CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON BEDSTEADS OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR THE EASE AND COMFORT OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHERRY, of the City of Coventry, Painter, Carver, and Gilder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of January, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Cherry, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Cherry, my exors, adñors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Cherry, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON BEDSTEADS
OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR THE EASE AND COMFORT OF INVALIDS AND OTHERS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James Cherry,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Cherry, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of apparatus and machinery
attached to bedsteads or other framework applicable to repose, by which a
greater degree of ease and comfort is imparted when the body is in the
recumbent posture, and by which the position of the body may undergo
various changes with less trouble and inconvenience. But in order that my
Invention may be most fully understood, I will describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1 shews a side view of a bedstead. A, A, is the standard frame;
B is the bed frame resting upon the standard frame, to which it is attached
by hinges (marked a); C is a frame to elevate the knees, placing the limbs
on a double inclined plane. The frame is raised in the centre or knee point,
(which is rule jointed), by turning with the windlass to the left hand the roller
marked D, round which is a belt or strap attached to the bottom of the
quadrant marked E. As the roller turns round the strap draws up the quad-
rant and raises the knee frame to what elevation is required. A ratchet
wheel is fixed upon the roller D, and is stayed by a catch when the frame is
at the required height. G shows the position of the knee frame when not in
use. H is the bed rest or frame for raising the body. I is a roller and ratchet
wheel, with strap round the roller attached to the bottom of the quadrant J;
by turning the roller to the right the quadrant is drawn up and raises the
bed rest at the head, which is also stayed when at its required elevation by the
catch and ratchet. J, J, shews the bed rest when not in use. K shews one
of two quadrants attached to the bed frame, one on each side. L is a roller
on which are two straps, one attached to each quadrant K; on the roller L
is also two wheels or drums three times the diameter of the roller; round
each wheel or drum is another strap, which is also attached to the roller
marked M, on which roller is a ratchet wheel. The roller M is the moving
power. When it is turned to the right hand the straps connected to it and the
power wheels or drums on L revolve the roller L, and by the straps on L,
attached to the quadrants K, the whole bed frame is elevated at the head
turning upon the hinged pivot (a), but which will be better undertood by
referring to Drawing, Figure 2. The necessity of two rollers and power

page_text: wheels in this movement is obvious; the weight of the bed frame and
machinery, together with the bedding and the body, would be too great for
a single power. Thus by adding a second roller with power wheels, the force
required to raise the bed frame is reduced, in the same proportion as the
roller M is to the power wheel L, or one third the position of the quadrants
K, J, and E. The rollers, straps, drums, ratchets, &c., will be more clearly
comprehended by referring to Figure 3, that being a ground plan. N shews
one of two cylinders running lengthwise, one on each side the bed frame;
these cylinders revolve each upon an axis running through them, the pivots of
the axis acting in the head and foot boards of the bed frame marked O and P.
The axis is fixed by a ratchet wheel and catch at the foot end marked Q.
Inside each cylinder are two springs upon the chronometer principle, but pro-
portionably stronger, one near each end; the springs are attached, like those
of the chronometer, to the axis and to the cylinder. The bed sacking is
attached to the cylinders, being three times the width of the bed frame. One
third of the sacking is wound round each cylinder, the other occupies the
space between them. When the springs are set up, which is done by winding
the axles by the windlass (R) outwards, or right and left from the centre, the
sacking is drawn tight, as is shewn by the dotted lines from each cylinder in
Figures 4 and 5. The bedstead is thus ready for use, and the bedding is
made up on it in the usual way. When you lay down upon the bed the weight
of your body causes each cylinder to revolve inwardly upon its axis (which
is fixed by the ratchet and catch), and according to the strength with which.
the springs are set up, the sacking with the bedding is compressed to a
concave of any depth from three to twelve inches (see Figure 4, dotted lines),
the body riding in an undulating motion supported by the springs, and the
back being relieved from pressure, which is imparted equally to the sides and.
shoulders. When the position of the body requires changing, set the axis of.
either cylinder at liberty by pressing upon the windlass R, Figure 1, and.
freeing the ratchet from the catch, then gently let the cylinder revolve with
the axle until the sacking, &c. is received by the concave platform (described by
the double line in Figure 4). The weight is now supported by the platform,
and the springs of the cylinders are kept inactive by bolting the catches off
the ratchets. As the bedstead is now arranged the body may undergo the
various changes. By revolving the cylinder (A, Figure 4) outwards, the
sacking which occupies the space across the platform, and on which the bedding
and the body rest, coils round the cylinder, and its place is supplied by the
sacking from the cylinder B, Figure 4; the bedding is carried with the sacking
over the cylinder A, whilst the body gently turns in the concave and is placed

