IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON BEDSTEADS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Hallen Cottam and "Henry
Richárd Cottam at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th April 1866.
We, GEORGE HALLEN COTTAM and HENRY RICHARD COTTAM, of the St.
Pancras Iron Works, Old St. Pancras Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON BEDSTEADS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of iron
bedsteads. In constructing the legs of iron bedsteads, and applying castors
thereto, we proceed as follows:-We cast into the corner joint of the bedstead
a wrought-iron tube suitable for forming the outside of the leg; this tube is
open at the lower end and the stem of the castor passes up through it and
bears on the under side of the corner joint; this stem consists of a wrought-
iron rod, on the lower end of which is cast or fixed a boss with the cheeks
to receive the castor wheel upon it. The boss of the castor or the stem
thereof is made to fit the lower end of the tubular leg, and the castor is thus
held steadily in position. Within the tubular leg there is also a guide formed.
for the stem of the castor, and a pin passed through the stem immediately
above this guide secures the castor to the leg, or it may be otherwise secured.
Or in place of this arrangement we sometimes cast the cheeks to receive the
castor wheel on a long tubular socket suitable to form the outside of the leg
of the bedstead, and into the corner joint we cast a wrought-iron rod over
which the tubular socket is passed and secured by a set screw entering a ring

page_text: groove formed around the rod within. In forming the head and foot rails of
bedsteads with brass ornaments, or brass rails or tubes, we proceed as follows:
-In preparing the brass ornaments, rails, or tubes we form them with iron
stems projecting from them at the places where the attachments are to be
made. These stems are then, in putting together a head or foot rail, caused
to project into the moulds in which the junctions are cast, and they become
securely held by the running of the metal upon them. As, however, it is
desirable to lacquer, and finish the brass ornaments, rails, or tubes before
fixing them in their places, and as any considerable heat would then damage the
lacquer, we make the wrought-iron connecting pins of considerable length, so
that a space is left between the brass ornament and and the cast-iron junction
block, and this part of the stem we clothe with an ornamental boss, by pre-
ference of porcelain or other non-conducting material; it may, however, if
precautions are taken against the conduction of heat from the junction, be
made of metal. In order to hold more securely together the parts by which
the side and end angle irons of a bedstead are connected at the corners, and
to prevent the inclined or dovetail joints now employed shaking loose, as they
are liable to do, we combine with such joint a screw and nut to lock the parts
in position. By preference we cast in the cone or cylinder, or other part of
the joint, a wrought-iron stem with a screw thread upon it, and this stem
receives the holding-down nut; or a bolt may be passed through the joint
vertically and receive a nut in a similar manner; or in place of using a nut a
slot may be cut in the stem, or both, and a cotter passed through it; or, less,
conveniently, a hole to receive a retaining stem may be tapped in the joint
screw. In similar manners ornamental covers, may be applied to cover the.
top of the joint.
11