IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING SURFACES FOR RECLINING OR SITTING UPON, APPLICABLE TO BEDS, BERTHS, Couches, CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Iles, of Broadstairs, in the County of
Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING SURFACES
FOR RECLINING OR SITTING UPON, APPLICABLE TO BEDS, BERTHS, Couches,
CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE." A communication
from abroad by Joseph Broel, of the "Brighton and Marine Hotel," Boulogne,
in the Republic of France.
Sealed the 9th March 1880, and dated the 11th September 1879.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Isles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September 1879.
HENRY WILLIAM ILES, of Broadstairs, in the County of Kent, Gentleman
IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING SURFACES FOR RECLINING OR SITTING UPON, Appli-
CABLE TO BEDS, BERTIS, COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF
FURNITURE." A cominunication from abroad by Joseph Broel, of the "Brighton
and Marine Hotel," Boulogne, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of curved or bow shaped springs
in combination or not with straight metal or wooden laths or strips, whereby a
cheap, simple, and efficient reclining or sitting surface is obtained having all the
elasticity or yielding action of the more expensive and complicated spring surfaces
hitherto employed. In applying the said Invention to a bedstead frame direct, or
to the frame of a moveable spring mattress for example, I employ any desired
number of straight laths or strips of metal or other suitable material, extending
either from side to side or from end to end of the frame, and secured at their ends
by any convenient fastening such as a button or screw. Upon each of these straight
laths (which I prefer to arrange transversely to the frame) I secure any required
number of bow shaped springs connected to the laths by buttons or screws passing
through slots. These bow springs are so arranged by preference that the highest
point of the bows on one lath will come opposite to the lower parts or spaces
between the bows on the adjoining laths, that is to say, each row will break joint
with the adjoining rows. At the ends of each alternate row of bow springs a half
ГР. 71

page_text: bow spring will be introduced of the same height as the rest, its outer end being
bent down and secured either to the straight lath or to the side of the main framing
itself. On the tops or highest parts of the several bow springs I lay and secure by
studs, buttons, or otherwise an upper series of straight laths at right angles to the
lower series, or at any other convenient angle thereto, the ends of such upper laths
being bent downwards and fastened to the frame itself, and further supported, if
required, by cross laths.
For the seats and backs of chairs and other smaller articles of furniture bow
springs alone may be used of graduated length and curvature so as to produce
when combined together a surface more or less rounded in both directions, such
bow springs being disposed parallel to each other, or nearly so, according to the
contour of the frame to which they are secured at their ends by buttons, pins, or
otherwise. In some cases, according to the greater or less area of the surface, one
or more bow springs may be disposed transversely or otherwise across the first set
of springs, and secured thereto in order to keep them in position and afford additional
support.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry William Iles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th March 1880.
HENRY WILLIAM ILES, of Broadstairs, in the County of Kent, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING SURFACES FOR RECLINING OR SITTING UPON APPLI-
CABLE TO BEDS, BERTHS, COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF
FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Joseph Broel, of the "Brighton
and Marine Hotel," Boulogne, in the Repulic of France.
The said Invention relates to certain improved constructions and arrangements of
spring surfaces for reclining or sitting upon, applicable to bedsteads, berths, couches,
chairs, and other similar articles of furniture, such improved spring surfaces being
cheaper and having greater elasticity and a more easy action than the costly and
complicated arrangements hitherto employed for these purposes.
These improvements consist,-
First. Of certain peculiar arrangements of bow-springs in combination with laths,
strips, or webbing, of metal, or other suitable elastic or flexible material to be applied
either directly to the frames themselves of bedsteads, berths, and similar articles of
furniture, thereby forming a spring bedstead and mattress combined in one, or applied
in the same manner to a separate frame, thereby forming a moveable spring mattress
or reclining surface.
