IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATTRESSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Flashman, the younger, of Dover, in
the County of Kent, Upholsterer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATTRESSES."
Sealed the 26th July 1870, and dated the 30th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Flashman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th March 1870.
I, GEORGE FLASHMAN, the younger, of Dover, in the County of Kent,
Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATTRESSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing mattresses
whereby (the parts being rendered detachable) the mattress may be packed
in small compass for transport, while the springs admit of being readily
rearranged and the webbing when slack of being drawn to tension.
The mattress may moreover be lowered, if desired, several inches on the
bedstead.

page_text: These advantages I attain by the following means:-I provide a head
and foot board with recessed ledges to receive the ends of the laths which
carry the coiled or other springs that support the webbing as usual.
The transverse webbing is drawn taut over longitudinal bars which
connect the head and foot boards together near their upper angles, but
are readily detachable therefrom when it is desired to take the mattress
to picces. The longitudinal webbing is strained over bars carried by the
head and foot boards, and by means of buckles all the webs are held at
tension. The springs are connected at their upper part preferably by
detachable clips, but they are made fast at bottom to the laths.
In packing the mattress therefore for transport the springs of one lath
may (by inverting them) be placed in the spaces between the springs of
another lath, and thus the width will be reduced at least one half, and
on contracting the springs by pressure the depth will be materially
diminished also.
When after long wear the centre springs show weakness they may
readily be shifted and replaced by the springs at the side of the mattress
to restore the lost clasticity. The lower corners of the head and foot
boards I make to turn on hinges so that when it is desired to lower the
mattress on the bedstead it will only be necessary to turn the hinged
pieces aside. Recesses will thus be formed to receive the side bars of
the bedstead, and the mattress will be lowered a distance proportioned to
the depth of the recesses. When it is desired to raise the head or lower
the foot of the mattress one or both of the tension bars of the head
and foot boards may be made adjustable vertically by means of adjusting
screws.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Flashman in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 30
FLASHMAN, the younger, of Dover, in the County of Kent, Upholsterer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty- 35

page_text: third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Flashman, Her special licence that
I, the said George Flashman, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Flashman, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MATTRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Flashman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Flashman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing mattresses
whereby, the parts being rendered detachable, the mattress may be packed
in small compass for transport, while the springs admit of being readily
rearranged and the webbing when slack of being drawn to tension.
The mattress may, moreover, be lowered if desired several inches on the
bedstead.
These advantages I attain by constructing mattresses in the manner
shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved mattress; Fig. 2 is a side
elevation of the same partly in section; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; and
Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1. A is the
head, and B the foot board of the mattress, connected together by means
of detachable side rails C, C, the outer angles of which are rounded off.
The head and foot boards are provided with recessed ledges to receive the
ends of laths D, D, which carry the coiled or other springs E that

page_text: support the webbing as usual. The transverse webbing F is drawn taut
over the longitudinal bars C, C. These bars C, C, (which connect the
head and foot boards together near their upper angles,) in order that they
may be readily detached from the head and foot boards when it is desired
to take the mattress to pieces are simply socketed into the boards A
and B, the longitudinal webbing F is strained over bars G, G', carried
by the head and foot boards, and by means of buckles all the webs are
held at tension. The springs are connected at their upper part prefer-
ably by detachable clips to the webbing, and at bottom they are mado
fast in any convenient way to the laths.
Fig. 5 shews on an enlarged scale the mode of connecting the springs
detachably with the webbing. For this purpose I sew to the under sido
of the webbing near the angles of intersection spring hooks II, II, which
will clip the uppermost coil of the springs and secure the webbing firmly
thereto. By the use of these hooks the detachment of the springs from
the webbing will be greatly facilitated. At the lower corners of the head
and foot boards I form rebates, which I fill with hinged pieces I, I.
When it is desired to lower the mattress on the bedstead it will only be
necessary to turn the hinged pieces aside. Rebates will thus be presented
to receive the side bars of the bedstead, and the mattress will be lowered
a distance proportioned to the depth of these rebates. When it is desired
to raise the head or lower the foot of the mattress one or both of the
tension bars G, G', of the head and foot boards may be made adjustablo
vertically by means of adjusting screws.
In packing the mattress for transport the springs of one lath may
(by inverting them) be placed in the spaces between the springs of
another lath, as shewn at Fig. 6. This arrangement admits of tho
mattress being reduced in width at least one half, and on compressing the
springs the depth will be materially diminished also.
In order to obtain still more compactness when the mattress is packed
for transport I have found it desirable to make the springs detachable
from the laths, and for this purpose I use the attachment shown at Fig. 7.
The springs are formed with open bottom ends and the laths are fitted with
eye staples K to receive the open ends of the springs. Two or three (as
may be necessary) eyo staples are provided for each spring, and the spring
being threaded through them, as shown in the Figure, will be firmly
secured to its lath.

page_text: I may remark that the laths instead of running longitudinally may
run transversely of the mattress, and that the springs instead of being all
made of a uniform strength may preferably be made the second, third,
and fourth rows counting from the head of the maximum strength as
they are intended to sustain the greatest pressure.
The first row of
springs may be somewhat lighter, and the fifth and sixth rows still
lighter.
When after long wear the centre springs show weakness they may
readily be shifted and replaced by the springs at the side of the mattress
to restore the lost clasticity without the necessity of returning the mattress
to the manufacturer for repair.
Having now set forth the nature of my improvements in the con-
struction of mattresses, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. Constructing mattresses of detachable parts in the manner and
for the purpose above described.
Secondly. Constructing the frame of the mattress as above described
whereby I am enabled to lower it on or sink it partially in the bedstead
when desired.
In witness whercof, I, the said George Flashman, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.