IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHILDREN'S COTS AND METALLIC BEDSTEADS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam,
of the St. Pancras Iron Works, Old St. Pancras Road, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHILDREN'S COTS AND
METALLIC BEDSTEADS."
Sealed the 16th February 1858, and dated the 31st August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hallen Cottam
and Henry Richard Cottam at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 31st August 1857.
We, GEORGE HALLEN COTTAM and HENRY RICHARD COTTAM, of the St.
Pancras Iron Works, Old St. Pancras Road, do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHILDREN'S COTS
AND METALLIC BEDSTEADS," to be as follows:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
children's cots and metallic bedsteads. For these purposes, in constructing
children's metal cots which have canework applied thereto, in place of leaving
the rough portions of the cane which protrude through the metal frame
uncovered and exposed, as has formerly been done, and which has been found
to be objectionable by reason of children scratching themselves when they have
come in contact therewith, we now case in or cover such rough protruding

page_text: parts with metal or other suitable material, so as to cover such parts of the
canework where the same passes through the metal frames of the cots. In
making the sides and ends of children's cots we employ corrugated, perforated,
or unperforated sheet metal, preferring zinc, and by preference we have the
corrugations in a horizontal direction. At the upper and lower edges we turn
the metal over into a tubular shape, so as to make a finish parallel with the
corrugations; and a similar way of finishing the edges of the plates may be
employed when plain or uncorrugated plates are used. At the ends of the
corrugations we fix, by rivetting or otherwise, thickening pieces following the
corrugations, or we double over the edge of the plate previous to corrugation,
so as to form a suitable edge and finish. The uprights or pillars are attached
or fixed to the sides and ends by projecting pieces which enter or are fixed to
the tubular or turned-up parts, and in a similar way the corrugated sides and
ends are attached or fixed to the angle irons which receive the laths. In like
manner may the head and foot rails of bedsteads be formed; or, in place of
using corrugated sheet metal for such parts of cots and bedsteads, we use sheet
metal, which is rendered stiff by indentations, or embossing at intervals by
pressing or stamping the same between dies; and such sheet metal may also
be perforated with numerous holes for the free passage of air for ventilation.
In manufacturing the cast-iron "corners" of metal bedsteads, in order that they
may be electrotyped with brass, they are first ground or polished, and then
placed in a suitable bath, and a deposition of brass is caused to take place
thereon by electric currents, as is well understood. When coating other articles,
and in manufacturing the head and foot rails or frames of metal bedsteads, in
place of their being fixed together by casting the ornamental parts thereon
when in the black or unground or unpolished state, the bars or rods of iron
which are used in forming the head and foot rails or frames of metal bedsteads
are first ground or polished, and when put together are subjected to a suitable
bath, and have a deposition of brass produced thereto by electric currents, as
heretofore when coating the ornamental parts with brass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
HALLEN COTTAM and HENRY RICHARD COTTAM, of the St, Pancras Iron
Works, Old St. Pancras Road, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Ier
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam, Her special
licence that we, the said George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF CHILDREN'S COTS AND
METALLIC BEDSTEADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 Henry Richard Cottam, on behalf of
myself and the said George Hallen Cottam, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
children's cots and metallic bedsteads. For these purposes, in constructing
children's metal cots which have canework applied thereto, in place of leaving
the rough portions of the cane which protrude through the metal frame
uncovered and exposed, as has formerly been done, and which has been found
to be objectionable by reason of children scratching themselves when they
have come in contact therewith, we now case in or cover such rough
protruding parts with metal or other suitable material, so as to cover such
parts of the canework where the same passes through the metal frames
of the cots.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a portion of a side or end frame
of a metal cot having canework applied to it, the rough edges of which are
covered with a metal plate. a is the metal frame, and b is the cane applied to

