An Improvement in Spring Mattresses, and Frames therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1895-Accepted. 31st Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Spring Mattresses, and Frames therefor.
I, FRANCIS GILBERT GALE, of Waterville, in the County of Compton, in the
Province of Quebec, and Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer, 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 has for its object, to improve the construction of wire bed-bottoms
or spring mattresses constructed of links or separate V, or lozenge shaped meshes,
and also the frames therefor.
In the drawings which form a part of this Specification, Figure 1, is a plan of
a mattress embodying my invention and constructed in conformity therewith
Figure 2, is a side elevation or view of the same, and Figure 3, shews details of the
mesh of the fabric and certain other details.
In the drawings, A. A. are the end rails of the mattress frame, and B. B. the
side rails thereof. These side rails are of a uniform width and thickness, and in
order to raise the end rails, also of a uniform width and thickness above the side
rails, a necessary requirement since the mattress fabric is suspended between the
end rails and must lie parallel to the upper edges of the side rails and above them,
far enough to exactly fulfil this requirement, I have introduced the step B', made
of spring tempered steel and secured to the ends of the said side rails.
This step is provided with two holes, one to receive the bolt D. which secures
the end of the end rail, next adjacent, down upon said step, the other to take the
tension bolt E. This tension bolt is made up of a screw threaded shank having
the nut F, and its head is turned into a ring or eye to receive the bolt D. The
hole in the step through which the bolt D passes is regularly uniform and
answerable in size to the shank of the bolt D as to its shortest diameter but is
prolonged, so that when the nut F is screwed down against the step it will cause
the bolt D no hindrance while causing the end rail A, to slide over the step a
sufficient distance to give the bed fabric its proper degree of tension. The step is
secured to the side rail of the bed by any suitable means such as bolts or screws.
By using the step, economy in manufacture is experienced since such a side rail
cut out of wood would require a piece of timber of as large dimensions as the
widest part of the step and the rail if the former should not be used, and the part
cut away would be wasted.
The step also provides a neat and secure way of applying tension through the
bolts D. and E., and, although there is no absolute necessity for applying this
tension attachment to both ends of the frame it will not defeat the object sought,
to do so.
The mattress fabric is secured to the frame through the hooks, a, a, a, rigidly
fixed to the end rails at their inner and upper edges. To these hooks the end
tension springs, C, are attached.
The mattress fabric or web is constructed either way from the center and is
made as follows, viz.; extending across from side to side of the bed bottom is a
cramped or bent wire, I, preferably having loops at its angles or apices by being
bent or doubled back upon itself to form the loop.
The best spring tempered material is used and the object of using a continuous
wire and of forming a loop at the apices rather than a simple angle of the V. shape
is to so distribute the strength of the material as to give the greatest lateral
resistance thus keeping the web braced and spread out to it's very edge. Separate

page_text: links or V's, are hooked and clinched into the apices of these loops and into those
of each other, the apexes of one tier of links receiving the hooks of the next row
until the fabric is formed when longer links may be used to attach the last row to
the end tension springs.
I secure an advantage by attaching three apices of links G, to only two tension
springs leaving a space between every second and third link extending into the
second tier of links, H. The object of this arrangement of the links is to fill up
the center of the mattress web so that it will hold out at the edge and it is evident
that by using long narrow links a more readily yielding bed will be constructed,
also the vacant spaces extending from the ends into the second tier of links will
make the mattress more susceptible to pressure at the ends allowing the shoulders
of the sleeper to depress the mattress and fit the form more perfectly.
Instead of the before mentioned cramped or bent wire I, extending across from
side to side of the bed bottom having loops at its angles, formed by bending or
doubling the wire back upon itself to form the loops, a simple zig-zag bend in such
wire, as shewn at, X, in Figure, 3, may be substituted, or two such bent wires may
be interlocked as shewn at, Y, or separate links of the V, shape having an eye on
one leg and a hook on the other as shewn at, Z, may be employed to form the
center of the bed.
Then too, the wire being first bent into zig-zag form could be woven from side
to side of the bed bottom in tiers extending from the center I, each way towards
the links engaging with the end tension springs.
Should the mesh at the center of the bed be smaller in measurement than towards
the ends, another advantage is gained, viz.; the redirection of the pressure lines
which when the links and the mesh are of uniform spread must lie at an oblique
angle as from corner to corner of the bed bottom. By breaking up or redirecting
these lines of resistance through a shorter tier in the center the end tension springs
are acted upon so as to more evenly distribute the weight of the occupant over the
said bed bottom relatively to the springs.
By means of my invention a bed can be produced which will be found to be
more clastic, having greater adaptability to the form of the person occupying it,
thus holding him in a more level and natural position while still yielding to the
prominent points in the contour of the said person, and also a mattress that will
keep its position fully out to the edge without requiring side fastenings to secure
such edge to the side rail of the frame as have been hitherto required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. A mattress frame consisting of two side and two end rails, the former made
of material preferably of uniform width and thickness from end to end and provided
at each end with a step preferably of spring tempered steel, suitably secured to the
upper surface of the ends of the said side rails; and the tension attachment herein-
before described consisting of a screw-threaded shank to which a nut is fitted, the
other end of the bolt turned into an eye or ring to receive the bolt which secures
the ends of the end rails upon the step by means whereof end wise tension may at
pleasure be given to the mattress fabric hung or suspended between the end rails,
by screwing the nut of the eye bolt down against the outer surface of the step
substantially for the purposes set forth.
2nd. A step of flat steel of suitable width and thickness made a part of the side
rails of a mattress frame, by being rigidly secured thereto, provided with a regular
shaped slotted or elongated hole the shortest diameter of which is answerable to
that of the securing bolt which holds the ends of the end rails down upon said step
to act functionally with said side rails to form the mattress frame and to suspend
the mattress fabric a suitable distance above the edges of the side rails and on a
horizontal plane parallel therewith and provided with a tightening or tension bolt
having a ring or eye to receive the securing bolt and a nut adapted by pressing

page_text: against the outer surface of said step to impart at pleasure a suitable tension to the
fabric so suspended between the end rails all substantially as set forth.
3rd. A mattress frame comprising two side rails and two end rails, the latter
joined to the former through a step of suitable height above the upper surface of
the former and at each end thereof and of suitable strength to hold the end rails in
place while supporting the mattress fabric, strained within the frame, a suitable
height above the side rails; the step provided with a tension attachment, and the
said mattress frame combined with a mattress fabric of woven wire and end tension
springs; the wire of the fabric woven in zig-zag strands across from side to side of
the same cach way towards the head and foot from a center made up of a tier or
band, or several of these, bent or cramped in zig-zag form and at each angle turned
into a loop or ring to receive the mesh of the other weaving, and to hold the fabric
spread out laterally, all arranged substantially as described.
4th. The mattress fabric made by weaving or interlocking strands of wire first
bent into zig-zag form and then carried from side to side of the fabric: the central
strand turned into loops at the apices to give a lateral bracing to spread the fabric
out, and provided with separate links at the ends to join the fabric to the end
tension springs, substantially as set forth.
5th. The mattress fabric made by weaving or linking separate V-shaped links of
wire into a central band or bands of wire first bent into zig-zag form and then
carried or turned into loops at the apices of the angles to receive the links forming
the fabric from the center either way towards the ends, and the end tension springs.
said band, or bands, so centrally placed across the bed serving to give it a lateral
bracing and to hold it spread out at the middle part and towards the edges all
substantially as set forth.
6th. The mattress fabric made by weaving or linking wires across from side to
side of the same each way from the center in V, or lozenge shaped meshes, said
center being formed of wire of uniform gauge or heavier and bent in zig-zag form
the angles turned into loops to give lateral bracing, and the bends proportioned to
give shorter V's or lozenges to break up the lines of resistance from end to end or
from corner to corner of the bed fabric whereby one or many springs at the ends
will be brought to bear to tensionally withstand a pressure at any point upon the
fabric more particularly at the center thus preventing it from sagging or bagging
in the center substantially as and for the purposes described.
7th. A bed composed of a mattress frame having a step to raise the end rails
above the side rails, a tension attachment of an eyebolt engaging with said end rails
and said step, and a fabric of wire made up of V, or lozenge shaped meshes secured
to the end rails by end tension springs and having across its center a lateral brace
in the form of a band, or bands, of wire of a uniform or heavier gauge bent zig-zag
and looped at the apices of the angles to form uniform or shorter V's or lozenges
than those of the other parts of the fabric substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Dad 1 TL
J 1
2