Secondly. Of a peculiar arrangement of bow-springs applied directly to the frames
of the seats and backs of chairs, couches, railway carriage seats and backs, and other
like articles, or applied in the same manner to separate moveable frames for the
same purposes.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood; I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, thesame
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings represent two transverse sections, and Figure 3
a longitudinal section of the frame of a metal bedstead or of a moveable mattress,
showing as applied directly thereto one combination or arrangement of bow-springs
and thin metal or other strips, laths, or webbing for forming an easy spring
reclining surface. a, a, is the ordinary angle iron framing of a bedstead; b, 6', aro
laths or strips (by preference of thin metal, and from one and a half to one and an
eighth inches in width, extending transversely across the frame at suitable distances
apart, and connected thereto at their ends in any well known manner, as for
example, by buttons or screws passing through holes or slots in the ends of the
laths. In Figure 3 I have only represented five of such transverse laths in the
length of the frame, but in practice I prefer to employ about five or six equally
spaced. Upon each alternate lath I attach by buttons or screws a series of thin
curved or bow-shaped springs c, c', about one and an eighth inches wide, disposed
in the manner shown in Figure 1, wherein a complete bow-spring c having its
convex side upwards is connected at its ends d to the lath 6 beneath. The two
ends are either left free to play by being slotted and working along the pin or
fastening, or may be turned inwards and separately secured to the lath. The said
spring c is placed centrally between the sides of the frame a, and at each side of
the said bow-spring c I attach a half bow-spring c¹, in order to make up the full
width of the frame. These half bow-springs c¹ at their outer ends are curved
downwards and inwards, and are attached at e, e, to the frame by the same buttons
or fastenings, if desired, which serve to secure the ends of the transverse lath 6 to
the said frame. The inner ends of these half bow-springs cl are also connected at d
to the lath by the same fastening, if desired, that serves to connect the ends of
the central bow-spring c to the said lath, or these ends may be bent inwards and
separately fastened to the lath b, as previously described.
Upon the next adjoining transverse lath or metal strip 6' of the series I dispose
two complete bow-springs c", c₁, also having their convex sides upwards, as shown

page_text: in Figure 2, the said springs c¹ being connected at their contiguous inner ends
at d to the centre of the lath 6 beneath, whilst their outer ends are respectively
connected to the side frames of the bedstead at f by fastenings in the same manner
as previously described. By this mode of disposing the bow-springs c, cl, c¹¹, it
will be obvious that the highest parts of one set of springs will be in line with the
lowest parts or ends of the springs in the next adjoining series, thus breaking joint
therewith. At right angles to these transversely disposed bow-springs I place a
series of longitudinal thin metal or other laths or strips g, 9, (see Figure 3), the
said laths being connected by slots and pins or other suitable modes of attach-
inent to the highest parts of the bow-springs, whilst their ends at the head and
foot of the frame are turned downwards or inwards, as shown, in order to preserve
their proper level, and are secured by buttons or screws at i, i, to the end bars of
the frame. Across these longitudinal laths and at any convenient intervals I
dispose either above or beneath them, or alternately above and beneath them,
transverse laths or strips h, h, which latter may or may not be also secured to the
tops of the bow-springs. In my Drawing the transverse laths are shown as secured
directly to the bow-springs (the longitudinal laths 7, 9, passing over them, but I
prefer in practice to reverse this arrangement by first securing the longitudinal
laths g directly to the highest parts of the transverse bow-springs, and then
placing the cross laths / over the longitudinal laths, and securing them thereto.
Figure 4 is a plan of a metal bedstead frame, to which is shown applied directly
a modified arrangement or combination of bow-springs and laths hereinafter
described; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 6 a traverse section of the
same. A, A, is the frame of a bedstead, or it may be taken as representing the frame
of wood or metal of a moveable spring mattress or similar reclining surface, which I
have here represented as of double width to accomodate two persons. When of
double width a longitudinal central rod B is secured at each end into the end cross
pieces of the frame in order to support the centres of a series of transversely disposed
bow-springs of peculiar shape and construction, one of which is shown clearly in
Figure 6. These springs, of which any desired number may be employed disposed
equidistantly across the frame, are each made by preference from a single strip or
ribbon of steel of about an inch and an eighth in width, bent so as to form a series
of, say, four connected bow-springs c arranged in two pairs, one pair on each side of
the central rod or bar B, and all having their convex surfaces upward. Each bow c
joins the next one by a sharp bend at d in a reverse direction, and the two pairs
are united in the middle by a double reversed bend, as shown at d¹, so formed as to
take a bearing upon or across, and (if desired) be secured to the central rod B.
