Improvements in Wire Mattresses, Pillows, and Bolsters, applicable also to Couches, Sofas, Chairs, Seats, or the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire Mattresses, Pillows, and Bolsters, applicable
also to Couches, Sofas, Chairs, Seats, or the like.
I, THOMAS HILTON, of Moss Side Works, Great Western Street, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Wire Mattress Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to provide a pillow or bolster for woven wire
mattresses either in combination with or separate from the mattress also to form
the arms backs or ends of couches sofas easy chairs and others seats such as the
seats of railway and other carriages and the like.
It consists essentially in forming the pillow bolster arm back etcetera by arching
or curving the wire web so as to put a tension on the outer surface of the material
the tension being increased by drawing the two ends together either in com-
bination with the mattress or seat by taking part of the web of which the article is
made or separately in the form of a bolster pillow or back by fitting the wire web
onto a suitable frame and curving or arching it up above the frame into the desired
shape.
In carrying out the invention as applied to wire mattresses I make the supporting
frame in the usual way and attach the woven wire web which forms the mattress
thereto and to a sliding stretching bar. From the stretching bar I carry a further
length of the wire web or a detached piece of web attached to the bar to the end
of the frame to which the stretching screws are attached. This length of the
wire web is considerably longer than the distance between the two bars to which it
is attached and assumes a semicircular form. The drawing of the two bars closer
together to which it is attached tends to increase the tension on the outer side of
the arch and so stiffens it. It will thus be seen that the tightening of the wire
mattress by longitudinal tension and of the arched part which forms the pillow or
bolster by increasing the curve of the raised part are effected by the one movement
of the stretcher bar.
As applied to detached bolster or pillows the woven wire web is at its ends
attached to two bars one rigidly attached to a frame and the other capable of
sliding thereon. As before the length of the web is considerably in excess of
the distance between the two connecting bars and it is arched or curved up into
the desired form. The two bars are connected together by tightening bolts or
screws and the sliding bar is held in its position on the frame by a bolt passed
through a slot.
As applied to the arms or backs of sofas chairs and seats the parts may be
formed by attaching the required length of the woven wire web to bars either
rigidly or movable connected together or the two edges may in some instances be
attached to one bar. The arms and backs of these seats or couches may be made
independently of the bottom or may when the shape will admit of it be formed in
combination therewith either from the same web or from a separate web.
The web may be attached to the bars in any convenient way. The shape of the
pillow arm or back will be varied according to the way the attachment is made and
to the length of the material used. These will therefore be adjusted to the shape
and size the article is to be when finished.
Pillows bolster arms or backs made in accordance with this invention will not
require any shaped or distending frames placed at the end of the article to keep

page_text: the wire in place and shape as this will be entirely effected by the tension put upon
the outer surface by the bend or curve given to the web.
Dated this 28th day of September 1892.
W. P: THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire Mattresses, Pillows, and Bolsters, applicable
also to Couches, Sofas, Chairs, Seats, or the like.
I, THOMAS HILTON, of Moss Side Works, Great Western Street, Manchester,
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 is designed to provide a pillow or bolster for woven wire
mattresses in combination with the mattress also to form the arms backs or ends of
couches sofas easy chairs and other seats such as the seats of railway and other
carriages and the like.
It consists essentially in forming the pillow bolster arm or back in combination
with the mattress or seat by taking part of the web, or a separate piece of web,
attached to one of the stretchers and arching or curving the wire so as to put a
tension on the outer surface of the material the tension being increased by drawing
the two ends together.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
as examples the invention is shown as applied to several articles.
Fig. 1. Longitudinal sectional elevation of woven wire mattress with bolster
constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2. End elevation.
Fig. 3. Plan with woven wire removed.
Fig. 4. Perspective view of same.
Fig. 5. Perspective view of mattress showing a modified form of attachment.
Fig. 6. Perspective view of couch or sofa with arm constructed according to my
invention.
Fig. 7. Perspective view of easy chair, with back, constructed in accordance with
my invention.
Fig. 8. Perspective view of railway carriage seat for two compartments with the
back constructed in accordance with this invention.
Fig. 9. Longitudinal section of same.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 the invention is shown as applied to wire mattresses
for ordinary bed-steads. To the supporting frame A of wood or metal made in
the usual way I attach the woven wire B to form the mattress. One end of the
woven wire web B is attached to a stretcher bar C at the end of the supporting
frame and the other end of the web is attached to the sliding stretcher bar D which
is placed at some distance from the other end of the frame A this distance regu-
lating the width of the bolster or pillow to be formed. From the sliding bar D I
carry a further length of the wire web B' to the bar E at the end of the frame to
which the stretching screws e are attached. This length of wire web B₁ may
either be a part of the web B or a detached piece attached to the same sliding
stretching bar D at present I prefer to employ a separate piece. This piece of
wire web B¹ is considerably longer than the distance between the two bars to which
it is attached and assumes an arched or semicircular form. The drawing closer
together of the two bars D and E to which it is attached tends to increase
the tension on the outer side of the arch and so stiffens it. It will thus be seen

