Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1838
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
I, FREDERICK PARKER of 16 William Terrace, Hermitage Road, Finsbury Park in
the County of Middlesex, Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a cot or bedstead which can be folded up
into a small space the most convenient form being that in which the two sides
approach each other. This has been hitherto accomplished by making the ends and
bottom in two pieces hinged together and to the sides, but besides being expensive this
design had the great objection that the ends had to be folded inwards and consequently
there was no room for the mattress when the cot was folded up.
Now I am able to reduce the cost of manufacture and at the same time provided room
for the mattress, by forming the ends and the bottom of lattice work made of laths
crossed and jointed in the usual manner and having a slot or equivalent connection
with the other portions of the cot or bedstead where required to accomodate the
movement of the laths. With this arrangement the cot will fold up leaving just space
enough to receive the mattress.
Instead of using complete lattice work I may form the edges of that and the central
part of rods or pillars. These cots can of course be made of any suitable material,
such for instance as wood, iron or the like.
Suitable stretchers or equivalent may he em ed to fasten the cot open or closed.
A cheaper form may be made by using join ploy s to hold the sides and canvas or
other material to fill in. Two joint stays at et stav d and one or more in the bottom
would make a useful bedstead.
In some ach n
he stay in the bottom may be
cases t
dispensed with altogether.
W. P THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.

page_text: improvements in Folding Cots or Bedsteads.
I, FREDERICK PARKER of 16 William Terrace, Hermitage Road, Finsbury Park in
the County of Middlesex, Upholsterer do liereby 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:-
The object of this invention is to produce a cot or bedstead which can be folded up
into a small space the most convenient form being that in which the two sides approach
each other. This has been hitherto accomplished by making the ends and bottom in
two pieces hinged together and to the sides, but besides being expensive this design
had the great objection that the ends had to be folded inwards and consequently there
was no room for the mattress when the cot was folded up.
Now I am able to reduce the cost of manufacture and at the same time provide room for
the mattress, by forming the ends and bottom of lattice work made of laths crossed and
jointed in the usual manner and having a slot or equivalent connection with the other
portions of the cot or bedstead where required to accomodate the movement of the
faths. With this arrangement the cot will fold up leaving just space enough to receive
the mattress.
Instead of using complete lattice work I may form the edges of lattice-work and the
central part of rods or pillars. These cots can of course be made of any suitable
material, such for instance as wood, iron or the like.
Suitable stretchers or equivalent may be employed to fasten the cot open or closed.
Two joint stays at each end and one or more in the bottom would make a useful
bedstead. In some cases the stay or stays in the bottom may be dispensed with
altogether.
In the accompanying drawings: Figures 1 and 2 are plans of a folding cot or
bedstead constructed according to my invention respectively in extended or open and
closed positions,-figure 3 is an end elevation of figure 1 and figure 4 is transverse
section of figure 2.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The side frames A A of my improved folding cot or bedstead are of ordinary
construction but the two ends B B and the bottom C as shown are of lattice work the
several laths of which are jointed or pivotted together as indicated. It is to be
observed that hereinafter the sides A and ends B are indiscriminately referred to as walls.
Each of the two walls B is secured by the pivot pins D D' at its vertical edges passing
through the inwardly projecting bars E which are rigidly fixed to the posts A¹ of the
walls A. The centre pins D of those last mentioned not having any independent
.)

page_text: movement of their own each is fixed as regards position in one of the bar: E while the
pins D vertically above and below it obviously having sliding motion imparted to
them when the cot is being opened or closed, are passed through slots E¹ wherein
they are capable of moving to the required extent.
The lattice-work forming the bottom C is secured to the horizontal rails F in a
manner similar to that last described with reference to the walls B the centre pins D
being fixed in position in the rails F and the outer pins D1 and D2 being capable of
sliding in slots E' the outer of these slots being longer than the inner ones to admit
of the longer movement (as compared with the movement of the inner pins D¹) which
is imparted to the pins D sliding in them. On the inner ends of the pins Dí in the
walls BI pivot the outer ends of the jointed stretchers G the two parts of each of
which are pivotted together by pin G. These stretchers are formed with overlapping
portions G so that they may be kept rigidly in straight line with each other by the
sleeves G³ which for this purpose are moved into the position indicated at figures 1
and 3 so as to embrace portions of the two parts of the said stretcher, these sleeves
being slipped away from the overlapping portions as indicated in dotted lines at
figure 3 when it is desired to close up the cot.
a
The two portions of the before mentioned stretchers are so shaped that they can only
be moved in the proper direction when it is desired to close up the cot.
The stretchers G₁ which serve to keep the bottom of the cot in extension are in a
manner similar to the other stretchers each formed in two parts jointed or pivotted
together by a pin G¹. The outer end of each of the said two parts is pivotted by a
pin G to one of the rails F while their inner ends are arranged with stops which are
so shaped that besides serving to take the strain which might otherwise be on the
pivot G they prevent the parts of the stretcher from being moved in the wrong
direction, that is to say outwards when it is desired to move them for closing up
the cot.
The last mentioned stretchers if desired may be provided with sleeves such as G³ but
such are not necessary in view of the adjusting movements being horizontal.
Supposing the cot to be in a closed condition as shown at figures 2 and 4 and that
it be desired to extend or open it all that is necessary is to pull the two walls A A
apart force fully outwards the centrally pivotted part of the stretchers G and upwards
the corresponding part of the stretchers G and slip the sleeves G³ over the overlapping
portions of the same the whole would then assume the position indicated at figures 1
and 3. When it is desired to close the cot the before mentioned operations are
reversed.
In some cases I may dispense with the stretchers G and G and instead use winged
nuts on screwed bolts which would take the place of the pins D1 and D2 by these
means I could secure the cot in any degree of extension.
It will be observed that when the cot is in its closed condition there is left in it
sufficient room for accomodating the mattress, a provision which has hitherto not
been attained.
I desire it to be understood that although as an example I have herein described
and shown in the drawings a particular manner of carrying my invention into practice
I do not confine myself to such particular construction as the same may be varied
without departure from the essential feature of the invention, for instance in some
cases I may use only one stretcher or stay or dispense altogether with them in the
bottom of the cot or in place of forming the walls B of expansible lattice-work I may
form the walls A of that material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A folding cot or bedstead having an expansible lattice-work bottom and two
opposite expansible lattice-work walls substantially as herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. In a folding cot or bedstead the combination with expansible lattice-work walls
and bottom of jointed stretchers such as G and G substantially as horoin described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the complete
folding cot or bedstead substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.