IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING-MATTRESSES OR BED BOTTOMS, AND OTHER ELASTIC FURNITURE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING-MATTRESSES OR BED BOTTOMS, AND OTHER
ELASTIC FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Anton Jarolimek,
of Hainburg, in the Empire of Austria.
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th July 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING-MATTRESSES OR
BED BOTTOMS, AND OTHER ELASTIC FURNITURE." [A communication from abroad
by Anton Jarolimek, of Hainburg, in the Empire of Austria.]
These improvements relate to spring mattresses and other spring furniture, such
as chairs, sofas, benches, and the like.
According to these improvements the springs are formed of spiral coils of steel
wire stretched and kept under tension on the article of furniture.
The accompanying Drawing illustrates different methods of carrying this
Invention into practice.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wooden frame, on the top of which the spiral
springs are to be stretched; Figure 2 is a similar view of an iron frame on which
the spiral-springs are stretched; Figures 3 and 4 show modes of fastening the ends
of the spiral springs to the frames; Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 shew different
articles of furniture having the spiral springs applied to them; Figures 11 and 12
shew arrangements for connecting the longitudinal springs with the cross-springs,
and Figure 13 shews a special mode of fixing a spiral spring in a wooden frame.
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 are drawn on the smallest scale; Figures 1, 2, 5, and 10, on
a larger scale, and Figures 3, 4, 11, 12, and 13 about natural size.
The wooden mattress frame shewn in Figure 1 is constructed of four wooden
planks a, a, a, a, strengthened by cross-bars 61, 62, and buttresses c', o². The
spiral springs are fastened at one end to the head-piece a², and at the other end to
the foot-piece at
The iron frame shewn in Figure 2 consists of two gas-pipes d'and two T-iron

page_text: rails e, e. The two curved rails f, f, fixed to the side pieces d serve as rests.
the longitudinal springs and x' the cross springs.
Care
The spiral springs may be made in the following manner, that is to say :-Steel
wire of about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness, which has been previously
hardened and then suitably tempered, is coiled round a spindle of about one-eighth
of an inch in thickness, and the spiral springs so formed are cut up into lengths of
two feet, corresponding to about one-third of the length of the bed; each of the
two ends of each piece is then bent to form a loop y. The springs are now fixed
by the aid of these loops y in any suitable stretching apparatus and stretched to
nearly treble their previous length, that is to say, to such an extent as to be about
two and a half inches shorter than they will be when stretched on the mattress
frame,
These spiral springs can now be fixed to the wooden frame by means of screws g,
as shewn in Figure 3, and it is advisable to countersink the screwheads and cover
them with cement. The mode of attachment of the springs to iron frames is shown
in Figure 4, in which case rivets are used; the ends of these rivets are bent over
after the loops y of the springs have been passed over them.
'
The frame illustrated in Figure 2 may be made to form a bedstead by attaching
suitable head and foot pieces to it, as shewn in Figure-5.
To prevent any tendency of the spiral springs to spread too far apart from each
other, one or more cross springs a³ may be arranged as shewn in Figures 2, 5, 11,
and 12. It is preferable to make the cross-springs of somewhat thinner wire and
with their coils of somewhat larger diameter, to facilitate the connection between
the two kinds, which connection is effected by screwing the one coil over the other,
as shewn in Figures 11 and 12. If the wire of the longitudinal springs is about
one sixteenth of an inch thick, and the coils have about one quarter of an inch
external diameter, and the pitch of each spiral is about three-sixteenths of an inch,
then the thickness of the wire of the cross-springs may be about one-thirtieth less,
the diameter of the coils about one fifth larger, and the pitch about one tenth
...smaller..
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 illustrate the application of this Invention to seats, sofas,
and chairs. The head rest may, as shewn in Figure 7, be formed by a second series
of spiral springs x².
For cushioned seats it is advisable to cross the spiral springs, as shewn in
Figure 10, and the ends of the said springs may be fastened, as shewn in Figure 13,
by turning the screw into the coils of the springs.
The springs may be arranged longitudinally or transversely as desired, and a
greater or lesser number of cross-springs, may be used as required.
The advantages of this Invention are as follow:-
First, only a small number of cross springs (about 25 to 30) are necessary for each
bed, and much less steel wire or other material is required; second, the fastening
of the springs is very simple and readily effected; third, the spring-mattresses are
very light, clean, and airy; and fourth, the most uniform elasticity is combined with
great strength and durability. Each spiral spring, when made of good steel and
of the dimensions above mentioned, sustains about one hundred-weight, and
stretches to the extent of about ten inches when submitted to such a weight,
returning to its previous length as soon as the pressure has been removed. The
twenty five springs of a mattress capable of sustaining a weight of ten hundred-
weight without permanent deformation weigh altogether only about six pounds.