page_text: that the tightening of the wire mattress B by longitudinal tension and of the arched
part B' which forms the pillow or bolster by increasing the curve of the raised part
are effected by the one movement of the stretcher bar D.
Referring to Fig. 5 a modification is shown in which the arched part B¹ is
attached to two rigid bars D' and E' and the mattress web B is attached at one
end to the rigid bar D' to which the curved web B' is also attached and at the
other end or foot is attached to a sliding stretching bar. In this modification the
required degree of tension is given to the web B¹ forming the pillow or bolster
before the bars are secured in position and the mattress web B is stretched by the
sliding bar Cat the foot.
Referring to Fig. 6 the invention is shown applied to a couch the web B
forming the seat and the web B₁ the arm. The web B is attached at one end to
the fixed rail or bar C and at the other to the sliding stretcher bar or rail D. To
the bar D is also attached one end of the web B₁ and the other end is attached
to the bar E¹ which is fixed and stationary. The web B' is in length greatly in
excess of the distance between the two bars D and E' and is curved or arched so
as to put a tension on its outer surface and prevent it bending inwards. The
sliding stretcher bar D is drawn up and tension applied to the web B by two
screws e.
Referring to Fig. 7 the invention is shown applied to an easy chair the woven
wire web B forming the seat and the web B' forming the back. The web B
front of the chair is attached to the fixed bar or rail C and at the back
to the sliding stretcher bar D. One end of the curved or arched web B' which
forms the back is also attached to the sliding stretcher bar D and the other end of
it is attached to the fixed bar or rail E' which forms the upper support for the
back. The length of the web B¹ is considerably greater than the distance between
the two bars D and E' and the outer surface is placed in tension by the curve or
arch given to it. The sliding stretcher bar D is drawn up by the screws e to
regulate the tension of the two webs B, B¹.
Referring to Figs. 8 and 9 the invention is shown applied to the seats of railway
carriages where the seats of two compartments are placed back to back. As in
the other illustrations the woven wire web B forms the seat and the web B¹ the
back thereof. The webs B are attached at the fronts of the seats to the fixed rails
or bars C and at the back to the sliding stretcher bars D. One edge of the curved
or arched webs B' which form the backs is attached to the sliding bars D and the
other edge of the two webs are attached to the single fixed bar E. The screws e
by which the tension of the webs is adjusted pass through and are connected to the
fixed bar E. The bar E' is held in position by the supporting brackets el or secured
at a suitable height in the framework of the carriage. Each of the webs B' is
greater in length than the distance between the sliding bars E and the fixed bar E
and the outer surface of the web is placed in tension by the curve or bend thus
giving sufficient rigidity.
The web may be attached to the bars in any convenient way. The shape of the
pillow arm or back will be varied according to the way the attachment is made and
to the length of the material used. These will therefore be adjusted to the shape
and size the article is to be when finished.
Pillows, bolster arms or backs made in accordance with this invention will not
require any shaped or distending frames placed at the end of the article to keep the
wire in place and shape as this will be entirely effected by the tension put upon
the outer surface by the bend or curve given to the web and to the position of the
bars to which they are attached. The woven wire webs B and B' may be
upholstered or covered with cushions or the like in any desired manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that separate detachable articles such as pillows or bolsters have been made from

page_text: woven wire web bent or curved into shape and that such does not constitute any
part of my invention, but I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with a woven wire mattress of a separate piece of the wire
web attached to the sliding stretcher bar and to a fixed or stationary bar, of greater
length than the distance between the two, arched or curved so as to put tension on
the outer surface of the material to form a bolster or pillow the tension both on the
mattress and pillow being increased by the movement of the stretcher bar substan-
tially as described.
2. The combination of woven wire mattress and pillow constructed and arranged
in the modified form substantially as described and shown in Fig. 5.
3. The combination with a couch sofa chair or seat formed with a bottom of
woven wire web of an arm or back formed of a second woven wire web, attached
to the sliding stretcher bar and to a fixed or stationary bar, arched or curved to
put tension on the outer surface thereof substantially as described.
4. A seat for railway carriages constructed and arranged substantially as
described and shown with reference to Figs. 8 and 9.
Deted this 6th day of June 1893
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.