IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WHEREBY PARTS THEREOF CAN BE MADE TO FORM A FIRE ESCAPE WHEN REQUIRED.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Dawson, of King's Arms Yard, in the City
of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS,
COUCHES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WHEREBY PARTS THEREOF
CAN BE MADE TO FORM A FIRE ESCAPE WHEN REQUIRED.
"
Sealed the 18th January 1856, and dated the 26th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Dawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
July 1855.
I, THOMAS DAWSON, of King's Arms Yard, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said luvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BED-
STEADS, COUCHES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WHEREBY PARTS THEREOF
CAN BE MADE TO FORM A FIRE ESCAPE WHEN REQUIRED," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing bedsteads, conches, and other like.
articles of furniture in such manner that parts thereof may be so disposed as to
answer the purpose of a fire escape. For instance, 1 make the side frames of
a bedstead of a tube, and enclose within it several other telescopic tubes. I
connect one end of the tubes by a swivel or other suitable joint permanently to
the head posts, and to these elongating tubes (or tubular parts) I attach a
sacking or net by means of rings or other appliances. In the event of fire, the
head posts are drawn up to the foot posts by connecting rods, through which

page_text: they slide. The fire escape sacking or net is made to overhang the window,
and the same operation also dislodges the tubes from the foot posts against
which they rested, by a rod being run out of them. The tubes, now no longer
supported by the foot, take their incline to the street, and are let down by
unwinding a rope from two cylinders, which act in such manner as to prevent
the too rapid descent of the tubes and sacking. The persons escaping descend
in the sacking to the ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Dawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DAWSON, of King's Arms Yard, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Dawson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Dawson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Dawson, 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 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 BEDSTEADS,
COUCHES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WHEREEY PARTS THEREOF CAN
DE MADE TO FORM A FIRE ESCAPE WHEN REQUIRED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Dawson, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Thomas Dawson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-

page_text: My Invention consists in constructing bedsteads, couches, and other like
articles of furniture in such manner that parts thereof may be so disposed as
to answer the purpose of a fire escape. For instance, I make the side frames
of a bedstead of a tube, and enclose within it several other telescopic tubes. 1
connect one end of the tubes by a swivel or other suitable joint permanently to
the bed posts, and to these clongating tubes (or tubular parts) I attach a
sacking or net by means of rings or other appliances. In the event of fire, the
head posts are drawn up to the foot posts by connecting rods, through which
they slide. The fire escape sacking or net is made to overhang the window,
and the same operation also dislodges the tubes from the foot posts against.
which they rested, by a rod being run out of them. The tubes, now no longer
supported by the foot, take their incline to the street, and are let down by
unwinding a rope from two cylinders, which act in such manner as to prevent
the too rapid descent of the tubes and sacking. The persons escaping descend
in the sacking to the ground.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bedstead constructed with my telescopic
tubes. A, A, are the legs; B, B, the side frames, each consisting of a tube,
which encloses several smaller tubes, stopped in any suitable manner to prevent
their being drawn entirely out of one another; C is a sacking, hanging loosely
upon rings or ropes between the tube side frames; D, D, laths for the support
of the bedding; E, E, guide rods, one of which only is seen in the Drawing.
These rods are fixed to the foot legs and rest in a mortice in the head legs.
F, F, are two other guide rods; one end of each rod passes through a mortice
in each of the foot legs. G is a cross bar, connected to the ends of the rods
F, F, and to the ends of the side frame tubes B, B; H, H, are links for con-
necting the last and smallest tube in each series of tubes to the axis I;
K, K, are rollers, round which a rope fastened at one end to the cross bar G
is passed. The axis f is carried out at j for the reception of a winch handle
to wind up or let off the rope.
In the event of fire, the foot of the bed is wheeled to a window, the head
posts are pushed towards it, the cross bar G, together with the ends of the side
tubes B, B, are protruded out of the window, and lowered down by unwinding
the rope into the street. Figure 2 shews the position of the parts when
prepared for use as a fire escape.
As a modification of my Invention, I sometimes make the upper half of the
foot or head posts of a bedstead to consist of telescopic tubes, the smallest one
jointed at the end, or made to work on a swivel, and fitted to the lower half of
the posts. This arrangement allows the telescopic half of the posts being
lowered out of the window and the parts elongated into the street by simply

page_text: turning the handle to the rollers around which the rope or chain is coiled. The
rollers are fitted to the opposite posts, but encased.
My telescopic tubes with sacking may be applied to couches, ottomans,
window poles, and other like articles of furniture to form the sides or ends
thereof when used in the ordinary manner, and rollers for lowering them when
to be used as a fire escape may be dispensed with, when the rope or chain
connected to the ends of those tubes which are to reach to the ground may be
let out by hand.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the construction
of bedsteads, sofas, couches, window poles, and other like articles of furniture
with parts thereof formed with telescopic tubes, or tubes enclosing a series of
smaller tubes, or with such tubes adapted thereto which may be used as a fire
escape, in the manner herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dawson, have hercunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
D
TOCUST CUTOUT
(S) NOS