IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADJUSTABLE COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alderman, of Denmark Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADJUSTABLE COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
Sealed the 5th October 1855, and dated the 11th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alderman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
April 1855.
I, JOHN ALDERMAN, of Denmark Street, in the County of Middlesex, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADJUSTABLE COUCHES, CHAIRS, & OTHER SIMILAR DESCRIP-
TIONS OF FURNITURE FOR INVALIDS," to be as follows (that is to say):
My said improvements, which have for their object the adjustment of the said
couches, chairs, and other similar articles of furniture to the commodious recep-
tion of invalids in the various postures in which it may be desirable for them
alternately or permanently to repose, or to be placed with a view to surgical
operations, consist in adapting to the upper portions of such articles of fur-
niture a frame divided into two or more portions, connected by joints or hinges,
and worked by means of screws or nuts, in such manner that either of the said

page_text: portions may be gradually elevated or depressed, as it is desired to raise or
lower the head, feet, or knees of the invalid, or any parts of the body which
are to be operated on. I claim, the general construction of a divided frame,
of which the parts are connected by joints and hinges, and worked through
the medium of nuts and screws, in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before set forth and described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Alderman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ALDERMAN, of Denmark Street,-in-the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me; the said
John Alderman, Her special licence that I, the said John Alderman, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Alderman, my executors, administrators, 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 ADJUSTABLE COUCHES, CHAIRS, AND OTHER SIMILAR DESCRIPTIONS OF FURNITURE
FOR INVALIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Alderman, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jolin Alderman, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what- manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say) :-
My said improvements, which have for their object the adjustment of the

page_text: said couches, chairs, and other similar articles of furniture to the commodious
reception of invalids in the various postures in which it may be desirable for
them alternately or permanently to repose, or to be placed with a view to
surgical operations, consist in attaching to the lower frame of such articles of
furniture a rising frame, divided into two or more portions, connected by joints
or hinges, and worked by means of screws and nuts, in such manner that'
either of the said portions may be gradually elevated or depressed, as it is
desired to raise or lower the head, feet, or knees of the invalid, or any parts
of the body which are to be operated on.
But in order that these my said improvements may be more fully under-
stood and readily carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe them by
the aid of the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and
figures thereon marked (that is to say):-
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, represents a sectional side elevation of an improved invalid
couch; Fig. 2, an end elevation, with the foot end elevated, for the purpose of
showing the diagonal motion links and levers, for elevating and depressing the
different parts of the couch; Fig. 3, a plan view of the top or rising frame of
the couch, with the mattress removed; Fig. 4, an underneath view thereof,
with a slight modification of the tightening stays or straps, for the insertion
of a pan for the convenience of the patient; Fig. 5, a sectional side elevation of
a couch, showing a modification of the several parts for giving motion to the
upper frame; Fig. 6, a detached view of one of the arms of the said couch,
showing the joints and centres upon which it works in connection with the'
rising frame; and Fig. 7, an end elevation of a bedstead for suspending the
mattress, bed, or sheet, so that the patient or invalid may be raised or lowered
to enable the bed to be made, or the patient to be placed in any posture for "
surgical examination or operation.
Figs. 8, 9, and 10, Sheet 2, represent different positions in which the couch
may be adjusted for the comfort or ease of the invalid or for surgical purposes;
Fig. 11, a side view of a couch, partly in perspective, showing a nut and screw
movement for giving a backward and forward motion to the rising frame;
Fig. 12, an adjustable chair, furnished with the diagonal link and lever motion,
as employed in the couch; and Fig. 18, an easy chair, furnished with folding
side lever handles, for the purpose of carrying a person up and down stairs, as
represented detached at Fig. 14. In each Figure the same letters of reference
denote similar corresponding parts. a, a, frame of couch; b, b, rising frame;
c, c, bands or straps upon which the mattress is placed; d, d, longitudinal
straps; e, e, buckles for tightening or slackening the said straps as required;
ff, elastic band of india-rubber or otherwise, to which the ends of the said

