An Improved Child's Cot.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 25th Oct., 1890
An Improved Child's Cot.
I THOMAS WILLIS of Daylesford in the Colony of Victoria, Australia Physician
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing an inexpensive cot
(intended to be called "Dr. Thomas' Folding Cot") which can be hinged to the side of
a wire mattress or bedstead in such a manner as that it can easily be fitted in position
ready for use and when not required can be folded up out of the way underneath the
bedstead, as will be readily understood from the following description, reference being
had to my drawings, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved cot shown separate and apart from the mattress
or bedstead to which it is to be attached and with its parts extended, whilst
Figure 2 is a plan, and
Figure 3 an end elevation of a portion of a bedstead illustrating my improved cot
attached to its side, and ready for use.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 4-4, Figure 2, and
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 3, but illustrating my improved cot folded up
and out of use beneath the bed.
A represents the narrow board or batten which, as above mentioned, is screwed or
otherwise fastened to the side rail of a wire mattress or bedstead, as clearly illustrated
in my drawings, whilst B represents the base of my improved cot which is connected
to said narrow board or batten A by hinges b. C and C₁ are respectively the head
and foot pieces of my improved cot, whilst D represents the side piece which is con-
nected to the base B by the hinges d. Said head and foot pieces C and C¹ are
connected to said side piece D by hinges c-c, and at their inner sides when the cot
is in use they are rigidly secured to the base piece B by means of a pair of hooks c'-c',
taking into eyes projecting from the edge of said base piece. A pair of legs E are
hinged to the underside of the base piece B near its outer edge, as illustrated, such
legs, when the cot is in use, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, serving to support same.
A small portion of the inner edge of the base of each cot is cut away, as shown at f
in Figures 1 and 2, in order that a hook F may be connected to said outer edge and
be adapted to engage with an eye f¹ in the upper edge of the side piece D when the
cot is folded up beneath the bed, as illustrated in Figure 5, the object of such hook
being to keep the side piece D in its vertical position close to said base piece B, as
will be well understood on reference to said figure.
When my improved cot is set up ready for use, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 4,
and it is required to fold same out of the way, the hooks c¹ must be released from the
eyes c², so as to free the head and foot pieces C-C¹. These are then straightened
out into a line with the side piece D, and this latter is then folded down upon the
base piece B, and is secured thereto by the book F and eye f¹. The legs E-E are
then folded inwards and the cot is allowed to hang under the bed in the position
illustrated in Figure 5, when, as will be well understood it will be entirely out of the
way, and will not be a source of inconvenience to anyone.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to any special
material in the construction of my improved cot. I prefer, however, to construct it
of iron bars or rods, with a wire mattress for the bottom thereof, as will be well under-
stood by all persons skilled in the art to which this invention relates,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is:
1st. In a child's cot the combination with a base piece (such as B) of a side piece
(such as D) together with head and foot pieces (such at C-C') said head and foot
pieces being hinged to said side piece and the latter being hinged to said base piece,
together with some convenient means (such for instance, as hooks and eyes c¹²) for
securing the inner ends of said head and foot pieces to the inner side of said base
piece, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained, and as
illustrated in my drawings.
2nd. In a child's cot the combination with a base piece (such as B) having side and
head and foot pieces hinged thereto, of a pair of legs (such as E) hinged to the under-
side of said base piece in such a manner as to support same when the cot is in use and
to be folded up when not required, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
Dated this Fifteenth day of August One thousand eight hundred and ninety.
THOMAS WILLIS.
Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents