CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING OR MANUFACTURING METALLIC TUBES, WHEREBY STRENGTH AND LIGHTNESS ARE OBTAINED, AND FOR APPLYING THEM, WITH VARIOUS OTHER INPROVEMENTS, TO THE CONSTRUCTING 07 THE METALLIC TUBE AND OTHER BEDSTEADS
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMAS THOMPSON, of Long Acre, in the Parish of St. Martin in the Fields,
and County of Middlesex, Camp Equipage Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Thomas Thompson, His
especial licence, that I, the said John Thomas Thompson, my exors, adiñors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Thomas Thompson, my exors, adñiors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MAKING OR MANUFACTURING METALLIC TUBES, WHEREBY STRENGTH AND LIGHTNESS
ARE OBTAINED, AND FOR APPLYING THEM, WITH VARIOUS OTHER INPROVEMENTS, TO THE
CONSTRUCTING 07 THE METALLIC TUBE AND OTHER BEDSTEADS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Thomas
Thompson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Thomas Thompson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say) :-
My improvements in inaking or manufacturing metallic tubes consist in
the addition of internal metallic tubes to the metallic tubes heretofore
employed in the construction of bedsteads, and I form these said internal
metallic tubes of wrought iron, or of any other metal or compositions of metals
fit and proper for the purpose; and I either shape them of a triangular,
square, or pentagonal figure, as may be best adapted to the required purpose,
although, in general, I give the preference to those of a triangular form. The
internal tubes, being constructed in any of the usual and well known methods,
and firmly brazed or soldered together, their edges being made rounding, are
to be placed within the sheets of metal intended to form the external cylin
drical tubes, and one of their angular edges must be secured by soldering or
brazing it along the middle of the strips or sheets of metal intended to form
the external metallic tubes, which must then be turned up to inclose it, and
the whole be afterwards drawn or passed through the draw plates in the usual
manner of forming metallic tubes; or, in preference, the external cylindrical
tubes may be first formed, and the internal polygonal ones be then introduced,
and the whole be effectually and securely combined, by carefully driving the
internal tubes into the external ones with a wooden mallet or other proper
instrument. The tubes thus combined are represented in Fig. 1 of the annexed
Drawing, which is a section of a triangular tube inclosed within a cylindrical
one in Fig. 2, being a square tube surrounded by a cylindrical one, and in
Fig. 3, which is a pentagonal tube inclosed within a cylindrical one; and
I believe it will appear evident that such compound tubes must be both
stronger and lighter, and be capable of supporting a greater weight and sus-
taining a greater pressure without injury than the usual cylindrical metallic
tubes, and may therefore be employed in many different ways and for various
purposes, and particularly in the construction of the metallic tube. [bedsteads.
I can apply the said compound metallic tubes to the formation of bedsteads,
either in the usual and well-known manners, or in my improved modes of
combining them, as follows:-Instead of uniting the various parts together by
means of screws, I substitute in place thereof newly invented locking joints,
the construction of which will be readily understood by referring to the
different Figures thereof contained in the annexed Drawing, and by means
whereof the different parts of the bedsteads are more securely held together.

page_text: Fig. 4 is an elevation of one end of a bedstead composed of my said compound
metallic tubes and locking joints; Fig. 5, a side view thereof; and Fig. 6, a plan.
Fig. 7 is a representation or elevation of parts of one corner of it on a larger
scale; Fig. 8 being a plan thereof. In all of which said Figures, as well as
in others to be hereafter referred to, the same letters of reference indicate
the similar parts; A, the ends rails; B, the side rails; C, the legs; and D,
the pillars; into the end rail A the cleft or forked piece E of the joint is
firmly affixed, and the leg C and pillar D are connected with the cleft piece E
by means of the pin F,' Figs. 7 and 8, upon which their arms turn, as shewn
by the dotted lines in Fig. 7; and they can be brought into a straight line,
as is also seen in that Figure. The side rail B is also affixed to the cleft
piece E, its tongue turning upon another pin G, shewn in Figs. 7 and 8, so
as either to lie parallel with the rail A, as seen in Fig. 9, or be turned, as
shewn by the dotted circle, so as to form a right angle therewith, and as
shewn in Fig. 8, and by dotted lines in Fig. 9. In the centre of the cleft
piece E a square aperture H is formed, as shewn in Fig. 9, which receives it.
The two circular wedges I and J, shewn in Figs. 10 and 11, which are formed
upon the ends of the leg and pillar, and together fill up the square aperture
H, Fig. 9, as shewn in the section Fig. 12; previously, however, the tongue K
of the rail B, which has a corresponding square aperture in it open on one
side, must be brought into the situation shewn in Fig. 8, from its former folded
position as shewn in Fig. 9; and the wedge I of the leg C be brought up to
its place. In the cleft piece E and the rail B, being yet loose, it can pass
by the ridge L, which is formed upon the back of the tongue K, a corre-
sponding gap M being made in the external side of the wedge I to receive it,
and when lodged therein, the wedge J of the pillar D being brought to its
place by raising the pillar, it locks or wedges the leg, pillar, and rails firmly
together, as shewn in Figs. 7, 8, and 12, the pillar D being kept in an upright
or perpendicular position by a cross rail, which extends from one pillar to the
opposite one. The use of the ridge L and the gap M is to prevent the legs
from turning inwards. Fig. 13 is a front view of the parts in a folded-up
state. Fig. 9, a top, and Fig. 14, an end view thereof. In the plan Fig. 6,
A, B, and A, B, represent the two corners of the bedstead which are united
in the above manner, the opposite corners 0, 0, being joined by two other
tongues P, P, which are affixed in the ends of the tubes Q, Q, and one of
which is shewn separately in Fig. 15. Fig. 5 represents a bedstead having
four pillars, and a tester formed of metallic tubes; the tester being affixed
upon the upper ends of the pillars, which have squares made upon them
to receive the ends of the tester, they having square holes in them which

