IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF WARMING BEDS AND COUCHES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Frederick Henley, of 56, Saint George's
Square, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF WARMING BEDS AND
COUCHES."
Scaled the 10th June 1873, and dated the 12th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Frederick
Henley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th December 1872.
I, THOMAS FREDERICK HENLEY, of 56, Saint George's Square, Pimlico,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF WARMING BEDS
AND COUCHES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in warming beds and couches by hot water
made to circulate through pipes placed within the bed or couch. This
may be conveniently effected by fitting between the rows of springs of
an ordinary spring mattress or of a couch two longitudinal metal pipes,
say 3 inches in diameter, more or less, which are connected together near
one end of the bed or couch, say the head by an elbow pipe, while at
the other end or foot of the bed or couch they are respectively connected
to two pipes communicating at different levels with the water in a vessel
heated by a gas burner or lamp. A constant circulation through the

page_text: pipes is thus maintained, and the bed or couch is therefore continuously
warmed.
The apparatus I prefer to employ for heating the water consists of an
outer cylindrical casing, at the lower part of which is an ordinary Bunsen
gas burner. Above the burner is an inner conical vessel which contains
the water, and from which the two pipes before mentioned are led at
different levels. The top of the vessel is covered by a lid which dips
into an annular groove containing water and forming a water seal. The
water in this groove evaporates slowly and keeps the atmosphere of the
room slightly moist.
The lid may be made flat in order that vessels may be placed thercon
to have their contents warmed, or it may be otherwise formed to receive
such vessels. I fit a tap to the water vessel by which hot water may be
drawn off when required, and to prevent the products of combustion
escaping into the room I provide the apparatus with an escape pipe
leading to the fire-place of the room or elsewhere.
I do not confine myself to any particular apparatus for heating the
water nor to any particular arrangement of the pipes through which the
water circulates, as these may be considerably varied, my Invention
consisting essentially in keeping up a circulation of hot water through
pipes placed within the bed mattress or couch for the purpose of
warming the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Frederick Henley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FREDERICK HENLEY, of 56, Saint George's Square, Pimlico, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, my executors,.

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Frederick Henley, 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 Inven-.
tion for " 'IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF WARMING BEDS AND COUCHES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Frederick Henley,
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 Thomas Frederick Henley, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in warming beds and couches by hot water
made to circulate through pipes placed within the bed or couch. This
may be conveniently effected by fitting between the rows of springs of
an ordinary spring mattress or of a couch two longitudinal metal pipes,
say 3 inches in diameter, more or less, which are connected together
near one end of the bed or couch, say the head, by an elbow pipe, while
at the other end or foot of the bed or couch they are respectively con-
nected to two pipes communicating at different levels with the water in
a vessel heated by a gas burner or lamp. A constant circulation through
the pipes is thus maintained, and the bed or couch is therefore con-
tinuously warmed.
The apparatus I prefer to employ for heating the water is represented
in the annexed Drawings. Figure 1 is a vertical section; Figure 2, an
elevation; and Figure 3, a plan of the apparatus when made with a
tinned casing; Figures 4, 5, and 6 are similar views of the same when
made with a cast-iron casing.
It consists of an outer cylindrical casing A, at the lower part of which

page_text: conical vessel C which contains the water, and from which the two
pipes D, E, are led at different levels. The top of this vessel is covered
by a lid F, which if desired may dip into an annular groove (not shown).
containing water, and forming a water seal. The water in this groove
would evaporate slowly and keep the atmosphere of the room slightly
moist.
The lid may be made flat in order that vessels may be placed thereon
to have their contents warmed, or it may be otherwise formed to receive
such vessels. A tap may be fitted to the water vessel by which hot
water may be drawn off when required; and to prevent the products of
combustion escaping into the room I provide the apparatus with an
escape pipe G leading to the fire-place of the room or elsewhere. H and I
are the two longitudinal pipes which are to be fitted between the rows
of springs in the mattress or couch. They are connected together at
one end by an elbow K, while their opposite ends are connected to the
pipes D and E respectively. The water in the vessel C being heated by
the burner B, a constant circulation of hot water is kept up through the
pipes H and I, and the bed or couch in which these pipes are fitted is
thereby warmed. The apparatus is provided with feet or supports L, the
legs of which are screw threaded, and take into nuts M, so that the
height of the apparatus may be adjusted according to the height of the
bed. N is a door to the casing A.
I do not confine myself to any particular apparatus for heating the
water nor to any particular arrangement of the pipes through which the
water circulates, as these may be considerably varied, my Invention
consisting in keeping up a circulation of hot water through pipes placed
within the bed, mattress, or couch for the purpose of warming the same,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Frederick Henley, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.