CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON BEDS, BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, SEATS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
PRATT, of New Bond Street, in the Parish of Saint George Hanover Square,
in the City of Westminster, Camp Equipage Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Pratt,
His especial licence that I, the said Samuel Pratt, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Pratt, my exors, adiñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON BEDS,
BEDSTEADS, COUCHES, SEATS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," partly commu-
nicated to me by a Foreigner resident abroad, and partly my own discovery;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Samuel Pratt, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particu-
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in

page_text: and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Pratt, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to construct an elastic and swinging seat,
couch, or bed, to be used on ship-board for the purpose of preventing the un-
pleasant effects experienced by some persons from the motions of the vessel,
called sea sickness. The improved apparatus may be fitted up in various
ways, the leading features being a suspension of the frame of the seat or couch
upon jimbles or joints turning at right angles to each other, and an elasticity
produced both in the seat or cushion and in the swinging frame by the employ-
ment of spiral metal springs. Having formed the frame of the seat or cushion
of wood of any required dimensions and shape, according to the purpose or
situation in which it is to be applied, I cover the frame with stained canvas
and brace it with webbing, or otherwise lay the foundation as the seats of
chairs or couches are usually done. Upon this I place any convenient number
of spiral springs, made by twisting steel or iron wire into the form of an hour
glass, that is, two cones united at their apexes. The lower parts of these springs
are to be sewn to the canvas or webbing, and their upper parts secured in their
proper situations and erect positions by packthread or small cords tied or
braced from one to the other, crossing like a net. On the tops of these springs
the usual covering is laid, and then a thin layer of horse hair or wool, upon
which the outer covering is fitted and finished agreeable to the taste of the
manufacturer. It is obvious that according to the kind of seat or couch to be
made, whether chair, sofa, or bed, so must the arrangement of the parts be
varied which are to constitute the frame or swinging apparatus; I have there-
fore thought it only necessary to show the construction of a swinging frame
for a small couch, as every other kind of seat or couch will be but a variation
in dimensions of some of the parts without deviating from the general prin-
ciple of construction.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a couch or settee with its woodwork and
swinging framing, upon which the cushion a, a, is mounted; this cushion
is formed in the manner above described, and rendered elastic by the spiral
springs attached to the webbing within the coverings, as explained and shewn
by dots in this Figure. The form of the wooden frame of the couch may be
varied in any tasteful way according as fashion shall dictate, but that of the

page_text: swinging frame below will not admit of much variation, except in dimensions
and in the introduction of a greater or less number of springs according to the
kind of article, whether a chair or couch or a bed intended to be made.
Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view of the swinging frame, showing more
clearly than the former Figure the manner in which the lateral springs are
applied below to meet and afford resistance to the swinging frame as it
vibrates. The upper rim of the swinging frame, seen at b, b, Fig. 1, is made
of wrought iron, upon which the couch or seat is secured. c, c, are rods or
arms connecting the upper rim with the bottom bar d, d. c, e, are spiral springs
applied to the sides and ends of the bottom bar, which springs are held by
brackets extending from the bottom frame f,f; or instead of the brackets a
rim or plate of metal may be placed round the bottom of the apparatus for the
springs to bear against. The upper rim b, b, of the swinging frame is attached
by joints g, g, to the second rim h, h, and this by similar joints i to the
standards k. Thus, the seat or couch is made to swing upon jimbles, having
a free vibratory action upon its joints, which, with the elastic cushion, will
enable the couch to give way to pressure, and when one or more persons are
seated or recumbent upon it; and the effects of the pitching and rolling of a
ship at sea will become in a great measure neutralized. The same principle
of construction will apply to differently formed seats, couches, or beds, their
variations being only in the number and dispositions of the springs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Pratt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty covon
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.