The outer ends of these springs are secured by buttons or screws at e to the frame
of the bedstead or mattress. Along the highest parts of the several bow-springs c
I place thin metal or other laths or strips fextending transversely across the frame,
but parallel with the springs beneath them, the ends of these laths f being attached
to and resting upon the upturned ends of a series of inverted bow-springs y disposed
along the surface of the two sides of the frame, and secured thereto by screws or
other suitable fastenings h in the centres of the springs, as shown clearly in Figure 5,
or the springs g may be dispensed with, and the laths terminate at the crowns of
the outer bow-springs c, or at the frame A. i, i, are a series of longitudinal straight
metal or other suitable laths or strips laid across the laths f, and if desired secured
thereto and to the highest parts of the bow-springs c. The ends of these longitu-
dinal laths at the head and foot of the bedstead or mattress frame, as the case may
be, can be supported directly upon bow-springs beneath, or may simply rest upon a
transverse end lath secured to one of the arms of the inverted bow-springs at the
head and foot of the frame, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. i, i¹, are two outer
longitudinal laths laid across and secured to the ends of the transverse laths fat
their junctions with the upturned ends of the inverted bow-springs g.
For narrow or single bedsteads and spring mattresses, in lieu of using bow-
springs composed of four bows c, c, as shown in Figure 6, two bows only need be
employed in each spring, the outer ends resting upon and being connected with the

page_text: side frames by pins or screws and slots, the longitudinal central supporting rod or
bar B being dispensed with..
By combining or attaching the bow-springs and laths directly with or to the frame
itself of the bedstead, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, a
spring bedstead and mattress combined in one is obtained.
Figure 7 is a transverse section, Figure 8 a plan, and Figure 9 a section at
right angles to Figure 7 of an arrangement of curved or bow-springs applied directly
to a small frame such as might be employed for forming the seat or back of a chair,
whether constituting a portion of the said article of furniture itself or a moveable
frame to be applied thereto. A is the frame, and a, a, are a series of bow-springs
secured thereto at their ends, which ends may or may not be turned inwards, as
shown in the Drawings. These bow-springs should be of graduated length, curvature,
and height, in order to produce a curved surface in both directions, as shown in
Figures 7 and 9, and should be arranged so as to conform generally to the contour
of the frame to which they are applied. In the square frame, Figure 8, the springs a
are shown as disposed parallel to each other and to the two sides of the frame, but
where the frame is required to be wider on one side than the other, as for a chair
back for example, then the springs will be arranged so as to diverge more or less
somewhat after the manner of a fan, so as to follow the general outline of the frame.
If desired one or more curved or bow-shaped springs a¹ may be disposed trans-
versely to the rest of the springs a, as shown in Figure 8, and be secured thereto
and to the frame in order the better to assist in maintaining the springs a in proper
position laterally, and to preserve the general curved contour of the surface in either
direction.
The usual canvass or sacking and other coverings and stuffing, as will be well
understood by upholsterers, is to be applied to the before described combinations
and arrangements of bow-springs and laths or of bow-springs alone, in order to impart
the required finish to the article, but as this forms no part of the said Invention I
have purposely omitted the same from my Drawings in order to avoid unnecessary
complication.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, [
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and orginal and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The peculiar arrangements of bow-strings in combination with laths, strips,
or webbing, of metal, or other suitable elastic or flexible material applied directly
to the frame itself of a bedstead, berth, or similar article of furniture, so as to form
a spring bedstead and mattress combined; or applied in the same manner to a
separate frame so as to form a moveable spring mattress or other like reclining
surface, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 1 to 6 of
the Drawings annexed.
Secondly. The peculiar arrangement of bow-springs applied directly to the frames
of the seats and backs of chairs, couches, railway carriage seats, and other like
articles of furniture, or applied in the same manner to separate noveable frames for
similar purposes, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures
7, 8, and 9 of the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry William Iles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
night hundred and