IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR THE LATHS OP IRON BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Holt, of the New Road, St. Pancras,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENINGS FOR THE LATHS OP IRON BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE."
Sealed the 13th April 1855, and dated the 14th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Holt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th October 1854..
I, CHRISTOPHER HOLT, of the New Road, St. Pancras, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR THE LATHS OF IRON BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," to be as follows:-
My improvements in lath fastenings for bedsteads, couches, and other similar
articles of furniture made of iron, refer to a method of affixing the laths which
support the bedding or seat at either end to the angle irons, rails, or framework
of the piece of furniture; and, as a substitute for the screws, buttons, or other
contrivances now adopted, I cut small holes through the angle irons, and render
them, by preference, of a rectangular form. To either end of & under the
laths I affix a hook, whose length is transverse to the lath; it is of considerable

page_text: length, and furnished with a neck, which fits the hole in the rail as nearly as
possible when the lath is down in its place. These hooks are both turned in
one direction, so that on desiring to remove the lath from the bedstead, it is
simply necessary to lift one edge of the lath (the opposite from that to which
the point of the hook is directed), when the hooks will be simultaneously
withdrawn from the holes in the angle irons. The opposite movement is
resorted to for inserting the hooks when applying the lath to its place. These
hook fastenings, together with the neck fitting the hole, prevent the lath being
raised or removed otherwise than described, or being moved in any other
direction, and also forms a tie between the side rails. Each lath has its
separate pair of hooks and holes for insertion in the side rails. Instead of
placing the hooks both in one direction, they may be disposed opposite to each
other, and thereby making it necessary to twist the lath to introduce or release
them, and giving a greater tendency to remain in their places. These fixings
may be placed in other positions with reference to the lath with similar effect.
Instead of affixing the hooks to the laths, they may be produced out of the
solid metal:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Christopher Holt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
HOLT, of the New Road, St. Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Christopher Holt, Her special licence that I, the said Chris-
topher Holt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others' as
I, the said Christopher Holt, 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, shouid 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

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR THE LATHS OF IRON BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Christopher Holt, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Christopher Holt, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 'Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, (that is to say):
My improvements in lath fastenings for bedsteads, couches, and other similar
articles of furniture made of iron, refer to a method of affixing the laths which
support the bedding or seat at either end to the angle irons or side rails or
framework of the piece of furniture; and as a substitute for the screws, buttons,
or other contrivances now adopted, I cut small holes through the angle irons,
and render them, by preference, of a rectangular form. To either end of and
under the laths I affix a hook, whose length is transverse to the lath; it is of
considerable length, and furnished with a neck, which fits the hole in the rail
as nearly as possible when the lath is down in its place. These hooks are
both turned in one direction, so that on desiring to remove the lath from the
bedstead, it is simply necessary to lift one edge of the lath (the opposite from
that to which the point of the hook is directed), when the hooks will be simul-
taneously withdrawn from the holes in the angle irons. The opposite movement
is resorted to for inserting the hooks when applying the lath in its place.
These hook fastenings, together with the neck fitting the hole, prevent the lath
being raised or removed otherwise than described, or being moved in any other
direction, and also forms a tie between the side rails. Each lath has its
separate pair of hooks and holes for insertion in the side rails. Instead of
placing the hooks both in one direction, they may be disposed opposite to each
other, and thereby making it necessary to twist the lath to introduce or release
them, and giving a greater tendency to remain in their places. These fixings
may be placed in other positions with reference to the lath with similar
effect. Instead of affixing the hooks to the laths, they may be made out of
the solid metal.
. .
Fig. 1 represents in plan two-portions of the side rails or angle irons a, a, of
a bedstead, with the laths b. b, b, fitted thereto, according to my Invention;

page_text: while Fig. 2 represents a transverse section of the rails a, a, and edge view of
the lath b; Figs. 3 and 4 show end views of the laths about full size; Fig. 5
represents a plan of a portion of the rail with the lath removed; Fig. 6
represents a longitudinal section of the rail a, and cross section of the lath,
showing the joint or fastening of the lath; Fig. 7 shows side view of rail and
Jath fastening, drawn of about full size; and Fig. 8 shows a transverse section
of the same. This lath fastening consists of a hook c, which I make of iron or
other suitable material, of the form shown in the several Figures of the Drawing.
I rivet or otherwise secure this hook to the lath by a shank or stem passed
through the lath, so as to secure and render it a fixture thereto. A rectangular
hole d is perforated through the side rail to receive this hook, which hole may
be cut by punching or otherwise, as found most convenient. It will be seen
that the form of the hook is such, as to prevent the lath being lifted directly up,
or moved, or disengaged by lateral pressure. The point of the hook c, as will
be seen at Figs. 6 and 7, prevents lifting, while the shoulder at the back of
the hook, and its fitting the hole d closely all round, prevents any lateral
motion. When it is desired to disengage the laths b, b, or to connect them
with the side rails a, a, it is simply necessary to raise the edge of the lath to
the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, when the hooks c, c, may be
introduced to, or removed from, the openings d, d, in the side rails, that is,
supposing the hooks to be placed both in the same direction.
For more thoroughly fixing the laths to the side rails, I sometimes place the
two hooks of one lath in opposite directions, as represented in the end view
Fig. 4, when it becomes necessary to spring and twist the lath in the direction
of its length, as represented by the dotted lines in that Figure; or the hook at
one end of the lath may be first inserted, and the other subsequently introduced,
by springing and twisting the lath, as described. Instead of using my improved
fastening at both ends of the lath, it may be combined with the ordinary
descriptions of fastenings, as, for instance, at b', Fig. 1. The one end of lath
has a slot e fitted on to the fixed stud f in the side rail, while the other end of
the lath may have the hook c to fit into the hole d, as before explained. These
fastenings are equally adapted for the laths of couches, chairs, or other
articles of furniture of a similar character made in metal. Where the lath is
very short, it is obvious that it will not do to place the hooks in opposite
directions, as shown at Fig. 4, as the lath will not admit of being twisted
sufficiently for the insertion of the hooks.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
it is performed, I would have it understood that I claim as my Invention,

page_text: securing metal laths of bedsteads, couches, and like articles of furniture, in the
manner described and represented in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Holt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK, Patent Agent,
CHRISTOPHER HOLT. (L.S.)
53, Chancery Lane, London.