IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS. FOR SUPPORTING BEDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Evans, of Denver, Colorado, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton. Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS. FOR SUPPORTING BEDS,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Evans at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 17th November 1871, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EVANS,. of Denver, Colorado, United. States of America, now of No.. 8,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
HanoRAC T
.

page_text: OTHER VESSELS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the true and
first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Evans, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the 'said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification :-
My said Invention relates to simple, cheap, and compact apparatus
for suspending or supporting beds, couches, and chairs in steam ships.
and other vessels in such a manner that the same will be kept in a
horizontal position or nearly so and the persons occupying them will not
feel the usual disagreeable effects of the rolling and pitching of the
vessel in rough weather.
The said Invention is more especially designed for the benefit of
invalids and those persons who are subject to severe and continued sea-
sickness, but as the apparatus is simple and inexpensive and is very
easily applied, it might with advantage be universally adopted in all
vessels running voyages wherein they are liable to encounter weather
sufficiently rough to render the vessel's motion seriously discomforting
or disturbing to the passengers.
The said apparatus is constructed with a frame which is supported
at both ends to oscillate freely on trunnions, journals, or pivots, and
which supports on other trunnions or pivots at or near its centre the
bed or other object to be suspended.
And my Invention consists in so constructing, arranging, and bal-
lasting or counterbalancing the apparatus that while the occupant of
the bed, couch, or chair keeps a position level or nearly so with the
points of suspension, the centre of gravity of the apparatus is brought
far enough below the said points to keep it always in a horizontal
position or nearly so. The bed will therefore afford a steady and com-
fortable resting place during the most violent motion of the vessel and
will not be overturned when the weight of the occupant bears on one

page_text: Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a bed supported by my improved
apparatus; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a
transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1. Like letters indicate the
same parts throughout the Drawing.
a, a, are two upright frames or standards of iron or other suitable
material, which may be screwed or otherwise securely attached to the
floor or other convenient part of the vessel. These standards form a
convenient means for supporting my apparatus, but I may sometimes
use brackets attached to the sides of the room or other suitable means of
support; 6 is a metal or other frame provided at its ends with trunnions
or journals c which support the said frame in the standards a. The said
frame at or near its centre supports the box or case d, which is also
provided with trunnions or journals e for this purpose. The length
of the frame 6 must be so adapted to that of the box or case that
without occupying unnecessary space the latter will have room to
swing freely in the said frame. This box or case, which is preferably
made of wood (although other materials may be used if found more con-
venient), contains the bed, and it will be seen by reference to Figures 2
and 3 that the occupant of the same will be nearly level with the four
points of suspension, and will therefore as the vessel rolls or pitches
simply rise and descend with very slight if any oscillating motion. The
said case or box has projecting down from its bottom a ballast. com.
partment f in which I place any required number of weights g to effect
the desired object, viz., the maintenance of the horizontal position of the
bed without swinging the same below the points of suspension of the
apparatus; the weight of the ballast must be sufficient to bring the centre
of gravity of the entire apparatus with its occupant considerably below
the said points of suspension; and the proper amount of ballast to do
this without rendering the apparatus unnecessarily heavy may be readily
ascertained by adding to the ballast till the required stability of the
apparatus is obtained. Then, throughout all the movements of the
vessel in the roughest weather, the bed will remain horizontal or nearly

page_text: so, and the occupant will enjoy a rest and relief which would be otherwisc
unattainable.
In the above description I have referred more particularly to the appli-
cation of my Invention to a bed, but it is obvious that a chair, couch, or
other similar piece of furniture may be suspended and balanced in the
same manner.
I am aware that apparatus with the double points of suspension for
supporting beds and chairs on board ships is already known, but such
apparatus has hitherto been imperfect and impracticable for the reason
that it has not been provided with ballast or counterbalance far enough
below the points of suspension to keep it steady during the rolling and
pitching of the vessel or to prevent the overturning of the bed, couch, or
chair if the weight of the occupant was not kept in the centre. I am
also aware that it has been proposed to suspend ships' cabins upon double
points of suspension in such a manner that the weight of the cabin or its
contents would maintain its equilibrium, but the adoption of these cabins
would necessitate great alterations in the internal construction and
arrangements of the ship, and would involve the sacrifice of much
valuable space. But my apparatus is free from any of these disadvan-
tages, and the beds, chairs, or couches to which it is applied, as will be
readily understood from the foregoing description, may be received in the
ship without interfering with any of the ordinary arrangements thereof,
and may be used in the cabins or state rooms or on deck, and removed
from one position to another if desired.
And moreover it will be observed that my apparatus differs essentially
from all these and other contrivances wherein the occupant is suspended,
as in a hammock below the points of suspension, either for the purpose
of counterbalancing the apparatus or for other reasons. With these
contrivances the occupant of the bed or seat will swing to and fro more
or less violently, according to the motion of the vessel, and will suffer as
much or nearly as much as in an ordinary fixed berth or seat, whereas
in my apparatus the weight of the ballast hanging below the points of
suspension counteracts any tendency of the apparatus to a swinging
motion.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the
came is to be nerformed I claim in an annaratus for sunnorting a bed

page_text: couch, or chair in steam ships or other vessels, the combination with the
double points of suspension of the contrivances for ballasting or counter-
balancing the apparatus, and keeping the centre of gravity below the
points of suspension, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Evans, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
WM. ROBT. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
JOHN EVANS. (L.S.)