IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS OR RECLINING, SURFACES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO MATTRESSES AND HAMMOCKS, AND IN THE MODE OF COMBINING A SEAT AND TABLE WITH SUCH BEDS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 14 and 36, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and
Foreign Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING
BEDS OR RECLINING, SURFACES, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO MATTRESSES AND
HAMMOCKS, AND IN THE MODE OF COMBINING A SEAT AND TABLE WITH
SUCH BEDS." A communication from abroad by Augusto Herbet, of Paris, in
the Republic of France, Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1881.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14 and 36, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS OR RECLINING SURFACES, PARTLY APPLICABLE
TO MATTRESSES AND HAMMOCKS, AND IN THE MODE OF COMBINING A SEAT
AND TABLE WITH SUCH BEDS." A communication from abroad by Auguste Herbet,
of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer.
"
This Invention relates chiefly to a simple and economical construction of
metallic spring bed or analogous reclining surface, with which are combined, when
found desirable, a seat and adjustable table, a portion of the bed being capable of
separate use as a mattress or hammock. According to one mode of carrying out
this Invention, two light metal supports or trestles are employed, situate at the
head and foot of the bed, for supporting an elastic frame composed of two or more
longitudinally disposed thin flexible steel blade springs, by preference curved
slightly, so as to be convex on their upper face towards the middle, and slightly
curved upwards or not as preferred towards their opposite ends. These blade
springs are connected together at the head and foot by rigid cross bars of any
suitable section in order to maintain them at the proper distance apart, with
which may be combined or not, as preferred, one or more other and intermediate
cross ties rivetted or otherwise secured to the longitudinal blade springs, the whole
constituting the elastic frame. This frame rests upon the cross bar of the foot

page_text: -
use.
trestle being connected therewith in any convenient-manner, as, for example, by
studs and corresponding holes in the frame and trestle; it is suspended from the
head trestle by short vertical arms hung to fixed centres so as to leave it free to
elongate more or less when deflected. This arrangement further admits of the
frame being turned up on the said centres out of the way when not required for
At the head of the bed a light upright frame is bolted to the feet of the
trestle, to which it is braced by light tie bars in order to retain the pillow. Various
means may be adopted for isolating the mattress from the elastic frame and
preventing the direct access of cold air thereto; for example, the said frame may
be enveloped in canvass or other like fabric, laced or otherwise secured thereon, or
wooden or metal laths or wire work may be fitted across the frame, and the whole
enveloped in canvass so as to form a cushion of air, which will tend to maintain
the warmth of the bed. The said elastic frame is equally applicable to any
ordinary metal or other bedstead made to fold up or otherwise, suitable supports
being provided at the four corners to which the elastic frame is attached by slots
to allow freedom of extension to the longitudinal blade springs of the frame.
the said frame may be used separately as a mattress or hammock. In military or
camp beds, it is frequently desirable to make provision for the soldiers to sit at
work when the bed is not in use, and for this purpose a seat is fitted to the cross
bar of the foot trestle or other convenient part of the bed along with an adjustable
table supported on a rod or pillar made to slide vertically in a socket or in guide
holes, any convenient arrangement of catch being provided to maintain the table
at the desired elevation and to allow it to be lowered out of the way when not
required for use.
Or

