Improvements in the Feet and other parts of Bedsteads and like Articles for use in Lunatic Asylums.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1900
Improvements in the Feet and other parts of Bedsteads and like
Articles for use in Lunatic Asylums.
I, SAMUEL ILSLEY WHITFIELD, Managing Director of S. B. Whitfield and Co.
Ld., of Watery Lane, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Bedstead
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in the feet and other parts of
bedsteads and like articles for use in lunatic asylums and refers particularly to
feet for use upon polished floors whereby they are prevented from scratching such
floors while at the same time there are no parts which can be detached without
the assistance of a tool thus preventing any removal of the foot or any portion
thereof by the inmates of such asylums.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a square polagonal or elliptical
recess in the underside of the bottom chill of the leg and at the inner end of this
recess a tapped nut is chilled into the said bottom chill while a circular enlarge-
ment of the recess is formed at the outer end to receive the foot.
The foot itself is formed to a circular knob shape having a square polagonal
or elliptical shank to fit the before mentioned recess and having a hole down the
centre of the foot and shank which is trumpet mouthed at the one end the whole
foot being covered with a suitable thickness of india-rubber, felt or any other
soft or springy material of a tenatious character which is turned over into the
trumpet-mouth and completely envelopes the foot finishing against the straight
sides of the shank.
For fixing to the foot to the leg the shank of the foot is inserted in the recess
made to receive it while part of the foot fits in the outer recess in the chill a screw
being then inserted through the foot and screwed into the tapped nut in the chill
the head of such screw being made to enter some distance into the trumpet mouth
of, the hole so as to be clear of the bearing part of the foot and also to prevent it
being unscrewed without the use of a key or turn screw as may be required by the
particular formation of the head of the screw.
The shank may be of any shape except circular and the foot and pin may be
varied in shape, the object of my invention being to provide a foot which is easily
and simply covered and attached and at the same time cannot be tampered with
by the inmates of asylums.
My improvement is also applicable to those parts of bedsteads which are liable
to butt against the wall and by which I prevent any damage from such cause.
1741 Jar of November 1899

page_text: Improvements in the Feet and other parts of Bedsteads and like
Articles for use in Lunatic Asylums.
I, SAMUEL ILSLEY WHITFIELD, of Watery Lane Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Managing Director, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention has for its object improvements in the feet of bedsteads and other
like articles for use in lunatic asylums and refers particularly to feet for use
upon polished floors whereby they are prevented from scratching such floors while
at the same time there are no parts which can be detached without the assistance
of a tool thus preventing any removal of the foot or any portion thereof by the
inmates of such asylums.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which I have
illustrated the nature of my said improvements applied to the leg of a metallic
bedstead together with the mode of carrying the same into effect and from which
its application to like articles will readily be understood. Figure 1 is a vertical
section through the leg with the foot attached.
Figure 2 is a similar section to Figure 1 but with the foot detached.
Figure 3 is an inverted plan of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan of the foot when detached.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the foot complete.
Figure 6 is an inverted plan of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a broken off view of the tool.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a square polygonal or elliptical
recess in the underside of the bottom chill B of the leg C and at the inner end
of this recess a tapped nut 62 is chilled into the said bottom chill B while a
circular enlargement 63 of the recess is formed at the outer end to receive the foot.
The foot A itself is formed to a circular knob shape having a square polagonal
or elliptical shank a to fit the before mentioned recess b₁ and having a hole a³
down the centre of the foot and shank which is trumpet mouthed or enlarged at
one end a³ the whole foot being covered with a suitable thickness of india rubber,
felt, or any other soft or springy material E of a tenacious character which is
turned over into the mouth and completely envelopes the foot A finishing against
the straight sides a of the shank a¹.
For fixing the foot to the bottom chill B of the leg the shank al of the foot A
is inserted in the recess b¹ made to receive it while that part of the foot a³ fits in
the outer recess 63 in the chill the screw F being then inserted through the foot A
and screwed into the tapped nut 62 in the chill B the head fl of such screw being
made to enter some distance into the trumpet mouth of the hole so as to be clear
of the bearing part of the foot and also to prevent it being unscrewed without
the use of a key or turn screw such as D and which is shaped as required by the
particular formation of the head of the screw.
The shank a may be of any shape which will prevent the foot being turned in
its recess and the foot and screw head may be varied in shape such for instance
as forming the head nut shaped in which case it would require a box spanner to
operate the screw the object of my invention being to provide a foot which is
easily and simply covered and attached while at the same time it cannot be tam-
pered with by the inmates of asylums.
My improvement is also applicable to those parts of bedsteads which are liable

page_text: to butt against the wall and by which I provide a. buffer which prevents any
damage from such cause.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improvements in the feet and other parts of bedsteads and like articles
characterized by the combination of a covered foot or buffer A having a square
or equivalent shank fitting into a similar shaped recess in the chill and connected
thereto by a screw E passing through said foot and shank and having a head
shaped and recessed substantially as and for the purpose set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 17th day of August 1900.
LEWIS WM. GOOLD,
Agent for Applicant, 5, Corporation Street, Birmingham.