CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS AND MATTRESSES;
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BENJAMIN
and JOSEPH COOK, of Birmingham, Brass Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of January, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Benjamin and Joseph Cook, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said Benjamin and Joseph Cook, our
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Benjamin and
Joseph Cook, our exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS AND MATTRESSES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said Benjamin and Joseph Cook,
or one of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Benjamin and Joseph Cook, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention, and

page_text: to the Drawmg
thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in so constructing or combining beds and mattresses
with metallic framings, that such metallic framings shall form the main part
of the framing of the bedstead, and fold together therewith, and in con-
structing certain pockets or recesses under such beds and mattresses, as
hereafter described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan of the framing of a mattress or bed. Figure 2
is a side elevation thereof. a, a, and b, b, are side rails. c, d, are the head
and foot rails. e, f, are middle rails, which combine the side rails a, a, b, b, into
two quadrangular frames, which are capable of folding at the points g by hinge
or rale joints. h, h, are stumps at the four corners of the framing a, a, b, b,
the whole framing being fixed by rivetting or otherwise, except at the points g,
in such manner as to a strong metallic frame, to which is to be connected the
mattrasse or bed, as will be hereafter fully described. It will be evident
that on the stumps h, h, may be connected legs i, i, by screws or otherwise, so
that they may be removed from or folded with the mattrasses, and framing for
furniture may be attached to the upper part of the stumps i, i, according to
any desired device, but this constitutes no part of my Invention, and will
lepend in a great measure on the taste of the individual who constructs the
same. The stumps h, h, are made of such a height above the rails a, a, b, b,
as is intended for the thickness of the mattrass or bed. To the framing
a, a, b, b, webbing is to be connected from side to side by sewing, as shewn at
Figure 1 by dotted lines, over which is fixed a cover of canvass. The stuffing
of whatever description used is then to be added, and a covering of canvass
or tick is then to be added, and the whole tied down at intervals, as is well
understood by upholsterers, and is constantly practised by them in making
mattrasses. It should, however, be stated that the mattrass or bed is formed
of two parts, one part on the framing a, a, and the other part at the framing
b, b, and in such manner that the two parts will fold together, and appear
like an ordinary mattrass, the only difference being that those constructed
according to our improvements bas the metallic framing a, b, c, d, and h,
which when the mattrass is in use constitutes so much of the framing of the
bedstead. Though we have here stated two parts, we do not confine ourselves
to that number, as it may be evidently increased.

page_text: Figure 3 and 4 shew two mattrasses, constructed according to our Invention,
having different arrangements of the upper framing for furniture, which we
prefer to be capable of folding down on to the mattrass or bed, which may
readily be accomplished by joints and screws.
We will now describe the manner of constructing pockets or recesses to
mattrasses or bed, constructed according to our Invention. Figure 5 shows
the under side of a mattrass or bed, having pockets j, j, which are closed by
straps and buckles k, k. Figure 6 shews a perspective view of a mattrass,
having drawers or recesses in place of pockets. These draws we prefer to
be formed of a framing of metal, though they may be of wood. In order to
accommodate the framing of mattresses, in order to receive other pockets,
draws, or such like recesses below the framing a, a, b, b, c, d, e, and f, another
framing precisely similar, and connected to the stumps h, which stumps in
this case are to stand as before, sufficiently above the upper framing as to come
above the top of the mattrass or bed.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
combining the same, we would have it understood that we lay no claim to the
various parts separately, but confine our claim of Invention to the constructing
or combining beds or mattrasses with metallic framings, such framings forming
the main part of the framing of the bedstead, and fold together therewith,
whether the same have or have not pockets or recesses, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-five.