IMPROVEMENTS IN BED BOTTOMS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fairclough, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer, for the Invention of "IM-
Sealed the 15th June 1860, and dated the 20th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fairclough at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
December 1859.
I, JAMES FAIRCLOUGH, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Cabinet
Maker and Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BED BOTTOMS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES," to be as
follows (that is to say):-
To apply this Invention to, say, a bed bottom, at the head and foot of the
bed frame a carrying rail is placed, which supports the laths or bars of the bed
bottom, and which are suspended to the carrying rails at the head and foot of
the bed by india-rubber or metallic springs. It is prefered when india-rubber
springs are used to construct the head and foot carrying rails by placing two
pieces of, say, one inch plank on edge, placed parallel to each other. The circular
india-rubber washers are suspended between them resting-on horizontal trans-
verse pegs placed at intervals. The laths are connected together by flexible cords,
bands, or by chains, in such a way that they will not be brought into contact with

page_text: each other, and which arrangement divides the pressure on the springs. All the
portions of the framing where the yielding laths may touch is faced with cloth,
cork, or other suitable material, to prevent jarring. Draw springs of any
suitable kind may be used to suspend the laths of the bed bottom, whereby
great elasticity is obtained.
In some cases it is prefered to place the bed laths transversely in place of
longitudinally; although I have particularly described this Invention as applied
to a bed bottom, I distinctly wish it to be understood that this arrangement
may be equally applied to structures similar to bed bottoms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fairclough in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JAMES
FAIRCLOUGH, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Cabinet Maker and
Upholsterer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Fairclough, Her special licence that I, the said James Fairclough,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Fairclough, my 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 BED BOTTOMS AND
OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Fairclough, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Fairclough, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
To apply this my said Invention to, say, a bed bottom, at the head and foot
of the bed frame I place a carrying rail, which supports the laths or bars of
the bed bottom, and which I suspend to the carrying rail at the head and foot
of the bed by india-rubber or metallic draw springs. I prefer when using
india-rubber springs to have them formed of a circular ring or washer shape,
and to construct the head and foot carrying rails, by placing two pieces of, say,
one-inch plank on edge, fixed parallel to each other, and the circular india-
rubber washers I suspend between them, resting on horizontal transverse pegs
placed at intervals.
When I adapt metallic springs I prefer to form them of the C or S shapes,
and attach them to a rectangular frame, and to the under sides of the bed
laths in such a way that they will always have an outward drawing action at
both ends of the laths, so as to prevent their sagging; or the bearing laths
may be suspended to their rectangular frame by spiral or helical draw springs,
on the principle of the Salter's balance.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings in partial illustration of one modification
of the same as applied to, say, a bed bottom, like letters and figures marked
thereon having referrence to similar parts.
Figure 1 is a top view or plan, and Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
A is a rectangular frame of wood or other suitable substance, formed by a, two
parallel side pieces placed on edge, and having each of the ends constructed of
three pieces; b, a lower flat bar; c, a square or nearly square rod; and d, a flat
bar placed above, c and d being connected together by B, transverse horizontal
pins, which support C, india-rubber rings, by which are suspended D, sup-
porting laths or bearers E, vertical screwed bolts and nuts for connecting the
upper and lower portions of the ends of the frame together; F, small truss
post for preventing deflection; G, straps or webbing for keeping the bearing
laths from separating or coming in contact with each other during use.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and how, I believe, it may be best put into use, I wish it to be understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details or dimentions herein-before
described and set forth, as it will be readily seen that the same may be con-
siderably varied without departing from the Invention; but what I do
claim is,―
First, the construction of elastic bed bottoms or other like structures, having

page_text: laths or bearers of the full or nearly full length or width of the foundation
required, in combination with springs, having the property of yielding down-
wards, and drawing the ends of the bearing laths outwards to prevent their
sagging, substantially and in the manner herein-before described, or any mere
modification of the same.
And, lastly, the general arrangement and combination of the various parts
herein-before described and set forth, as applied to the construction of bed
bottoms and other elastic supporting foundations, or any mere modification of
the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fairclough, have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal, this Nineteenth day of Junc, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
JAMES (L.s.) FAIRCLOUGH.