IMPROVEMENTS IN AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE SPRING MATTRESSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barnouin Rowcliffe, of Glossop, in the County' of
Derby, Wire Mattress Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE SPRING MATTRESSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barnouin Rowcliffe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th November 1880.
JOHN BARNOUIN ROWCLIFFE, of Glossop, in the County of Derby, Wire
Mattress Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF WIRE SPRING MATTRESSES."
This Invention relates to that class of spring mattress in which continuous
spirals of wire are employed, and running from the head to the foot of the
nattress.
Instead of interlacing these spirals one into another, as heretofore, I take a series
of spirals of wire, such spirals consisting of one, two, or more wires, and connect
them to the head and foot of the frame parallel to each other and at suitable
distances apart by means of suitable wire links or rings and links.
And in order to strengthen and improve the appearance of the metallic surfaco
so produced I sometimes introduce narrow lengths of continuous wire spirals inter-
laced in the ordinary manner and arranged at suitable distances apart, the
intervening spaces being filled up by the parallel series of continuous spiral wires
hereinbefore mentioned.
Further, this Invention relates to the machinery employed in the production
of the spirals herein before mentioned, and which is equally applicable in the
manufacture of spirals used in the existing manufacture of spiral wire mattresses.
This machinery consists of a screw of suitable pitch, to which a revolving motion
is imparted by power or otherwise, and which gives traversing motion to a nut or
half nut which is threaded upon such screw.
Parallel with and geared by spur wheels to this screw so as to revolve at
the requisite speed therewith is a rod, hereinafter called the mandril, round
which the wire is desired to be wound in a spiral direction to form the requisite
spirals.

page_text: This wire is drawn off a creel and passed first through a slot formed upon the
nut or half nut herein before mentioned, and then is carried forward and secured to
one end of the mandril.
Revolving motion being then imparted to the screw and mandril, the nut (which
is prevented turning by being provided with an eye through which the mandril
passes) travels along the screw and feeds the wire at the exact speed to allow the
same to be wound upon the mandril.
When a spiral of the desired length has been obtained the machine is stopped
and the wire cut off.
The spiral thus formed is then drawn off the mandril, and the nut or half nut
being lifted up or removed from coming into contact with the screw is pushed back
to the starting point ready for the operation to be repeated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Barnouin Rowcliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1881.
JOHN BARNOUIN ROWCLIFFE, of Glossop, in the County of Derby, Wire
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF WIRE SPRING MATTRESSES."
Manufacturer.
This Invention relates to that class of spring mattress in which continuous
spirals of wire are employed running from the head to the foot of the mattress.
Instead of interlacing these spirals one into another, as heretofore, I take a
series of spirals of wire, such spirals consisting of one, two, or more wiros, and
connect them to the head and foot of the frame parallel to each other and at
suitable distances apart by means of suitable wire links, or by metallic rings,
having eyes at each extremity and connected together in a continuous length by
metallic links, the series of spirals being passed through the said rings and so
retained the desired distance apart.
And in order to strengthen and improve the appearance of the metallic surfaco
so produced I sometimes introduce narrow lengths of continuous wire spirals
interlaced in the ordinary manner, and arranged at suitable distances apart, the
intervening spaces being filled up by the parallel series of continuous spiral wires
hereinbefore mentioned.
Further, this Invention relates to the machinery employed in the production of
the spirals herein before mentioned, and which is equally applicable in the manu-
facture of spirals used in the existing manufacture of spiral wire mattresses. This
machinery consists of a screw of suitable pitch, to which a revolving motion is
imparted by power or otherwise, and which gives traversing motion to a nut or
half nut which is threaded upon such screw.
Parallel with and geared by spur wheels to this screw so as to revolvo at the
requisite speed therewith is a rod, hereinafter called the inandril, round which the
wire is desired to be wound in a spiral direction to form the requisite spirals.
This wire is drawn off a creel and passed first through a slot formed upon the nut
or half nut herein before mentioned, and then is carried forward and secured to one
end of the mandril.
Revolving motion being then imparted to the screw and mandril, the nut (which
is prevented turning by being provided with an eye through which the mandril
passes) travels along the screw and feeds the wire at the exact speed to allow the
same to be wound upon the mandril.
When a spiral of the desired length has been obtained the machine is stopped
and the wire cut off.
The spiral thus formed is then drawn off the mandril, and the nut or half nut
being lifted up or removed from coming into contact with the screw is pushed
back to the starting point ready for the operation to be repeated.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I
claim,―
1st. The construction of spring mattresses of a series of spirals of wire con-
nected together at suitable distances apart, in the manner and substantially as
herein before described.

page_text: 2nd. The improved arrangement and construction of machinery for the
production of the spirals of wire used in the manufacture of spring mattresses,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barnouin Rowcliffe, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN BARNOUIN ROWCLIFFE. (L.S.)