Improvements in Mattress Frames.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mattress Frames.
A communication from abroad by LOUIS NIPPE and ALBERT PASCIIE, both of
Leipzigerstrasse 73, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Upholsterers.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
This invention relates to a mattress in which the tension to be imparted to the
resilient edges extending along the two longitudinal sides of the mattress, may be
so secured by operating upon the mattress in the direction of its width, that a
straight longitudinal edge is constantly maintained, without any special springs
being required for keeping up the tension and without the resiliency of the lateral
edge being affected by the absence of additional springs.
In the existing mattresses with resilient longitudinal edges, these were kept
straight by spiral springs stretched across, or in the direction of the width of the
mattress.
The disadvantages of such an arrangement reside in the fact that the springs in
question draw the said longitudinal edges inwards the moment the mattress is
pressed or weighed down; while, before quitting their stretched position and
resuming their position of rest, the said springs show a tendency to force the
longitudinal edges outwards beyond the normal width of the mattress frame.
These drawbacks are obviated by the arrangement forming the subject of this
invention wherein bent stretching devices are inserted between the side edges of
the mattress, whereby such side edges are secured in the rectilinear position.
A further advantage afforded by this method of supporting the sides of a spring
mattress, that these sides may thereby be made capable of shrinking and expanding
of themselves without any external agency; for whereas hitherto, the sides of such
mattresses have consisted of rigid bars, made yielding by their mode of suspension
and supported by springs, so that it might be said that they only became resilient
indirectly, now, owing to the provision of the said bent stretching devices, the
side edge pieces themselves may be constructed of suitable resilient material, such
as spring steel bands or the like, so that the sides of the mattress are elastic not at
their points of suspension only, but throughout, being capable of contracting and
expanding of their own accord independently of any auxiliary spring action.
In the accompanying drawings a mattress frame fitted with bent stretching
devices in accordance with this invention is represented by way of example.
Fig. 1 being a perspective view thereof with the stretching devices in U shape;
while
Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections of two modified forms of the same.
The frame A of the mattress carries on both its longitudinal sides the bars B
suspended by springs at a which form the resilient side edges of the mattress and
may for this purpose themselves be made elastic.

page_text: From the longitudinal bars B, the stretching devices Care suspended which may
be either U-shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or arc-shaped, as in Fig. 3, or may be
given any other convenient shape.
Where the U-shaped construction is adopted, the cross pieces of the stretching
device is made of a sufficient length to keep the two longitudinal edges B at the
proper distance from each other, while the arms c may be arranged to move in
guides d. It will be seen that by means of these stretching yokes the width or
distance between the side edges is fixed and that although resilient, their accurate
rectangular position is in all cases ensured for whereas otherwise an outward
elastic effect might be produced beyond the side edges in the direction of the
width of the mattress, whereby the material of the mattress would be subjected to
an objectionable strain both crosswise and along the edges, elasticity is ensured by
the stretching yokes in all parts of the mattress so that the cloth or tick, is only
stretched within given limits and so is also the outward case or envelope of the
mattress.
If it were necessary to provide an inner support for the U-shaped stretching
yokes, so as to protect such yokes from being bent out of shape as a result of the
strains to which the mattress is subjected, stays such as s¹, Fig. 2, may be employed
to take up or neutralize the reactive or rebounding effect of the side edges.
The stretching device, instead of having the shape of a yoke as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2 may be arc-shaped as represented in Fig. 3.
To avoid inconvenience of disturbance of one occupant by the other when two
persons use one mattress, the mattress is constructed with the stretching devices
arranged in two independent series, side by side, with two centrally arranged
longitudinal resilient edges, instead of the stretching devices stretching right across
in one unbroken series.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improved construction of mattress frame with resilient side edges, the
main feature of which is that in order to make the edges invariably contract or
expand in a straight line and to insure an uniform tension of the surface of the
mattress in the direction of its width, or crosswise, bent stretching devices are
suspended from the resilient lateral edges of the mattress, as set forth.
Dated the 22nd day of February 1899
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.