IMPROVEMENTS IN BED- STEADS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tillett, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey,
Bedstead Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BED-
STEADS."
Sealed the 19th December 1856, and dated the 19th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tillett at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th June
1856.
I, GEORGE TILLETT, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Bedstead Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BEDSTEADS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improved modes of joining the sides and
ends of wooden or metal bedsteads to the pillars or posts, whereby a tight and
simple junction is effected.
Another portion of the Invention relates to a mode of attaching the laths to
the sides, and of supporting the same at their centres.
According to one form of joint, which is equally applicable, by a slight
modification, to wooden or metal bedsteads; the pillar or post, if for a wooden
bedstead, is slotted, and in this slot and on one side of it is fitted a metal plate,
having two or more projecting inclines formed on its face. A sufficient space
is left in the slot for the introduction of the tenon, which is composed of a thin

page_text: metal tongue, secured by dowels or screws into the end of the side or end of the
bedstead. On one side of this tenon are fitted or formed two or more studs or
projections, which when the tenon is introduced into the slot or mortise, herein-
before referred to, project behind the inclines, and by pressing down the tenon by
hand, the joint will obviously be tightened by reason of the studs sliding down
the inclines on the plate inside the slot or mortise, herein-before referred to.
In a metal bedstead the mortise may be made with an inclined slot on one or
both of its inner sides, and in these slots fit corresponding studs or projections
on one or both sides of the tenon. Another form of joint, suitable for wooden
bedsteads, consists of a dovetailed inclined slot formed on the end of the side or
end of the bedstead, and this slot is pushed downwards on to a corresponding
projecting metal dovetail, secured to the post by dowels or screws. In order
to allow for any shrinking in the wood, I insert a metal plate in the post,
immediately behind the shoulder of the projecting dovetail, and this plate is
capable of being adjusted to compensate for any shrinking, by means of set
screws behind it.
The mode I adopt for securing and supporting the laths consists in fitting a
metal plate to each end of the laths, such plate having a hole made in it to
fit over a stud or pin in the side of the bedstead, so that each lath will be
pinned at the ends, and will thus serve both as a stretcher and tie bar or
rod, to prevent the sides either from collapsing and bulging outwards. The
laths are supported at their centres by a longitudinal thin metal bar, which is
secured at its ends to the head and foot of the bedstead.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tillett in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 19th
December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TILLETT, of Clapham, in the County of, Surrey, Bedstead Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and. fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and 'successors, give and grant unto me; the said
George Tillett, Her special license that I, the said George Tillett, my executors;
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Tillett, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time, agree with, and, no

page_text: 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
he United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDSTEADS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tillett, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Tillett, 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain improved modes of joining the side and
end rails of wooden or metal bedsteads to the pillars or posts, whereby a tight
and simple junction is effected.
According to one form of joint, which is equally applicable, by a slight
modification, to wooden or metal bedsteads, the pillar or post, if for a wooden
bedstead, is mortised or slotted, and in this mortise or slot and on one side of it
is fitted a metal plate, having two or more projecting inclines formed on its face.
A sufficient space is left in the mortise or slot for the introduction of the tenon,
which is composed of a thin metal tongue secured by dowels or screws, into the
end of the side or end rail of the bedstead. On one side of this tenon are
fitted or formed two or more studs or projections, which, when the tenon is
introduced into the slot or mortise herein-before referred to, project behind the
inclines, and by pressing down the tenon by hand the joint will obviously be
tightened by reason of the studs or projections sliding down the inclines on the
plate inside the slot or mortise. In metal bedsteads the slot or mortise may be
made with an inclined groove or grooves on one or both of its inner sides, and
in these grooves fit corresponding studs or projections on one or both sides of
the tenon. Another form of joint, suitable for wooden bedsteads, consists of a
dovetailed inclined slot, formed on the end of the side or end rail of the bed-
stead, and this slot is pushed downwards into a corresponding projecting metal
In order to allow for any
dovetail secured to the post by dowels or screws.
shrinking in the wood, 1 insert a metal plate in the post, immediately behind
the shoulder of the projecting dovetail, and this plate is capable of being
adjusted to compensate for any shrinking by means of set screws behind it.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto.annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all these
*Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a full-sized plan of one mode which. I
adopt for joining the side and end rails of metal bedsteads to the pillars or
posts; Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a
detail plan (looking from above) of the end of one of the rails; Figure: 4 is a
plan of the under side of the same; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the rail
end. A is a metal collar, through which is passed the pillar or post; this collar
has cast upon it two ears or lugs B, B, and these ears have cast in them the
slots C, C. I prefer making these ears and collars of annealed or malleable
cast iron, whereby their liability to fracture when the parts are being put
together is avoided. The curved form of the slots is obtained by running the
metal round correspondingly shaped core plates, which are removed after the
casting is taken out of the mould. The ends of the side and end rails D, D,
are struck or stamped by means of suitable dies, so as to form corrugations or
projections and recesses or grooves upon them, as shewn at d, d. The cor-
rugations may be made at a slight angle if desired, as shewn in the Drawing,
or they may be made square across the rail, and the end thereof may be slightly
inclined or wedge-shaped, whereby upon driving the end of the rail downwards
into the slot in the ears the rail will be wedged tight inside the slot.
Figure 6 is a plan (on a smaller scale) of the same kind of joint, as applied to
wooden pillars or posts; and Figure 7 is a corresponding side elevation of the
same. The ears B, B, are cast with tongue pieces E, E', as shewn in the details,
Figures 8, 9, and 10, and these tongue pieces are inserted into the wooden
pillars A, as shewn in Figure 6. In order to hold them perfectly secure.therein,
I propose to interlock them one with another, and this I accomplish by-passing
one tongue E through a slot e (Figure 9) in the other tongue E; the first-
mentioned one being kept in its place by screws or pins F, as shewn in dotted
lines at Figure 6.
Figure 11 represents a sectional plan of an internal or concealed joint
(on the same principle as the two previous ones) suitable for iron bedsteads ;
Figure 12 is a side elevation of the same complete; and Figure 13 is
a similar view of the joint in readiness for the introduction of a rail end.
A is a collar, which is fitted internally with a solid metal plug B, secured
therein by a transverse pin or screw, shewn in dotted lines at C.
in the block B correspond in form to the corrugations on the
The slots
rail ends

page_text: D, D, and are similar to those herein-before referred to, with the exception
that only one corrugation need be used in place of two. In order to insert
the rail ends, the slot, must be twice the height of the rails, as shewn in
Figure 18, and the upper half of it at a should be. wide enough to allow of
the corrugation on the rail being pushed therein; the rail' end having been
thus inserted, it is pressed down into the narrow part of the slot, which cor;
responds in form to the corrugated rail end, and the latter is consequently
held firmly therein. In order to cover the upper half of the slot,, which would
otherwise be left open for, the accumulation of dust and dirt, I employ an
ornamental sliding collar E, which is raised when a rail is to be inserted, or
removed, and depressed into its place again when the junction has been
effected.
Fig. 14 represents
sectional plan of a pillar or post, shewing another
form of joint suitable for wooden bedsteads; Figure 15 is a corresponding
side elevation of the same.
Figure 16 is a plan of the end of one of the rails; and Figure 17 is a corre
sponding plan of the same. The junction in this case is effected by means of
a circular metallic beading B, connected to the pillar or post A by a tongue
piece E, which tongue pieces are secured therein in a precisely similar manner
to that described in reference to Figure 6. The beading itself, which stands
out from the side of the post, is made parrallel or of the same width all the
way down, but is slightly inclined inwards at the lower side, as shewn in the
Drawing. A corresponding parallel slotted hole Cis made partially or entirely
through the rail D near its extremity, as shewn at Figures 16 and 17, and
this hole is inclined also to correspond to the inclinations of the beading B.
When this hole is slipped over the projecting beading, and firmly pressed
down thereon, a wedging action will take place, which will have the effect of
drawing up the rail end close to the side of the post A, thereby producing a
tight and simple junction. In order to protect the top and bottom of the
hole C, I insert a small plate c, c, at those parts, and if it be found desirable,
through shrinkage of the wood, to further tighten or close up the joint, I
propose to employ an adjustable face plate d, fitted by means of adjusting
screws e, e, to the sides of the post A, so that it may be made to project more
or less by turning the screws e, e, and so ensure the constant tightness and
closeness of the joint.
It is obvious that the arrangements of joints herein-before described are
equally applicable to the connecting of the ends of the head and foot board to
the sides of bed posts.
I
may here observe, that I am aware that wedge-shaped dovetails have been

page_text: long known and used as a means of forming the junctions of parts of articles
of furniture; and therefore I wish it to be distinctly understood that I lay no
claim to the use of wedge-shaped dovetails for such purposes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general constructions and arrangements of joints for metal or
wooden or metal and wooden bedsteads, as herein-before described, and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of joining the side and end rails of bedsteads to
the pillars or posts by means of slots or mortises having internal inclined
grooves or recesses and projections on one or both sides, into which slots or
mortises are inserted the correspondingly shaped or corrugated rail ends, as
herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of joining the side and end rails of bedsteads to
the pillars or posts, as herein-before described in reference to Figures 14, 15,
16, and 17 of my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tillett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
GEO. TILLETT. (L.S.)