Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 24th May, 1887.
RESERV
I, JAMES MILVERTON MEECH of 141 Church Road Hove Brighton Sussex
Upholsteror, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an expanding & contracting Bedstead working width-
ways by means of racks and pinions attached to posts worked by a shaft running from
head to foot by means of a winch. A cheaper method obviating the cost of racks &
pinions is to pull out the sides by hand & fasten top & bottom rails of head &
foot by screws or any other fastening when the bedstead is expanded the pannel
will be in the centre of head & foot the space caused by expansion to be filled up by
portable Bars, the spring Bottom is composed of Lathes rivetted together & worked
on the Lazy tong principle in expanding & contracting, attached to the bedsides
working with the bedstead, the bottom is either single or duplex & made in parts.
Dat love of A 1007

page_text: An Expanding and Contracting Bedstead.
I, JAMES MILVERTON MEECH of 141 Church Road Hove in the County of Sussex
Upholsterer & Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
AN EXPANDING & CONTRACTING BEDSTEAD to be as follows and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to the improvements in the Construction of Bedsteads whereby
a single or small size bedstead can be expanded to a full or the largest size width
way or any intermediate size at will & contracted back to any smaller size as required
without taking the bedstead to pieces.
The method by which I expand & contract my bedstead is by means of two pairs
of racks & pinions one pair at head & one pair at foot of Bedstead worked by a
shaft running from head to foot entering centre of bottom rails of panels & attached
to pinions at head & foot working the two pairs of racks out & in simultaneously
by a winch. Another cheaper method is to pull the sides apart by hand & key top
& bottom rails with screws or other fastening dispensing with the use of racks &
pinions.
The centre panel of my Bodstead has tubular rods top & bottom, the posts have
corresponding tubular rods working telescopically in & out the same & I fill up
the vacant space between the posts & panels caused in expanding the bedstead by
a portable Bar or Bars these bars are made with a pin at each end & inserted by
means of a hole in top & bottom rails of head & foot of bedstead.*
The bottom which supports the bedding is composed of Laths made of wood, metal,
or other suitable material running the longth of the bedstead; these Laths are
worked on what is known as the Lazy tong principle as shown in the accompanying
drawings Figs. 1 & 2 this is what I call a single bottom.
I also make a duplex bottom worked in the same manner the upper supported by
spiral or other springs which gives a greater elasticity & strength.
The single & duplex bottoms will be attached by screws or otherwise to the
bedsides, & as the bedstead expands or contracts the bottoms do the same.
The springs Fig. 6 between the duplex bottom are clipped top & bottom with
iron or other suitable material with hole in centre of clip & attached to the duplex
bottom by a screw or other fastening & are easily removed or replaced in case of
breakage.
The bottom is supported by two telescopic bearings working in the same manner as
the head & foot bottom rails as shown in the accompanying drawing Fig. 5 the
bedstead can be made of wood, iron, brass, or any other suitable material and in any
desired pattern.
I will now proceed to describe the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Fig. one shows bottom of bedstead contracted.
contracted.
Fig. two shows bottom expanded.
Fig. two A shows foot of bedstead expanded.
Fig. 1 A. shows foot of bedstead
Fig. three shows pair of racks & pinions as attached to bedposts.
Fig. four shows portable bar for filling up space caused by expansion.
Fig. five shows the telescopic bearer screwed to bedstead side & bottom rail
of foot.
Fig. six shows top & bottom of spring with clip & hole in centre.
Fig. seven shows sectional view of duplex bottom with spiral springs between &
also the shaft working the racks & pinions by means of the winch & how single or
duplex bottoms rests on bearers.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention & the manner in
which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my invention
First. The use and manufacture of an expanding & contracting bedstead cot or
couch width way substantially as hereinbefore described & set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. The method of expanding & contracting by the use of racks & pinions shaft
& winch substantially as hereinbefore described.
3rd. Also the cheaper method of expanding & contracting by pulling out by hand
dispensing with use of racks & pinions substantially as herein before described.
4th. The expanding & contracting single & duplix bottoms in parts substantially as
hereinbefore described.
5th. Clipped springs with hole in centre of clip substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated thi 09-1 A TO07