SPRING STRETCHERS OR BEDSTEADS FOR CAMP, HOSPITAL, OR GENERAL USE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Godfrey Russell, of Swan Hill, Shrewsbury, in the
County of Salop, for the Invention of "SPRING STRETCHERS OR BEDSTEADS
FOR CAMP, HOSPITAL, OR GENERAL USE."
Sealed the 4th March 1862, and dated the 25th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Godfrey Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
September 1861.
I, GODFREY RUSSELL, of Swan Hill, Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "SPRING STRETCHERS
OR BEDSTEADS FOR CAMP, HOSPITAL, OR GENERAL USE," to be as follows:-
I use steel springs in lieu of legs of size & form to suit the intended object.
If folding underneath they work on a pivot fixed through an iron clip passing
over & fixed to the wood sides or otherwise, and laying back, when in use,
into a double flanged metal bed of brass or iron, attached to the sides, in
which bed it is fastened when in use; if fixed, attached by bolts also. Cross
bars of angle iron so fitted at the ends as to drop into iron sockets attached to
the sides, and so as to take a bearing on all its parts also.

page_text: The fold iron head-piece (as pillow.) fitted into or to two square sockets in
head cross-bar, formed by two uprights, with bars at right angles, attached
with clip or socket hinges, shouldered to the required horizontal angle, with or
without a cross-bar, cranked at both ends, uniting their outer ends with a pivot
joint; over this saddler's web or canvass is tightly sewn also.
For fixing or lacing the canvass or sacking, I use the following metal eyes :—
For wood of my invention, otherwise i use copper rivets and nails. Also for
the cover or awing I use two wood or iron arches, plain or folding width of bed
or stretcher, to which it fixes by common iron sockets at the sides. The cloth
or canvass cover is attached by hooks or rope or metal grumuts, by a cord
sewn into cover passing from end to end just above the curtains (which are
simply formed by a central division either side) at head end; the foot end is
similarly attached, with addition of a leather strap to tighten it. The curtains
have one fastening on either side underneath side bars, and a hook or stud for
each one inside the arches or hoops. With regard to the rest I use for
side bars, common wood or angle iron, and usual eyelet holes for sacking
lacing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Godfrey Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GODFREY
RUSSELL, Captain, S. M., of Swan Hill, Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Godfrey Russell, Her special license, that I, the said Godfrey Russell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Godfrey
Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 "SPRING STRETCHERS OR
BEDSTEADS FOR CAMP, HOSPITAL, OR GENERAL USE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Godfrey Russell, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Godfrey Russell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say-
I use springs instead of legs, of size and form suitable to the object, curved
more or less, as Fig. B. If fixed to side bars, it is with common bolts or
otherwise; if folding, as in Fig. A, for camp stretcher purposes, I make the
wood poles of required length and strength, nearly square at base of handles
(which are worked of convenient shape and size). The poles are even except
the under side, which is thicker in centre gradually bevilled to both ends. At
proper distance from either end a clip (A', a², a³,) rides the pole, secured by a
small bolt, the lower eye receives a larger bolt passing through the upper cye
of spring forming its pivot. The lower end turned to the most convenient
bearing with two slot holes B, B'. In order to gain ease, security, and better
bearing, I use a flanged metal bed fitted to form of spring, with a thumb bolt
near centre, rivetted underneath Fig. C, C', over which upper slot hole passes,
fixing spring in use, as in Fig. A. This bed is attached at any angle required
for clasticity by supports or coins of wood or metal, either made in one with
the bed of metal, or, as in Fig. C, attached with wood coins, as at A³. In
using common or angle-iron frames or sides, the same object is obtained by
attaching beds for the springs; the outer face of the iron forming one flange
on similar principles and for the same desired end. A common thumb bolt, as
at Fig. D, D¹, is fixed underneath to receive lower slot, securing the spring
in its folded position. I also claim the use of angle iron as head and foot bars,
the ends formed as shewn in plan, with their sockets in two ways, used
according to strength required, as Fig. E, E', socket E2 and Fig. F, F,

page_text: socket F, the sockets are attached with bolts. I claim the methods of
attaching sacking as shewn in Fig. G and H. For stretchers in general use,
G the main piece is nailed or screwed to the side pole to within a few inches
of head G¹ and foot G to allow for rolling up. The head part is fixed with
copper rivets to head bar, a narrow strip with eyelets is rivetted to foot bar, a
similar piece is fixed on the other pole, allowing space for lacing one side and
foot. But where washing is required (in some cases for camp and hospital use
necessary) I adopt the plan H. In inventing the eyes I and K for lacing, I
screws into side bars instead of K in Fig. H; K is used, let in with two
screws L, L', used in head and foot bar, I gave to Government and the public
with my hospital bed appliance frame. The sacking is in one piece, and laces
all round. The square holes in the head bar K³ are for the head rest; a piece
of iron is rivetted to front side underneath, forming the step. The head rest is
also my Invention when made without the back bar. The uprights and joints
are the same, a shouldering being.formed on which the side bar rests at the
required recline as in Fig. M, the outer end rounded with small hole through
to secure web to. I sew saddler's web between two such Figures as M round
the side bar to required width. The back bar is shewn in Fig. N, cranked
downwards at both ends, then turned back horizontally and worked into a flat
eye to sit on a similar eye at end of side bars, on which it sits working on a
strong rivet through the two. The webbing is sewn on as the dotted line,
with a strip over back bar to strengthen and secure it. N₁, upright; N³, side
bar; N³, back bar.
As to awning or cover, I claim the simple method of application, using
materials suited to my purpose. I use two wood arched hoops of required
dimensions, simple, or to fold for packing, and needful height; these step into
plain iron brackets 0, 0¹, fixed as shewn in A. I then pass rope or iron
grummets over the handles up to square; to this I attach a piece of strong
cord, fix it to the hoops at the height I require my curtains A', fix it tight at
same height A on foot hoop; to the end fix a small strap which buckles
tight to a similar grummet fixed on the foot handle by a strip of leather and
screw A°; I then sew the material tightly round the cord, making a division
on either side between the hoops, so that button holes formed in the lower
corners will pass over one of the spring thumb bolts to close it; half way up is
a button or strings. To open it for air, as in Fig. A, the button holes are taken
from the thumb bolt and passed over a brass button or hook fixed high up
inside the hoops.
Having now described my said Invention with the portions constructed for

page_text: the purpose, the objects are ease to injured men, portability, avoidance of
shock in changing bearer, smooth surface of sacking, the cover shelters from
sun, weather, or public gaze, simple and light. For camps, forms a good bed,
and keeps wounded men from the damp ground.
In witness whereof, I, the said Godfrey Russell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
G. RUSSELL. (L.S.)