page_text: on its right side; one revolution of the cylinder effects this, and a second
places the body on its chest. A counteraction on the cylinder B produces
the same changes on the left side. A change of bed and bedding is thus
effected On a table placed alongside the bedstead make up the fresh
bedding in the usual way, but intersecting it with the bedding already in use,
the fresh bed and sheet being placed over the cylinder and under the bed in
use, wrapping under about twelve inches. Thus prepared revolve the opposite
cylinder outwards; this draws the sacking over the platform, the two beds
and bedding going with it. That in use is drawn over the cylinder on to the
floor, and its place is occupied by the fresh supply with the patient on it, he
having gently turned over once during the change. X shews the bed pan and
groove frame in which it slides.
Figure 2 shews the bedstead when converted into an easy chair. First
raise the knee frame to an angle of forty-five degrees, which is marked on the
quadrant, this forms the chair seat; next raise the bed rest to an angle of thirty
degrees (also marked on the quadrant), this forms the chair back; lastly,
elevate the bed frame to forty-five degrees (also marked on the quadrant, and
the chair is complete.
Figure 3 is a ground plan, shewing the positions of the various rollers, straps,
drums, ratchets, and quadrants, the whole of which have been already ex-
plained in reference to Figure 1. The spaces marked by the dotted lines are
the knee frame C, C, and the bed rest H, H. The circle marked X is the
aperture in the platform under which the bed pan is placed.
Figure 4 is a section of the bed frame at the head board. A, B, shews
the two cylinders; C, D, the side posts (marked B in Figure 1); E is the
roller extending across the bed frame, by which the bed rest F, F, is raised;
G is a portion of the quadrant. The double black line shews the concave
platform; the diagonal lines shew the bearers of the platform, those bearers
resting upon the bed frame. The top dotted line from the cylinders shows the
line of sacking when strained by the springs and free from the pressure of the
body; the other lines shew different degrees of compression by the body,
according to its weight or the strength with which the springs are set up.
Figure 5 shews a section of the footboard, platform, and knee frame.
Figure 6 represents a portable bed rest affixed in the bedstead, as it may
be wanted occasionally. A is a frame of brass or other metal, supported by a
standard (also of metal) marked B, which is secured to the outside of the
bed frame at F. The frame A is attached to the standard B by a pivot, on
which it turns. C is a quadrant by which the bed rest is raised at the head,
actuated by a roller and strap D; E shews the bed rest when elevated. A

page_text: corresponding frame is on the other bed post, and the two are connected at
the head by a board marked A, Figure 7. To the board A are fixed two
quadrants C, C, Figure 7, actuated, as has been already explained, by the
roller B, Figure 7, and D, Figure 6. The upper bar of the frame runs
parallel with the top of the cylinder. A sacking is laid across from cylinder to
cylinder, and passing over the top bars of the frame is fastened to the lower
bar by straps upon studs, which are described by the four dotts.
Figure 7 shews the head of the portable bed rest. A is the board con-
necting the two metal side frames. B is the roller. C, C, the quadrants.
D, D, shews the ends of the metal side frames which sweep round the tops
of the cylinders from F to H. E, E, are the top bars. F, F, the lower bars
and studs, G is the sacking of the bed rest extended across the bedstead, and
strapped to the studs of the lower bars F, F. The bed sacking, as before
stated, is required three times the width of the bedstead; in the sacking are
two apertures, each corresponding with that in the platform X, Figure 3.
These apertures are four feet distant from each other, or two feet each from
the centre, so that when the sacking is stretched across, one apperture appears
on each cylinder. When the bedstead is preparing for use, care must be
taken to have one aperture in the sacking immediately over that in the plat-
form; this will cause more sacking to be on one cylinder than on the other,
and it is on that side that the change bedding is to be made up, and which is
denoted to the attendant by a red mark on the sacking at the foot of the
cylinder. When a change of bedding is effected, the other aperture is over
the centre and the bulk of sacking is on the opposite cylinder, which is also
denoted by the red mark; this is an infallible guide to the attendant to that
side on which the change bed is to be made up, for was it to be made upon
the wrong side, there would not be a sufficiency of sacking to permit the
change to be completed. For evacuation the bed or mattrass has an aperture
in it corresponding with the others, this is closed by a cushion to fit when
not wanted. The bed pan slides under the bedstead immediately under the
aperture (X, Figure 1). When wanted to use, revolve either cylinder till the
patient is placed on his side, the cushion is then taken out, and the body
replaced on the back.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
constructing and using the same, I would observe, that I lay no claim to any
of the parts separately of which the apparatus is composed, they being
separately well known and in use; I therefore only claim as my Invention
the application of the above combination of mechanical powers to a new and
specific purpose, as herein represented and described, without confining my-

page_text: self to the use of any particular material or any particular fashion in the
construction of the apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Cherry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.