A NEW OR IMPROVED VENTILATING SPRING MATTRESS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Edwin Townshend, of No. 136, Curtain Road,
Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex, Bedding Manufacturer, for the
Sealed the 27th March 1866, and dated the 30th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Edwin Townshend
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th September 1865.
I, JOSEPH EDWIN TOWNSHEND, of No. 186, Curtain Road, Shoreditch, in the
County of Middlesex, Bedding Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED VENTILATING SPRING MATTRESS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction of spring mattresses in such manner
that they shall become self-ventilating or capable of forcing air through the
hair or other material of which the body of the mattresses is composed, so as
thereby to increase and maintain the wholesomeness of the entire material of
which the mattresses are composed...
My Invention consists in substituting for the partially open bottom of the
box or framing containing the springs a solid bottom of wood or other material,
which solid bottom I pierce or perforate, so as to form, any number of apertures

page_text: that may be desired of circular, oval, square, or any suitable shape. I fit
these apertures each with a valve, or I fit a number of these apertures with
one valve common to all, as may be found most convenient. These valves
are so formed and fitted, that while air is readily admitted to the inside of the
box or framing containing the springs, any air pressure from within will
securely close the valves, allowing of no air escape. It will be obvious, therefore,
that any pressure or motion on the mattress will cause the air within the box
or framing to be forced through the material composing the mattress, and
maintain the same in a wholesome and dry state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Edwin Townshend in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
EDWIN TOWNSHEND, of No. 136, Curtain Road, Shoreditch, in the County of
Middlesex, Bedding Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Edwin Townshend, Her special licence that I, the said
Joseph Edwin Townshend, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Edwin Townshend, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED VENTILATING SPRING MATTRESS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Edwin Townshend, my ex-
ecutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Joseph Edwin Townshend, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is-to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to the construction of spring mattresses in such manner
that they shall become self-ventilating or capable of forcing air through the
hair or other material of which the body of the mattresses is composed, so as
thereby to increase and maintain the wholesomeness of the entire material of
which the mattresses are composed.
My Invention consists in substituting for the partially open bottom of the
box or framing containing the springs a solid bottom of wood or other material,
which solid bottom I pierce or perforate, so as to form any number of apertures
as may be desired of circular, oval, square, or any suitable shape. I fit these
apertures each with a valve, or I fit a number of these apertures with one
valve common to all as may be found most convenient. These valves are 50
formed and fitted, that while air is readily admitted to the inside of the box
or framing containing the springs, any air pressure from within will securely
close the valves, allowing of no air escape thereby. It will be obvious, therefore,
that any pressure or motion on the mattress will cause the air within the box
or framing to be forced through the material composing the mattress, and
maintain the same in a wholesome and dry state.
In order that the nature of my Invention, and the means by which the.
same is effected, may be thoroughly described and ascertained, I append to
this Specification a Sheet of Drawings, having figures and letters of reference
marked thereupon; the like letters being used to denote similar parts in each
Figure. These Drawings illustrate one application of my Invention. Figure 1
being a side view partly in section of a spring mattress, constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2, a plan (partly in section), and Figure 3, a transverse
section of the same. In these Figures, A represents the solid bottom of frame
of mattress in which are apertures B; in the Drawing these apertures are
arranged in sets of three, as will be seen by reference to Figure 3 and the
dotted circles in Figure 2. One valve is made to close each set of three holes ;
the valves are marked C. It will be evident, from the Drawings, Figures 1
and 3, that pressure upon the upper part of the mattress will, while compressing
the springs marked D, at the same time force the air contained in the hollow
E through the hair or other material of which the upper part or body
of the mattress is composed, while a fresh supply of air is admitted by the
apertures B, as the pressure is alternated or varied; the valves C effectually
preventing the escape of the air at the apertures B.
space
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish

page_text: it to be particularly understood that what I claim as of my Invention is the
construction of mattresses with solid bottoms, and having apertures provided
with valves, as in this Specification described, or in the appended Drawings
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Edwin Townshend, have hereunto!
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOSEPH EDWIN TOWNSHEND. (L.S.)