IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BEDSTEADS, COTS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF LIKE MANUFACTURE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lewis, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Metallic Bedstead Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BEDSTEADS, COTS, COUCHES, AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF LIKE MANUFACTURE."
Scaled the 21st November 1871, and dated the 1st July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lewis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1871.
I, JAMES LEWIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Metallic
Bedstead Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BEDSTEADS, COTS, COUCHES, AND
OTHER ÅRTICLES OF LIKE MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
connecting the sides and ends of metallic bedsteads, cots, couches,
and other articles of like manufacture to the corner blocks of the

page_text: said articles, by which improvements an inexpensive and secure joint
is made, and the ordinary he dovetails which are cast on the ends
of the angle bars of which the sides and ends are made are rendered
unnecessary.
In connecting the sides and ends of a metallic bedstead to the corner
blocks of the same according to my Invention, instead of forming in
the said corner blocks a hollow or she dovetail to receive the he dovetail
on the side or end angle bar, as usual, I make in the said blocks in a
line with the vertical web of the side or end angle bar to be connected
therewith a vertical slot, the said slot extending from the upper to the
lower side of the said corner block. Projecting from one side of the said
slot and at the middle thereof is a taper rib (or two of the said ribs may
be used), the said rib extending from top to bottom, and having, by
preference, a semicircular or angular figure. That part of the slot
opposite the said rib follows the same conformation as the said rib. The
vertical slot in the corner block is thus semicircular or angular at
its middle with plain ends. In the end of the angle bar to be jointed
to the said corner block a vertical depression or concavity is made of a
figure proper to fit upon or engage with the semicircular or angular
rib in the slot of the corner block. The said depression or concavity
is made on the vertical web of the angle bar. By placing the bottom of
the vertical web of the angle bar in the slot in the corner block, so that
the depression or concavity in the said bar is opposite the rib in the
slot, and depressing the said bar it enters the said slot, the concavity or
depression fitting upon the rib in the slot and forming a secure joint.
The horizontal web of the angle bar when the latter is in its place rests
upon the top or upper face of the corner block, which is recessed so that
the said horizontal web lies flush with the top of the corner block. In
order to disconnect the angle bar from the corner block, the said angle
bar is lifted vertically when it is disengaged from the corner block.
In applying my Invention to cots, couches, and other articles of like
manufacture, such as chairs and sofas, and other articles the framing of
which is formed by bars of angle iron engaging with corner blocks, I
construct the joints for the same in the manner described with respect
to a bedstead joint.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Lewis in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 23rd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEWIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Metallic Bedstead
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Lewis, Her special licence that I,
the said James Lewis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Lewis, 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 METALLIC BED-
STEADS, COTS, COUCHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF LIKE MANUFACTURE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Lewis, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 James Lewis, 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 :-
My Invention consists of the improvements hercin-after described
in connecting the sides and ends of metallic bedsteads, cots, couches,
and other articles of like manufacture to the corner blocks of the said
articles, by which improvements an inexpensive and secure joint is made
and the ordinary he dovetails which are cast on the ends of the anglo
bars of which the sides and ends are made are rendered unnecessary.

page_text: In connecting the sides and ends of a metallic bedstead to the corner
blocks of the same according to my Invention, instead of forming in the
said corner blocks a hollow or she dovetail to receive the he dovetail
on the side or end angle bar as usual, I make in the said blocks in a
line with the vertical web of the side or end angle bar to be connected
therewith a vertical slot, the said slot extending from the upper to nearly
the lower side of the said corner block. Projecting from one side of the
said slot and at the middle thereof is a taper rib (or two or more of the
said ribs may be used), the said rib extending from top to bottom and
having, by preference, a semicircular or angular figure. That part of
the slot opposite the said rib follows the same conformation as the said
rib. The vertical slot in the corner block is thus semicircular or
angular at its middle with plain ends. In the end of the angle bar to
be jointed to the said corner block a vertical depression or concavity is
made of a figure proper to fit upon or engage with the semicircular or
angular rib in the slot of the corner block. The said depression or
concavity is made on the vertical web of the angle bar. By placing
the bottom of the vertical web of the angle bar in the slot in the corner
block so that the depression or concavity in the said bar is opposite the
rib in the slot, and depressing the said bar it enters the said slot, the
concavity or depression fitting upon the rib in the slot and forming a
secure joint. The horizontal web of the angle bar when the latter is in
its place nearly rests upon the top or upper face of the corner block,
which is recessed, so that the said horizontal web lies flush with the top
of the corner block. In order to disconnect the angle bar from the
corner block the said angle bar is lifted vertically when it is disengaged

page_text: a is the corner block connected to the pillar of the bedstead in the
ordinary way; bis the vertical slot in each of the projecting joint parts
a of the corner block, the said slot having the position represented
in the Drawing. Projecting from one side of the slot 6 and at the
middle thereof is a vertical taper rib * extending from top to bottom of
the slot, the said rib b² having a semicircular figure, that portion of the
slot opposite the said rib having the same conformation as the
said rib.
By an examination of the plan, Figure 4, it will be seen that the
vertical slot b in each joint part of the corner block is semicircular
at its middle and straight at its end. The slot 6 does not extend to the
bottom of the block (see Figure 2). The vertical wcb c of the angle
bar c forming the side or end of the bedstead to be jointed to the corner
block a is provided with a vertical taper depression or concavity c³, the
said depression or concavity having a figure proper to fit upon or engage
with the semicircular rib b² in the slot of the corner block. I prefer to
make the depression or concavity c³ in the angle bars by stamping or
pressing. The inner side a³ of cach joint part of the corner block is made
at a lower level than the other part in order that the horizontal web of
the angle bar when the latter is in its place shall lic flush with the corner
block. In connecting the angle bar c with the corner block a the
bottom of the vertical web c² of the angle bar is placed in the slot b, so
that the depression or concavity c³ in the said bar is opposite the rib ba
in the said slot. By then depressing the said angle bar it enters the
said slot b, the concavity or depression fitting upon the rib 6 and
forming a secure joint. The horizontal web of the angle bar when the
said bar is jointed to the block nearly rests upon the upper face a³ of
the said block and lies flush with the top of the corner block. When
the angle bars are jointed to the corner block, as illustrated in Figures 1,
2, and 3, the vertical webs of the bars fill up the slots in the said
corner block, and there is consequently no lateral motion of the said
bars in the said slots. To disconnect the angle bars from the corner
block it is only necessary to lift the angle bars vertically when their
vertical webs c² are disengaged from the corner block.
Instead of forming one taper rib b² in the slot b in the corner block
two or more of the said ribs may be used, a corresponding number of
depressions or concavities being made in the angle bar, and instead of
giving the ribs and depressions a semicircular figure, as represented,

page_text: :
they may have an angular figure with the same effect. The rib or ribs
and concavity or concavities may also be made parallel instead of
taper.
In applying my Invention to cots, couches, and other articles of like
manufacture, such as chairs, sofas, and other articles, the framing of
which is formed by bars of angle iron engaging with corner blocks, I
construct the joints for the same in the manner herein-before described
and illustrated in the Drawing with respect to a bedstead joint.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention, the improvements in
the joints of metallic bedsteads, cots, couches, and other articles of like
manufacture herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, constructing the said joints by forming in the
corner block in the position represented a vertical slot provided with
one or more ribs, and forming in the vertical web of the angle bar
one or more vertical depressions or concavities, which by a vertical
motion of the angle bar can be made to fit upon or engage with the rib
or ribs in the slot of the corner block and thereby form a secure joint,
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lewis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JAMES LEWIS. (L.S.)