An Improved Spring Bottom Foundation or "Backing" for Bedsteads, Mattresses, Couches, Chairs, Seats, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spring Bottom Foundation or "Backing" for Bedsteads,
Mattresses, Couches, Chairs, Seats, and the like.
I, ELIAS DIMANT, of No. 204 Little Flinders Street, Melbourne, in the Colony
of Victoria, Australia, Warehouseman, 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 has been designed for the purpose of providing a cheaper, lighter,
and more durable spring bottom foundation or backing for bedsteads, mattresses,
couches, chairs, seats and the like than any hitherto invented.
Up to the present, metal laths and metal springs of various kinds have been used
in the manufacture of spring bottoms foundations or backings of bedsteads,
mattresses, couches, chairs seats and the like, whereas, according to this invention,
I provide the requisite elasticity by means of india-rubber bands or springs
attached to lengths of webbing, the india-rubber being secured by a metal loop
or otherwise to the ends of said webbing and in the case of mattresses being
preferably clamped or otherwise secured to a sliding bar or other contrivance,
whereby the requisite tension may be imparted to said rubber bands, which may
consist either of thick strips or of successive layers of thin ones or of india-rubber
tubing.
If intended for a mattress or bedstead the framing supporting my improved
spring bottom foundation or backing may be secured together by pins or bolts at
each corner, so that if said pins or bolts be removed the side and end bars of the
framing can be arranged side by side and be made up into a convenient package,
the bar to which the ends of the webbing above referred to are secured being pre-
ferably connected to the foot bar of the framing by thumb screws, so that the
lengths of webbing may be released to enable them to be wound around the
parts of the mattress when said parts are placed side by side, as above described.
Short legs may be pivotted to the inside of each of the side bars of the framing
and be normally held in either their horizontal or vertical positions by means
of pins passed through said legs and fitting into holes in the side bars of the
framing. When thus secured in their vertical positions these legs serve to support
the framing, together with my improved spring bottom foundation or backing and
thus convert it into a comfortable and inexpensive bedstead, provided of course
that said framing and said bottom foundation or backing are made large enough.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,—
"
Figure 1 is a plan showing my improved spring bottom foundation or "backing"
for mattresses, bedsteads, couches, chairs, seats and the like, mounted upon a
square-shaped frame, such as might be used for the seat of a chair.
Figure 2 is a plan of a spring mattress constructed according to my invention
and capable of being converted into a bedstead.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view showing the mattress with its various parts disconnected ready
to be packed up.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Referring first to Figure 1, A-A represent the rubber strips or springs which
are secured at one end to the bar B of the square-shaped supporting frame shown
in said figure, and C-C represent the strips of webbing to which the other ends
of said rubber strips or springs are connected by means of metal loops or
links said strips of webbing being secured to the opposite bar D of the
supporting frame.
It will be evident to upholsterers that my improved spring foundation or
a

page_text: bottom can be used for the backs of chairs, couches, lounges, seats and the
like, as well as for their bottoms, the supporting frame being, of course, made
of a shape, size and strength to suit the requirements of the case.
Referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4, A-A represent the rubber strips or
springs which in this case are secured at one end to the sliding bars B at the
head of the supporting framing (said sliding bars being clamped together by
screws or bolts b) and at the other end are connected by loops or links a
(preferably of metal) with the ends of the lengths of webbing C secured at the foot
by being clamped between the two foot bars D-D', the bar D' being clamped
to the bar D by bolts d fitted preferably with butterfly-headed nuts.
E-E represent legs or supports which are pivotted to the side bars F of the
framing and which are maintained in either their horizontal or vertical positions
by means of pins e passing through said legs or supports and fitting into holes
provided for the purpose in the side bars F of the framing. By the use of
these legs the mattress can be converted into a bedstead at will.
6-6¹ represent the usual bolts whereby the adjustable sliding bars B can be
drawn nearer the head bar G of the framing in order to tighten the rubber
bands or springs A, whilst H-H represent the pins which are passed through
the corners of the framing and which serve to hold the side bars in engagement
with the head and foot bars G and D.
If it be required to pack up the framing into a small space for transport, it
is merely necessary to slacken the bolts 6 and withdraw the pins H, when the side
and end bars of the framing can be detached from each other, laid side by
side, and made up into a convenient package.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
My improved spring bottom foundation or hacking for bedsteads, mattresses,
couches, chairs, seats and the like consisting of a series of rubber bands or
springs (such as A) attached to a corresponding series of lengths or strips of
webbing (such as C) preferably by means of metal loops (such as a) substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-one.