AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC BEDSTEADS COTS AND COUCHES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard George Hodgetts of Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Manager of Works for an Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC BEDSTEADS COTS AND
COUCHES
"
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard George Hodgetts at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1883.
RICHARD GEORGE HODGETTS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manager of Works "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF METALLIC BEDSTEADS COTS AND COUCHES
"
My invention has reference principally to the head and foot rails of such
metallic bedsteads as are ordinarily called French end bedsteads and cosists of the
improvement or improvements herein after described in the method of connecting
the head.and foot rails to the frame of the bedstead whereby the said rails can be
readily connected to and disconnected from the frame.
By my invention metallic bedsteads and their soparable head and foot rails can
be packed with great economy of room and their storage and transit thereby
facilitated
My invention is also applicable to metallic cots and couches
I will describe my invention with reference to the foot or head rail of a
metallic French end bedstead. To the bottom of each of the pillars of the foot rail
I attach a foot or flange which flange when the rail is in its place on the bedstead
has a firm bearing on the corner block of the framing. On the underside of the
said foot or flange and near its edge is a vertical rod of a length about equal to
the depth of the corner block. The extreme lower end of the said rod is turned
outwards at a right angle. The recess in the corner block into which the dovetail
on the angle bar of the framing takes is of a size and shape suitable for the
reception both of the dovetail and the vertical rod In attaching the foot rail to
the bedstead the vertical rods described are dropped into the corner blocks and the
dovetails on the side angle bars being inserted in the blocks the foot rail is fixed

page_text: in its place the dovetails preventing the rising of the foot rail. In order the more
effectually to fix the foot rail and to give it great steadiness a rib may be made on
the underside of the foot or flange of the pillar of the foot rail a corresponding
recess being made in the upper face of the corner block for the reception of the
said rib
The application of my invention to the foot and head rails of metallic cots and
couches differs in no essential respect from its application to the foot or head rail
of a metallic French end bedstead as herein before described.
Besides being applicable to the head and foot rails of French end bedsteads cots
and couches my invention is also applicable to the dividing of the loose pillars of
metallic bedsteads cots and couches.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard George Hodgetts in the Patent Office on the 22nd April
1884.
RICHARD GEORGE HODGETTS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Manager of Works "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF METALLIC BEDSTEADS, COTS AND COUCHES
"
My invention has reference principally to the head and foot rails of such
metallic bedsteads as are ordinarily called French end bedsteads and consists of the
improvement or improvements hereinafter described in the method of connecting
the head and foot rails to the frame of the bedstead whereby the said rails can be
readily connected to and disconnected from the frame.
By my invention metallic bedsteads and their separable head and foot rails can
be packed with great economy of room and their storage and transit thereby
facilitated.
My invention is also applicable to metallic cots and couches.
I will describe my invention with reference to the foot or head rail of a metallic
French end bedstead. To the bottom of each of the pillars of the foot rail I attach
a foot or flange which flange when the rail is in its place on the bedstead has a
firm bearing on the corner block of the framing. On the underside of the said
foot or flange and near its edge is a vertical rod of a length about equal to the
depth of the corner block. The extreme lower end of the said rod is turned
outwards at a right angle. The recess in the corner block into which the dovetail
on the angle bar of the framing takes is of a size and shape suitable for the
reception both of the dovetail and the vertical rod. In attaching the foot rail to
the bedstead the vertical rods described are dropped into the corner blocks and the
dovetails on the side angle bars being inserted in the blocks, the foot rail is fixed
in its place the dovetails preventing the rising of the foot rail. In order the more
effectually to fix the foot rail and to give it great steadiness, a rib may be made on
the underside of the foot or flange of the pillar of the foot rail, a corresponding
recess being made in the upper face of the corner block for the reception of the
said rib.
The application of my invention to foot and head rails of metallic cots and
couches differs in no essential respect from its application to the foot or head rail
of a metallic French end bedstead as hereinbefore described.
Besides being applicable to the head and foot rails of French end bedsteads cots
and couches, my invention is also applicable to the dividing of the loose pillars of
metallic bedsteads, cots and couches.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation the foot or head end of a French bedstead
constructed according to my invention, the separable rail being represented
connected to the frame of the said end; Figure 2 represents the separable rail
disconnected from the frame of the said end and arranged for storage or transit.
Figure 3 represents in side elevation; Figure 4 in vertical section and Figure 5
in horizontal section, a portion of the French end together with a portion of the
side angle bar of the bedstead framing; Figures 6 and 7 represent the side angle
bar detached from the corner block with the separable rail removed; Figures 8
and 9 represent plans of Figures 6 and 7; Figures 10 and 11 represent side
elevations (taken at right angles to one another) and Figure 12 a plan of underside
of a portion of the separable rail of the French end.
Figures 3 to 12 are drawn of the full size.
.The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings,

