Improvements in Furniture, Comprising Means for Attaching Pillow Shams and Tidies to Bedsteads, Sofa's, and Chairs.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Furniture, Comprising Means for Attaching
Pillow Shams and Tidies to Bedsteads, Sofa's, and Chairs.
I HENRY L. GOODWIN, clerk, Residing at 409 West 23rd Street, in the City,
County and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE, COMPRISING MEANS
FOR ATTACHING PILLOW SHAMS AND TIDIES TO BEDSTEADS, Sofa's, AND CHAIRS"
to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to household furniture, and have for their object to
provide simple, inexpensive and efficient means for holding pillow shams to bed-
steads, or fancy draperies to sofa's and chairs, and in a manner not to mar the
furniture by puncturing its finished face or the upholstery coverings where such
are used.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
provisional specification, and in which,
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the head portion of a bedstead, with the
pillow shams removed.
Figure 2, is a like view, with the pillow shams attached.
Figure 3, is an enlarged sectional plan view of the bedstead headboard, with the
shams attached, and partly broken away.
Figures 4, and 5, are detail sectional plan views of the central part of the
bedstead headboard."
Figures 6, and 7, are respectively side views of headed and headless cushion
plugs adapted to bedsteads and drawn full size.
Figure 8, shows the back of a sofa, with one tidy attached.
Figure 9, is a perspective view of an arm chair, with tidies held to its back and
one arm.
Figure 10; shows a caned chair back, with a tidy attached.
Figure 11, is a detail vertical sectional side elevation of an upholstered sofa or
chair back, with a tidy attached.
Figures 12, 13, and 14, are detail cross sectional elevations of chair arms with
tidies attached, and
Figures 15, and 16, are respectively, side elevations of headed and headless
cushion plugs adapted to sofa's and chairs and drawn full size.
I first refer to Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, wherein the letter A
indicates cushion plugs which are attached to the headboard of the bedstead, one
in each side post and one between the side posts, three cushions being deemed
sufficient.
I prefer to make the cushions in cylindrical form and with heads a, as in Figure 6,
so that the cushions may be applied to the bedstead by boring holes in the headboard

page_text: with a common bit or drill, and inserting the cushions in the holes until the
shoulders b, of their heads a, strike the headboard, but the headless cushion plugs
shown in Figure 7, may be used; and if desired the center cushion may consist of
a truncated cone-shaped cushion block, as at A¹, in Figure 4, or one of the headed
or headless cushion plugs may be inserted in a rosette or ornament B, as in
Figure 5, both of these cushion devices being intended for attachment to the face
of the headboard, as shown, for bringing the heads or outer ends of the center
cushions about in line with the cushions of the side posts, but the variation from a
straight line transversely of the headboard is so slight, that usually I will attach
the beaded cushions shown in Figure 6, at the side posts and center of the 1
headboard, as shown in Figure 3.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pillow shams C, are attached to the bedstead
by passing ordinary pins D, through the shams into the cushion plugs A, the two
shams being lapped one over the other at the center cushion, whereby one pin
passed into each cushion holds the shams securely and smoothly to place, and so
that they cannot accidentally be displaced by drafts of air or otherwise. A single
pillow sham may be attached by passing a pin through the center of its upper
edge into the center cushion of the headboard.
I show in dotted lines at E, E, Figure 3, cushion blocks set at the angles between
the side posts of the headboard and its panel, which cushion blocks may be used:
instead of the set in side post cushions A, but the latter are preferred, as no open
joints are liable to occur around them in which dust and vermin may lodge.
Pillow shams often are pinned directly to the headboards of bedsteads, but the
hardness of the wood resists sufficient entrance of the pins into it by pressure of
the fingers to afford a secure fastening for the shams, and the pins make unsightly
punctures in the wood of the bedstead which greatly mar the design and finish of
the bedstead. By my method, the pins may be passed for quite their whole length
into the cushion plugs and afford a secure fastening for the pillow shams, and the
heads only of the pins needs be exposed to view..
I now refer to Figures to 16, inclusive, of the drawings.
Figures 15 and 16, represent respectively, headed and headless cushion plugs A,
adapted to be set into the back and arm frames of sofa's and chairs to provide for
the attachment thereto of tidies or fancy draperies.
At the right hand panel of the sofa back, Figure 8, I show a tidy F, hung from
one corner by a pin D, passed through the tidy into a headless cushion plug A set
into the center of the back frame bar directly over the upholstery coverings over
which the tidy hangs, as seen also in section in Figure 11, and I show two cushion
plugs A set into the frame bar of the left hand sofa back panel to which a tidy may
be hung squarely by a pin D, passed through one edge of the tidy into each of the
two plugs.
In Figure 9, three plugs A; are inserted in the chair back frame next the
upholstery coverings, so that tidies F, may either be hung diagonally on the chair
back, as shown, by a pin D, passed into the center cushion plug, or squarely by
pins passed into the two outer plugs, or into all three plugs.
In Figure 10, a tidy F, is shown attached squarely to a caned back chair by.
passing pins D, through it into three plugs A (dotted) set. into the frame bar just
above the caning of the back.
•
I show in Figure 9, and in enlarged cross sectional view in Figure 12, headed
cushion plugs A set into the sides of the arm frame or block G, of a chair, so that
tidies H, may be held to the arms by pins D, passed into the opposite corners or
edges of the tidy which pass down in front of the ends of the cushions, a tidy
being applied to the left band arm only of the chair, the better to show the cushion
plug at the inside face of the right arm of the chair.
When the arm frame or block G, is thin; one cushion plug may be passed entirely
through the arm and the opposite tidy attaching pins D, be crossed or lapped past
each other in the body of the cushion, as will readily be understood.

page_text: When the arm frame or block G, is heavy or broad, a cushion plug A, may be set
up into it from the bottom near both its edges so that opposite corners or edges of
a tidy H, may be attached one to each cushion by pins D, D, as in Figure 14, where
is shown also in dotted lines at I, how cushion blocks of angular or quarter-
spherical shape may be fastened at the angles between the arm block G, and the,
arm or side J, of the chair, but, the set in cushions are preferred, as they closely fit
the bore made for them in the arm frame.
A common practice in attaching tidies to upholstered sofa and chair backs and
arms has been to pin the tidies to the upholstery coverings, which damages the
coverings and the pin points often protrude to injure clothing or hurt the occupants
of the sofa or chair, and the intentionally soft upholstery will not hold with sufficient
firmness a pin passed directly into it through a tidy. The attachment of tidies to
unupholstered sofa and chair backs has been still more difficult, and the usual
practice has been to attach the tidies to this class of furniture by means of cords
or tapes which dangle about and are unsightly.
It is evident that by the use of suitably compressed cushion plugs or devices
combined with the sofa and chair frames as above described, the tidies may be held
securely to this class of furniture by passing the pins straight through the tidies
into the cushions; and the tidies may be attached to upholstered or unupholstered
sofa and chair backs without concealing the ornamental carvings or finish of the
heads of the furniture frames.
The cushion plugs may be made of any suitably encased or pressed stuffing
material finished on the ends with a covering of cloth, velvet, silk, or other fabric of
any desired color, to match or contrast with the bedstead headboard or trimmings,
or the sofa and chair frames or their upholstery coverings; and the cushions may
be applied to old or new furniture of cheap or expensive construction, and worn
cushions may easily and cheaply be replaced by new ones.
I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent,
1st As an improvement in bedsteads, cushion plugs or blocks fixed in or to the
bedstead headboard and adapted to receive pins passed through pillow shams for
holding the shams to the bedstead, substantially as herein set forth.
2nd The combination with a bedstead and the pillow shams thereof, of cushion.
plugs or blocks fixed in or to the bedstead headboard, and pins passed through the
shams into the cushion plugs or blocks, substantially as herein set forth.
3rd The method herein described of attaching pillow shams to bedsteads which
consists in pinning the shams to cushion plugs or blocks fixed in or to the bedstead
headboard, as set forth.
4th As an improvement in sofa's and chairs, cushions attached to their back or
arm frames and adapted to receive pins passed through tidies for holding the tidies
to the furniture, substantially as herein set forth.
5th The combination with a sofa or chair and tidies thereof, of cushions attached
to the back or arm frames of the furniture, and pins passed through the tidies into
the cushions, substantially as herein set forth.
6th The combination with the arm frames of sofas and chairs and tidies thereof,
of cushion devices placed at the undersides or faces of the arms, and pins passed
through the tidies into the cushions, substantially as herein set forth.
7 The method herein described of attaching tidies to sofa's and chairs, which
consists in pinning the tidies to cushions attached to their back and arm frames, as
set forth.

page_text: Improvements in Furniture, Comprising Means for Attaching
Pillow Shams and Tidies to Bedsteads, Sofa's, and Chairs.
I, HENRY LAWRENCE GOODWIN, Residing at 409 West 23rd Street, in the City
of New York, County and State of New York, United States of America, Clerk,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE,
COMPRISING MEANS FOR ATTACHING PILLOW SHAMS AND TIDIES TO BEDSTEADS,
SOFA'S AND CHAIRS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained by the following statement:-
My invention relates to that class of household furniture-bedsteads, sofa's, and
chairs for instance-to which fancy draperies such as pillow shams and tidies are
attached.
