Improvements in Bedsteads.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bedsteads.
I, PETER OKELL, Cabinet Maker, of Heaton Lane, Stockport, in the County of
Chester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in bedsteads and has for its object to provide
means whereby ordinary iron bed sides and laths can be employed in connection with
the ends of wood bedsteads.
To this end my improvements consist in the application to each post or end of a wood
bedstead, of a metal block screwed or bolted thereto, respectively by either casting a
metal screw plate or screw bolt therein. The said metal block I form with one or two
dove-tail slots, which serve as a socket for the reception of the iron side and end bars
of the bedstead. The said bars may be placed loose into the said metal block or the
end bars may be cast therein, so as to combine and form part of two of the said metal
blocks and thus, one solid metal end for attachment to the ends of wood bedsteads.
Dated this 16th dex of April 1890
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bedsteads.
I, PETER OKELL, Cabinet Maker, of Heaton Lane, Stockport, in the County of
Chester, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in bedsteads and has for its object to provide
means whereby iron bed sides, end bars, and laths can be employed in connection with
the ends, i.e. the head part and foot part of bedsteads made of wood, or paper maché,
wicker-work or suitable composition without internal strengthening rods of metal.
Bedsteads are now made chiefly of metal or wood, the metal bedsteads being made
altogether of metal and the wood bedsteads altogether of wood, in the latter case metal
being only used to fasten the wood together in the form of screws, nails, bolts or
joints.
Now bedsteads made of metal, whether of painted iron or polished brass, do not
retain a bright attractive appearance for any long time, the paint in the one case gets
knocked and rubbed off, and the brass becomes tarnished in the other, and can only be
restored at a great expense.
Polished wood retains its original brightness much longer and is consequently, for
the purpose of an ornamental bedstead, more durable than metal. It can at any time
be repolished at a very small expense. Again the head part and foot part of a metal
bedstead being of a different material to the furniture of the room in which the
bedstead is used, produces a feeling of incongruity in the minds of many persons to
which they feel a strong objection. Now bedsteads made entirely of wood (with metal
only used to fasten the wood together in the form of screws, nails, bolts or joints) are
also objected to by many persons, because they believe bedstead sides, and ends and
laths, when made in wood have a strong tendency to foster vermin, and in cases of
disease they believe them to be unhealthy and not clean.
The object of my invention is thus, to combine the advantages of beauty in appearance,
durability, and harmony with wood furniture, possessed by bedsteads made of wood,
with the advantages of healthiness and cleanliness possessed by bedsteads made of
metal, by the means and methods as hereinafter described,
+

page_text: And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to be
appended hereunto two sheets of drawings marked with letters of reference indicating
like parts in the various figures, showing the character of my invention carried out in
various ways, each differing somewhat from the others but being all alike in the object
they seek to attain, viz. the attaching or connecting of iron bed sides, ends and laths
with head parts and foot parts of bedsteads made of wood.
Figs. 1 & 4, Sheet 1 & Fig. 7, Sheet II, are side views, Figs. 2 & 5, Sheet. I, & Fig. 8,
Sheet II, plans, and Figs. 3 & 6, Sheet 1, & Fig. 9, Sheet II, views of the bedstead
attachment and connection in accordance with my invention.
In carrying out the same a great difficulty exists in attaching or connecting the iron
sides, ends and laths, with the head part and foot part made of wood in such way as
will best give strength and firmness to the wood head and foot parts, give a proper
fastening for the ends of the long laths, and do this without interfering with the
appearance of the wood portions of the bedstead.
This I have accomplished in the following manner:
Referring to the figures generally, to each post of the head or foot part a of a wooden
bedstead, I apply a metal block 6 formed with a plate or base c. According to one
form of my invention, I form this plate or base c, see Figs. 1, & 3, Sheet I, of
wrought iron to be cast into and secured to the block 6 by means of rivets
cast into the block b and pass through the plate or base c.
which are
The latter and the block b
are fixed to the post a by means of screws d' and in order to afford still further security
and take a certain amount of strain off the said screws d¹ I also cast a stud e into the
metal block which enters a corresponding hole f formed in the post a of the wood"
head or foot part of the bedstead.
According to another form of my invention I employ in lieu of the said screws d³,
and studs e and rivets d; a screw bolt g, see Figs. 4, 5 & 6, Sheet I, which is cast into
the metal block b and the screwed end thereof passed into a corresponding hole h
I formed in the post a and received by means of a tubular nut i formed with a head 2¹
and internal thread, by means of which nut i, ¹ the metal block b is drawn tight against
and thus securely fixed to the post a. The said metal block 6 I.form with one or two
dove-tail slots k, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2, which serve as sockets for
the reception of the iron side bars and the end bars m of the bedstead. In lieu of
employing the said bars & m loose in the said sockets or blocks b, the end bar m
may be cast therein as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 & 3, or vice versa as shown in
Figs. 4, 5 & 6, so as to form part of two metal blocks and thus either one solid motal
I end or side for attachment to the posts a of the wood head and foot parts of the
- bedstead.
Figs. 7, 8&9, Sheet II, show a modified form of connection between the block b and
the metal sides of the bedstead by forming the said block b with a slot n or two lugs b, b',
which serve to receive a plate or tongue U formed on the respective ends of the metal
sides 1, secured together by means of a cotter o driven through a corresponding hole
formed through the same.
If desirable I may use ornaments or decorations of any kind, made of metal on the
"wood head and foot parts of my improved bedstead, and in lieu of forming the head.
and foot parts of solid wood, as shown in the drawings they may be formed of bent
wood, wickerwork, cane or paper-maché, or suitable composition.
(
<Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I. declare that what I
claim, is:-
"
'In bedsteads."
1st. Combining with and attaching wood head parts and foot parts a (without
internal metal strengthening rods) to metal sides and ends & m, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
2nd. The metal block b formed or furnished with a plate or base c and secured to
the wood head or foot part a by means of screws d'or bolts and nut g, & i, i, substan-
tially as set forth.

page_text: 3rd. Employing the metal sides loosely in the blocks 6 and casting the metal
ends m thereto, or vice versi, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1890.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.