IMPROVEMENTS IN SWINGING HAMMOCKS, AND CHAIN AF Ranconing on Com AND IN ADDADAMITS CONNECTED
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brown, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Surgeon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWINGING HAMMOCKS, AND
CHAIN AF Ranconing on Com AND IN ADDADAMITS CONNECTED
LETTERS PATENT to John Brown, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Surgeon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWINGING HAMMOCKS, AND
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
Sealed the 13th February 1857, and dated the 29th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th August 1856.
I, JOHN BROWN, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Surgeon, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWINGING
HAMMOCKS, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES, AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in swinging hammocks between two trestles or other
supports resting on the ground; a pulley mounted on each support guides the
ropes attached to the ends of the hammock, and these ropes are secured to a
nail or peg, or screw pile, fixed in the ground. The pulley holder may be a
light metal casting, with sockets for the legs of the support, and all the parts
being very light and portable, render this mode of swinging hammocks
particularly applicable to emigrants. I also propose to sling four or other
convenient number of hammocks at right angles to each other, in the form of
a square, either in a single tier, or two or more tiers above each other. The
cords of the hammocks are taken over pulleys as above described, the supports
for the pulleys serving as step ladders to get into the hammocks when two or
more tiers are applied. The space within the hammocks may contain a stove,
the chimney of which answers the purpose of a tent pole when it is desirable

page_text: to cover the whole with a tent. In all cases blocks may be applied to tighten
up the hammocks.
Another part of my Invention consist in supporting hammocks or beds by
hooks fixed in a wall at one end and by a rail at the other; any convenient
number of hammocks or beds may thus be supported, and by means of screws
and nuts or other agents acting on the rail, all the hammocks or beds may be
tightened up or slackened simultaneously. This arrangement is particularly
applicable for hospitals.
My improvements in bedsteads or couches consist in supporting the sacking
frame in such wise that tension may be applied to it for the purpose of keep-
ing it rigid or nearly so. This tension may be applied by a screw and nut at one
or both ends, and I prefer to connect the trestles by which the sacking frame
is supported to a wood or other foundation plate.
The last part of my Invention is applicable to cots or cradles, beds or
couches for invalids and children, and consists in rocking them by machinery.
A weight or spring acting on an escapement motion is applied to the cot,
cradle, bed, or couch, and on being wound up occasionally imparts the
requisite motion thereto.
The cots or cradles may be constructed of wrought angle iron, with tightening
stay bars, or in the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BROWN, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Brown, Her special license that I, the said John Brown, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Brown, 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
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 SWINGING

page_text: HAMMOCKS, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS OR COUCHES, AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Brown, 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 John Brown, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying three Sheets of
Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a hammock shewing some of my improvements
in swinging hammocks; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. a is the hammock,
constructed in the usual manner, but instead of being swung from hooks, as
now customary, it is swung in either of the following ways: to the right-hand
side of Figs. 1 and 2 the cord b, attached to the hammock, is taken over a
guide pulley c, and then made fast to the nail or peg d, which is driven into
the ground or floor; the guide pulley c is supported by the four legs e, which
are hinged to the sockets in the top plate e¹; the legs e are provided with pegs
to take firm hold of the ground or floor. At the left-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2
the cord attached to the hammock is suspended to a hook f, fixed to the
plate g, to which are jointed the legs g¹ and the stay rod g; the legs g¹ have
pegs to prevent them slipping, and the stay rod g is hooked to the screw pile h,
which is screwed into the ground or floor. Although I have shown two
different modes of swinging hammocks in the same Figures, it will be apparent
that either the one or the other may be adopted in practice. The legs e, and
those marked g', with the stay rod g, may be folded together for transport, and
being light and portable, these modes of swinging hammocks are particularly
applicable to emigrants.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of another of my improved modes of swinging
hammocks; Fig. 4 is a plan of the same. In this instance the cords b, b, of
the hammock a are supported by the trestles i, i, seen best in Fig. 5, and then
secured to pegs or nails d, driven into the ground or floor. Guide pulleys
similar to c may be employed for the ropes 6 to pass over, if preferred, or the
ropes may pass between the fork formed by the crossing of the trestles, as
shewn in the Drawing.

