IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL BEDSTEADS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Breese, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL
BEDSTEADS."
Sealed the 4th December 1860, and dated the 9th June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Breese at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
June 1860.
I, CHARLES BREESE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN METAL BEDSTEADS," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of a mode of attaching the angles of the hori-
zontal frames of metal bedsteads or the ends of the rails (whether made as
usual, of angle iron, or otherwise) composing such frames, to the pillars or
posts by which such frames are supported at the four corners thereof.
For the purpose of supporting such frames, that is to say, the frames for
holding the laths or other supports for the bedding in metal bedsteads as
usually constructed, the pillars or posts at the corners of such frames are
furnished with lugs or projections for holding and supporting the ends of the
rails constituting the horizontal frames, so that each of such pillars or posts is
opposite to the ends of the rails to which it is attached. This mode of con-
struction causes the corners of the frames or ends of the rails to surround or

page_text: embrace about one half or more of the circumference of the pillars or posts at
the places of attachment, and thus prevents or interferes with the ornamenta-
tion of the pillars or posts, and prevents them from standing clearly and
distinctly out at the corners of the frames.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, I furnish each post or pillar with a
lug or projection, by casting or otherwise, so as to receive and sustain the ends
of both of the rails, or a piece or pieces connected thereto to be attached to the
post or pillar. The lug or projection. is constructed. and placed in such a
position that the post or pillar may stand out from instead of being within the
corners of the frame or ends of the rails which it supports. And the post or
pillar may be made to stand out more or less by increasing or diminishing the
dimensions of the lug or projection fixed upon the post or pillar for receiving
the ends of the rails. In order to enable me the better to effect this object, I
contract the ends of the two rails to be attached to a pillar or post in such
manner that they shall fit together so as to form one of the corners of the bed
frame, and in such manner that the ends so fitting together shall also fit into a
recess made to receive them in the lug or projection attached to the pillar by
which that corner of the bed frame is to be supported. Again, instead of
furnishing the post or pillar with a lug or projection, I obviate the dis-
advantages before-mentioned by forming an aperture in the pillar, and by
bending the ends of the frames or angle irons in such manner that the ends
of a side and end frame may be inserted in the same aperture in one pillar,
and be secured by wedge or other means of attachment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Breese in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BREESE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Breese, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Breese, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Breese, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 BEDSTEADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Breese, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Breese, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My said Invention consists of a mode of attaching the angles of the hori-
zontal frames of metal bedsteads or the ends of the rails (whether made as:
usual, of angle iron, or otherwise) composing such frames to the pillars or
posts by which such frames are supported at the four corners thereof.
For the purpose of supporting such frames, that is to say, the frames for
holding the laths or other supports for the bedding in metal bedsteads as
usually constructed, the pillars or posts at the corners of such frames are:
furnished with lugs or projections for holding and supporting the ends of the
rails constituting the horizontal frames, so that each of such pillars or posts is:
opposite to the ends of the rails to which it is attached, and so that a line.con-
tinued from a central line of a side frame would meet a line continued from a
central line of an end frame at or about the centre of the pillar. This mode
of construction causes the corners of the frames or ends of the rails to surround
or embrace about one half. or more of the circumference of the pillars or posts:
at the places of.attachment, and thus prevents or interferes with the ornamen->
tation of the pillars or posts, and prevents. them from standing clearly and
distinctly out at the corners of the frames..
In order to avoid these disadvantages, I furnish each post or pillar- with a
lug or projection, by casting or otherwise, so as to receive and sustain the ends
of both of the rails, or a piece or pieces connected thereto to be attached to
the post or pillar. The lug or projection: is constructed and placed in such a
position that the post or pillar may stand out from instead of being within the
corners of the frame or ends of the rails which it supports, while a line-con-

page_text: tinued from a central line of one side rail would always meet a similar line
continued from a central line of an end rail before reaching the centre of the
pillar. The post or pillar may be made to stand out more or less by increasing
or diminishing the dimensions of the lug or projection fixed upon the post or
pillar for receiving the ends of the rails. In order to enable me the better to
effect this object, I sometimes construct the ends of the two rails to be
attached to a pillar or post in such manner that they shall fit together so as to
form one of the corners of the bed frame, and in such manner that the ends
so fitting together shall also fit into a recess made to receive them in the lug
or projection attached to the pillar by which that corner of the bed frame is to
be supported.
In order more fully to explain my Invention, I have shown in the annexed
Drawings two Figures which will illustrate it, and at the same time assist
in shewing the essential difference between it and bedsteads as hitherto
constructed.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a bedstead pillar or post with the lug for.
receiving the ends of the side and end rails of the bed frame, which latter are
shewn in plan. A is the pillar; B, a lug cast thereon; C a side, and D an
end rail; E, E, are blocks of metal, formed in a piece with the rails, or cast,
or otherwise fixed thereon, which drop into apertures formed for their
reception in the lugs. a, a, is a line drawn through the centre, and continued
beyond the end of the side rail C; b, b, is a line drawn through the centre,
and continued beyond the end of the end rail D. These lines, it will be seen,
meet at c before touching the pillar and on the inner side of it. The lines d, d,
and e, e, are similar lines, supposed to be drawn through the centre of the side
and end rails in the position they would occupy in metal bedsteads as now
ordinarily constructed, which meet at f in the centre of the pillar.
Figure 2 is a similar view to that given at Figure 1, shewing the manner
in which I construct the ends of the rails, in order that when united they shall
form one of the corners of the bed frame, and fit into one and the same
aperture made in the lug for their reception and support. A is the pillar;
B, the lug; C is the side, and D the end rails; E, E, metal blocks, formed in
a piece with or otherwise fixed on the side and end rails, which drop into the
aperture, made in the lug B:
It will be readily understood that an effect resembling that produced by my
Invention may be attained by so connecting side and end rails to the pillars
that lines such as I have described as continued beyond the ends of the rails
would meet at some point nearer to that side of the pillar where the lug is
placed than to the centre thereof. 1 do not, therefore, limit myself to the.

page_text: precise angle at which the rails are placed with respect to each other, provided
that such lines as I have before referred to would not meet at the centre of
the pillar, or at any point further than the centre from the lug.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
any. particular form of pillar, nor to any particular form of lug; but I claim as
my improvements in metal bedsteads,-
First, connecting the side and end rails of the frames to the posts or pillars,
so that the posts may stand out therefrom in such manner that a line continued
from a horizontal line drawn through the centre of one side rail shall meet a
similar line continued from a similar borizontal line drawn through the centre
of an end rail before reaching the centre of the pillar, and on the inner side of
such centre, substantially in manner above described.
And, second, constructing the ends of the side and end rails or fitting blocks
thereto in such manner that they may be connected to the pillars of bedsteads
through a lug having one aperture, into which the blocks on the side and end
rails, or the ends of the side and end rails are inserted, as herein-before
described and represented at Figure 2 of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Breese, have hereunto set my band
and seal, this Eighth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
CHARLES BREESE. (L.s.)