Improvements in and in Connection with Portable Hospital and Barrack and other Bedsteads.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Connection with Portable Hospital and
Barrack and other Bedsteads.
I, EDWARD ROWCLIFFE BILLINGTON, of 2 Cambridge Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Wire Mattress Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has special reference to the arrangement and construction of bedsteads
used or capable of being used in conjunction with portable hospitals and Barracks ;
it however also refers to bedsteads used in permanent hospitals, barracks and other
rooms.
The chief objects of my invention are to provide a bedstead which shall be capable
of being neatly and closely turned up or stowed against the wall of structure of the
kind specified, when not in use, also to construct such bedsteads of simple and
inexpensive form, and to arrange and combine them in connection with the walls, in
such a manner that they can be easily and quickly turned up and stowed with or
against them; or that they may easily and quickly be taken down and folded up of
themselves.
I use the term bedstead to include the frame and bottom or mattress and its
supports.
As my invention has special reference to portable hospitals, I will first describe it
in connection therewith, and I will take a case in which the hospital walls are con-
structed of wood, say in the form of panelling, assuming the wall from the ground to
the eaves to be about six feet, namely, the length of a bedstead. In such a case I so
arrange and construct such bedstead that wben stowed in connection with the wall,
and in situ, the bedstead head will be level or nearly so with the ground, and the foot
will lie within the upper edge of the wall, the whole being thus stowed closely against
such wall, say within three to four inches thereof.
The head of the bedstead is suspended from the wall, and this suspension forms the
support for the head portion of the bed, whilst its foot portion is supported by any
suitable kind of legs capable of being folded in line with or along side of the frame.
The suspension of the head may be effected by bars, hung upon a suitable joint on
or in connection with the wall at one end, the other end being connected to the side
members of the bedstead frame by a suitable joint connection. The upper joint is of
a disconnecting form.
The head is provided with means whereby it may be slid up and down but not
laterally such a means may consist of studs formed on the corners of the head of
the frame, and adopted to slide in channels in connection with the said walls, such
channels being open at the top, whereby if the suspension bars be disconnected from
their supports the frame may be entirely disconnected from the wall. When so
disconnected and removed the suspension bars and front legs may be folded alongside
the frame for stowage. If however it is desired to fold the bed up vertically against
the wall for temporary stowage, or in order to so stow it when it is desired to move the
hospital, then by raising the foot of the bed the suspension arms will cause the studs
to slide down their channels and come close against the foot of the wall, the whole
bedstead lying flat against the wall,
I prefer to construct the bedstead frame of tubes for the side and end members, and
to employ woven wire tissue or web as a bottom or mattress, such tissue being fixed to
the foot member, and to a cross bar near the head, and adapted to slide on or in the
side members, tension being applied to the tissue or web by bolts fixed to the sliding
bar, and passing through the end member. Adjustment of the sliding bar may be
obtained by nuts arranged on the said bolts and outside the end member.

page_text: A simple form of pillow may consist of a canvas strip, secured to the side members
of the bedstead, and passing over a bridge or bar at each side. This bridge or bar
may be hinged to the end member and sliding mattress bar and adapted to fold even
therewith, when the bed is to be stowed, but when in use its elevated position is
obtained by arranging it to rest upon the aforesaid mattress adjusting bolts or other
equivalent stops.
It will be evident that the details herein described and their particular construction,
form and arrangement are capable of various modifications to suit the varying con-
ditions of application of the invention.
EDWARD ROWCLIFFE BILLINGTON.
By Cheesbrough & Royston,
Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Connection with Portable Hospital and
Barrack and other Bedsteads.
I, EDWARD ROWCLIFFE BILLINGTON, of 2, Cambridge Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Wire Mattress Manufacturer, 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 :-
This Invention has special reference to the arrangement and construction of bedsteads
used, or capable of being used, in conjunction with portable hospitals and barracks ;
it however also refers to bedsteads used in permanent hospital, barrack, and other
rooms.
The chief objects of my Invention are to provide a bedstead which shall be capable
of being neatly and closely turned up or stowed against the wall of structures of the
kind specified, when not in use, also to construct such bedsteads of simple and
inexpensive form, and to arrange and combine them in connection with the walls, in
such a manner, that they can be easily and quickly turned up and stowed with or
against them; or that they may easily and quickly be taken down and folded up of
themselves.
I use the term bedstead to include the frame and bottom or mattress and its
supports.
As my Invention has special reference to portable hospitals, I will first describe it
in connection therewith, and I will take a case in which the hospital walls are cou-
structed of wood, say in the form of panelling, assuming the wall from the ground to
the eaves to be about six feet, namely, the length of a bedstead. In such a case I so
arrange and construct such bedstead that when stowed in connection with the wall,
and in situ, the bedstead head will be level or nearly so with the ground, and the foot
will lie within the upper edge of the wall, and the whole being thus stowed closely
against such wall, say within three to four inches thereof.
The head of the bedstead is suspended from the wall, and this suspension forms the
support for the head portion of the bed, whilst its foot portion is supported by any
suitable kind of legs capable of being folded in line with or along side of the frame.
The suspension of the head may be effected by bars hung upon a suitable joint on or
in connection with the wall at one end, the other end being connected to the side
members of the bedstead frame by a suitable joint connection. The upper joint is of a
disconnecting form.
The head is provided with means whereby it may be slid up and down but not
laterally, such a means may consist of studs formed on the corners of the head of the
frame and adapted to slide in channels in connection with the said walls, such channels
being open at the top, whereby, if the suspension bars be disconnected from their
support, the frame may be entirely disconnected from the wall. When so disconnected
and removed the suspension bars and front legs may be folded alongside the frame for

