Improvements in or connected with Mattresses.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec, 1894-Accepted. 9th Feb., 1895
Improvements in or connected with Mattresses.
I, GEORGE ALFRED BILLINGTON, of Cambridge Street, Liverpool, in the
'County of Lancaster. Wire Mattress Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention has reference to padded mattresses for beds, and has special
reference to hospital bed mattresses, or mattresses used under similar oi kindred
circumstances, or in cases where it is undesirable that a mattress should be used for
two consecutive occupants of the bed, or for a long time, in the same condition, that
13 to say, where the bed has been used by an occupant who may cause the mattress
of the bed to become infected or to hold infection, or become objectionable in any
way; and the chief object of this invention is to provide a means by which the
conditions existing after the use of such mattresses are inexpensively, and casily,
obviated, and the bed and mattress restored to the required proper and sanitary
state.
According to this invention, a mattress is comprised of two parts, a cover with
one end or part which can be opened and closed, and a "filler" consisting of
"wood-fibre," such as is used as packing material, matted together in the form or
shape of a mattress and adapted to fit within said cover, and held together by string
stitching; or, as a modification, by thin and mexpensive covering of textile material,
such as the knitted material now commonly used for covering ment, as imported into
this country.
The invention will be further described with the aid of the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 of the diawings shews the outside of the mattress in perspective;
while
Figure 2 shews in perspective a filler according to the invention.
Referring now to these drawings, the cover a is made of any suitable material,
as ordinary mattress ticking, and constitutes a simple cover of the form of a mat-
tress with one end or part made to open and close, that shewn being an end and
consisting of flaps bb, with buttons and buttonholes.
The filler shewn consists of the wood packing material c, matted and pressed
together, and worked up into the form of the mattress, and to the sufficient density
(as for instance about that of an ordinary mattress), and held together by string,
passed over and through the wood material in the manner or nature of large loose
or comparatively loose stitches d. A comparatively small number of these large
stitches over the length and breadth of the matted material is sufficient to render
the complete article sufficiently compact, and possessing sufhcient adherence to
hold together, and capable of being handled The filler so made is passed into the
cover through the open end afforded by the flaps bb', which of course are after-
wards closed. The quality or grade of packing material or wood-fibre which
have found may be used with success, is a comparatively fine cut one, such as 18
commonly used for packing biscuits, and other Iragile articles. A mattress made
of this and in the manner described affords the necessary qualities of a fairly good
mattress, viz. a comfortable or serviceable one, such as are suitable for use on
hospital beds with wire or metallic elastic bottoms, in connection with which such
mattresses are particularly suitable.

page_text: One of the advantages of the employment of my invention in connection with
hospital beds, is that a large saving in first cost is effected, and the costs and charges
connected with the maintenance of the bed, is very considerably reduced. The
cost of an original mattress comprising a cover of good material, as ticking, with
the filler of wood fibre as described, is relatively small; and then after this, as
regards its maintenance, the difficulties which exist in connection with the
mattresses usually employed, as hair mattresses, in disinfecting and cleaning
them, after they have been used by a patient, are by this invention obviated, these
operations being rendered far less troublesome, aud at the same time thoroughly
efficient and sanitary. All that is done in the use of my invention 1, the filler 15
removed from its cover, and buint or destroyed and a new one used in its stead;
while the cover itself is easily purified, by washing and disinfecting in the ordinary
way; whilst in the case of a hair mattress, or the like, as usually employed, when
the mattress has to be disinfected or purified, usually the whole mattress has to be
stoved, and if the temperature is carried to a high degree, the filling material loses
its original nature, and the original nature or quality of the mattress is very much
changed and its value reduced, and, if on the other hand the stoving temperature
is not carried sufficiently high to render the purification and disinfection complete,
then the process 18 not efficient, but insanitary, and the danger of infection exists.
On the other hand, the mattress according to my invention, is cheap in the first
instance, the means or mode of disinfecting and obviating chances of subsequent
infection is extremely simple, and the fillers being very inexpensive, the cost of
putting the bed in the proper condition is very small. Thus an inexpensive and
thoroughly sanitary means for dealing with hospital bed mattresses is afforded by
this invention.
It will be plain from the description of the nature of the mattress according to
my invention, and its uses, and the effects and results afforded by it, that it may
also be applied in connection with ships' emigrant or transport berths, in barracks,
and und ei analogous conditions, with advantage
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described new or improved mattress consisting of a cover of
textile material such as described having an end or part capable of being opened,
and a 64
filler" composed of wood fibre matted and held together, substantially as
described, and adapted to be passed into and out of the cover, for the purposes
described.
2. A "filler" adapted to be used as and for the purposes specified, composed of
wood fibre matted together into the shape and form of a mattress, and bound or
held together, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 27th day of December 1894.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.