page_text: a, a are the pillars of the separable rail of the French end; b b are the corner
blocks of the frame; c is the connecting angle bar between the corner blocks and
d, d are the legs of the frame. To the bottom of each of the pillars a, a a foot or
Annge e is made, which foot or flange rests upon the top of the corner block b. On
the underside of the said foot or flange e and near its edge is a vertical rod f
concave on its outer face (see Figure 12). The said vertical rod has a length about
equal to the depth of the corner block b. Instead of providing the corner block b
with a recess of a size and shape suitable for receiving the dovetail g on the side
angle bar of the bedstead frame the said recess is made of a size and shape suitable
for the reception both of the dovetail g and the vertical rod ƒ on the foot or
flange e, the part of the recess for receiving the dovetail g being marked i and the
part for receiving the vertical rod f being marked . The shape of the recess i, k
in the corner block is best seen in Figure 8.
In attaching the separable rail a, a to the frame c, d of the French end, the
vertical rods ff on the flanges e, e are dropped into the parts k, k of the corner
blocks b, b and the dovetails g, g on the side anglo bars h, h of the bedstend frame
are inserted in the parts i, i of the corner blocks as illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5,
the dovetails g, g fitting closely against the concave faces of the vertical rods f, f.
The separable rail a, a of the French end is thereby fixed in its place. When it is
required to detach the separable rail a, a for storage or transit the side angle
bars h, h of the bedstead frame are first removed from the corner blocks b, b and
the rail a, a is then lifted vertically from the frame c, d, d so as to withdraw the
vertical rods ff from the corner blocks b, b. The two parts of the French end
may now be arranged for storage or transit in the manner represented in Figure 2.
In order the moro effectually to prevent the rising of the separable rail a, a from
the corner blocks b, b the extreme lower end of each of the vertical rods fmay be
turned outwards at a right angle, the turned out part constituting a heel on which
the dovetail g on the side angle bar bears.
This arrangement of my invention is represented in vertical section in Figure 13
and horizontal section in Figure 14; Figures 15, 16 and 17 represent a portion of
one of the pillars of the separable rail having this kind of vertical. rod applied
thereto; Figures 18 and 19 represent the corner block and dovetail of the side
angle bar. The heel or turned out part of the vertical rod ƒ is marked ƒ* and the
manner in which the dovetail g on the side angle bar h rests upon the beel ƒ³ will
be seen by referring to Figure 13.
A rib may be made on the underside of the flange or foot e on the pillar a of the
separable rail and a corresponding recess in the upper face of the corner block b for
the reception of the said rib. By means of this rib and recess the separable rail is
more effectually fixed to the frame and increased steadiness given to it.
I apply my invention to the foot and head rails of metallic cots and couches
substantially as before described with respect to the head or foot rail of a French
end bedstead.
In applying my invention to the loose pillars of metallic bedsteads cots and
couches I provide that part of the loose pillar above the corner block with the
fange e and vertical rod f, or vertical rod f and heel f" and I provide the leg or
lower half or part of the pillar with a corner block having a recess in it of the kind
before described and illustrated with respect to the corner blocks of a French end
bedstead.
Having now described the nature of my invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
invention of "An improvement or improvements in the manufacture of metallic
bedsteads, cots and couches;'
"
First Making on the bottoms of the separable foot and head rails of French end
bedsteads, cots and couches, feet or flanges and on the undersides of the said feet
or flanges and near their edges vertical rods, or vertical rods having at their
extreme lower ends a turned out part or heel, and providing each of the corner
blocks of the French end bedstead, cot or couch with a recess of a size and shape

page_text: suitable for the reception both of the dovetail on the side angle bar and the vertical
rod described on the pillar of the separable rail, the several parts being constructed
and used substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly-The adaptation of the parts marked e, f or ef, f and the recess / in
the corner block to the dividing of the loose pillars of metallic bedsteads, cots and
couches as herein before described.
In witness whereof I the said Richard George Hodgetts have hereunto set my
band and seal this Nineteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one. thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
Vitness, RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
Birmingham
RICHARD GEORGE HODGETTS (L.S.)