page_text: stowage. If however, it is desired to fold the bed up vertically against the wall for
temporary stowage, or in order to so stow it when it is desired to move the hospital,
then by raising the foot of the bed the suspension arms will cause the studs to slide
down their channels and come close against the foot of the wall, the whole bedstead
lying flat against the wall.
I prefer to construct the bedstead frame of tubes for the side and end members, and
to employ woven wire tissue or other wire or chain web as a bottom or mattress, such
tissue being fixed to the foot member and to a cross adjustable bar near the head, or
to the end member. Adjustment of the adjustable sliding har, when used, may be
obtained by nuts arranged on the said bolts and outside the end member.
A simple form of pillar may consist of a canvas strip secured to the side members
of the bedstead and passing over a bridge or bar at each side. This bridge or bar
may be hinged to the end member, or the suspension links or bars, and adapted to
fold even with the mattress when the bed is to be stowed, but when in use its elevated
position is obtained by arranging it to rest upon suitable stops.
In the drawings hereto annexed, and which serve to illustrate the Invention, I show
a portable hospital, or other analogous structure, provided with a bedstead (as an
example), having substantially the same arrangement and construction of parts
as the example hereinbefore more particularly specified. In these drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation in section showing the hospital or other hedstead arranged
in connection with and adapted to fold up against a wooden panel, and it may be
taken to represent the side of a wooden portable hospital; Figure 2 is a plan of same;
and Figure 3 is a detail.
With reference to the Drawings, the side bars (being tubes) of the bedstead frame
are designated a, a' is the head bar, and a² the foot bar; 6 is the wooden panel having
upright frame bars b'; c are the suspension bars which are connected to a joint pin
at c¹ to the side bars a, and by an eye and pin (capable of disconnection) at c²; d is a
guide in which a pin d' on the outside of the ends of the head bar a works (see
Figure 3); and e is the pillow-which is supported by the bars f, said bars being
hinged at to the bars c, and held horizontally by stops 9 attached to the panel-
frame bars b. are fore-legs of ordinary folding type.
The position of the bedstead shown in the drawings is that in which the bedstead
lies when in use, or ready for use; but when it is required to stow it up against the
panel b, the front end is raised (the legs being folded against the side bars), and the
joints at c¹ serve as axes, about which the frame moves; and the end bar a¹ being
guided by the pins d¹ and guide bars d, the bars c move inwards upon the pins c².
Thus the bar a¹ is caused to move towards and near the bottom of the panel b, and the
foot bar to just below the top frame bar 62 of the panel frame: this position is shown
in dotted lines in Figure 1.
Assuming the bedstead to be six feet long, it would fold or stow vertically within
and up to a panel or other wall of practically the same height as its length-six
feet.
In order to take the bedstead from its panel, it is only necessary to take the bars c
off their pins at c², and to cant the frame to one side; this latter action causing the
pins to leave the guides d. In cases where the bedstead could not be readily
secured to a wall or surface as in this example illustrated, the suspension devices and
guides may be supported from the floor by suitable standards or pillars.
It will be seen this arrangement permits the bed clothes being stowed simul-
taneously with the bedstead, between the latter and the panel b.
It will be evident that the details herein described and illustrated, and their par-
ticular construction, form, and arrangeuient, are susceptible of various modifications
to suit the varying conditions of application of the Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A bedstead constructed or adapted to be folded or stowed against the surface or

page_text: structure near or in connection with which it is, or may be, located, one end of which
is suspended, or adapted to be suspended; for the purposes set forth.
2. A bedstead constructed or adapted to be folded or stowed against the surface or
structure near or in connection with which it is, or may be, located and is suspended,
or adapted to be suspended, at a point between its head and foot, the two ends being
arranged to move about the point of suspension (that is one up and one down) in the
action of stowing.
3. A bedstead adapted or constructed to be folded or stowed against the surface or
structure near or in connection with which it is, or may be located, and arranged or
constructed in such a manner that, when in the action of stowing or folding, one end
moves towards or near the floor and the other end upwards; for the purposes set
forth.
4. A bedstead constructed and arranged to fold up or stow substantially as in the
manner herein set forth.
5. A bedstead constructed or adapted to be folded or stowed against the surface or
structure near, or in connection with which it is, or may be located, suspended by bars
or rods or their equivalent, near one end, and such end is guided in the action of
being folded or stowed; for the purposes set forth.
6. A bedstead or bedstead frame, for uses such as herein mentioned, provided with
means for suspension at or near the end thereof, and so arranged that the bedstead
may be stowed or folded when erected or in position; for the purposes set forth.
7. The construction and arrangement of bedstead and parts for use in combination
with portable hospitals or other like structures, as herein described, that is to say, a
bedstead having its frame at one end connected to the panel or wall by suspension
rods or bars, and so arranged and adapted to operate that when folded the frame lies
against the said panel or wall.
8. The bedstead and parts arranged and adapted to operate in connection with a
portable hospital or other like panel or wall substantially as in the manner set forth
with reference to the drawings, for the purposes described; and also the combina-
tion and arrangement of the parts set forth with reference to the figures of the
drawings.
9. In a folding Hospital, Barrack, or other bedstead, a pillow adapted or arranged
to operate in the manner described, that is to say, a pillow consisting of canvas or
other suitable material supported at each end and adapted or arranged to move and
stow with the bedstead; and also the arrangement of pillow and fittings substantially
as set forth with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of August 1889.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents.