IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes and
Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS." A communication from abroad by
William Irish Fielding, of Hartford, County of Hartford, State of Connecticut,
United States of America.
Sealed the 20th January 1880, and dated the 22nd July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1879.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS." A communi-
cation from abroad by William Irish Fielding, of Hartford, County of Hartford,
State of Connecticut, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of bed bottoms which
consist of metal springs, arranged longitudinally and attached to a frame at the
head and foot.
In the usual construction the strain has been alike on all the springs throughout
the bed bottom or mattress; the result is, that as the strain is greater in the centre
of the bed than at the sides it soon "sags" along the middle; to overcome this
difficulty is the prime object of this Invention, and it consists in the construction
as hereinafter described.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bed
complete; Figures 2 and 3, its application to a metallic bedstead.
I will first describe the construction as applied to a bed bottom or mattress, and
as shown in Figure 1. A, A, are spiral springs attached to a bar B at one end of the
bed and a similar bar e and springs at the other, and these bars supported on a
frame work consisting of end pieces D, D, and side pieces E, E.
The springs at one end are connected to springs at the other end by series of
links a, and these longitudinal links a of one line connected to the links of another
line by transverse links b.
In order to successfully manufacture such a bed bottom the links must be made
by machinery and of equal length, and the springs also would be of equal length;

page_text: hence if the bars B, C, were straight the strain on all the springs would be equal,
and the difficulty-of-"saging"-before-referred_to_would occur; to obviate this
difficulty the bars are bent from the centre each way and toward the opposite bar,
as seen in Figure 1, so-that-the-distance between the two bars is greatest at the
centre and diminishes-each-way-to-the sides, consequently. the central springs are
under the greatest strain, offering the greatest resistance, the strain and resistance
diminishing toward each side which practically prevents the saging in this class
of bedbottoms.
Intermediate springs F are arranged at one or both ends with branching links ƒ
from each spring F to the next line, as shown.
This construction is peculiarly applicable to metal bedsteads, that is, bedsteads
which are composed chiefly of metal, because the bars B, C, may be made as a part
of the head and foot rail, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which the rail is shown
as of inverted L shape and attached directly to the post or a socket thereon, or
it may be a plate riveted to the head and foot bars.

page_text: :
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd January 1880.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BEDS." A communi-
cation from abroad by William Irish Fielding, of Hartford, County of Hartford,
State of Connecticut, United States of America.
: 1 .
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of bed bottoms which
consist of metal springs, arranged longitudinally and attached to a frame at the
head and foot.
In the usual construction the strain has been alike on all the springs throughout
the bed bottom or mattress; the result is, that as the strain is greater in the centre
of the bed than at the sides it soon «
,,
sags along the middle; to overcome this
difficulty is the prime object of this Invention, and it consists in the construction
as hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.
On the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bed complete ;
Figures 2 and 3, its application to a metallic bedstead.
I will first describe the construction as applied to a bed-bottom or mattress, and
as shown in Figure 1. A, A, are spiral springs attached to a bar B at one end of
the bed and a similar bar C and springs at the other, and these bars supported on
a frame work consisting of end pieces D, D, and side pieces E, E.
The springs at one end are connected to springs at the other end by series of
links a, and these longitudinal links a of one line connected to the links of another
line by transverse links b.
In order to successfully manufacture such a bed bottom the links must be made
by machinery and of equal length, and the springs also would be of equal length;
hence if the bars B, C, were straight the strain on all the springs would be equal,
and the difficulty of "saging" before referred to would occur; to obviate this
difficulty the bars are bent from the centre each way and toward the opposite bar,
as seen in Figure 1, so that the distance between the two bars is greatest at the
centre and diminishes each way to the sides, consequently the central springs are
under the greatest strain, offering the greatest resistance, the strain and resistance
diminishing toward cach side, which practically prevents the saging in this class
of bed-bottoms.
Intermediate springs F are arranged at one or both ends with branching links f
from each spring F to the next line, as shown.
This construction is peculiarly applicable to metal bedsteads, that is, bedsteads
which are composed chiefly of metal, because the bars B, C, may be made as a part
of the head and foot rail, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which the rail is shown as
of inverted L shape, and attached directly to the post or a socket thereon, or it
may be a plate riveted to the head and foot bars.
While the springs at the ends combined with longitudinal and transverse links is
the best construction for such a bed bottom, the Invention is not to be understood
as limited to such arrangement.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what is claimed as the Invention is,-
1. In a bed bottom in which the elasticity is obtained from longitudinal springs
attached at the head and foot, constructing the bars of curved or bent shape so that
the distance between the head and foot bars diminishes from the centre toward
each side, substantially as described.
2. The combination in a bed bottom of a frame consisting of side and head bars
with a series of longitudinal springs at each end connected to the head and foot

page_text: bars, and longitudinal links connecting said springs, and transverse links con-
_necting said longitudinal_links, the line of attachment of the springs at the end
being curved or bent so that the distance between_the_two lines of attachment
diminishes from the centre toward each side, substantially as described.
3. In a metal bedstead a bar attached to or made a part of the two end bars of
the bedstead or either of them, constructed for attachment of longitudinal springs
thereto, the said line of attachment being bent or curved, substantially as
-described-
bars, and longitudinal links connecting said springs, and transverse links con-
necting said longitudinal_links, the line of attachment of the springs at the end
being curved or bent so that the distance between_the_two lines of attachment
diminishes. from the centre toward.each side, substantially as described.
3. In a-metal bedstead a bar attached to or made a part of the two end bars of
the bedstead or either of them, constructed for attachment of longitudinal springs
thereto, the said line of attachment being bent or curved, substantially as
-described-
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto-set-
my hand and seal, this Twenty first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eightv.