page_text: straps or bands are attached; 9, 9, laths; h, h, raising joints; i, i, opening for
the reception of a pan; j, j, right and left handed screws; k, k, traversing
nuts; 1, 1, fixed central bearing for steadying the screw; m, m, bearings in
which the said screw revolves; n, n, diagonal motion links; o, o, transverse
rods, to which the diagonal motion links are attached by the joints p, p; I, I,
radial bars or levers, one on each side of the couch, for the purpose of moving
the whole of the rising frame by one action in the direction of the dotted line r;
8, 3, revolving levers; t, t, friction rollers fitted thereto, which work on inclined
planes or metal surface bearings u, u, as the case may require, for the purpose
of actuating any particular part; v, v, winch handle for giving motion to the
screw; 2, w, mattress; a, wedge-shaped pillow, stuffed with feathers and
divided into three separate compartments, as indicated by the dotted lines, so
as to prevent them from accumulating and hardening the pillow; y, arm of
couch; z, centres upon which the same works. A, reading desk; B, stem or
rod by which the reading desk is attached to the rising frame, so as to move
with it, and retain at all times a convenient position for the reader; C, C,
foot end of couch; D, D, head posts of a bedstead; E, E, sliding rail; F, F,
frame for the reception of the bed or mattress; G, G, inclined planes, upon
which the frame of the bed may be tilted on either side, as required, through
the medium of the friction rollers H, H; I, I, pulley blocks; I', I', pulley
blocks, attached to the traversing nuts; J, J, staplo fastenings, to which the
wire cord or otherwise is attached; K, K, traversing nuts; L, L, wire rope
or cord, for actuating or giving motion to the bed; M, nut and screw move-
ment, for giving a backward and forward motion to the rising frame; N, N,
spring hooks, for attaching the folding side lever handles to the chair; O, strap
for securing the handle to the chair in a vertical position.
In conclusion to my foregoing description I would here briefly remark, that
in order to place an invalid in any posture that may be desired by elevating or
depressing any particular portion of the couch, a common lever or winch handle
is placed upon the shank end of the screw in connection with such part, which,
upon being turned, gives motion to the same by causing the traversing nuts
(through the intervention of the right and left handed screw) to be separated
or brought together, thereby elongating or contracting the distance between the
joints, so as to raise or depress the part in connection therewith; the said winch
handle must be alternately placed upon such screws as communicate with the
parts which are required to be raised or lowered; but if it is desirable to place
the invalid in the position represented at Fig. 9, this may be effected by simply
turning the handle when placed upon the shank end of the screw communi-
cating with the radial bar The arm of the said couch is so centred as to
!.

page_text: move with the rising frame, thus keeping its parallel position in whatever
direction the rising frame may be moved.
My said improvements when applied to chairs have one action for elevating
or depressing the seat and back and another for raising or lowering the feet,
as represented at Fig. 12, Sheet 2. My improvements in chairs extend also
to a mode of lifting the said chairs by balance lever handles, in such manner
as to retain them in an upright position into whatever position the said handle
may be brought, as represented at Fig. 13, Sheet 2.
At Fig. 7, Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is shown a bedstead of
my improved construction, the novelty of which consists in a simple mechanical
arrangement placed at the head of the bed, by which, through the intervention
of a winch handle, the framework upon which the bed or mattress rests may
be raised or lowered as required; to effect which object, motion should bo
given to the right and left handed screw, thus causing the nuts to be separated
or brought together, upon the heads of which pulleys are affixed, so that
the cords, by being extended or contracted, may raise or lower the bed, as
represented.
Having now fully described the nature of these my said improvements, and the
manner in which the same are to be performed, I would have it clearly under-
stood that I do not by any means intend to confine myself to the precise details
herein-before described, as the same might be varied without departing from
the general principle of these my said improvements; but that which I do claim
as new and of my said Invention is, the general construction and arrangement
of the several parts of the adjusting furniture, in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alderman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
o Witness,
JOHN ALDERMAN. (L.S.)
FRED R. DARKIN CAMPBELL,
Clerk to Messrs. Weatherdon & Co.,
77, Chancery Lane.