IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS AND IN THE MODE OF FIXING WOVEN WIRE OR OTHER FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, AS A BOTTOM OR MATTRESS
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS ALLEN of 3 Unity Street in the City and County of Bristol, Bedstead
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BEDSTEADS AND IN THE MODE OF FIXING WOVEN WIRE OR OTHER FLEXIBLE
MATERIAL, AS A BOTTOM OR MATTRESS" to be as follows:-
My improvements are chiefly applicable to ordinary metallic or other bedsteads
but may also be used for sofas, couches bedsteads and refer more particularly to
the mode of fixing the elastic bottom or mattress which may be of metallic or
other webbing woven wire, canvas or other flexible material. I attach one end of
the woven wire or any other flexible material to a slitted transverse tube at foot
end of bedstead which tube rests upon or is supported partly by two suitable
flanges or bearers screwed or rivetted to the. two side rails of bedstead metallic or
non-metallic couches or sofas or by three or inore screws passing through the foot
end frame of bedstead couches or sofas and screwed into the slitted transverse tube
aforesaid while the other end of the woven wire or other flexible material is
attached to a slitted transverse tube at head of bedstead which tube is guided and
supported by the two side rails of the bedstead. By flanges or bearers as aforesaid
on the two tubular side rails both ends of bedstead may be used for supporting an
iron bar or tube for fixing the woven laths or other suitable bottom material in
position. This movable transverse slitted tube which grips the woven wire or
other flexible material is drawn towards the head of the bedstead for the purpose of
giving the desired tension to the woven wire or other flexible material and is adjusted
by means of screws as follows: One end of each screw is fixed to the transverse
slitted tube in any suitable manner and is passed clear through the head frame and
is formed of two parts which are jointed or otherwise connected together.
By means of screw threaded handles or nuts applied to the outer end of the
screws the movable. transverse slitted tube holding the woven wire or other
flexible material is pulled or drawn up towards the head frame of bedstead so as
to tighten the woven wire or other flexible material to the required tension
whereupon the outer jointed or otherwise connected end of the screws is allowed to
drop down or out of the way or made removable.
A suitable mode for carrying out this Invention is as follows: I use tubular
transverse head and foot bars made with a longitudinal slit for inserting the woven

page_text: wire or any other flexible material which is passed round a solid or tubular bar
inside the transverse slitted tube and which is then passed out through the slit
again the necessary gripping or jambing action is applied by means of screws or
rivets passing through the transverse slitted tube and nutted or rivetted over
underneath.
+
Or I may simply pass the woven wire through the transverse slitted tube and
wedge it by means of a solid bar or tube covering the woven wire so securing the
same in position the necessary gripping or jambing action being applied as
aforesaid by preference with a little canvas sacking or webbing inserted between.
Where or when canvas sacking or other flexible material is used I prefer
attaching it. by sewing the canvas or other flexible material or an iron or other bar
or tube passing the material through the longitudinal slit and inserting the rod or
tube with the canvas attached through each of the transverse slitted tubes. In
order to prevent the transverse slitted tube from lifting I provide one or more
hooks for locking it to the frame of the bedstead or by a screw or screws passing
through the frame of bedstead into the transverse slitted tube. Or I may use the
transverse slitted tubes or other ordinary tubes by sewing the canvas or other
material over them instead of passing the canvas through the longitudinal slit.
The form and arrangement of the transverse slitted tubes will vary somewhat in
accordance with the side frames of any bedstead sofas or couches metallic or
non metallic also the flanges for supporting the transverse slitted tube at foot
end of bedstead.
°
The movable transverse tube may be arranged at the foot end of bedstead instead
of the head end.
By the above improvements I provide an elastic or flexible bottom of woven
wire, canvas or any other flexible material with any desired tension and which can
be fixed or removed in a few minutes without tools of any description.
Dated this Seventeenth day of January 1884.