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th August 1881.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14 and 36, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS OR RECLINING SURFACES, PARTLY APPLICABLE
TO MATTRESSES AND HAMMOCKS, AND IN THE MODE OF COMBINING A SEAT
AND TABLE WITH SUCH BEDS." A communication from abroad by Auguste Herbet,
of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer.
The said Invention relates chiefly to a simple and economical construction of
metallic spring bed or analogous reclining surface, with which are combined when
found desirable a seat and adjustable table, a portion of the bed being capable of
separate use as a mattress or hammock. According to one mode of carrying out
this Invention, two light metal supports or trestles, of any convenient shape, are
employed, situate at the head and foot of the bed, for supporting an elastic frame
composed of two or more longitudinally disposed thin flexible steel blade springs,
by preference curved slightly, so as to be convex on their upper face towards the
middle, and slightly curved upwards or not, as preferred, towards their opposite
ends. These blade springs are connected together at the head and foot by rigid
cross bars of any suitable section in order to maintain them at the proper distance
apart, with which may be combined or not, as preferred, one or more other and
intermediate cross ties rivetted or otherwise secured to the longitudinal blade
springs, the whole constituting an elastic frame. This frame rests upon the cross
bar of the foot trestle, being connected therewith in any convenient manner, as,
for example, by studs and corresponding holes in the frame and trestle. It is
suspended from the head trestle by short vertical arms hung to fixed centres, so
as to leave it free to elongate more or less when deflected. This arrangement
further admits of the frame being turned up on the said centres out of the way
when not required for use. At the head of the bed a light upright frame is bolted
to the feet of the trestle, to which it is braced by light tie bars in order to retain
the pillow. Various means may be adopted for isolating the mattress from the
elastic frame and preventing the direct access of cold air thereto; for example, the
said frame may be enveloped in canvass or other like fabric, laced or otherwise secured
thereon; or wooden or metal laths or wire work may be fitted across the frame,
and the whole enveloped in canvass so as to form a cushion of air which will tend
to maintain the warmth of the bed. The said elastic frame is equally applicable
to any ordinary metal or other bedstead made to fold up, or otherwise, suitable
supports being provided at the four corners to which the elastic frame is attached
by slots to allow freedom of extension to the longitudinal blade springs of the
frame. Or the said frame may be used separately as a mattress or hammock. In
inilitary or camp beds it is frequently desirable to make provision for the soldiers
to sit at work when the bed is not in use, and for this purpose a seat is fitted to
the cross bar of the foot trestle or other convenient part of the bed along with an
adjustable table supported on a rod or pillar made to slide vertically in a socket or
in guide holes, any convenient arrangement of catch being provided to maintain
the table at the desired elevation, and to allow it to be lowered out of the way
when not required for use.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer
to the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 of the Drawings is a longitudinal vertical section of a spring bed or
reclining surface arranged and constructed according to this Invention, and showing
the mode of combining a table therewith; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the
same, showing also the positions of the table and seat combined with the spring
bed in accordance with the said Invention; Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section
of the spring bed, showing the head-trestle in side elevation; Figure 6 is a side
elevation of the foot trestle of the improved spring bed, showing the seat and
adjustable table combined therewith. The rest of the Figures are details and
modifications which will be hereinafter referred to.
A and B are the two trestles or light supports, on which are placed two steel
springs C and D somewhat similar to coach springs. These springs are slightly
convex in the centre and curved up or not at their extremities (see Figure 1); they
are connected together by flat or other conveniently shaped metal cross bars or
may
laths E, F, which maintain them at the proper distance apart. The laths
be dispensed with, but when used they are fixed to the springs by screws, bolts,
or rivets, or simply folded over, as shown in Figure 3 of the Drawings. The end
cross bars or ties F may consist of flat iron bars, or may be of angle iron, as shown,
to ensure rigidity and prevent distortion.
The frame thus constituted is fixed to the foot trestle B by two tenons or studs
carried by the corresponding cross bar or lath E and entering freely into two
corresponding holes made in the trestle; or if desired the tenons or studs may be
fixed to the trestle and the holes made in the springs.
This frame is not fixed to the head trestle A as it should be free to extend or
elongate when the springs are straightened. For this purpose, the cross bar which
corresponds to the trestle A., is suspended at its two extremeties from fixed centres o
by the short arms a, a, the centres o being carried at the upper ends of two arms
or brackets b, b, fixed to the said trestle (see Figure 3).
Or the ends of the cross bar may be simply bent up to a right angle pierced
with holes and hung to the two centres o.
This mode of suspension admits, as will be readily understood, of the spring or
elastic frame elongating freely, whilst it also offers another advantage; in military
beds, as shown in the Drawing, it is desirable to be enabled to turn them up and
place them against the wall when not in actual use, which can be readily
accomplished by this system, since the entire frame turns on the axis o, o.
At the head of the bed a frame G of ordinary form, and as light as possible, is or
may be bolted at H to the feet of the trestles, to which it may also be fastened by
the two tie bars I. This frame serves to retain the pillow.
To complete the bed, that is to say, to isolate the mattress from the frame and
prevent direct access of cold air to the reclining surface, various means may be
adopted; for example, the frame may be enveloped in canvass fixed to the sides, or,
A screen of
which is better, turned down below and laced, as shown in Figure 4.
wood may be placed over the elastic frame, or the said frame may be furnished
with laths of hoop iron, or with wire work, crossed or not, as shown in Figure 5.
Or both methods may be combined, the screen or trellis work being wrapped with
strong canvass. A space is thus provided, forming a cushion of air and preserving
the heat.
This elastie frame may be adapted to any iron bed, for example, the most simple
ordinary bed composed of two uprights at the head and foot connected together by
a lower rigid frame, it being sufficient to provide at the corners of the said frame
or on the two uprights convenient supports for the reception of the two longitudinal
springs C and D, care being taken to allow the necessary play for the elongation of
the elastic frame.
Figure 7 shows a bed thus constructed.
Figure 8 shows the same bed folded for convenience of transport.
The supports may obviously. be adapted to an elastic frame in such a manner as

page_text: In this latter case it can be made to turn down or lie against the partition on the
long side.
In military beds the addition of a seat and table is often required in order to
allow the soldiers to work when the beds are lifted. Figures 1, 2, and 3, show an
arrangement of this kind. To the trestle B is secured a small board P which
serves as a seat; a table T is provided at the end of a vertical metal rod which
passes through a socket at K of convenient length, and through an opening made
to receive it in the lower cross bar L, thus effectually guiding and steadying the
said rod. When it is desired to make use of the table it is lifted to the desired
height and turned round a quarter of a revolution, which causes a projection
carried by the rod to engage in the right angled portion of a slot made in the
socket, the table being thus fixed by a bayonet joint arrangement.
Another mode of mounting consists in fixing the table on a rod of flat iron
folded into a square, the vertical part of the rod being guided in two rectangular
sockets; it is formed with a notch and provided with a stop or projection. When
the table is lifted the projection bears against the upper socket, and at this
moment a detent lever actuated by a weight or spring engages into the notch and
maintains the table at the desired elevation.
The mode of adjustment and fixing may evidently be varied, and the table can
be placed, if desired, under the frame itself of the bed, or at any other convenient
part; I prefer however to attach it to the moveable trestle, as it can then be carried
to any convenient part of a room near a window.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar construction and arrangement of spring bed or reclining
surface consisting of an elastic frame formed of two longitudinal blade springs
connected together transversely, this elastic frame being capable of adaptation to
all kinds of bedsteads, and constituting separately a mattress or hammock, as
herein before described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
Secondly. The combination either with one of the supports of the bed or with
any convenient part of the frame itself of a table and seat arranged so as to be
put out of the way when the bed is in use, and to be brought into a convenient
position for use when the bed is folded, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight bundred and eighty one.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER. (L.S.)