page_text: it; c is the covering plate, which is generally of iron, about No. 18 guage, and
which is attached to the frame a by rivets at intervals. Figure 2 is a similar
view of a portion of a frame to which a cap of wood is applied in place of the
metal covering plate c; the cap may conveniently be fixed on by rivets. In
making the sides and ends of children's cots we employ corrugated, perforated,
or unperforated sheet metal, preferring zinc, and by preference we have the
corrugations in a horizontal direction. At the upper and lower edges we turn
the metal over into a tubular shape, so as to make a finish parallel with the
corrugations; and a similar way of finishing the edges of the plates may be
employed when plain or uncorrugated plates are used. At the ends of the
corrugations we fix, by rivetting or otherwise, thickening pieces following the
corrugations, or we double over the edge of the plate previous to corrugation,
so as to form a suitable edge and finish. The uprights or pillars are attached
or fixed to the sides, and by projecting pieces which enter or are fixed to the
tubular or turned-up parts, and in a similar way the corrugated sides and ends
are attached or fixed to the angle irons which receive the laths. In like
manner may the head and foot rails of bedsteads be formed.
Figure 3 is a front view, Figure 4 is an edge view, and Figure 5 is part
of a longitudinal section of the end frame of a cot. a is the sheet of
corrugated metal, and which by preference is also perforated; this plate
is attached to the two sides of the metal frame by rivets at intervals, and the
edge of the plate a on each side is turned over, as is shewn at Figure 5; and
when a flat plate is employed in place of the plate a, its edge may be rounded
in a similar way. The top edge of the plate a is turned into a tubular form
over the top rail b of the frame, and a similar finish may also be made at the
bottom edge of the plate, or it may be simply rivetted to the frame; c, c, are the
projecting pieces by which the uprights or pillars are attached; d, d, are other
projections by which the end or side is attached to the angle irons which
receive the laths. In place of turning down the edges of the corrugated plate
at the two sides, as above described, the two side bars of the frame may be
corrugated and the edges of the plate rivetted to them, as is shewn by the
edge view, Figure 6. Although we prefer, as before mentioned, that the
corrugations should run horizontally, still they may be placed vertically, and
then the sides of the frame are finished in the same way as the upper edge of
the frame shewn at Figure 4; and the upper edge is finished with a metal
cap rivetted to it, as is shewn in section at Figure 7. In place of using
corrugated sheet metal for cots and the sides and ends of bedsteads, we some-
times use sheet metal, which is rendered stiff by indenting or embossing
at intervals by pressing or stamping the same between dies, and such sheet

page_text: metal may also be perforated with numerous holes for the free passage of air
for ventilation. Figure 8 is a front view, and Figure 9 is a vertical section of
part of a plate of metal for forming the end of a cot or bedstead, and which is
stiffened by indenting or embossing it; the indentations are produced by
pressing the plate between dies in the same way as metal teatrays are
produced or otherwise. In manufacturing ornamental metal bedsteads, we
coat the cast-iron "corners" or dovetail joints with brass, by first grinding or
polishing the corners and then depositing brass thereon. For this purpose we
prefer to proceed in the following manner :-The corner is cast on to the parts
with which it is in connection in the usual way; it is then ground bright on a
grindstone and placed in a suitable bath, and a deposition of brass is caused to
take place thereon by electric currents, as is well understood when coating
other articles; and in manufacturing the head and foot rails or frames of metal
bedsteads, we render them more ornamental by coating them entirely with
brass in the following manner:-In place of fixing together the rods of which
they are composed, by casting the ornamental parts thereon, when the rods
are in the black, unground, or unpolished state, the bars or rods of iron are
first ground on a grindstone or otherwise brightened, and then put together
and secured by casting metal on to them in the usual way; lastly, they are
subjected to a suitable bath, and have a deposition of brass produced on them
by electric currents as heretofore, when coating the ornamental parts, or parts
cast on to the bars or rods, as has before been practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Richard Cottam, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
HENRY RICHARD COTTAM. (L.S.)