page_text: I, THOMAS ALLEN of 3 Unity Street in the City and County of Bristol Bedstead
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BEDSTEADS AND IN THE MODE OF FIXING WOVEN WIRE OR OTHER FLEXIBLE
MATERIAL AS A BOTTOM OR MATTRESS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:--
My improvements are chiefly applicable to ordinary metallic or other bedsteads
but may also be used for sofas and couches. These improvements refer more
particularly to the mode of fixing the elastic bottom or mattress, which may be of
metallic or other webbing, woven wire, canvas or other suitable flexible material or
fabric &. I attach one end of the woven wire or any other flexible material to a
slitted transverse tube at foot end of bedstead which tube rests upon or is supported
partly by two suitable flanges or bearers screwed or rivetted to the two tubular or
otherwise shaped side rails of bedstead metallic or non-metallic couches or sofas
while the other end of the woven wire or other flexible material is attached to a
slitted transverse tube at head of bedstead which tube is guided and supported by
the two side rails of the bedstead: By flanges or bearers as aforesaid on the two
tubular or otherwise shaped side rails both ends of bedstead may be used by
supporting an iron bar or tube for fixing the wooden laths or other suitable bottom
material in position.
The aforesaid movable transverse slitted tube which grips the woven wire or
other flexible material, is drawn towards the head of the bedstead for the purpose
of giving the desired tension to the woven wire or other flexible material and is
adjusted by means of screws as follows:-One end of each screw is fixed to the
transverse slitted tube in any suitable manner and is passed clear through the
head frame and is formed of two or three parts which are jointed or otherwise
connected together.
By means of screw threaded handles or nuts applied to the outer end of the
screws the movable transverse slitted tube holding the woven wire or other flexible
material is pulled or drawn up towards the bead frame of bedstead so as to tighten
the woven wire or other flexible material to the required tension whereupon the
outer jointed or otherwise connected end of the screws are allowed to drop down or
out of the way or made removable.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood I will describe
the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 a plan partly in section showing the
mode in which one end of a bed bottom of wove metallic wire or other flexible
material is attached. The bottom A is inserted through a longitudinal slit in a
transverse tubular head or foot bar B. and passed round a bar C inside the tube B
and passed out through the slot again. The necessary gripping or jambing 'action
is applied by means of screws D, or rivets passing through the transverse slitted
tube B and nutted or rivetted over underneath.
Figure 3 is a cross section and Figure 4 a part plan partly in section of a similar
tubular slitted transverse head or foot bar into which one end of the bed bottom is
inserted, and in which the inner bar C is made tubular a little canvas webbing or
sacking being inserted between the inner bar or tube C and the outer tube B and
on each side of the woven wire as shown.
Figure 5 is a cross section and Figure 6 a part plan partly in section of a similar
slitted transverse bar for fixing one end of a canvas bed bottom. Or the canvas

page_text: may be sewn round the bar B as will be seen in Figures 22, 23 and 24 to be
described later on.
Figure 7 is a part sectional side elevation shewing a corner post E which by
means of the ordinary socket E¹ is united to the tubular head rail F and side
The slitted tubular
rail G Figure 8 is a part sectional plan view of same.
transverse foot-bar B to which one end of the woven wire, canvas or other flexible
bed bottom is attached in the manner already described or otherwise is supported
in flange bearers H which by screws H¹ are fixed to the side rails G. By means of
the third additional tapped hole H2 the position of the bracket H can be at the
first placed more towards the middle of the length of the bedstead and later on, as
the bed bottom stretches be shifted to the position shown.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of part of one of the tubular side rails G of a
bedstead such rail being formed with three holes H2 and Figure 10 is a perspective
view of a flange bearer H and Figure 11 a horizontal sectional view of part of the
bearer H which is provided with two headed pins H¹ which are entered into two
of the holes H2 in the side rail G. Figure 9 and the shank part of the pins are then
drawn home into the narrow slot part of the holes H2 and thus hold the bearer in
place.
Figure 12 is a part sectional elevation of a corner post E of a tubular bedstead
at the head of the bedstead and Figure 13 a part plan view. G is the side rail
which is connected to the corner post E by the usual socket E¹ to which also the
head rail I is attached. K is a slitted tube to which the head end of the bed-
bottom A, is connected in the same manner as the foot end is connected to the
transverse slitted tube B Figures 7 and 8 as already described with reference to
Figures 1 to 6. The slitted transverse tube K is guided and supported at each end
by the two side rails G of the bedstead and for this purpose each end of the
transverse tube K is notched out half circular so as to fit easily against the side
rails G and is drawn towards the head of the bedstead in a manner presently to be
described.
Figure 14 is a part sectional side elevation and Figure 15 plan shewing another
arrangement for supporting the foot and head ends of a bed bottom A consisting
of wooden laths by means of the flange bearers H which are fixed to the side
rails Gas before described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 or Figures 9, 10
and 11 but formed to receive a rectangular transverse bar B on which the wooden
laths A rest. Or the bar B on which the wooden laths A rest may be tubular or
any other suitable form and the flange bearers H modified in form accordingly.
The moveable transverse slitted tube K Figures 12 and 13 which grips the head
end of the woven wire or other flexible bed bottom A is drawn towards the head
rail I of the bedstead for the purpose of giving the desired tension to the bed
bottom A and is adjusted by means of screws L as follows:-One end of each
screw L is fixed to the transverse tube K in any suitable manner and is passed
clear through the head frame or rail I and is formed of two or more parts which
are jointed together as shown at L¹. By means of screw threaded handles or
nuts M. applied to the outer ends of the screws L the movable transverse tube K is
pulled or drawn towards the head frame I so as to tighten the woven wire or
other bottom A to the required tension whereupon the outer jointed end L¹ of the
screws L are allowed to drop down or out of the way.
Figure 16 is a part end view shewing the head rail I with two tightening
screws L through.
Figure 17 is a part sectional view of another form of screw where the outer
end L' is screwed into the inner end L and formed with a small jointed handle N
for facilitating the connecting and disconnecting the outer end L¹ from the inner
end L of the screw.
In order to prevent the transverse slitted tube. B at the foot end of the bedstead
from lifting out of the flange bearers H, I may as shown in the perspective part
view of underside Figure 18 provide one or more hooks O on the underside of the

