IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BEDS, BOLSTERS, PILLOWS, AND SOFA AND OTHER CUSHIONS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin George, of Kingsland Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BEDS, BOLSTERS, PILLOWS, AND SOFA AND OTHER
CUSHIONS"
Sealed the 9th December 1862, and dated the 12th June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin George at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
June 1862.
I, BENJAMIN GEORGE, of Kingsland Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BEDS, BOLSTERS, PILLOWS, AND SOFA AND
OTHER CUSHIONS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that description of portable beds, pillows, bolsters,
or cushions, which are inflated with air, and are occasionally employed on
shipboard, where they may serve as life preservers in cases of shipwreck. A
shaped tick or case of suitable material, and about six feet long, and of the
required width, with flat bottom and top surfaces, and wall sides, is made to
open at the two ends and also at one of the sides, and when clased it is
buttoned with flaps over the openings. In this tick or case I insert a series of
bag or tubes.. These bags or tubes are made of some suitable waterproof and
ir-tight material, such as vulcanized waterproof cloth, and are closed up at
[Price 8d.1

page_text: one end and provided with an orifice at the other. Into the neck of the bag
is secured a short branch tube, provided with a metal cock or tap, made
perfectly air-tight. At the outer end of this branch pipe is a male screw or
union, whereby it may be fitted into a brass or other metal feed pipe, which is
common to all the bags, and is stopped at each end by a moveable stopper or
mount. As many of the branch tubes or bags as may be required may be
connected with the feeding pipe,and the bags with their connections are placed
in the tick or case, and kept from shifting about therein by means of small
straps made of cloth, or other suitable material, provided with button holes at
one of their ends, the other ends of the straps being attached permanently to
the tick. I then button down the top part of the tick or case with the flaps
by means of straps and buttons, and I attach to one of the ends of the metal
feeding tube a small pair of bellows and inflate the whole of the tubes or
bags; or I shut off one or more of the tubes by means of the stop-cocks, and
inflate only as many of the tubes as may be required. When the inflation is
completed the feeding tube may be removed if desired, but by allowing it to
remain it will receive and retain any air that may escape from either of the
tubes. By the use of this feeding tube, and by its having the opening at each
end, it will be evident that by removing one of the stoppers the tube can be
fed with air at either side of the bed, without the necessity of lifting up the
bed. The air in the bags or tubes can also be readily regulated, and the tubes
or bags can be easily removed from the tick or case, and used as life preservers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin George in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
GEORGE, of Kingsland Road, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Benjamin George, Her special license that I, the said Benjamin
George, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin George; my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORTABLE BEDS, BOLSTERS, PILLOWS, AND SOFA
AND OTHER CUSHIONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin George, 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 Benjamin George do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to that description of portable beds, pillows, bolsters,
or cushions, which are inflated with air, and are occasionally employed on
shipboard, where they may serve as life preservers in cases of shipwreck.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn various views of a portable
bed or mattrass constructed according to my Invention. Fig. 1 is a plan
view of the bed inflated ready for use, a part of the upper tick or covering
being cut away in order to show more clearly the internal parts. Fig. 2 is a
longitudinal vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical
section. A shaped tick or case a, a, a, of suitable material and about six feet
long, and of the required width, with flat bottom and top surfaces and wall
sides is made to open at the two ends, as shewn in Fig. 2. It is also made to
open at one of the sides, and when closed it is buttoned with flaps over the
openings, as shewn at a', a', a', in Figures 1, 2, and 3. In this tick or case I
insert a series of bags or tubes b, b. These bags or tubes are made of some
suitable waterproof and air-tight material, such as vulcanized waterproof cloth,
and are closed up at one end, and provided with an orifice at the other, as
shewn in the enlarged detached views, Figures 4 and 5. Into the neck of
the bag b, b, is secured a short branch tube c, provided with a metal cock or
tap d, made perfectly air-tight. At the outer end of this pipe is a male
screw or uniou c', whereby it may be fitted into one of the branches of a brass
or other metal feed pipe e, which is common to all the bags b, b, and is
stopped at each end either by a moveable stopper or mount, or by a stop-cock
ff, as shewn in Fig. 1. As many of the branch tubes and bags b as may be
required, may be connected with the feeding pipe e, and the bags b, with their

page_text: connections c, are placed in a tick or case a, a, and are kept from shifting
about therein by means of small straps g, g, Fig. 3, made of cloth or other
suitable material, and provided with button holes at one of their ends, the
other ends of the straps being attached permanently to the tick a.
The bags
having been placed in the tick a, a, in their several compartments, the flaps of
the top part of the tick or case are buttoned down by means of straps and
buttons, as shewn in the Figures; and I attach to one of the ends of the metal
feeding tube e a small pair of bellows, as shewn by dots in Fig. 1, aud I am
enabled thereby to inflate simultaneously the whole of the tubes or bags b; or I
shut off one or more of the tubes b by means of the stop-cocks d, and inflate
only as many of the tubes b as may be required. When the inflation is com-
pleted, all the stop-cocks may be turned off, and the feeding tube e removed
if desired; but by allowing this feeding tube to remain, and closing the ends
by turning the stop-cocks f, it will receive and retain any air that may
accidentally escape from either of the tubes b. By the use of this feeding
tube e, and by its having an opening at each end, it will be evident that by
removing one of the stoppers the feeding tube e can be supplied with air at
either side of the bed without the necessity of lifting up the bed, it being only
necessary to open one of the stop-cocks f after the inflating bellows has been
adapted. The tubes or bags b, being all separate and distinct from each
other, can be easily removed from the tick or case a, and used as life pre-
servers by simply unbuttoning one end of the tick or cover as indicated by
dots in Fig. 2, and unscrewing the union connection with the feed pipe e, and
then drawing out the tube b. For this purpose the ends of all the tubes or
bags are provided with strings or other fastenings, so that they may be secured
round the body, and thereby assist in supporting it in the water. The cocks d
of all the bags bare turned by means of a key with a square end, and which
key it is proposed should be connected to the feeding pipe e by means of a
chain, so as to prevent it from being lost or mislaid.
It will of course be understood that when the bed is required to be packed
up for removal the bags b may, if desired, be removed from the outer case,
and all the air expelled therefrom. They may then be folded up into a small
space for convenience of packing, I also divide the feeding pipe e into two parts,
by adapting to its central part an union joint e', as shewu in the plan view
Fig. 1. I would also remark that bolsters, pillows, and sofa and other
cushions may be constructed on the same principle as that above described,
and furthermore that beds of any width may be made by the employment of
additional tubes or bags b, and increasing the width of the outer case or tick
accordingly.

page_text: Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Portable Beds, Bolsters, Pillows, and Sofa and other Cushions," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the use of any number of
separate air bags or tubes b, secured in a suitable tick or outer case, as above
set forth, in combination with a common feed or supply pipe e, whereby all
the separate bags or tubes may be. simultaneously inflated as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin George, have hereunto set my
hand and seal the Twelfth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
H. E. NEWTON,
66, Chancery Lane.
BENJN. GEORGE. (L.S.)