IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Allen, of the City of Bristol, and John Martin,
of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS."
1
Sealed the 13th September 1878, and dated the 18th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Allen and John
Martin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April
1878.
THOMAS ALLEN, of the City of Bristol, and JOHN MARTIN, of Islington, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS."
These improvements are more particularly applicable to metallic bedsteads formed
with tubular posts and sides, as described in the Patent Specification No. 2405 of
1856, but are also partly applicable to other constructions of bedsteads.
According to this Invention we make the bottom of the bedstead of wood laths
placed longitudinally from head to foot, and resting in or on a transverse bearing
plate or bar or girder at each end. Each bearing bar is by preference made cylin-
drical and tubular, and rests at each end in a bearing formed on or attached to the
corner uprights. For this purpose, as applied to the aforesaid tubular bedstead, we
form the connecting sockets (which unite the uprights with the sides) with a pro-
jection having a hollow wherein the end of the bearing bar rests. The wood laths
may simply rest freely on these bearing bars, and we thus gain increased elasticity
and increased facility for the instant removal of the entire bottom of the bedstead
for cleaning and other purposes.
We provide appliances for fitting bedsteads with " sides" to open and close,
especially suitable for children's cots. For this purpose we fit each of the uprights
with a projecting slot piece or staple deep enough for the lower rail of the "side" to
be raised clear of an upper catch or hook attached to the collar top of the upright.

page_text: The lower rail of the "side" is fitted with a cranked finger or peg suitable for entering
the staple on the upright. The upper rail of the "side" is provided with a cranked
or bent piece entering the upper catch or hook on the upright and embracing the
collar thereon; it is formed with a notch which takes on to a peg on the collar,
and serves to lock or secure it in position. For opening one of the sides it is
merely lifted so that the aforesaid bent piece clears the upper catch or hook, it can
then fall down.
Another part of our improvements consists in a portable head rest for invalids,
and which may be attached to any bedstead. It consists of an iron frame, solid or
tubular, with a horizontal top rail and two side arms, connected below by a bottom
rail, which may slide on the sides, and be fixed thereto by set screws or otherwise.
A piece of canvas is stretched on this frame, which below is connected to the
tubular or other longitudinals of the bedstead by a jointed clamp with set screw or
other fastening appliance. To some upper part of the side bars of the head rest
frame we joint a slotted sweep or quadrant on each side. These quadrants pass
down on the outside of the longitudinals of the bedstead,-and-are-fixed thereto by a
cross tie bolt entering the slot of the sweep, and fixed thereto by a nut handle on
the outside, or fixed to the sweep or. quadrant in any other convenient manner.
By altering the distance between the bottom part of the head rest frame and the
lower part of the quadrant the head rest can be placed at any inclination, as
desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Allen and John Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th October 1878.
THOMAS ALLEN, of the City of Bristol, and JOHN MARTIN, of Islington, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC AND OTHER BEDSTEADS."
These improvements are more particularly applicable to metallic bedsteads formed
with tubular posts and sides, as described in the Patent Specification No. 2405 of
1856, but are also partly applicable to other constructions of bedsteads.
The first part of our Invention refers to bedsteads having the bottom of the
bedstead of wood laths placed longitudinally from head to foot, and resting in or
on a transverse bearing plate or bar or girder at each end. Each bearing bar is by.
preference made cylindrical and tubular, and rests at each end in a bearing formed
on or attached to the corner uprights. For this purpose, as applied to the aforesaid
bedstead, we form the connecting sockets (which unite the tubular uprights with
the sides) with a projection having a hollow wherein the end of the bearing bar
rests. The wood laths may simply rest freely on these bearing bars, and we thus
gain increased elasticity and increased facility for the instant removal of the entire
bottom of the bedstead for cleaning and other purposes.
This part of our Invention is illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
Drawings, the former being an elevation, and the latter a plan of a corner con-
necting socket piece constructed according to this Invention. The dotted lines
show a part of a side of an end bar and of the corner uprights, all of which are
united by the said socket.
The part a of the socket piece fits into a tubular side bar A of the bedstead,
a¹ being a set screw for holding the side; the part 6 of the socket piece fits per-
manently and firmly on the end bar B of the bedstead; the part c of the socket
piece fits permanently and firmly in the upper tubular upright C, and the part d
similarly in the lower tubular upright D, which rests on the floor with a castor or
wood ball as usual. e is a projection on the socket piece, and formed with a
hollow suitable for the cross bearing bar Ę, in this case shown tubular, and as in
dotted lines on this bearing bar E the wood laths rest at one end, the other ends of
the laths rest on a bearing bar supported similarly on the opposite end of the bed-
stead. The projections e might be made with a suitable notch for receiving a rect-
angular bearing bar, instead of a round one as shown.
"
We provide appliances for fitting bedsteads with sides to open and close,
especially suitable for children's cots. For this purpose we fit each of the uprights
with a projecting slot piece or staple deep enough for the lower rail of the "side" to
be raised clear of an upper catch or hook attached to the collar top of the upright.
The lower rail of the "side" is fitted with a cranked finger or peg suitable for
entering the slot staple on the upright. The upper rail of the "side" is provided
with a cranked or bent piece entering the upper catch or hook on the upright and
embracing the collar thereon; it is formed with a notch, which takes on to a pro-
jection or peg on the collar, and serves to lock or secure it in position. For opening
of the sides it is merely lifted so that the aforesaid bent piece clears the upper catch
or book, it can then fall down in position.
This part of our Invention is illustrated in Figures 3 to 9 of the Drawings.
Figure 3 shows a child's cot, the "sides" of which are connected to the bedstead,
and made to swing down; Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of part of an end
upright C with part of a "side" F; Figure 5 is an inner end view of the upright;
Figure 6 is a plan section of same through line A, A; and Figure 7, a plan section
through line B, B, Figure 4.
The lower horizontal piece or member of the side F is fitted with a cranked
pivot piete, the peg or finger part of which is passed into a vertical slot f¹ formed
in the upright C. The cap or collar C¹ of the collar is formed or fitted with a catch

page_text: .
or hook c', wherein fits a bent piece f2 fixed in the upper member of the side F,
and formed with a notch fitting over the inner part of c¹. To release the side F it
is only necessary to take hold of it and raise it off the hook c¹, the finger on the
pivot piece fat the same time rising in the slot f¹, the side can then be swung
down, hinged at f into the position shewn in Figure 3. Figure 7 shews in dotted
lines the position of the lower member of the side F when the latter is swung down,
the cranked form of the piece f causing the "side" to be well clear of the edge of
the bedstead..
In Figures 8 and 9 the uprights C instead of being formed with a slot for the
finger of the pivot piece f is fitted or formed with a slot piece or staple f¹ pro-
jecting from the side of the upright; the dotted lines in Figure 9 indicate the posi-
tion of the "side" in the turned-down position. In Figures 8 and 9 the "sides " F
are in the raised position in the direction of the centres of the uprights C, to which
they are connected, whereas in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 the sides F are, when in the
raised position, slightly inside the said centre line.
Figure 9a illustrates a modified arrangement of connecting the "sides" F with
the uprights. The upper member of the side F instead of being formed with a bent
notched piece, which fits on a hook c' on the cap or collar C¹, is here firmly con-
nected to the cap or collar C¹, which latter is formed with a lower projection
dropping loosely into the upper hollow end of the upright C. To disconnect the
side Fit is only necessary to lift it out of its sockets in the upright C, and it cân
then be swung down, turning on its pivots below, as in the preceding Figures.
This arrangement is used in connection with the slot piece f', Figures 8 and 9; if
it is to be adapted to be used in connection with the slot piece f¹, Figures 4 and 5,
the caps C¹ must be connected with the side F, so that the latter is slightly inside
the line from centre to centre of the uprights C.
Another part of our improvements consists in a portable head rest for invalids,
and which may be attached to any metallic or wooden bedstead. It consists of an
iron frame, solid or tubular, with a horizontal top rail and two side arms connected
below by a bottom rail, which may slide on the sides, and be fixed thereto by set
screws or otherwise. A piece of canvas is stretched on this frame, which below is
connected to the tubular or other longitudinals of the bedstead by a jointed clamp
with set screw or other fastening appliance. To some upper part of the side bars of
the head rest frame we joint a slotted sweep or quadrant on each side. These
quadrants pass down on the outside of the longitudinals of the bedstead, and are
fixed thereto by a cross tie bolt entering the slot of the sweep, and fixed thereto by
a nut handle on the outside, or fixed to the sweep or quadrant in any other con-
venient manner.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the head rest, and Figures 11 to 16 enlarged
details of same. G, G, are the side. arms; H, the top rail; and I, the bottom rail
of an iron frame, which may be solid or tubular. Each side arm G terminates
below in a joint piece connected to a joint clamp c fitting on the longitudinal bar A
of the bedstead, as also shown more clearly in Figures 15 and 16, the former being
a side view and the latter an end view; d is a set screw for fixing the clamp in
place on the round bar A. The canvas K is stretched on the frame G, H, G, I.
Figure 18 shows how the clamp may be formed for a bedstead with angle iron
shaped longitudinals A. e, Figure 10, is a key or spanner fitting the head or
square on the set screw d; f is a socket fixed on each side bar G of the head rest,
and to this socket is jointed a slotted sweep g, the lower end of which is shown in
Figure 12, and the upper end in Figure 13; h is a cross tie bolt passing through
the slot of the sweep at each end, while bearing with a saddle part h' against the
inner side of the bar A; h2 is a nut handle serving to tighten the sweep and
saddle h¹ on the bar A.
Figure 17 shows another mode of fastening the clamp c to the bar A. c¹ is a
saddle piece jointed on to it, and d a thumbscrew tapped through the piece c', and
held by the end in the saddle c, as shewn, but so as to turn freely in it; by turning

page_text: the screw one way or the other the saddle piece c¹ is drawn against or away from
the bar A.
Figure 19 is a side view and Figure 20 an end view of a mode of connecting the
saddle ¹ and c on each side by means of a tie bar / screwed into a lug on each, as
shown, or otherwise connecting them.
By altering the distances between the bottom part h¹ of the head rest frame and
the lower part of the quadrant g the head rest can be placed at any inclination as
desired.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, we
declare that we claim,―
Firstly. The construction of the corner connecting socket for a bedstead, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Secondly. Connecting and disconnecting the "sides" of a bedstead or cot by
pivots fitting in slots in or on the uprights below, and by parts fitting in or on the
uprights above, substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The construction of head rests, and the mode of adjusting and fixing
same to the bedstead, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Martin, for myself and on behalf of the
said Thomas Allen, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day
of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight.
JOHN MARTIN. (L.S.)