Improvements in Metallic Mattresses.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Mattresses.
I, PAUL GIRARD, of 29 b¹s Route de Montesson, Chatou (Seine et Oise) in the
Republic of France, Inventor, 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 relates to a metallic mattress of steel strips arranged in such a way
that the strips, placed parallel one to the other, are capable of individually stretching,
that is to say, that according to the weight which the mattress supports, each strip
can stretch independently of its neighbours.
I have shown on the accompanying drawing the mode of constructing this
mattress, and its application to bedsteads, more particularly metal ones.
Figure 1 shows this mattress of steel laths fitted to an iron or brass bedstead.
Figure 2 is a plan of the elastic surface.
Figure 3 shows an edge and plan view of the mode of fastening the laths
together.
Figure 4 shows a section of a modification of the system of construction of this
mattress.
Finally, Figure 5 is a side view of my mattress.
This mattress is composed essentially of a certain number of steel laths A, of any
suitable section placed side by side, and arched in an arc of a circle or any other
curve.
At one of their ends (towards the head for instance) these strips rest on a cross
piece B fixed on two supports or brackets G. They may merely rest on this cross-
piece, their longitudinal displacement being prevented by the dowels D as shown in
Figures 1 and 5; or they may be rivetted on the cross-piece as shown in Figure 2,
or, finally, they may penetrate into notches in the above named crosspiece as is
shown on the right of Figure 4.
At the other end the laths may be left free, but in that case nothing would
prevent them separating from or approaching one another, which would be dis-
advantageous. I therefore connect them two by two at these ends by little cross-
pieces E capable of moving on the attachment pegs, and forming, consequently, so
many little toggle pieces, see Figure 3. In this way, the laths always remain
parallel, but it is evident that each of them may extend or give in a manner
independently of its neighbour.
It is needless to state that the hinged connections E may assume another form,
for instance, they may be formed of flat rings fitting into loops fixed under the
laths. In the same way, these connections, instead of being at the ends of the
laths, may be arranged at any other point of their length.
The whole of the laths simply rest on a crosspiece F, fixed to the supports or
brackets C as shown in Figures 1 and 5.
If, instead of attaching the elastic strips directly on a bedstead as in Figure 1, it
is desired to form an actual spring-mattress, the whole arrangement above described
is completed by a rigid frame H and by four uprights I, see Figure 5.
The brackets or supports and the uprights may also be hinged in order to allow
of their being folded down if desired when the bedstead or mattress is taken to
pieces for storage or transportation. The mattress shown in Figure 4 differs a
little in its construction from the one just described. In this arrangement the steel
laths A have a special curve a b c towards the feet, the effect of which is to cause
the end c to constantly press against the lower side of the cross bar J. This cross
bar may be independent of the side of the frame K, or may form part of this side,
which, in that case, is formed of an angle iron.

page_text: The laths rest at a on a cross bar or tie bar F rivetted or fastened in any other
suitable manner on the longer sides of the frame K. At their other extremity,
they rest on a cross bar B, and the effect of the tension developed at a bc is to
press them against this crosspiece.
Suitable recesses being arranged in the cross bars B and J as shown on the
drawing, all lateral displacement of the laths is thus avoided.
These laths may have the ends loose or connected two by two by hinged pieces E
as hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A metallic mattress having longitudinally arched laths A, arranged parallel
to one another, and connected two by two by jointed connections E in such a way
as to permit them to extend lengthwise independently of each other substantially
as described, reference being made to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawing.
2. In a metallic mattress, the combination of arched laths A, parallel to one
another and connected in pairs by jointed connections E, with cross bars B and F,
arms C and G, uprights I and frame H, substantially as hereinbefore described and
with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawing.
3. A metallic mattress formed of parallel, arched, steel laths A, bent up at the
feet at a bc in combination with cross bars B and J and a frame K substantially
as herein before described and with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying
.drawing.
Dated this 9th day of January 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.