Certain Improvements in the Construction of Bedsteads.
Year: 1898

page_text: Certain Improvements in the Construction of Bedsteads.
We, FREDERICK JAMES MIDDLETON, of Victoria Iron Foundry, Rolfe Street,
Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Managing Director, and WILLIAM MOLINEAUX,
of Cutler Street, Smethwick, aforesaid, Foundry Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to metallic bedsteads and also to those bedsteads
which are partly metallic and are made with wooden pillars. Heretofore it has been
customary to secure the angle iron or other sides or both the said sides and end bars
or tubes to the pillar castings by the angle iron or other bars or tubes having dove-
tailed projecting chills cast on each end which engage in corresponding dovetailed
slots cast in the corner chills of the pillars.
According to the first part of this invention the end angle irons or other bars or
tubes at the foot and at the head of the bedstead or at the foot only are made
without the usual end castings that is to say they are merely plain pieces of angle
iron or tube or other suitable material with the ends cut off square or other shape.
The chilled dovetailed ends which are cast on the angle iron or other sides are if
necessary made longer than usual and are each cast with side recesses of the proper
shape to admit the ends of the end angle iron bars or tubes or bars of other material.
In fixing the parts together the ends of the end angle iron bars or tubes or bars of
other material are first inserted in the said recesses in the chills of the angle iron or
other sides so as to be supported thereby and the dovetailed ends of the angle or
other sides are then dropped into the corner chills of the pillars. We thus save the
cost of casting the chills on the angle iron or other end bars or tubes and moreover
the latter will pack one into or against the other and occupy less space, and the foot
ends of the bedsteads will, by the angle iron or other bar or tube being made loose,
also pack into less space than when made in the usual way.
The second part of this invention is applicable only to the combined metallic and
wooden bedsteads which are made with wooden pillars and consists of the herein
described improved means for securing to the pillars the dovetailed corner chill
castings which receive the ends of the angle irons or other side bars or tubes and in
some cases are also made to take the ends of the end angle iron or other bars or
tubes.
We make the said corner casting (which has the dovetailed slot or slots to receive
the dovetailed ends of the angle iron or other bars or tubes) hollowed out at the back
or otherwise shaped so as to fit properly against the wooden pillar. Cast or otherwise
fixed in the back of this casting we provide a screwed shank or pin which passes
through a hole in the pillar and has a nut at its outer end by which the casting
is effectually secured to the pillar. In order to afford an increased bearing for
the casting on the pillar and to take the strain off the said shank or pin we prefer

page_text: to cast a square or other snug on the back of the said corner casting to take
into a corresponding hole or recess in the pillar.
Dated this 9th day of February 1898
Certain improvements in the Construction of Deusteaus.
We, FREDERICK JAMES MIDDLETON, of Victoria Iron Foundry, Rolfe Street,
Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Managing Director, and WILLIAM MOLINEAUX,
of Cutler Street, Smethwick, aforesaid, Foundry Manager, 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 metallic bedsteads and also to those bedsteads
which are partly metallic and are made with wooden pillars. Heretofore it has
been customary to secure the angle iron or other sides or both the said sides and
end bars or tubes to the pillar castings by the angle iron or other bars or tubes
having dovetailed projecting chills cast on each end which engage in corresponding
dovetailed slots cast in the corner chills of the pillars.
The object of this invention is to so connect the end angle iron or other end bars
or tubes to the angle iron or other sides of the bedstead that the chills which are
usually cast on the said end bars or tubes are dispensed with, thus effecting a
saving in the cost of manufacture and enabling the said end bars or tubes to pack
one into or against the other and occupy less space than when the said chills
aré cast thereto. Moreover, the ends of the bedstead will by the angle iron or other
end bars or tubes being made loose also pack into less space than when made in the
usual way.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawing on
which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of part of a metallic bedstead constructed
according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 shews a part of
one of the angle iron sides and its dovetailed chills of the said bedstead; Fig. 4 is
a separate view of one of the end angle bars of the same; and Fig. 5 shews the
end of one of the angle iron sides with a modified form of chill suitable when end
tubes are used instead of the angle section bars.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
According to this invention the end angle irons A¹ A2 or other bars or tubes at
the foot and at the head of the bedstead or at the foot only are made without the
usual end castings, that is to say, they are merely plain pieces of angle iron (such
as shewn in Fig. 4) or tube or other suitable material with the ends cut off square
or of other suitable shape. The chilled dovetailed ends B1 B2 which are cast on the
angle iron or other side C¹ and the chilled dovetailed ends B3 B+ which are cast on
the angle iron or other side (2 are, if necessary, made slightly longer than usual and
are each cast with a side recess b¹ (see Fig. 3) of the proper shape to admit and
support the ends of the angle iron bars A' A2 or tubes or bars of other material; Fig. 3
shews the recess b¹ of an angle shape suitable for the end angle bars A¹ A2 and
Fig. 5 shews the said recess 61 made of circular form for use when tubes are
substituted for the angle section bars A¹ A².
In fixing the parts together the ends of the angle iron bars A¹ A2 or tubes or bars
of other material are first inserted in' the recesses 61 in' the chills B1 B2 of the angle
iron or other bar C¹ and in the chills B³ B* of the other angle or other side C² so that

page_text: the end bars or tubes A¹ A2 will be supported thereby. The dovetailed ends 62 of
the angle iron or other sides C Care then dropped into the corner chills D of the
pillars E E2 E3 E. The pillars E¹ E' are at the foot of the bedstead and the other
pillars E3 E at the head of the bedstead. The pillars E¹ E2 at the foot of the
bedstead are kept at the proper distance apart as are also the pillars E³ E at the
head of the bedstead by the ordinary construction of the bedstead ends which is
well known.
We thus save the cost of casting the chills on to the angle iron or other end bars
or tubes A¹ A' and moreover the latter will take one into the other or against the
other and occupy less space than when the chills are cast on to their ends. Also
the ends of the bedstead will by the angle iron or other bars or tubes being made
loose also pack into less space than when made in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
In metallic bedsteads and in bedsteads which are partly metallic and are made
with wooden pillars, the employment, with the bedstead ends, of the side angle bars
or other side bars or side tubes made with side recesses such as b¹ in their end
dovetail castings in combination with the end bars or end tubes made without end
castings and fitting in the said side recesses of the side bars or side tubes,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 15th day of November 1898
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.