page_text: slitted transverse tubular bar Bat the foot of the bedstead for locking it to the foot
rail E of the frame.
Figure 19 is a side view and Figure 20 part sectional plan view showing the
mode in which I prefer to connect the side rails G to the sockets E¹ of the corner
posts E, for the purpose of easily finding and keeping their required relative
position and so that the flange bearers or hooks H Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 come in
their right place. For this purpose I form the socket E¹ on each side with a half
round or other suitable projection e¹ and I form the side rail G with corresponding
notches as shown. The holes e2 for the pin which serves to secure the parts
together will thus be sure to be opposite each other and the holes for the flange
bearers H be in the right place for the bearers H to be fixed.
Figure 21 is a vertical longitudinal section and Figure 22 a perspective view of
a bedstead constructed and fitted as above described.
Figure 23 is a vertical section of part of the foot end and Figure 24 part plan of
a bedstead in which the bed bottom is made of canvas which is sewn round the
transverse tube B.
Figure 25 is a plan section and Figure 26 a transverse section illustrating the
mode in which the Invention may be applied to a wooden bedstead. G¹ G' are
pieces of tube or other shaped iron about 12 inches long which are fixed to the
inner sides G of the bedstead or head or end and form the support for the movable
slitted tube K. The transverse slitted tube B at the foot end being supported by
the two flanges H see Figure 7. The tightening screws L are passed through the
head end of the bedstead. These screws are constructed as described with
reference to Figures 12 and 13 or 16 and 17.
Figures 27, 28 and 29 illustrate the mode in which the Invention is or may be
applied to an ordinary bedstead with angle iron frame. Figure 27 is a perspective
view showing the slitted tubular transverse bar B (to which the foot end of the
flexible bed bottom is fixed) resting in the flange bearer H this latter being fixed
to a filling piece G2 which is fixed to the side web or to the upper web of the angle
iron side rail G of the bedstead frame. Figure 28 shows a somewhat similar
arrangement but with an angular filling piece G² fixed to the upper web of the
side rail G. Figure 29 is a perspective view showing part of the side rail G with
part of the transverse movable slitted tube K formed with a slot at each end for
guiding it on the upper web of the angle iron side rail G.
Figure 30 is plan section of an angle iron frame bedstead constructed as just
described.
tube B at foot end of
of the side frames of the
form and arrangement of
The form and arrangement of the transverse slitted
bedstead will vary somewhat in accordance with the form
metallic or other bedstead sofa or couch and so also the
the flange bearers H. The movable transverse tube K may be arranged at the foot
end of bedstead instead of the head end. Figure 31 is plan view showing the bed
bottom on a separate frame F G G I which can be placed on an ordinary iron or
wooden bedstead and resting on the side rails or end rails or both.
By the above improvements I provide an elastic or flexible bottom of woven
wire canvas, or any other suitable flexible material with any desired tension and
which can be fixed or removed in a few minutes without tools of any description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First: A flexible adjustable bed bottom having one end jambed in a slitted
transverse tube which is removable fixed in place at one end of the bedstead frame
and having its other end jambed in a slitted transverse tube which is movable on
or between the sides of the bedstead frame and which tube can be drawn towards
the end of the bedstead for the purpose of tightening the flexible bottom by means
of screws substantially as described and shown.

page_text: Second: The mode and means of attaching or fixing the ends of a flexible bed
bottom substantially as described and shown.
Third: The Bange bearers H for supporting and the locking hook O for fixing
the slitted tube B in place substantially as described and shown.
Fourthi The tightening screws L made in pieces and having nut handles M
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Twenty sixth day of July 1884.