IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TIGHTENING UP AND STRAINING WIRE. MATTRESSES AND BED BOTTOMS, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SNIPS' BERTIIS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Hoskins of Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR TIGHTENING UP AND STRAINING WIRE. MATTRESSES AND BED BOTTOMS,
AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SNIPS' BERTIIS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Hoskins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1882.
EBENEZER HOSKINS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer-
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TIGHTENING UP AND STRAINING WIRE
MATTRESSES AND BED BOTTOMS AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS BERTHS,"
"
The apparatus for tightening up and straining wire mattresses and bed bottoms
consists of a stationary bar or rail to which one end of the mattress or bottom is
secured, the other end being passed over to the back of another bar to which it is
attached. This second bar is a turning bar capable of slight revolution within
castings" or bearings receiving its ends and this bar carries a curved piece of
metal the full width of the wire mattress in order, to give it an extra bearing; to
one or both of the ends of the bar a disc or discs are fixed which rest in a circular
box forming the bearings of the bar. The discs are furnished with a key piece
projecting through the side of the box, so that by inserting a key with cranked
handle the bar may be timed so as to tighten up or slacken the mattress as
required. In order to keep the bar in position when adjusted a loose pin is placed
in a hole in the box several holes being formed upon the edges of the discs so that
upon turning the bar and the discs until any one of the holes in a line with the
pin, the pin may be dropped in and thus fix the bar. For independent mattresses
the bar and tightening apparatus may be fixed upon or form part of the framing.
My Improvement in Ships berths consists in forming the head and foot
pillars double as a convenience for occupants to raise themselves and enables the
before named tightening apparatus to be placed between the pairs of pillars thus
strengthening the whole. These double pillars I prefer to make of one continuous
tube bent over into an arch at the top.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ebenezer Hoskins in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
18th October 1882.
EBENEZER HOSKINS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TIGHTENING UP AND STRAINING WIRE
MATTRESSES AND BED BOTTOMS AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS BERTHS.
The apparatus for tightening up and straining wire mattrasses and bed bottoms
consists of a stationary bar or rail to which one end of the mattrass or bottom is
secured the other end being passed over to the back of another bar-This second
bar is a turning bar capable of slight revolution within castings or bearings receiving 1
its ends and this bar carries a curved piece of metal the full width of the wire
mattrass and to which it is attached in order to give it an extra bearing, to one or
both of the ends of the bar a disc or discs are fixed which rest in a circular box
forming the bearings_of_the_bar the discs are furnished. each with a key pieco.
projecting through the side of the box so that by inserting a key with lever handle 1
the bar may be turned so as to tighten up or slacken the mattrass as required. In
order to keep the bar in position when adjusted a loose pin is placed in a hole in
the box several holes being formed upon the edges of the discs so that upon
_turning the bar and-the-discs until-any one-of the holes is in a line-with the-pin,
the pin may be dropped in and thus fix the bar. For independent mattrasses the 2
bar and tightening apparatus may be fixed upon or form part of the framing of
the bedstead.
My Improvements in Ships berths consists in forming the head and foot pillars
double as a convenience for occupants to raise themselves and enables the before
named tightening apparatus to be placed between the pairs of pillars thus
strengthening the whole, these double pillars may be made of one continuous
length of iron or tube if preferred.
Figure 1 is a Front Elevation, Figure 2 a cross section from the back Figure 3.
a part longitudinal section, Figure 4 an End Elevation, and Figuro 5 a plan of
my improved apparatus or mechanism for tightening up and straining wire and
other mattrasses or bed bottoms, and which consists of a stationary bar or rail not
shewn to which one end of the mattrass or bed bottom (a) which is only partially
illustrated is secured, the other end of the mattrass being passed over to the back
of another bar (b) for attachment as will be described. This second bar (b) is a
turning bar capable of slight revolution within castings or bearings (c) in connection
with the bar (b) is carried a curved piece of metal or other suitable material (d)
the full width of the wiro mattrass (a) and to which the second end of the mattrass
is secured as at (.) such curved piece of metal giving it an extra bearing. To one
or both ends of the bar (b) and curved piece of metal (d) a disc or discs (c) are
fixed which rest in a circular box formed with castings or bearings (c) and through
which the ends of the bar (b) pass square.
The disc or discs (e) are sunk on the face and furnished with a key piece (ƒ)
being part of and formed on the end of the bar (b) so that by inserting a lever key
with handle and which I prefer to make as shewn in Figure 6 the bar (b) may be
turned partially over either way for tightening up or slackening the mattrass
or bed bottom (a) as required.
In order to keep the bar (b) in position when adjusted a looso vertical pin (g) is
employed working through a hole in the casting (c) and it is kept in position by
passing through a bearing or bracket (h) secured upon the top of the casting (c).
A series of holes (i) are forined upon the edge of the disc or discs (e) and the loose
pin (g) is sufficiently long to drop into such holes so that upon turning the bar (b)
L
.

page_text: For
together with the discs (e) and the curved piece of metal (d) until any one of the
holes (2) is in a line with the loose pin (9) it may be dropped into such hole and
thus fix the bar (b) and consequently the mattrass or bed bottom (a).
independent mattrasses or bed bottoms the tightening up and straining apparatus
may be fixed upon or form part of the ordinary framing of the bedstead and either
at the head or foot thereof as may be most convenient. In applying my Improve-
ments to bedsteads of full width and in order to obviate the usual "Sag" or
depression of the mattrass or bed bottom in the centre, I arrange a pair of
the hars (b) along the head or foot of the bed in a line with each other and
each bar is provided with the improved tightening and straining apparatus and
castings for receiving the ends of the two bars.
The central box or casting may be formed to receive the two inner ends of the
bars. In similar manner as before described to each of these two bars I secure a
mattrass the other ends of the same being fastened to stationary bars, I thus form
a mattrass or bed bottom in two parts longitudinally the inner edges meeting and
these being woven stronger than the other portions of the mattrass, it is obvious
that the centre of the mattrass so formed will be kept up fully tight whilst either
half of the mattrass or bed botton may be tightened or slackened at will. My
Improvements in Ships berths are shewn in Figures 7 and 8 and consist in forming
the head and foot pillars (k) and (2) double as a convenience for occupants to raise
themselves and as shewn in Figure 8 it enables the before named tightening and
straining apparatus to be placed between the pairs of pillars thus strengthening
the whole. These double pillars may be made of ono continuous length of iron or
tube, suitably formed at the top and housed into foot plates or the double pillars
may be bracketted together or filled in as in Figure 8 with some ornamental pattern.
Having thus described the object and nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect I claim. Firstly-
"
The Improvements in apparatus or mechanism for tightening up and straining
wire and other mattrasses or bed bottoms as herein described and shewn.
Secondly.
I claim. The Improvements in the construction of Ships berths by forming the
head and foot pillars double, for the purpose and in manner herein more fully set
forth and specified.
In witness whereof I the said Ebenezer Hoskins have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Seventeenth day of October in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two