IMPROVE- MENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Lowry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd November 1881.
GEORGE LOWRY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES."
My said Invention relates to further improvements in an Invention for which
certain Letters Pateut were granted to me, dated January 15th, 1881, No. 210, and
has for its object to construct spring mattresses in an improved form and manner,
such mattresses consisting of a series of horizontal chains, ropes, or bands with a
compression or elastic spring at one or both ends and attached to the bedsteads
without hooks or links, or on a light metallic or wooden frame made to fit on the
bedsteads. I sometimes put a series of springs and cross them in a zigzag form
and lace them through from one side to the other with light chain, cord, or twine
in vandyke fashion, also without links or hooks. Underneath such mattresses I
fit in a suitable manner across the chains ties to support the centre and prevent
it from being unduly deflected.
I also in some cases attach to the frame a suitable lever and handle fitted with
suitable gear for raising the head portion of such spring mattresses, and also in
some cases a similar arrangement for elevating the knee portion or lowering the
foot portion thereof.
I also sometimes fit a roller and ratchet arrangement across the frame for the
purpose of increasing or decreasing the tension of the mattress and making it
hard or soft as required.
It is obvious that my said improvements are applicable to all kinds of beds, as
well as to couches and beds specially adapted to invalids.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Lowry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1882.
GEORGE LOWRY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
MENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES."
"
IMPROVE-
My said Invention relates to further improvements in an Invention for which
certain Letters Patent were granted to me, dated January Fifteenth, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one, No. 210, and has for its object to construct spring
mattresses in an improved forın aud manner, such mattresses consisting of a series
of horizontal chains, ropes, or bands with a compression or elastic spring at one or
both ends and attached to the bedsteads without hooks or links, or on a light
metallic or wooden frame made to fit on the bedsteads. I sometimes put a series
of springs and cross them in a zig-zag form and lace them through from one side to
the other with light chain, cord, or twine in vandyke fashion, also without links
or hooks. Underneath such mattresses I fit, in a suitable manner across the chains
ties to support the centre and prevent it from being unduly deflected.
I also in some cases attach to the frame a suitable-lever-and-handle-fitted-with-
suitable gear for raising the head portion of such spring mattresses, and also in
some cases a similar arrangement for elevating the knee portion or lowering the
foot portion thereof.
I also sometimes fit a roller and ratchet arrangement across the frame for the
purpose of increasing or decreasing the tension of the mattress and making it hard
or soft as required.
It is obvious that my said improvements are applicable to all kinds of beds, as
well as to couches and beds specially adapted to invalids.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, reference is
hereby made to the accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of my improved mattress. Chains, metallic
cords, ropes, or wires a, a, are stretched from one end b to the other end c, being
firmly attached to b and attached to c by means of hooks passing through
suitable perforations therein, and also through compression springs of the form
shewn on a larger scale in Fig. 5. These springs are let into suitable sockets, as
shewn in Fig. 1.. Hooks d, d, are attached by means of screw nuts e, e, to such
springs, the nuts providing means of applying sufficient tension to the chains a, a.
Other chains, cords, ropes, or wires f, f, are arranged, as shewn in Fig. 1, transversely
and diagonally to a, a, whereby the whole is suitably laced together, and sufficient
elasticity is afforded to the mattress. Similar springs may be fitted to b, if desired;
9, 9, aro the sides of the frame firmly attached to b and c.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of another form of my improved mattress. In this
arrangement the chains, cords, ropes, or wires are firmly attached to b and c
without springs, but other springs i, i, of the form shewn in Fig. 6, are fitted to
each tension cord in the manner shewn in Fig. 4. These springs i are shewn to a
larger scale in Fig. 6. These springs and cords are laced transversely and
diagonally, as shewn at f', Fig. 4.
Fig. 2 is a side view of another form of mounting such mattresses upon an iron
frame, and Fig. 3 is an end view of the saine.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal elevation partly, in section, of the form of spring which
I prefer, and which is shewn in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 contains two springs which are
shewn partially under compression. It consists of a metallic tube k into which
the springs are inserted, each spring being fitted with a piston and rod or liuk, as

page_text: shewn. Stops 1, l, are fitted to prevent the springs from being drawn out of the
tube, the stops being held by contracting the ends of the tubes.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a metallic bedstead fitted in accordance with
another form of my improved mattress, and mounted on a light iron frame, readily
removed from the bed stock, and folded up. The springs attached to the chains
are of the form shewn in Fig. 6.
The two extreme ends of each chain are linked to two bars m, m, as shewn.
These bars are held in position by links, springs, or struts n, n, which are again
held in position by the racks o, o. By raising or lowering these racks the head or
feet may be raised or lowered. The racks also enable the mattress to be stretched
more or less taut, as desired.
The hereinbefore described arrangements may be used separately or in com-
bination with the arrangements described in my said Specification to No. 210,
1881.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the hereinbeforo
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The arrangement, combination, and construction of parts severally and collec-
tively forming my improvements in spring mattresses, for the purposes and in the
manner substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn on the Drawings or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Lowry, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty two.
GEORGE LOWRY. · (L.S.).