IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tillett, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tillett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
February 1855.
I, GEORGE TILLETT, of Clapham, in the County of Surry, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BEDSTEADS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My improvements have reference, firstly, to an improved method of con-
necting the side and end rails to the pillars or posts of bedsteads. For this
purpose I form tenons on the ends of the rails, and cut two slots or mortises
in the pillars at right angles to each other, to receive the same. These
tenons are so formed that when one is inserted in the mortise of the pillar,
a portion of the tenon on the end of the second rail passes through the former.
A bolt on the side of the first rail is then slid through a hole in the end of the
second tenon, by which means the pillar and rails become firmly united
together.
My improvements in the construction of bedsteads relates, secondly, to a
mode of attaching metallic sacking laths thereto, and consists in placing a
series of studs on the rails, which studs are partly hollow, having a slot or
groove on their under sides. An inclined projection formed on the end of the

page_text: lath slides into this groove until tight, when the lath is held firmly in its place.
I also affix stretchers to the side rails in a similar manner; or I dispense
with studs and projections on the top or side of the rails by carrying the ends of
the lath down outside and under the edge of the rail, the lower end of the lath
being secured by a hook.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tillett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TILLETT, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Tillett, Her special licence that I, the said George Tillett,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Tillett, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Tillett, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tillett, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof (that is to say):-
My improvements have reference, firstly, to an improved method of con-
necting the side and end rails to the pillars or posts of bedsteads. For this
purpose I form tenons on the ends of the rails, and cut two slots or mortises in
the pillars at right angles to each other, to receive the same. These tenons
are so formed that when one is inserted in the mortise of the pillar a portion of

page_text: the tenon on the end of the second rail passes through the former.
A bolt
on the side of the first rail is then slid through a hole in the end of the second
tenon, by which means the pillar and rails become firmly united together.
My improvements in the construction of bedsteads relates, secondly, to a
mode of attaching metallic sacking laths thereto, and consists in placing a series
of studs on the rails, which studs are partly hollow, having a slot or groove on
their under sides. An inclined projection formed on the end of the lath slides
into this groove until tight, when the lath is held firmly in its place. I also
affix stretchers to the side rails in a similar manner; or I dispense with studs
and projections on the top or side of the rails by carrying the ends of the lath
down outside and under the edge of the rail, the lower end of the lath being
secured by a hook.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner in which I perform the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, A, is so much of one end of the side rail of a bedstead as is
necessary to show the nature of my improvements therein; and Figure 2, a
similar portion of an end rail (head or foot rail) of the same. At each end of
the side rail A, there is a tenon with a mortise a, and at each end of the head
rail, Figure 2, B, there is a tenon b, with a smaller mortise or bolt hole c.
The posts or pillars of the bedstead have each two slots formed therein for
the reception of the tenons of the side and end rails at right angles to each
other.
Figure 3, D, is part of the pillar of a bedstead with the side rail A and head
rail B in their places; Figure 4 is a plan view of the same. e and e' are the
slots in the pillar D to receive the ends of the rails. In setting up the bed-
stead, the tenon of the side rail A, Figure 1, is first inserted in the slot e of the
pillar D; the end of the head rail B is then placed in the second slot e', with
its tenon 6 through the mortise a of the side rail A. A bolt f is then pushed
through the bolt hole c of the tenon 6, which locks the two rails and the pillar
firmly together; or, instead of the external bolt f, I employ a vertical bolt
within the pillar, which locks into indents on the upper edges of the side and
end rails, and secures them in their places. The same arrangement being
repeated with each of the four pillars, the bedstead is combined together in
a firm and substantial manner. To take down the bedstead, the bolt f is
driven back, when the rails are set free, and can be readily withdrawn from
the pillar.
Although I have shown this my improvement as applied to a metal bed-

page_text: stead, it will be seen that it is equally applicable to bedsteads of wood or
other material. Another modification of this my improvement is shown in
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Figure 5, A, is the mortised end of the side rail of a bedstead; and
Figure 6, B, part of the head rail with its tenons cut to fit into the former.
Figure 7, D2, is an elevation of part of the pillar of the bedstead; and Figure
8, a plan view of the same. G is a thumb-screw, tapped into the pillar D³.
The side rail A being first placed in the slotted opening of the pillar, the head
rail B is next inserted at right angles to the former; the screw G is then
turned until it presses against notches g, g, made in the rails A2, B², when they
become firmly secured to the pillar, and can only be separated therefrom by
slackening the screw G. A repetition of this arrangement secures the other
pillars to the side and end rails, forming a firm and stable bedstead, which may
be set up and taken down with great facility.
My second improvement in the construction of bedsteads consists in a new
method or methods of attaching metallic sacking laths thereto.
Figure 9, A, is a portion of the side rail of an iron bedstead with the laths
H, H, affixed thereto. i, i, are studs (placed at proper intervals along the
upper surface of the side rails) partly hollow on their under side, as is clearly
shown by the section, Figure 10. At each end of the lath H there is an
inclined projection formed by simply turning over the end of the lath, as shewn
by the plan view, Figure 11, and section, Figure 11*%; or the end of the lath
may be bent round a taper core, as shown by the plan, Figure 12, and
section, Figure 12*. The bedstead being set up, the inclined projection upon
the end of the lath is brought under the hollow or groove of the studs i, i; the
lath is then driven sideways (in the direction of the arrow) until the required
tension is obtained. By driving back the laths in the opposite direction, they
are at once detached from the bedstead. I also affix stretchers to the side
rails of metal bedsteads, by means of similar studs placed on the under side
thereof.
Another modification of this my improvement is shown in Figure 13. Lis
part of the side rail of a bedstead, with the sacking laths M, M, attached
thereto; Figure 14 is a part of one of the laths M detached; and Figure 15,
a section of the side rail and lath. Grooved studs n, n, are placed opposite to
each other, at proper intervals along the upper surface of the two side rails of
the bedstead. At each end of the laths there is an inclined slot or opening k, k.
The slotted openings in the lath being placed upon the projecting studs n, n,
the lath is driven sideways (in the direction of the arrow) until the required
tension, afforded by the inclined form of the slot, is obtained, when the sacking

page_text: laths become firmly attached to the bedstead; or I dispense with studs and
projections on the top or side of the rails, by attaching the metallic sacking
laths thereto in the following manner :-
Figure 16, P, is a side elevation of a part of the side rail of a bedstead, and
Q is one of the laths; Figure 17 is an end section of the same.
At suitable
intervals along the under side of the side rail P, there are a number of inclined
dents r, r. The end of the lath Q is bent down at right angles, so as to
embrace the top and side of the rail P, its lower edge being bent up in the
form of a hook s, or a moveable hook may be employed. These indents may
all be placed on one of the side rails, or alternately on each, as the end of
the lath that is first affixed does not necessarily require an indentation. One
end of the lath having been fixed on the side rail, the other end is brought
over the opposite rail, and the hook s inserted in the indented opening r;
the lath is then driven along sideways (in the direction of the arrow) until
it takes a firm hold of the lower edge of the side rail, from which it can
only be separated by driving it back into its original position.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details herein described, as some of them may be varied without
prejudice to my said Invention; but what I claim is,―
Firstly, the mode of constructing and combining the side and end rails, and
the pillars or posts of bedsteads, substantially as herein-before described and
shown in the annexed Drawings.
Secondly, I claim the several methods of constructing and attaching metallic
sacking laths to bedsteads, substantially as herein-before described and shown
in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tillett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
W1 BADDELEY.
GEORGE TILLETT. (L.S.)