IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF METALLIC BEDSTEADS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Cook, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, and James Stokes, Journeyman Metallic Bed-
stead Maker, also of Birmingham, in the said County, for the Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Cook and James
Stokes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 9th March 1857.
We, EDWARD COOK, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman,
and JAMES STOKES, Journeyman Metallic Bedstead Maker, also of Birmingham,
in the same County, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF METALLIC BEDSTEADS," to be as follows (that.
is to say):
Our improvements relato to a mode or modes of finishing the metallic laths
for the sackings of such bedsteads, and also in the manner of attaching the
laths to the frames of such bedsteads; and our plan of realizing such improve-
ments will be understood from the following description.
Round or other suitably formed holes are pierced at proper distances on the
side and end rails, and the metallic laths are pierced with a small hole at each
end, exactly concentric with the other holes in the frames as they lie across or
lengthways of the frames.
The ends of the laths are cut of a semi-circular or other suitable shape by

page_text: aid of suitable tools and a fly press. The small hole in the ends of the laths
may be pierced at the same time the ends are being formed, or it may be done
at two operations, as most convenient.
On the under side of the ends of each lath we then. apply a small pin,
having a reduced part and shoulder, which small part passes up through the 5
small holes at the ends of the laths, and are there secured by rivetting or
flattening down the top end of the pin over a washer, or otherwise, as may
be required.
The portion of the pins that projects below the lath is for inserting into
their respective holes that are in the frames, thus making an economic and 1
neat mode of attaching such laths.to.the frames of metallic bedsteads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Cook and James Stokes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD 1
Cook, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, and JAMES
STOKES, Journeyman Metallic Bedstead Maker, also of Birmingham, in the
same County, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Edward Cook and James Stokes, Her special licence that we, the
said "Edward Cook, and James Stokes, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such: others, as we, the said Edward Cook and James Stokes, our
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," IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
METALLIC BEDSTEADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Edward Cook and James Stokes, by an instrument in writing under our 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Cook and: James Stokes, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly. described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
.
Our improvements in certain parts. of metallic bedsteads relates, first,. to the
mode of finishing the ends of the iron or metallic. laths; for such bedsteads; and,
secondly, in the mode of uniting such laths to the angle iron, of which the
sides and ends of such kinds of bedsteads are usually made: The common
practice. heretofore has been to.cut the laths! off of strips of thin rolled iron.
shorter than the clear width from side to side of the bedstead, and sometimes
to cut the corners off of: such strips in: a ragged and uncertain. way, and to
forge a shank or strap in such a way that a pin shall be formed at right angles
with its length. The shanks or straps are riveted to the ends of the laths with
two rivets to each shank, the pins: before: referred to being for fitting into
holes formed in the angle iron, by which means the laths. are attached to the
bedstead frame.
And our improvements upon such plan is. to allow the laths to be of suffi-
cient length to rest on the sides or frame of the bedstead, and to cut them off*
at the end of a circular or other suitable shape by means of suitable tools and
a strong fly press, to which a guage may be attached so that they shall be cut
off to a regular and uniform length (as required), and at each end of such
laths we pierce a hole and insert a shoulder pin, which pin we purpose to form
in suitable tools by what is termed an oliver, by which means we are enabled
to have them of a uniform size and length; and these pins are united to the
ends of the laths by inserting the small or shouldered end through the under
side of the lath, and through an iron, copper, or other suitable washer, and
riveting or closing the head or projecting part down firmly on it, when the pin
will be thoroughly secured, presenting a very neat and uniform appearance,
which will be found not only an improvement on the old plan as regards
appearance, but will also effect a large saving of time and material.
:
•
But in order that we may be well understood as to the nature and character
of our Invention, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,
wherein we have exhibited as much of an iron lath of a bedstead, and the
angle iron of which the frames of such bedsteads are made, as may be necessary
to illustrate our simple but useful Invention.

page_text: pin, secured to the lath and projecting downward on the under side through
the angle iron, as shewn in Fig. 2, which is a longitudinal section of Fig. 1,
taken through E and F, with the exception of the pin D, which is not shewn
in section.
Fig. 3 represents a detached top view of a washer, and a side view of the
pin D before the closing down of the head, and shewing the shoulder g, g.
These pins being so applied on each end of the iron or other laths of metallic
bedsteads is the object and purport of our Invention, holes being formed
along the side frames of such bedsteads in the ordinary way for receiving
them.
Having thus described the nature and object of our Invention, we wish
it understood that we do not purpose to confine ourselves to any shape or pro-
portion of the parts as here exhibited, provided the general character of our
Invention is preserved, which consists in the application of a shouldered pin
to be rivetted or otherwise secured at right angles through the ends of such
laths, the same being applied without or with washers, as here exhibited.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD BRITTAIN.
EDWARD COOK. (Ls.)