Improvements in and relating to Spring Mattresses.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Spring Mattresses.
I, JOSEPH WROE of 26 Park Avenue Longsight Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates to that class of mattresses in which the surface sustaining
the bed hereinafter called the web is formed by means of springs, springs and laths
or webbing woven from wire or other material and which is kept in tension between
two cross bars or rods one at each end of the mattress. My invention has for its
object an improvement in the method of maintaining a uniform tension on the web
while permitting a certain amount of yielding to take place when the weight is
placed upon the web. My invention does not relate to the construction of the web
itself which may be of any convenient construction, but only to the mode of
establishing and maintaining its tension.
In carrying my said invention into effect I fasten the web to two rollers
extending across the full width of the bed or mattress and sustained in suitable
bearing brackets within which they can revolve. To both ends of each of the
rollers I attach an arm or lever which is so fixed as to project inwardly towards the
other roller. By means of a ratchet wheel or wheels fixed on the rollers and a pawl
or pawls hinged to one or both levers on each roller I am enabled to regulate the
tension on the web. I may sustain the rollers in brackets one pair of which
sustaining one of the rollers are fixed and arrange those sustaining the other roller
so that they may be moved outwardly by means of a screw or similar means in order
to tighten the web. The ends of the levers in one modification of my invention are
arranged to rest upon the ends of curved springs which are fastened at about their
centres to the longitudinal rails or stretchers of the bedstead or to similar rails
In this
forming the sides of the mattress frame when that is made self contained.
way the web is kept in constant tension and I construct the springs of sufficient
strength to ensure this.
The
In a second modification of my said invention I place within each of the rollers
which are made tubular for the purpose a coiled or spiral spring one end of which
is attached to the roller and the other to some convenient part in order that when
the roller is rotated so as to stretch the web the spring is put into tension.
spring will thus exercise a constant pressure upon the roller and will resist any
rotation of the roller. In this modification the rollers will be rotated in some
suitable way and held in any position by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl and
each of the two rollers will be rotated in the opposite direction to the other so that
the spring in each will tend to rotate the rollers in opposite directions and will thus
stretch the web and resist any weight laid upon it.
Dated this 15th day of September 1892.
JOSEPH WRUE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Spring Mattresses.
I, JOSEPH WROE of 26 Park Avenue, Longsight, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, 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 :-
The object of my said invention is to provide a means whereby a uniform tension

page_text: is maintained in the web or mattress which is usually held stretched between two
bars. In carrying my invention into effect I do not rely wholly upon the web for
the preservation of the tension but adopt such a construction that the web may be
maintained in sufficient tension to sustain the bed however the web is constructed.
And in order that my said invention may be understood and more easily carried
into effect I have hereunto appended sheets of drawings wherein
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the arrangement of the mattress in one
modification of my said invention.
Fig. 2 is a partially sectional view of the mechanism employed with a second
modification of my invention and
Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the brackets employed in the said modification.
I apply my said invention to a web W of suitable construction whether woven,
made with lathes and springs or in any other suitable manner.
The web (which is shown in the illustration as consisting of canvas bands with
transverse laths) is attached in some convenient and well known manner to two bars
tubes or rollers A A¹ hereinafter called the rollers. The rollers A A' are sustained
by the brackets B B which may be fixed to the frame or stretchers C of the bed-
stead or mattress. Either of the brackets B B¹ may be arranged to slide horizon-
tally on the frame by means of a screw or otherwise but this is not an essential
part of the invention. The brackets are each constructed with an eye which acts
as a bearing for the arbor or axle H of the rollers and in which the latter may
revolve. In one modification of my invention I affix or attach to the ends of the
rollers A A' levers D D' the unattached ends of which rest upon the ends of the
curved springs E F which are fixed to the frame of the mattress or bed. Thus
when the web W is tightened by rotating the rollers A A¹ which may be effected
by means of the pawl P and a ratchet wheel fixed on the arbors H of the rollers A A'
in which case the levers D D¹ would be loose on the arbors and suitable provision
would be made in any well known manner to retain the rollers in position during
the return stroke of the levers or arms. The web may be tightened by sliding
either of the brackets B B' or their equivalents as hereinbefore named or in any
other suitable way. Any weight which is laid upon the web is sustained by the
springs E F which can yield a little to compensate for the additional weight.
I construct the springs of some suitable material but it is obvious to any mechanic
acquainted with this class of article that they may be constructed of a variety of
materials.
In a second modification of my invention which is more particularly illustrated
as applied to one of the rollers in Fig. 2 I employ instead of the curved spring E F
shown in the preceding modification coiled steel springs G which are placed within
the rollers A A' which are made tubular for the purpose. One end of the spring G
is fastened to an extension of the boss of the brackets B₁ or to a plug or disc
suitably attached to it and placed in the roller so that the roller can revolve on it,
and the other to a flange or disc L fixed to or forming part of the axis H of the
said roller, the said disc being securely fixed to the roller so that its rotation also
rotates the roller. By rotating the roller as desired the spring is put into tension,
the pull upon the web preventing it from becoming uncoiled and the direction of
the pull of each spring upon each roller is such that each of the two roller's tends
to be rotated in a direction opposite to that of the other. Any weight which is laid
upon the web so as to deflect it or increase its tension is thus met by the resistance
of the tension of the springs while the web itself is normally kept in tension by the
pull of the springs. I may attach the web to the rollers before the springs are put
into tension or afterwards as desired. I can employ to retain the rollers in position
some suitable device such as ratchet wheels upon the axis of the roller with pawls
engaging with them, but this is a constructive detail which could be readily overcome
by any skilled mechanic.
It is obvious that although I have hitherto described my said invention as applic-
able to mattresses, it can be readily adapted to similar purposes where spring seats
are required as in the case of garden chairs etc.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I make no
general claim to the construction of webs or mattresses which are wholly or in part
kept in tension by springs but what I claim is :-
The construction and arrangement of mattresses in such a manner that the web
is attached to rollers the said rollers being controlled by springs for the purpose
and in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated this 18th day of January 1893.
JOSEPH WROE.