page_text: fit upon the squares of the pillars, and they are secured in their places
by means of balls, vases, &c., which are screwed upon them as usual.
The cross rods, which extend from one side of the tester to the other,
are attached at one end by pivots or studs, and hook under other studs
which are affixed upon the opposite side of the tester; one of these rods
is shewn separately in Fig. 16. In the case, however, of those bedsteads
which have only head pillars or half testers to them, I can substitute at
their feet the parts shewn in Figs. 17 and 18, which represent a square
block E, similar to that before described, but having no hole in its corner,
and a solid block R, Figs. 20 and 21, affixed to the leg C, and turning upon
a pin F, which fills the square aperture H in the block E, and in the tongue
K, Fig. 19; when that is brought to its place in the cleft of the block E,
as in the former case, the whole is then secured by means of the ball Fig. 22,
with a screw to it, screwing into a hole made in the centre of the block R,
Figs. 20 and 21, to receive it; or, instead of that ball, I can substitute vases,
pillars, &c., furnished with screws as required. I affix the sacking to these
bedsteads in the following manner :-In Fig. 6, S, S, &c., represent flat metal
rings, to which the sacking is attached as follows: to each ring a bent metal
plate is affixed, as shewn in Figs. 23 and 24, having holes made through it
to receive the thread, &c., which is repeatedly passed through the sacking
lying between the bent plate, and by means of which it is securely attached.
These metal rings have metal rods passed through them, as shewn in Fig. 6,
and which are affixed to the side rails B. B, of the bedstead by double rings
of metal shewn at T, T, &c., and separately in Fig. 25. Other metal rods are
likewise affixed in a similar manner to the head and foot rails A, A, and the
sacking may be strained lengthways, by means of straps and buckles affixed
to the sacking and passed around the rods, or by hooks or other proper
methods. I prefer to use castors to the legs of these bedsteads, which are
made more upright than usual by shortening
the feet which carry
the
rollers, and as shewn in Fig. 26, and also have three friction wheels to cach,
which are attached to the upper plates of the castors. I can also construct
metallic tube bedsteads so as to expand and contract in the manner shewn
in Fig. 27, which exhibits one as drawn out or in the expanded state, and in
Fig. 28, which represents it on a smaller scale, as shut up or contracted for
the purpose of occupying less room. The construction of this bedstead will
be readily understood from Fig. 27, where U, U, U, represent three metallic
tubes, two of which are made to slide one within another, and having stops
at their ends to prevent them from being drawn out too far, and keys, pins, or
other proper fastenings to secure them when drawn out; these form one side

page_text: of the bedstead, the other being similar to it. The larger or outer tubes
have legs or supports affixed at each end of them, the others having leys at
their front ends only, the legs are strengthened by cross braces extended
between them, as shewn in Fig. 29, which also exhibits the cross tube at the
foot of the bedstead, the head having a similar one. I have shewn this bed-
stead as being formed of three tubes on each side, but I do not intend to
limit myself to the employment of any particular number, but to use more or
fewer as circumstances may require.
Having thus described several methods of carrying my said improvements
into effect as connected with metallic tube bedsteads, I also hereby claim
their application to other bedsteads, and whether formed of metal or wood.
I likewise hereby claim the application of my compound metallic tubes and
locking joints to the construction of other bedsteads than those here shewn
and described, and the power of varying their forms accordingly, still, however,
preserving the principles hereby specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1826, the aforesaid John Thomas Thompson came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.