Improvements in Elastic Woven Wire Mattresses.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Woven Wire Mattresses.
I JAMES HENRY MOORHOUSE trading as J. H. Moorhouse & Co. of 10 Cable
Street, New Cross, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Bedding Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of elastic woven
wire mattresses, and has for its object to increase the strength, durability and
resilient qualities of such mattresses, and to prevent sagging at the sides or centre.
Prior to my improvement it has been the custom to strengthen the edges of such
woven wire mattresses by the introduction of an extra coil or of extra coils into
the edge, but these have not always had the desired result.
When carrying my invention into effect I form the edges of the mattress from a
double layer of wire coils which might be single but which I prefer shall consist of
multiple coils lying side by side. These multiple coils are woven into each other
so as to form a double layer of great strength and endurance. The said double
layer edges may be of any desired breadth. The elastic mattress surface between
the two double layer edges may be of the ordinary manufacture, or I might
introduce longitudinal strengthening strips of the double layer formation in the
centre or at other points in the breadth of the elastic mattress. When a mattress
is woven with such a double layer strip in the centre, the mattress is prevented
from sagging in the centre and thus it the mattress is occupied by two persons they
are not so apt to roll towards each other and towards the centre of the bed. The
extreme edge of my improved mattress is broader, rounder and smoother than the
sharper edges of other mattresses and is not so liable to cut or scratch a limb that
may come in contact with it.
I do not limit myself to forming the improved edges or strengthening strips from
a double layer, as a greater number of layers than two might go to form the edge
or strip.
Dated thin 5th ... EM 1904
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Woven Wire Mattresses.
I JAMES HENRY MOORHOUSE trading as J. H. Moorhouse & Co. of 10 Cable
Street, New Cross, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Bedding Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying drawings :-
My said invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of elastic woven
wire mattresses, and has for its object to increase the strength, durability and
resilient qualities of such mattresses, and to prevent sagging at the sides or centre.
Prior to my improvement it has been the custom to strengthen the edges of such

page_text: 4
woven wire mattresses by additional strips or by the introduction of an extra coil
or of extra coils into the edge, but these have not always had the desired result.
When carrying my invention into effect 1 form the edges of the mattress from
what is practically a double layer of wire coils which I prefer shall consist of
multiple coils lying side by side the number of wires per coil, preferably increasing
towards, the outer edge. These multiple coils are woven into each other so as to
form a double layer of great strength and endurance. The said double layer edges
may be of any desired breadth and the elastic mattress surface between the two
double layer edges may be of the ordinary manufacture; or I might introduce
longitudinal strengthening strips of the double layer formation in the centre or at
other points in the breadth of the elastic mattress. When a mattress is woven
with such a strip in the centre the mattress is prevented from sagging in the centre
and thus if the mattress is occupied by two persons they are not so apt to roll
towards each other and towards the centre of the bed. The edge of my improved
mattress is broader, rounder and smoother than the sharper edges of other
inattresses and is not so liable to cut or scratch a limb that may come in contact
with it. I do not limit myself to forming the improved edges or strengthening
strips from a double layer, as a greater number of layers than two might go to
form the edge or strip.
To make my invention and the manner of carrying the same into practical
effect, more clear, I have attached hereunto a sheet containing illustrative diagrams
to which I will refer in the following description.
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an elastic woven wire mattress surface.
The darker bands A A in the drawing represent the additional strengthening
strips or thicknesses on the edges while the band marked B indicates the strip at
the centre of the mattress.
In manufacturing woven wire mattresses made in accordance with my improve-
ments, I prefer to form the strengthening strips or breadths A. at the selvages or
edges for example in the following manner. Suppose for instance that the main
body of the mattress surface is made of triple coils of wire, that is to say of coils
composed of three wires laid together, I compose the strengthening strips or edges A
of layers of wire coils becoming successively heavier i.e. containing a greater
number of wires, as the extreme edge of the mattress is approached; the thickness
and weight of the strengthened edge A thus gradually increasing till the limit is
reached at the extreme edge. For example in commencing to make the
strengthening strip or selvage A on a mattress surface composed of triple coils,
I begin the layers of the strip A by interweaving say two successive rows of coils
having four wires in the coil. The next two rows might have five wires to the
coil, and the last two rows at the extreme edge might have six wires to the coil.
The result of this mode of manufacture would be that the edge A, in cross
section would be something of the shape indicated in the enlarged diagram
Fig. 2, that is to say the strengthened edge as a whole would taper gradually
from the thickness of the main mattress body to the full thickness at the extreme
outer edge. The layers formed from increasing multiple wire added in this manner
not only make very strong and efficient supporting selvages to the mattress but
also add greatly to the appearance and feel of the finished article. The graduated
bulk of the coils starting from the coils composing the main mattress surface causes
the additions A to present no sharp edges or abrupt transitions which might be
likely to injure a naked limb accidentally coming in contact with such abrupt
corner or edge. In fact in mattresses made according to my invention the hand
may be passed over the surface and edge without appreciating where the
strengthening edge begins and ends. Instead of weaving the strengthening edges A
in double layers as described I might weave the edge of the mattress in the manner
shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, and then fold the edge over and secure it as in
Fig. 4. The result is practically the same as in Fig. 2, the strongest and thickest
part being at the extreme edge while the two tapering parts when folded face to
face taper off with the mattress surface.
.

page_text: The central strip or sling B for strengthening and supporting the central part of
the mattress, I may also form in the manner already described with reference to the
edges A A. I use coils containing an increasing number of wires per coil until
the maximum thickness at the part b see Fig. 5 is attained and I then diminish
the multiple coils until the sling B melts into the main body of the mattress.
I might however in the case of the sling B where appearance and smoothness is
not so much a desideratum apply a separately woven strip of wire fabric and apply
the same beneath the mattress surface and either loose or secured thereto.
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. The improved woven wire mattress surface having strengthening edges or
selvages A A and a central supporting sling B formed, produced or applied
substantially as described and as indicated in the drawings.
2. In the formation of two-ply or double edges or selvages or slings for woven
wire mattresses, producing the same from multiple coils in which the number of
wires per coil is successively increased towards the extreme edge or thickest part
of the selvage, strip or sling substantially as described and as illustrated.
Dated this 5th day of December 1894
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.