IMPROVEMENTS IN SWING WOVEN WIRE BED BOTTOMS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Orth, of the City of Washington, in the District
of Columbia and United States of America, Patent Solicitor, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWING WOVEN WIRE BED BOTTOMS." A communi-
cation by Charles Henderson Dunks and James Bernard Ryan, of the City,
County, and State of New York United States of Americo.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Orth at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1881.
HENRY ORTH, of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia and
United States of America, Patent Solicitor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWING WOVEN
WIRE BED BOTTOMS." A communication by Charles Henderson Dunks and James
Bernard Ryan, of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement as applied to a bedstead ;
Fig. 2 is a detached view showing the supporting-rail employed at the head of the
bedstead shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detached view, enlarged, of one of the
swinging bars employed in my improvement, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view,
showing the improvement applied to an independent frame adapted to be used in
connection with a bedstead of any ordinary construction.
Referring to Fig. 1, A, A, are the side rails; B, the head rail; and B', the foot
rail of the bedstead, which parts may be of any usual or approved construction,
adapted to have my improvement applied thereto. C represents a central section
of the ordinary woven-wire fabric in common use in bed-bottoms. This fabric is
attached at either or both ends to a swinging cross-bar, which in turn is suspended
from one of the end rails of the bedstead. By preference I construct the
swinging bar in two parts, a lower portion D, formed of wood, to which one end
of the woven fabric is secured by means of suitable pins or otherwise, and an upper
portion D' provided upon its outer edge with a series of holes d, the upper and lower
portions being secured to each other by rivets, bolts, or other analogous devices.
Thus the upper part may be made to assist in securing the end of the woven fabric
r Duins CJ1

page_text: to cover the end of the fabric and thus protect the mattress from undue wear, and
also as a means by which to attach the springs E, links, or other devices employed
to connect said swinging bar with the end rail of the bedstead.
E, E, represent a series of spiral springs, each connected at one end to the
swinging bar, and at the other end to the end rail of the bedstead, preferably by
means of an interposed supplemental bar or rail F, which in this instance I have
represented as being a metal bar provided with holes upon one edge for the
attachment of the springs, and provided also upon the other edge with holes fadapted
to receive pins, by means of which said bar F can be attached either to the end rail
of the bedstead or to a separate rail G, which in turn is secured to the end rail of
the bedstead.
In Fig. 1 I have shown both methods of attaching the bar F to the bedstead, it
being attached to the foot rail B¹ by means of a series of bolts, hooks, or pins b; and
in case pins are inserted in the rail B₁ for this purpose, I prefer to incline them
backward in order to prevent the bar F from being accidentally detached when in
use; or the pins may be provided with heads, the holes in the end rail of the
bedstead being inclined inwardly at their lower ends, when the tension of the
springs E will keep the form in position. When the bar G is employed its ends
may be notched to engage with the vertical posts of the bedstead, or with cleats or
ribs secured to the inner faces of the posts or of the side rails, as the construction
of the bedstead shall indicate as being most convenient; or the end rail of the
bedstead may be provided with an inwardly-projecting rib having pins or hooks
corresponding to those marked b, or hooks may be attached to and project from the
inner face of the rail in proper position to receive the bar F.
Referring to Fig. 4, Ĥ, H, are the side rails, and I, I', the end rails of a bed-
bottom adapted to be applied to a bedstead of any ordinary or improved construction,
and rest upon the cleats with which such bedsteads are usually provided for the
purpose of supporting a detachable bed-bottom. In this construction I prefer to
dispense with the supplemental rail G, and attach the bars F directly to the end
rails I, I, in such manner as to be readily detached therefrom in order to
facilitate the rolling up of the spring portions for transportation. By an examination
of the Drawings it will be seen that the cut ends of the woven-wire fabric enter
and are secured within a throat formed between the upper and lower faces of the
swinging bar D, D', and that the springs or links which connect said bar to the end
rail are attached to the bar at the edge opposite to that at which the woven wire
enters the throat, and in about the same horizontal plane, so that the tension of the
parts tends to maintain the bar in a substantially plane, thus presenting a suitable
surface adapted to support the mattress without undue wear upon any portion of
its lower surface. So also constructing the bar in such manner that it is adapted
to receive a hook formed of one of the convolutions of the springs E, facilitates the
employment of such springs as they are usually found in the market, this result
being best attained by the employment of a strip of metal for one part of the
bar D, D¹, but I do not wish to be limited to the use of metal for that purpose.
One advantage which is due to the use of wood for this bar is the fact that its
yielding and elastic nature permits attachment of the spring-wire of which the
fabric C is formed, and the vibrations of the bar when in use without breaking
their attached ends.
By the use of the springs and swinging bars the great strain upon the woven fabric
which is required in beds of other construction may be dispensed with, because the
springs may be made of such strength as will permit the fabric to be supported
with comparatively little tension upon it when the bed is not sustaining any
weight except that of the bedding, the springs preventing undue sagging of the
fabric when the weight of a person is thrown upon it.
I do not wish to be limited to any particular description of springs for connecting
the swinging bar or bars with the bedstead, or with the supporting frame, shown
in Figure 2, as many other forms of springs might be employed without departing
from the spirit of my Invention.

page_text: "
Whenever in this Patent I use the word "bed-bottom or "bed," I wish to be
understood as meaning either a removable construction, like that shown in Figure 4,
which is adapted to be made and sold as an article of manufacture separate and
apart from the bedstead with which it is to be used, or a construction adapted to
be attached directly to the end rails of an ordinary bedstead, my Invention being
equally adapted for use upon either of such constructions.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is,―
1st. In a bed-bottom the combination with an end rail of the links or springs,
the section of woven-wire fabric, and an intermediate connecting transverse bar,
provided upon one edge with a throat adapted to receive the ends of the wire, and
upon the opposite side with means for attaching the links or springs, substantially
as described.
2nd. In a bed-bottom the combination with the end rail of the links or springs,
the section of woven-wire fabric, and an intermediate connecting-bar consisting of
a part to which the fabric is attached, and a part adapted to protect the mattress
from contact with the ends of the wire, substantially as set forth.
3rd. In a bed-bottom the connecting-rail consisting of the part D of wood to
which the fabric is attached, and the part D¹ of metal, adapted to have the end of
the springs E attached thereto, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Orth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 31st day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
HENRY ORTH. (L.S.)