IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR SITTING, LYING, AND RECLINING UPON."
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Cooke, of Smethwick, in the County of
Stanford, Manager or Works, and George Dickinson, of Smethwick
aforesaid, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR
SITTING, LYING, AND RECLINING UPON."
Stalford, Manager
Works,
eorge LICKINSON,
Smeth SICK
aforesaid, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR
SITTING, LYING, AND RECLINING UPON."
Sealed the 23rd November 1858, and dated the 5th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Cooke and
George Dickinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 5th June 1858.
We, EDWARD COOKE, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Manager of
Works, and GEORGE DICKINSON, of Smethwick aforesaid, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR SITTING,
LYING, AND RECLINING UPON," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, in the following methods of constructing the
sacking of metallic and other bedsteads, couches, and other articles of like
manufacture. We make each of the laths of the sacking double, that is to
say, of two laths or strips of iron or other material, one supported upon the
other at a short distance above it. The upper lath is joined to the lower one
by springs, which connect the ends of the laths together; we also introduce
springs between the laths. The springs we employ somewhat resemble coach
springs in form; we sometimes dispense with the lower laths, and support the
springs, which are situated under the laths constituting the sacking, by means

page_text: of a bar running along the middle of the bed frame. Or, the springs under
the laths may be made so long that their ends may rest on the framing, and be
wholly supported thereon; sackings made according to our Invention are
highly elastic and inexpensive.
Our Invention consists, secondly, in the following method of constructing
the cast tubular ornaments employed in metallic bedsteads and other articles
of like manufacture; the said ornaments are ordinarily made in three parts,
and the parts are joined by soldering or brazing. In making the said orna-
ments according to our Invention, we cast the said ornaments flat or nearly
flat, and in one pièce, and afterwards bend them into a tubular form, and join
the edges by soldering or brazing or otherwise, so as to complete the tubular
figure of the said ornaments. By making the said ornaments according to
our Invention only one soldering or joining is required instead of the three.
solderings required in the ordinary method of making them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Cooke and George Dickinson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
COOKE, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Manager of Works, and
GEORGE DICKINSON, of Smethwick aforesaid, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant. unto us, the said
Edward Cooke and George Dickinson, Her special licence that we, the said
Edward Cooke and George Dickinson, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Cooke and George Dickinson,
our executors, administrators, 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 MANUFAC-
TURE OF METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR SITTING, LYING,
AND RECLINING UPON," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Edward Cooke and George Dickinson, our executors or administrators, by. an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand

page_text: and scal 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 per-
formed, 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 Edward Cooke, 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 ly the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of the methods herein-after particularly described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of constructing the sacking of
metallic and other bedsteads, couches, and other articles for sitting, lying, and
reclining upon.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in end elevation,
Figure 2 in side elevation, and Figure 3 in plan, a portion of a bedstead, the
sacking of which is constructed according to our Invention. Each of the laths
of the sacking is double, that is to say, consists of two laths marked respec-
tively a and b. The said laths a, b, are constructed of iron or other suitable
material, and the upper lath a is supported upon and at a short distance.above
the lower lath b. The upper lath a is joined to the lower one b, by means of
springs c, which said springs connect the laths a, b, together; the springs c may
cach be made of one or two pieces of steel or other metal, and the said springs
are secured to the laths in the manner which will be understood by an examina-
tion of Figures 1 and 2. Although we prefer to use springs of the form repre-
sented in Figures 1 and 2, yet we sometimes employ springs of other forms.
Figure 4 represents a compound lath constructed according to our Invention.
The upper and lower laths are joined together at their ends by the springs d, d,
and springs having the form of double bows and marked e are placed between
the laths. Figure 5 represents another compound lath constructed according
to our Invention. The laths are connected together at their ends by means
of springs ff, and between the laths other springs g, g, are situated. The
fixed end of each of the springs 7, 9, is rivetted to the lower lath at h, and the
upper loose end of each of the springs g. 9, supports the upper lath. The
upper end of each of the springs g, g, passes through a staple i, through
which it slides when the upper lath is depressed; the loose ends of the
springs g, g, may be coated with leather or other soft material, to prevent
noise on the motion of the upper lath.
We sometimes dispense with the lower laths and support the single lath by
means of a spring somewhat resembling a coach spring. This modification

page_text: of our Invention is represented in Figure 6. The lath is supported at its
ends by the springs 1, 1; the spring m fixed on a bar n, running the whole
length of the sacking, supports by its ends o the body of the lath k. The ends
of the spring m pass through staples on the lath k, and are coated with leather
or other material, as described with reference to Figure 5.
In constructing sacking with laths according to our Invention, we prefer
to employ webbing, crossing the said laths as illustrated in Figure 3. The
said webbing is marked p, and each piece of the said webbing is fixed to a
rail (see Figure 2) at one end, and the other end of each piece of webbing
is attached to an axis or roller r. The said axis or roller r has a rotatory
motion, and by turning the said axis or roller the webs p, p, may be coiled
upon the said axis or roller, and thereby tightened. A ratchet wheels on the
roller r, and a click t engaging in the said ratchet wheel, preserve the tension
of the webs p, p. The said webs p, p, may be passed alternately over and
under the laths in the manner shewn in Figure 3, or in any other desirable
manner.
Sackings constructed according to our Invention are highly elastic and
inexpensive.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we
claim as our Invention the methods hercin-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing of constructing the sackings of metallic and
other bedsteads, couches, and other articles used for sitting, lying, or reclining
upon, that is to say, supporting the laths by means of springs of the several
forms represented in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, whether the said laths be
combined with webbing, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, or used without the
said webbing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Cooke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
EDWARD COOKE. (L.S.)