IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK BEDS, AVAILABLE ALSO AS LIFE PRESERVERS AT SEA
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banting Rogers, of Limehouse, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Robertsbridge, in the County of Sussex, and Sebastian
Anderson, of Crutched Friars, in the City of London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK BEDS, AVAILABLE ALSO AS LIFE PRESERVERS
AT SEA."
Sealed the 14th July 1876, and dated the 18th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banting Rogers and
Sebastian Anderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th
January 1876.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, and of Roberts-
bridge, in the County of Sussex, and SEBASTIAN ANDERSON, of Crutched Friars, in
the City of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK BEDS, AVAILABLE ALSO AS LIFE
PRESERVERS AT SEA."
This Invention relates to cork beds available also as life preservers at sea in cases
of shipwreck or other casualties.
We make a mattress or bed of a given length, say 6 feet long and 2 feet wide,
filled with cork cuttings, shavings, or other cork refuse. The ticking or outside
covering has an aperture in the central line, and preferably at about the middle of
the length, sufficiently large for passing over a person's head, so that the bed may
rest upon and be supported by the shoulders. Tapes or cords are provided near the
ends for passing around the waist or under the arins to retain the bed in close con-
tact with the body of the wearer back and front.
The aperture may be of circular or other equivalent shape, or the bed may have
a row of stitching along the centre, a slit or long aperture being left in the centre
for passing over the head as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Banting Rogers and Sebastian Anderson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th July 1876.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, and Roberts-
bridge, in the County of Sussex, and SEBASTIAN ANDERSON, of Crutched Friars, in
[Price 4d.]

page_text: the City of London.
PRESERVERS AT SEA."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK BEDS, AVAILABLE ALSO AS LIFE
This Invention relates to cork beds available also as life preservers at sea in cases
of shipwreck or other casualties, and is represented in the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1.
According to our Invention we make a mattress or bed A of a given length, say
6 feet long and 2 feet wide, filled with cork cuttings, shavings, or other cork
refuse. The ticking or outside covering has an aperture B in the central line, and
preferably at about the middle of the length,,sufficiently large for passing over a
person's head, as shown in Figure 2, so that the bed may rest upon and be sup-
ported by the shoulders. Tapes or cords c, c, are provided near the ends for passing
around the waist or under the arms to retain the bed in close contact with the body
of the wearer back and front.
The aperture B may be of circular or other equivalent shape, as in Figure 1, or
the bed may have a row of stitching along the centre, a slit or long aperture, as in
Figure 3, being left in the centre for passing over-the head as desired.
Having now set forth the nature of our said Invention and in what manner the
.same is to be performed, we declare that we claim, the manufacture and employ-
ment of a cork mattress or bed with an aperture at or about. the centre of its
.length to enable the same to be passed over a person's head to rest upon the
shoulders, and be tied round the waist or under the arms when used as a life
préserver or for sustaining a person in the water, as described and as shown.
.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Banting Rogers and Sebastian Anderson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS. (L.S.)
- S. ANDERSON.
.' (L.S.)