IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Price, of Number Three, Burford Terrace, Terenure,
County of Dublin, Furniture Salesman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
aled the 30th August 1876, and dated the 15th February 18
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Price at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1876.
HENRY PRICE, of Number Three, Burford Terrace, Terenure, in the County of
Dublin, Furniture Salesman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES."
My Invention relates more particularly to spring mattresses, but is also applicable
to cushions, loose seats, and other similar purposes, and it consists as applied to the
construction of a mattress of an arrangement of double cone spiral springs, con-
nected together by cane, whalebone, or other similar material passed through and
tied to the middle of the springs in a lateral and longitudinal direction, thereby
giving full action to the springs, the top and bottom of which are secured to a
covering of strong canvas, chair webbing, or other suitable material.
The springs are arranged in such a manner that the series forms an ellipse
laterally, or from side to side, one occupying the top side of the mattress and the
other the bottom side of the mattress, whereby a greater resistance to weight when
the mattress is in use is obtained, and the unpleasant tendency to sink in the centre
which exists in the ordinary mattress is obviated.
The borders are made firm by rolls of cocoa nut fibre, straw, hair, or other
suitable material, sewn to the outside springs in a longitudinal direction, an equal
distance being maintained between the rolls so as not to restrain the elasticity of
the springs. The mattress is then stuffed or padded at the top and bottom with
hair, wool, flock, or other stuffing material, and covered with ticken or other suitable
covering. The mattress may be made without stuffing, in which case it forms a
spring mattress proper, over which can be laid a loose mattress or feather bed. The
mattress may consist of a single body or be made in two or more parts as desired,
thereby rendering it convenient for travelling, camp, or marine purposes.
The improved mattress, which it is proposed to designate "Price's Reversible and
Folding Spring Mattress," possesses the following advantages, viz., extreme light-
ness, equality of surface when lain upon, a greater amount of softness and elasticity

page_text: secured by the arrangement of the springs, increased ventilation by reason of its
reversibility, with an entire absence of noise when in use.
When the Invention is applied to the construction of cushions or loose seats,
and other like articles, the springs are arranged in a similar manner with such
modifications as the particular purpose for which the article is intended to be used
may render necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Price in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th August 1876.
HENRY PRICE, of No. 3, Burford Terrace, Terenure, in the County of Dublin,
Furniture Salesman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES."
My said Invention relates more particularly to spring mattresses, but is also
applicable to cushions, loose seats, and other similar purposes, and it consists as
applied to the construction of a mattress, for example, of double cone spiral springs of
varying heights, arranged in such a manner that they impart to the mattress an
elliptic form laterally or from side to side, that is to say, the top and bottom sides
of the mattress are curved or bowed outwards from the two longitudinal sides or
edges towards the centre of the mattress, whereby a greater resistance to weight
when the mattress is in use is obtained, and the unpleasant tendency to sink in the
centre which exists in the ordinary mattress is obviated. The springs are connected
together by cane, whalebone, or other similar material, passed through and tied to
the middle of the springs in a lateral and longitudinal direction, thereby giving
full action to the springs, the top and bottom of which are secured to a covering of
strong canvas, chair webbing, or other suitable material.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, similar letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a transverse vertical section of a spring
mattress constructed according to my Invention; and Figure 2 is a plan of the
same, with a portion of the covering removed or turned over, for the purpose of
shewing more clearly the arrangement of the springs.
A, A, are a number of double cone spiral springs of different heights, so arranged
that the central ones, or those situate about midway between the two longitudinal
sides or edges of the mattress, are the highest, the others being arranged so as to
gradually reduce in height towards the sides of the mattress, the springs at that
part being the shortest, as clearly shewn in Figure 1 of my Drawings. By
arranging the springs in this manner an elliptic or partial elliptic form is imparted
to the mattress in a lateral direction; that is to say, the top and bottom sides are
curved outwards from the longitudinal sides towards the middle whereby the
unpleasant tendency to siuk in the centre is prevented, the elliptic form of the
mattress and the increased length of the springs in the centre affording a greater
resistance to weight. The springs are connected by strong cord to rods B of cane,
whalebone, or other suitable material passed through the waist or centre of the
springs both in a longitudinal and lateral direction, the outside springs or those
nearest the edges or sides of the mattrass being also connected by their outer edges
to other strips C of similar material arranged at the top and bottom thereof. The
whole of the springs are covered with or encased in webbing or strong canvas to
which the top and bottom of the springs are severally attached, as shewn at F,
Figure 2.
•
The edges of the mattress are made firm by rolls D of cocoa fibre, straw, hair,
or other suitable material firmly sewn to the outside springs in a longitudinal
direction. The mattrass is then stuffed or padded at the top and bottom, as shewn

page_text: at E, with hair, wool, flock, or other stuffing material, and covered with ticken or
other suitable covering E, through which is passed cords for confining the stuffing
material fastened on the outside with leather tufts secured by a slip knot, see
Figure 1. The mattress may however be made without stuffing the springs, being
simply covered with canvas or ticken, as shewn at F, Figure 2, in which case it
forms a spring mattress proper, over which can be laid a loose mattress or feather bed.
The mattress may consist of a single body, or be made in two or more parts.as
desired, thereby rendering it convenient for travelling, camp, or marine purposes.
The improved mattrass which it is proposed to designate Price's Reversible and
Folding Spring Mattrass, possesses the following advantages, videlicet, extreme light-
ness, equality of surface when lain upon, a greater amount of softness and elasticity
secured by the arrangement of the springs, increased ventilation by reason of its
reversibility, no frameworks being required, with an entire absence of noise when
in use.
When the Invention is applied to the construction of cushions or loose seats and
other light articles the springs are arranged in a similar manner, with such modi-
fications as the particular purpose for which the article is intended to be used may
render necessary.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my Invention,
and in what manner the same is or inay be used or carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and thereforo
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, constructing spring mattresses, cushions, or loose scats, and other similar
articles, which are inade reversible, with double cone springs of different heights
connected at their waists or centres to longitudinal and lateral rods of cane,
whalebone, or other suitable material, and arranged in such a manner as to impart
to the mattrass, cushion, or other article, an elliptic or partial elliptic form in a
lateral direction, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
In witness whereof I, the said Henry Price, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and savantse siv
HENRY PRICE. (L.S.)