page_text: Fig. 6 is an elevation, and Fig. 7 a plan, of eight hammocks in two tiers, slung
at right angles to each other; the cords 6 of the hammocks a are taken over
guide pulleys c, some of which are supported in the frames j,j, and others in the
pillars. One of each pair of cords 6 is made fast to the upright or pile k,
and to the other cord is secured the block 7. To the spike or nail d is fastened
one end of the cord b', which passes through the blocks and I, and then is made
fast to another spike or nail, not shown in the Drawing. Screw piles, similar
to h in Fig. 1, may be used instead of the spikes or nails d. By tightening or
slackening the cord 6' the tension of the hammock can be regulated with
facility. The frames j, j, are made to serve as step-ladders to assist persons
in getting into the upper tier of hammocks. It is evident that by increasing
the height of the frames ; and pillars 7", three or even more tiers of hammocks
may be placed above each other, or a single tier may be used. m represents a
stove placed in the centre of the space between the hammocks, the chimney m³
of this stove may be made to answer the purpose of a tent pole when it is
desirable to enclose the whole within a tent, the ring m³ near the top of the
chimney m² serving as support for the cords of the tent.
On Sheet 2, Fig. 8 is a plan, and Fig. 9 an elevation, of my improvements
in swinging or supporting hammocks or beds, particularly adapted for hospitals.
The hammocks or beds a, a, are attached to a metal frame n; these frames are
supported at one end by the hooks n', fixed to the wall n³, and at the other
end they are supported by the rail o; this rail bears in the brackets o¹, and
through it pass the screws o² which are also fixed in the wall, or to any con-
venient fixture; the screws o² are provided with large wing nuts, by turning
which round in one direction or the other all the hammocks or beds may be
tightened up or slackened simultaneously. In Fig. 8 I have only shewn three
hammocks or beds, but any convenient number may be placed together and
acted upon by
one rail o. It will also be seen, on reference to Fig. 8, that the
framing n of each bed or hammock is of a different shape; they may be made
of either of the shapes shown, or other suitable shape.
Fig. 10 is an elevation, and Fig. 11 a plan, of a bedstead or couch shewing
my improved mode of supporting the sacking frame. p is a foundation plate,
to which are jointed the stay rods p¹ and frame p²; these rods and frame or
trestle are jointed together and to the sacking frame 9 at p³; the other ends
of the sacking frame fit on the upright screws q', and are jointed to the stay
rods p', which with the screws q¹ are also jointed to the plate p; the screws q¹
are provided with wing nuts. When these nuts are turned round to depress
the end of the sacking frame, the action thereof produces the requisite tension
to keep the sacking rigid, or nearly so. The bedding or cushion is placed on
the sacking, as shewn at r, in Fig. 10.

page_text: of
P,
Fig. 12 is an elevation, and Fig. 13 a plan, of a modification of this part
my Invention. In this instance the frames or trestles p² are jointed to the
plate
and the sacking frame q is jointed to the frames or trestles p² at the
points p; the tension rods s are connected to the foundation plate at s¹ and to
the frames or trestles p³, and to the sacking frame 9 at p³, these tension bars
have right and left hand threads screwed into the double nuts s³, consequently
by turning these nuts round the tension of the sacking frame q can be
regulated as required.
Fig. 14 is an elevation, Fig. 15 a plan, and Fig. 16 an end elevation, of
another modification of this part of my Invention. In these views the stay
rods p¹ and frames p² are jointed to the plate p, and to each other at p³, and.
the stay rods p' and p³ are also jointed to the plate p, and to each other at po.
The sacking frame q is made in two parts, one end being connected to the
joint p³ and the other end to the joint p'; the two parts of the sacking frame
are united by the double nuts s; on turning these nuts round the requisite:
tension is given to the sacking frame.
On Sheet 3, Fig. 17 is an elevation, Fig. 18 a plan, and Fig. 19 an end.
elevation, of another modification of this part of my Invention. In this instance
the sacking frame q is supported by the jointed levers t, the end ones. being:
connected by the tension rods t¹, which are furnished with double nuts s²; the
end levers t are also connected by the stay rods 2 and 3, the latter serving as
joints for the sacking frame, as shewn in Fig. 19; the requisite tension. is given
to the sacking frame by turning round the double nuts s². When this bedstead.
is to be packed up for transport the levers t are folded together, as shewn in
Fig. 22.
Fig. 21 is an elevation of a system of jointed levers t when expanded, and
Fig. 22 represents the same levers folded together for transport; these levers
may be used as supports for swinging hammocks, or for other purposes of the
like nature. The above-described improvements in bedsteads are equally
applicable to couches, and admit of being considerably modified; the novelty
of this part of my Invention consisting in supporting the sacking frame in
such wise that tension may be applied thereto for the purpose of keeping it
rigid, or nearly so. The various parts of the framework of the bedsteads or
couches may be made very light, and can be packed in very small compass to
facilitate transport.
Fig. 23 is an elevation, Fig. 24 is a plan, and Fig. 25 an end elevation, of
a child's cot or cradle, to which rocking motion is imparted by the clockwork
shewn detached in Figs. 26 and 27, or by any other suitable machinery. u is
the framing; and v, the cot, which is suspended to and acts as weight for the

page_text: pendulum w, forming part of the clockwork, which is supported on the cross
bar u, and is enclosed within the cover u. The clockwork consists of an
escapement motion w¹, acted upon by a spring in the barrel w, and of the
usual wheels, pinions, and other parts, similar to those required in timepieces;
these parts being well understood do not need to be more fully described.
When the clockwork has been wound up, and the cot has been moved to one
side to act on the escapement, the requisite rocking motion will continue to be
imparted to the cot until the clockwork again requires to be wound up; by
this means manual labour is economised. It is evident that by increasing the
dimensions of the parts this mode of imparting rocking motion may be
applied to beds or couches for invalids.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the details herein set forth, as the same may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I claim is,-
First, swinging hammocks between two trestles or other supports resting on
the ground.
Secondly, the application of guide pulleys and tightening blocks to the cords
of hammocks.
Thirdly, the arrangement of hammocks shewn and described in reference to
Figs. 6 and 7, and the parts in combination therewith.
Fourthly, the improvements in supporting hammocks or beds, shewn and
described in reference to Figs. 8 and 9.
Fifthly, the application of tension to the sacking frames of beds or couches,
as shewn and described.
And, sixthly, the application of clockwork or other self-acting machinery
for imparting rocking motion to cots, cradles, beds, or couches.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
JOHN BROWN.
(L.S.)