IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BEDS, SEATS, AND OTHER HOLLOW FLEXIBLE ARTICLES TO CONTAIN AIR
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Goodyear, of Avenue Road, St. John's
Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BEDS, SEATS, AND OTHER
HOLLOW FLEXIBLE ARTICLES TO CONTAIN AIR."
Sealed the 3rd November 1858, and dated the 15th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Goodyear
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
'on the 15th July 1858.
I,. CHARLES GOODYEAR, of Avenue Road, St. John's Wood, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BEDS, SEATS, AND OTHER
HOLLOW FLEXIBLE ARTICLES TO CONTAIN AIB," to be as follows :—
This Invention consists of employing knit or looped fabrics in
making articles to contain air. Two surfaces of such fabrics are coated
with cement, and they are caused to adhere at intervals; but where
the hollow cells are to be, paper is interposed to prevent adhesion, and
bands of non-elastic fabric are cemented between the fabrics to separate

page_text: the cells. The cells may all be connected by a vulcanized india-rubber
pipe, and be inflated by a caoutchouc whalebone tube, or each row of
cells may be inflated separately.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Goodyear in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES GOODYEAR, of Avenue Road, Saint John's Wood, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the
year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Charles Goodyear, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles Goodyear, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Goodyear, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no 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 the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF BEDS, SEATS, AND OTHER HOLLOW FLEXIBLE ARTICLES TO CONTAIN
AIR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Goodyear, 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 Charles Goodyear, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):

page_text: This Invention consists of employing knit or looped fabrics in making
articles to contain air. Two surfaces of such fabrics are coated with
cement, and they are caused to adhere at intervals; but where the
hollow cells are to be, paper is interposed to prevent adhesion, and
bands of non-clastic fabrics are cemented between the fabrics to sepa-
rafe the cells. The cells may all be connected by a vulcanized india-
rubber pipe, and be inflated by a caoutchouc whalebone tube, or cach
row of cells may be inflated separately.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same. Heretofore, in the
manufacture of such articles, it has been usual to employ inclastic
fabrics, rendered water and air proof by india-rubber; that is, fabrics
woven by warp and weft. Now, my present Invention has for its
object, as above stated, the use of fabrics which are composed of loops,
such as knit and warp fabrics, which have clasticity in them by reason
of their being constructed of loops; and I render such fabrics water-
proof by india-rubber, as has heretofore been practised, and as is well
understood; and in order to render, beds, seats, and other hollow
flexible articles cellular and capable of being inflated, I cement two
such waterproof elastic fabrics together at intervals by means of india-
rubber cement; and where it is desired that the cells or hollow spaces
should come, I introduce two surfaces of paper of the size of the cell
or hollow space desired to be made; and at the parts where the fabrics
are to be cemented together, strips or tapes of non-elastic fabric arc
cemented between the two elastic air-tight fabrics. By these means
may beds, seats, and other articles be made, each composed of several
cells, the fabric of the cells being more or less elastic and flexible, and
the cells may all open into each other by leaving small parts or passages
uncemented between them; or vulcanized tubing may be introduced,
and the air supplied by a suitable mouth-piece as heretofore; which,
however, I prefer to have formed of caoutchouc, whalebone, or the cells
of each row of cells may only communicate one with the other, and
have a separate mouth-piece for each row.
•
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim

page_text: is, the application of looped or knit fabrics (rendered air and water
proof) in the manufacture of air beds, seats, and other such like hollow
articles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Goodyear, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
CHARLES GOODYEAR. (L.S.)
Witness,
JNO. Cook,"
12, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane.