IMPROVEMENTS IN CANOPIES OR HOODS FOR APPLICATION TO Infants' Cots, BEDS, PERAMBULATORS, AND TO HAMMOCKS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles Henderson, of No. 6, South-
ampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANOPIES OR HOODS FOR
APPLICATION TO Infants' Cots, BEDS, PERAMBULATORS, AND TO HAMMOCKS.”
-A communication from abroad by Jules Eugène Boivin, Gentle-
man of the City of Paris in the Republic of France
Sealed the 3rd March 1876, and dated the 25th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles
Henderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 25th September 1875.
I, ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON, of No. 6, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANOPIES OR HOODS
FOR APPLICATION TO INFANTS' COTS, BEDS, PERAMBULATORS, AND TO HAMMOCKS,” a
communication to me from abroad by Jules Eugène Boivin, Gentleman,
of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France, to be as follows:-
-
The improved canopies forming the subject of the present Invention

page_text: are intended to completely close over the cot, bed, or otherwise, so as to
protect the infant from flies and other troublesome insects, whilst at the
same time they are perfectly healthy by freely admitting air. These
canopies consist of network or other substance which is stretched on
arched or other shaped ribs, turning either on a common axis or on that
of the cot, they are divided into two parts which when open fall on
cither side of the cot.
The ribs which are graduated in size and are symetrical in form are
connected at the line of axis of the cot by a screw, spring, hook, or
otherwise, which closes the two parts by uniting them at the top.
The number of ribs on each side would vary according to the form to
be given to the hood, the lower edge of which is connected to the upper
rim or band of tho cot.
For perambulators the canopy may open and close lengthwise with
the carriage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Great Soal
Patent Office on the 24th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
CHARLES HENDERSON, of No. 6, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Charles Henderson,
Her special licence that I, the said Arthur Oharles Henderson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur Charles Henderson, 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

page_text: 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 CANOPIES OR HOODS FOR
APPLICATION TO INFANTS' COTS, BEDS, PERAMBULATORS, AND HAMMOCKS,” a
communication to me from abroad by Jules Eugène Boivin, Gentleman,
of the Oity of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Oharles Henderson, my exe.
cutors 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 Arthur Charles Henderson, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :—
Although the childrens' cots, beds, and carriages as at present manu.
factured are extremely elegant and useful, still their graceful form and
lightness of construction render them eminently unstable; a movement
or slight displacement of the child causes an instant change in the
centre of gravity, and whether one or other of the articles above
referred to, the child is liable to fall, carrying with it bed or carriage.
Should the child endeavour to escape from one or the other there is
nothing to prevent its so doing, and causing an accident, so that constant
watchfulness is required on the part of the nurse or attendant, whose
rest is thus disturbed and the child endangered.
In order to give the most secure and complete protection to cots, beds,
or carriages, they are protected when the child is placed therein by a
fine network forming a canopy above it, and quite enclosing it by being
connected to the cot, carriage, or otherwise, and which folds back when
it is desired to remove the infant, whilst the arrangement does not
interfere or in any way destroy the beauty of the object.
:
The following description, by aid of the accompanying Drawings
will illustrate the means employed for carrying the Invention into prac-
tical effect :-
☑

page_text: which folds on each end of the cot by pivoting in the centre; Fig. 2 is
an end view. of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front view of a cot with a hood or parachute folding in the
same manner as the former, but having an independent pivoting axis to
each arc or rib.
an end view. of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front view of a cot with a hood or parachute folding in the
same manner as the former, but having an independent pivoting axis to
each arc or rib.
Fig. 4 is a front view of a cot with hood folding on one or both sides
of it.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of a carriage or perambulator furnished with a
network hood.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a child's bed surmounted with a
hood.
Description of the Cot, Parachute, or Hood, Figs. 1 and 2.-The cot
and its supports are not in any way changed; the upper rim or circle a
of the cot serves as rest to the hood. This latter is formed by the
assemblage or reunion of a certain number of arcs or ribs b, c, d, e,
symmetrically disposed in pairs transversely with the axis of the cot.
The arcs 6 are invariable in their position, and are fixed to the circle or
upper rim a of the cot, and from which the threads forming the network
of the hood start. The arcs c, d, e, each turn on different centres c³,
d', e', arranged between two plates f, which form the supports to the
These plates are fixed at each side of the cot to the rim a, either
by rivets, screws, bolts, or their equivalents, preference being given to
the most simple method, and which admits of fixing or removing the
hood without injury to the cot.
arcs.
The hoods may be supplied either to new cots or used in conjunction
with existing ones.
The arcs c, d, e, as already described, have separate centres of rotation
to avoid exagerating the proportions of the supports f, as it is clear that
the same pivoting axis would serve for all alike, but this would necessitato
widening the plates, and the increase in the size of tho axis would
interfere with the beauty of the hood without offering any advantages in
the method represented in the Drawing.
The arcs e, which touch when the hood is developed, bears at the
head the connecting mediums, say, cither cords, screws, padlocks, or
some equivalent, the unfastening of which allow the two parts of the hood

page_text: to fall in the direction of the arrows, and which in folding rest on the
fixed arc b. In furnishing this metallic shell or frame with network
each of the arcs bears a piece of stuff, leather, or other matter pierced
with holes or supplied with eyelets, which serve as passages to the
threads forming the network. In the same manner the plates ƒ aro
covered with some of the like substance to protect the child's fingers
from these plates.
Description of the Cot, Fig. 3.-In lieu of placing the pivoting axes
of the arcs in the centre of the cot, the supports f to the axes may
occupy any other suitable position, and the arcs c, d, e, Fig. 8, may be
articulated at different points of the circle a; the opening of the hood is
effected, as shown, by the arrows in front or rear.
Description of the Oot, Fig. 4.-The axes of suspension f, f, of the
cot and on which it swings are at the same time disposed, so as to form
the pivoting axes of the arcs b, c, d, symmetrically arranged in pairs
following the longitudinal axis of the cot. The web or network is made
between each of these arcs, and connects the arc 6 to the ring a;` the
arcs d bear the connecting organs of the two parts of the hood or
parachute so called, which parts turn back on each flank of the cot.
This system may be modified by only allowing one side of the hood to
fall. In this case in the centre there will be no interruption, and the
closing will be effected on the circle or rim a of the cot at the side
opposite to where the folding back takes place.
:
Description of the Carriage, Fig. 5.-Childrens' carriages of any
description may be supplied similarly to the cots with this kind of hood,
which would be simply formed of network supported by the axes b, c, d, e,
pivoting on the same axis a or on independent axes, and would fold on
the back of the carriage, or if preferred in front, and are suitable for
carriages for one or more children; these hoods can also be combined
with or used in conjunction with those in present use.
Description of a Child's Bed, Fig. 6. In this case the covering is
formed of a four-sided frame composed of so many folding doors
enclosing all sides of the bed; those lengthwise m, n, pivot on the
rods o and p, which cross the top of the bed, and on which the net-
work which covers the sides is interlaced. The sides. or-doors-m²-and-n²
of the head and foot of the bed turn on the axes r fixed to the uprights.
When removed these parts m' and n' are connected above to those m

page_text: and n, and form a rectangle enclosed all round by the network, with
which cach side is supplied. Finally, the front door m receives above it
a fifth frame & turning on this side or door, and folds on the rectangle
formed as above mentioned for giving strength to the whole, whilst
forming a roof to the bed by closing the only open space. This frame 5
is fixed to the others by any suitable fastening, insuring a firm connexion
with the rest.
The doors of the covering fold from the inside outwardly, as shown in
the Drawing, or vice versa, and may be constructed any desirable form.
This system may be advantageously adopted for hammocks for children 1
or adults and invalides, the hoods or covers in this case forming a pro-
tection from flies and mosquitos. The same network may be applied to
perambulators, beds, and cots, and would be formed of very fine gauze
or net, which would be very advantageous in hot climates.
What is claimed and intended to be secured by Letters Patent is, the 1
parachute hoods or coverings to beds, cots, perambulators, and ham-
mocks, consisting of network fixed on folding framework, such as herein
described and illustrated. The network to which the appellation of
parachute is applied is supported by a frame of metal arcs or their
equivalents folding front and back, as shown by the Figures 1, 2, and 3, 2
or simply in front or rear with one or more pivoting axes, or folding on
one or both sides of the cot, or on the flanks as shown, Fig. The
application of the system to perambulators is also reserved as shown,
Fig. 5, either employed singly or in conjunction with the ordinary hood,
as also its adaptation to childrens' beds shown, Fig. 6, and its use in con- 2
junction with existing hoods, as well as constructing them as musquito
and fly protectors.
•
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred 3
and seventy-siz