IMPROVEMENTS, IN, METAL BEDSTEADS
Year: 1854

page_text: 74
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Iles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st December 1854.
k
N
I, CHARLES ILES, of Peel Works, Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature
of the. Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS, IN, METAL BEDSTEADS to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of three improvements in metal bedsteads. The
first improvement consists of coating the pillars, or-posts and rails with plastic
cements, or matters in a plastic state, in order to enlarge the diameter, and
also in order to facilitate the giving to the exterior surfaces imitations of
marble and other devices.
Secondly, it consists in fixing the laths to the side and end rails by the laths
being made with a notch at each end, or otherwise, to pass under a stud,
and with, a projection or stud near each end; and the side and end rails are
made with a fixed button or projection and a hole, by which the ends of the
laths and the side and end rails of metal bedsteads will go together, and hold
more securely than heretofore.

page_text: And, thirdly, in constructing the stretchers of metal bedsteads, so that one
part will slide within another, and be extended and contracted in length by
jan incline or excentric.
by the said Charles Iles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st June
1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ILES, of Peel Works, Birmingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Iles, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Iles, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Iles, 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 METAL BED-
STEADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Iles, 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 Charles Iles, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists of three improvements-in-metal_bedsteads. The
-first improvement consists of coating the pillars or posts and rails with plastic
cements, or matters in a plastic state, in order to enlarge the diameter, and
also in order to facilitate the giving to the exterior surfaces imitations of
marble and other devices.

page_text: .
Figure 1 shows part of the post or pullar or a metal bedstead; Figure 2
shows a section of the same, the exterior surfaces of some of which are coated
with cement or plastic matters, and such is also the case with respect to parts
applied to the head and foot rails. I prefer that the coated parts of a bedstead
should be of metal tubes, as they are more conveniently cemented together;
but this is not essential. The cements or plastic materials used for the external
coatings of the parts of metallic bedsteads may be greatly varied, but they
should in all cases be tough and strong, and not readily be liable to be chipped
or broken. The cement I prefer to use is what is called Keene's cement,
particularly when it is desired that the parts of a bedstead which are coated
are to be made to resemble marbles. I can, however, employ other cements,
or gutta percha and its compounds, and coatings of such cements or plastic
matters may be formed on to the parts of a metal bedstead by the aid of
moulds, or otherwise, according to the nature of the cements used. The
plastic cements and plastic materials used may be colored according to taste;
but; when imitating marbles, I prefer to mix fibres with the cements, in like
manner to what I formerly described in the Specification of a Patent granted
to me; and which is now well known. In using Keene's or similar cements,
whether to produce a plain or a varied surface, I first mould or form the
coating to the pillar or other part of the bedstead to the form or nearly to the
form desired, and then complete the shaping in a lathe or otherwise, allowing
the cement time to properly set before putting the article in the lathe.
The upper and lower parts of the pillar a is thus coated with cement or
plastic matter; the part b, to which the side, foot, and head rails are attached,
being cast on or otherwise fixed to the tubes on which the coating of cement.

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is applied. In using Keene's or other cement, I prefer to, wrap the tubes or
portions to be coated with string before applying the cement; this, however,
is not desirable when using gutta percha and its compounds. c, c, are part-of
the head rail of tubes, which are similarly coated with cement or plastic
materials, and they are connected together,,by, means. of screws and nuts.
When using gutta percha and its compounds, they are rendered plastic by heat,
and, cast, on the parts of metal bedsteads which are desired to be coated; in
like manner plastic compounds made up with glue and other adhesive matters
may be used in coating the parts of bedsteads. In respect to this part of my
Invention, I would remark that the form and manner of putting together of
the parts of a metal bedstead may be varied; and although I have mentioned
the descriptions of plastic cements and plastic matters which I prefer, I do not
confine myself thereto; this part of my Invention consisting of coating the
pillars or posts and rails with plastic- cements or matters in order to enlarge
them, and. also in order to facilitate the giving to the exterior surfaces imita-
tions of marble and other devices.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention. Figure 3
shows a transverse section of the two side rails of a bedstead, with parts.
one.
19
of
of the laths used therewith and attached thereto. according to this part of
my Invention; Figure 4 is a plan of the same parts; and Figure 5 shows a
plan and edge view of part of one of the laths. The laths, according to this
part of my Invention, are each made notched out or forked at their ends,
and a stud is fixed near the end of the fork or notch. c, c, are the side rails,
which, are, made with fixed buttons or studs for each lath, and also with
a hole or recess e. to receive the stud or projection f of the lath. The notch.
or fork.
g of the lath passes under the head of a button or stud d on a side.
rail, and the stud or projection fenters the hole or recess. e made in the rail to.
receive it; hence, when a lath is pressed on, the strain will be on the studs or
projections f, and its ends will be prevented from rising by the heads of the
studs or buttons.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention... Figure 6 shows a.plan.
-of-part.of.a stretcher, and Figure 7 a horizontal section thereof. h is a socket,.
in which the ends i, i, of two parts of a stretcher-of-a-metal_bedstead can
slide. The parts i are made with inclined ends. j is a wedge.moved by the
screw k. By this arrangement it will be seen that the two parts i, i, of
the stretcher may be expanded or contracted. Figure .8 shows a plan in sec-
tion, and Figure 9 a longitudinal section, of another arrangement of stretcher
for a metal bedstead where an excentric 7 is used to. move the part m out

page_text: or in. The excentric is fixed to the axis n, and rotates therewith. The part
m has a stud which enters the excentric groove or slot in the excentric, as
shown.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,--
First, the coating parts of metal bedsteads as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the mode herein described of attaching laths to the rails
of metal bedsteads.
And, thirdly, I claim the arrangements of stretchers of metallic bedsteads
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Iles, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
5 Witness,
WM BRASIER,
12, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane.
CHARLES ILES. (L.S.)