thereto two straps m m (Figures 1 & 2) at a convenient distance from.
ech other. By placing the hands under the straps m" (Figure 2) the mattress
can be easily manipulated. Further there may be arranged for the same purpose
either rollers 13 on the transverse ends a and b (Figure 3) or rollers 14 (Figure 6)
may be arranged on the ends m of the mattress. But these rollers would not be
required except for abnormally heavy mattresses.
According to Figure 8 the sitle-walls C and D may be folded upwards. Near
the upper edge of the wall Care screws 19 passing through the end-walls of the
hedstead, said serows being screwed directly into the wall Cor into nuts or plates 20
secured to C and D). The line is the axis about which the walls Cor Dswings
when being folded upwards. At the bottom the walls C, D, are secured to the
end walls by latches or bolts 3.
Figure illustrates an iron-bedstead. The mattress M rests on an angle-iron
frame E which may be connected to the end-walls either detachably or not.
The

page_text: frame-work side walls C, D, are independent of said support and fold about
pins 15 near their lower edge. The pins 15 rotate in bearings or holes 16 in A
and B. To maintain the side walls in position hooks 17 engaging with eyes 18
on A and B may be used.
It will be seen from the above description that it does not matter whether the
bedstead be of iron or wood, whether the side walls be simply rectangular
(Figure 1, C full lines) or of fancy shape (Figure I dotted, or Figure 8), whether
they be solid or open-work. Neither does it matter whether the mattress-support
consists of four parts, a b c d forming a frame when the bedstead is fitted up or
of a fixed frame (such as E, Figure 7). Instead of the means of attachment
specified, other means may be used, or even two of different kinds.
The
Figure 9 is a side-elevation, Figure 10 a vertical cross-section, Figure 11 a
plan of another form of the invention applied to a wooden bedstead. Figure 10
is a modified construction of the end-wall B shown in Figures 9 and 11, on the
right hand side. The side walls C and D are here removable in order to enable
the support a bed to he rendered accessible as im former constructions.
simplest way is to construct the side-walls, so that their pins 21 may engage with
corresponding holes in c and d and to further secure said walls by means of latches 3
or by other means of attachment which can be easily released, see Figures 9,
10, and 11, or the side walls C and D may be introduced from the top into grooves
in the end walls of the bedstead, said grooves being formed by bars 22, Figures 9,
10 and 11. These grooves and pins 21 may be also used together. According
to Figure 10, right hand side, the side wall C is detachably secured to the longi-
tudinal bar c by means of screws 24. The wall C can also rest on e by attaching
to it a bar 23.
In iron bedsteads the lateral walls C and D are according to Figure 12 sus-
pended by pins 25 engaging with eyes 26 in the end walls A and B.
In all the constructions above described there are lateral walls concealing or
covering the sides of the mattress and giving the bedstead the appearance of an
ordinary bedstead. These lateral walls have, however, nothing in common with
the ordinary fixed walls of the usual bedsteads, as they do not help to support the
mattress and can be folded or detached without interfering with the bedstead.
Sometimes it may be sufficient to make only one side-wall folding or detachable,
the other being a fixed one as hitherto.
In wooden bedsteads according to Fig. 13 in side in elevation and 14 in vertical
cross section there are instead of detachable side walls removable rods F which
may carry curtains V concealing the mattress. The rods may be provided ac-
cording to Fig. 13 with a flat tenon 27 at one end and with a hook 28 at the
other end. Both these means of attachment are arranged opposite holes in A
and B provided with staple plates the tenon 27 is pushed through the staple plate
when the rod is being attached until the hook can be introduced into its eye or
plate at the other end. The rod F may also be attached by means of headed pins 29
(Fig. 14) introduced sideways into plates 30 having right angled slots (Figs. 14ª
& 14) The plates are arranged over recesses in the end posts of A and B which
are open at the sides. The curtains V can simply hang down from the top rods F
(Figs. 13 & 14) left hand side or be secured at their lower edges to rods e and d
(Fig. 14 right hand side).
In the iron bedstead shown in Fig. 15 tubular rods F are secured by screws 31
which pass through the end posts of the parts A and B. Or the rods may be
provided with pins 32 engaging with eyes 33 on A and B (Fig. 16).
Fig. 17 is a side elevation and Fig. 18 a vertical cross section of a wooden bed-
stead in which the fixed side walls arranged at the bottom form a part of the
mattress support. These side walls CD which may be rectangular or of any
other desired shape are rigidly connected to the longitudinal bars and d and are
attached to the end parts A, B at P P P P in the usual manner by means of
two hooks arranged one above the other.
Similarly in the case of iron-bedsteads as in Fig. 19 the side walls C¹ D¹ may

page_text: also be arranged at the bottom said walls being suspended for instance by means
of pins 3 engaging with oyes 35 on the end parts A B.
If it is desired in this latter construction to hide the mattress at the side rod
such as Fig. 13 may be provided with curtains B. as described.
Many details may of course be varied without departing from the spirit of the
invention which consists in the mattress being exposed so as to enable it to be
removed sideways after removing or folding down the side walls C D or the parts
(such as F-V) employed instead of said side walls.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is;-
1. A. bodstead characterised by the parts a bed or E forming the support for
the mattress and connecting the end walls of the bedstead with each other being
arranged below the supporting plane so as to enable the mattress to be drawn off
sideways substantially as described.
2. A bedstead of the character described in which one or both the side walls CD
are hinged to the longitudinal bars e d of the bedstead and secured in a vertical
position by some easily released means of attachment to enable the said side-
walls to be folded down for the purpose of uncovering the mattress support without
offecting the stability of the bedstead substantially as described.
3. A bedstead of the character described in which one or both of the folding
side walls CD is pivotted at its lower edge in bearings 16 on the corner posts of
the bedstead by means of pins 15 and is held in vertical position by easily released
means of attachment to enable it to be folded down for the purpose of uncovering
the mattress support, without affecting the stability of the bedstead substantially
as described.
4. A bedstead of the character described in which one or both of the folding
side walls CD is pivotted about pins 19 at its upper edge in the burl posts and
keld in its vertical position by easily released means of attachment to enable it
to be folded up for the purpose of uncovering the mattress without affecting the
stability of the bedstead substantially as described.
5. A bedstead of the oharacter described in which one or both the side-walls CD
is made removable and engages by means of pins 21 with holes in the longi-
tudinal bars e d and is held to the end walls by means of easily released means
of attachment to enable it to be removed for the purpose of uncovering the mattress
support without affecting the stability of the bedstead substantially as described.
6. A bedstead of the chamcter described in which one or both removable side
walls CD is adapted to fit into grooves 22 on the led posts and held by means
of pins 21 to enable it to be removed for the purpose of uncovering the mattress
sapport without affecting the stability of the bedstead substantially as described.
7. A bedstead of the character described in which one or both removable side
walls CD is secured to the longitudinal bars on which it rests by means of
a har 23, by screws 24 which may readily be removed to enable the side wall to
be removed for the purpose of uncovering the mattress support without affecting
the stability of the bedstead substantially as described.
S. A bedstead of the charmeter described in which one or both removable sido
walls CD is attached by means of hooks 25 engaging with holes in the bed posts
to enable it to be readily removed for the purpose of uncovering the mattress
support without affecting the stability of the bedstead.
9. A bedstead of the character described comprising removable rods Fre
placing the side walls said rods being provided if desired with curtains V and
secured to the bed posts by pins 27 and hooks 28 or by headed pins 29 cooperating
with plates 30 provided with angle slots or by pins 32 cooperating with eyes 33
or by screws 31 or by other easily detachable means of attachment to enable them
to be readily removed for the purpose of uncovering the mattress support sub-
stantially as described.

page_text: 10. A bedstead of the character described in which the side walls CD aro
sceured to the parts a bed or E forming the mattress support and connecting the
end walls of the bedstead together said side walls extending downwards and
leaving the mattress uncovered at the sides substantially as described.
11. A bedstead of the character described in which the end bars a b of the
mattress support are provided with rollers in order to facilitate the removal
of the mattress from the bedstead substantially as described.
12. A mattress for a bedstead of the character described characterised by
rollers 14 arranged on its end bars m, for facilitating the removal of the mattress
from the bedstead substantially as described.
13. A mattress for a bedstead of the character described characterised by trans-
verse straps m' surrounding the mattress and secured to it at their ends and
serving as handles for convenient removal of the mattress substantially as
described.
100-
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.