IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CHILDRENS' COTS AND BEDSTEADS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Frederick Keep and Walter Hugh Keep both of
11 Hazellville Road Hornsey Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention
56
of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CHILDRENS' COTS AND
BEDSTEADS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Frederick Keep
& Walter Hugh Keep at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
5th September 1883.
"
WILLIAM FREDERICK KEEP and WALTER HUGH KEEP both of 11 Hazellville
Road Hornsey Lane in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED TO CHILDREN'S COTS AND BEDSTEADS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS'
Our invention has for its object the prevention of accidents owing to the tendency
in infants and children to leave their cots or bedsteads and consists in adapting and
applying to the upper part of the cot or bedstead a hinged frame with or without
a light cover or hood such frame resting ou the end of a spring block which when
depressed brings in contact two pieces of brass or other suitable metal and forms
an electric circuit which causes the sounding of a bell or alarum fitted in any
convenient situation..
Or the depression of the said frame may be caused to ring a bell fitted to or
connected with the frame so as to be readily sounded..
The said block and apparatus for forming the electric circuit is or may be
contained in a box fixed to the upper part of the cot or bedstead at the end or
side and preferably opposite to the hinges of the said frame and consists of one
fixed block to which is hinged at one end the said moveable block a slight.spring
being fixed between the blocks to keep them apart, There is also inserted in each
block a piece of brass or other suitable metal slightly projecting therefrom and

page_text: which pieces are kept apart by the spring when at rest but are brought in contact
on the compression of the spring. Pins are inserted in metal sackets in the wooden
blocks which are thus conveniently brought into communication with the circuit
and bell in the usual way. Insulating material (such as wood or gutta percha) is
made to surround the pins leaving the metal uncovered at the points where they
are inserted in the sockets in the above-mentioned blocks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Frederick Keep & Walter Hugh Keep in the Patent
Office on the 3rd March 1884.
WILLIAM FREDERICK KEEP and WALTER HUGH. KEEP both of 11 Hazellville
Road Hornsey Lane in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED To CHILDRENS' COTS AND BEDSTEADS FOR PREVENTING
ACCIDENTS
"
Our Invention has for its object the prevention of accidents owing to the
tendency in Infants and Children to leave their cots or bedsteads and consists in
adapting and applying to the upper part of the cot or bedstend a hinged or moveable
frame with or without a light cover or hood such frame resting on a spring block
which when depressed brings in contact two pieces of brass or other suitable metal
and forms an electric circuit which causes the sounding of a bell or alarum fitted
in any convenient situation Or the depression of the said frame may be caused
to ring a bell gong alarum or whistle fitted to or connected with the frame so as
to be readily sounded
The said block and apparatus for forming the electric circuit is or may be
contained in a Box fixed to the upper part of the cot or bedstead at the end or
side and preferably opposite to the hinges of the said frame and consists of one
fixed block to which is hinged at one end the said moveable block a slight spring
being fixed between the blocks to keep them apart There is also inserted in each..
block a piece of brass or other suitable metal slightly projecting therefrom and
which pieces are kept apart by the spring when at rest but are brought in contact
on the compression of the spring-Pins connected with the wires from the battery
are inserted in metal sockets in the wooden blocks which are thus conveniently
brought into communication with the circuit and bell in the usual way-Insulating
material such as wood or gutta percha is made to surround the pins leaving the
metal uncovered at or near the points where they are inserted in the sockets in the
above mentioned blocks.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention we will proceed to describe
it more particularly by the aid of the accompanying drawings in which aro
represented the several parts above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OR
31

page_text: box containing the apparatus for making and breaking the electric circuit removed
Fig 5 is a Plan or horizontal view of Fig 4 Fig 6 is a similar view to Fig 4 but
with the Box entire and shewing the said apparatus by means of dotted lines
Fig 7 is an elevation of the blocks detached shewing another form of spring
between the blocks Fig 8 is a Plan of the lower or stationary block Figures 9.
10 and 11 shew different views of a Bedstead fitted with the said apparatus in
combination with a netted hood or cover.
In these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
In Figures 1. 2 and 3 a hinged or moveable frame is shewn at A without a hood
or cover and in Figures 9. 10 11 it is shewn with a hood or cover-This frame may
be either hinged as shewn or it may be constructed without a hinge so as to be
readily capable of vertical movement to the extent of an inch or thereabouts by
means of downward pressure-In this case an apparatus for making and breaking
the electric circuit would be required at two opposite sides or ends of the Cot or
bedstead and also one vertical guide for the frame at or near each corner of the
Cot or Bedstead One side or end of this frame rests on a moveable spring block B
which when depressed brings in contact the two pieces of brass or other suitable
metal Gas shewn by dotted lines in Fig 6 and forms an electric circuit by means
of the wires a a¹ from the battery and bell which causes the sounding of such bell
or alarum fitted in any convenient situation
The said apparatus for making and breaking the electric circuit is or may be
contained in a box C fixed to the upper part of the Cot or bedstead at the end
or side preferably opposite to the hinges D of the said frame and consists of one
fixed block E to which is hinged at one end the said moveable block B a suitable
spring F being fixed between the blocks B and E to keep them apart as required
There is also inserted in or connected to each block a piece of brass or other
suitable metal G (Fig 7) slightly projecting therefrom and which pieces are kept
apart by the spring F when at rest but are brought in contact on its compression
If preferred instead of the apparatus just described any suitable means or apparatus
for making and breaking the electric circuit may be employed
The wires a and a from the bell and battery are connected to metal pins b b
which are insulated except at their points of contact and which are inserted in
sockets formed in the contact pieces G thereby completing the electric circuit on
the compression of the spring F and the contact of the pieces G Or if preferred a
gong or other form of bell or alarum moved by levers or otherwise may be
arranged and substituted for the electric bell so as to be sounded on the
depression of the frame A and its return movement caused by the re-action of the
spring F
If the hinges are made at one end of the Cot or Bedstead we arrange two
guides or sockets H H which are fixed near the two corners at the sides of the
Bedstead opposite the hinges D D and pins I are so arranged as to fix the frame A
either so as not to act at all upon the block B or to prevent the said frame from
rising too far
The hood or cover referred to above may be of any convenient form and the
netting of which it is made may be of wire cord silk or any other suitable
material
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed we hereby declare that what we claim as of our
Invention is
First The adaptation and application to a Cot or Bedstead of an upper frame
combined with apparatus for making and breaking an electric circuit and thereby
sounding an alarum or bell substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Secondly The said upper frame combined with apparatus for making and
breaking the electric circuit substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: F
Thirdly The combination of the said upper frame with apparatus or means
adapted for sounding a gong bell or alarum without the aid of electricity
substantially as and for the purpose described.
And lastly The said upper frame with a hood or cover (as shewn in Figures 9.
.10 and 11) combined with a moveable spring block or other suitable means of
acting on a bell or alarum either with or without the aid of electricity substantially
as described.
In witness whereof we the said William Frederick Keep and Walter Hugh
Keep have hereunto set our hands and seals the third day of March in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
D
Witness
W. H. SPENCE.
8 Quality Court
Chancery Lane
WILLIAM FREDMON
WALTER HUGH KEEP
REEL.
(LS.)