Pillow shams often are pinned directly to the headboards of bedsteads, but the
hardness of the wood resists sufficient entrance of the pins into it by pressure of
the fingers to afford a secure fastening for the shams, and pins so applied make
- punctures in the wood which greatly mar the design and finish of the, bedstead.
Pillow shams have also been held to bedsteads by a variety of frames, forms,
rollers, and metal clasps, most or all of which are expensive and present an uncomely
appearance when the pillow shams are not applied over them, and also collect dust,
and are more or less difficult to operate or adjust.
A common practice in attaching tidies to upholstered sofa and chair backs and
arms has been to pin the tidies to the upholstery coverings, which damages said"
coverings, especially the finer ones, and the intentionally soft upholstery usually
will not hold with sufficient firmness either straight or. - spiral pins passed into it,
and the points of pins passed up and down flatwise through the coverings often*
protrude to injure clothing and hurt the occupants of the sofa or chair. The attach-
ment of tidies to unupholstered sofa and chair backs has been still more difficult
and the usual practice bas been to attach the tidies to them by means of cords or
tapes which dangle about and are unsightly.
It is the object of my invention to obviate the above named disadvantages
while providing a very simple, inexpensive, and effective means of attaching the
pillow shams and tidies to the furniture.
The invention consists in plugs or blocks of a softer material than the frames of
the articles of furniture, inserted in or attached on the exposed faces of the frames
of the furniture, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.
The cushion plugs or blocks are to be made of any suitably encased or pressed
material, preferably finished on the ends with a covering of, cloth, velvet, silk, or
other fabric of any desired color to match or contrast with the bedstead headboard
or trimmings, or the sofa and chair frames or their upholstery coverings. Said
plugs or blocks will be compressed sufficiently to allow ordinary straight or spiral
pins to be passed into them by pressure of the fingers, and so as to hold the pins

page_text: .
securely in place when inserted; that is to say, the plugs or blocks will be softer
than the furniture frames and harder than ordinary upholstery applied to the frames.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, and in which,
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the head portion of a bedstead with the pillow
shams removed.
Figure 2, is a like view, with the pillow shams attached.
Figure 3, is an enlarged sectional plan view of the bedstead headboard with the
shams attached, and partly broken away.
Figures 4, and 5, are detail sectional plan views of the central part of a bedstead
headboard.
Figures 6, and 7, are respectively, side views of headed and headless plugs
adapted to bedsteads and drawn full size.
Figure 8, shows the back of a sofa, with one tidy attached.
Figure 9, is a perspective view of an arm chair with tidies held to its back and
one arm.
Figure 10, shows a caned chair back with a tidy attached.
Figure 11, is a detail vertical sectional side elevation of an upholstered sofa or
chair back, with a tidy attached.
Figures 12, 13, and 14, are detail cross sectional elevations of chair arms with
tidies attached, and
Figures 15, and 16, are respectively, side elevations of headed and headless plugs
adapted to sofas and chairs, and drawn full size.
I first refer to Figures 1, to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, wherein the letters A;
indicate plugs which are attached to the headboard of the bedstead, one at each
side post and one between the side posts, three plugs being deemed sufficient when
two pillow shams are used. .
I prefer to make the plugs in cylindrical form, and with heads a, as in Figure 6;
so that they may be applied to the bedstead by boring holes in the headboard with
a common bit or drill, and inserting them in the holes-with or without glue-
until the shoulders b, of their heads a, strike the headboard, but the headless plugs
shown in Figure 7, may be used, and if desired, the center device may consist of a
truncated cone-shaped cushion block as at A¹, in Figure 4, or one of the headed or
headless plugs may be inserted in a rosette or ornament B, as in Figure 5, or three
half round or cone-shaped cushion blocks may be used and be glued, screwed, or
otherwise attached to the bedstead headboard, but usually I will employ the three
headled plugs, as shown in Figure 3.
As clearly represented in Figures 2, and 3, the pillow shams C, C; are attached
to the bedstead by passing ordinary straight pins D, once and directly through the
shams into the plugs A, the two shams being lapped one over the other at the
center plug, whereby one pin passed into each plug holds both shamis securely and
smoothly to place and so they cannot accidentally be displaced by drafts of air or
otherwise.
When the bedstead headboard is low, the plugs will be placed at or near its top
or may be set on or into the top edge of the headboard, a single central plug
being preferred for narrow or single beds and crib and cradle beds, which usually
have low headboards and are made up with a single pillow and pillow sham.
I show in dotted lines at E, E, Figure 3, cushion blocks set at the angles between
the side posts of the headboard and its panel, which blocks may be used instead of
the set in side post plugs A, but the latter are preferred; as no open joints are liable
to occur around them by the shrinking of the wood, in which joints dust might
lodge.
I now refer to Figures 8, to 16, inclusive, of the drawings.
At the right hand panel of the sofa back Figure 8, I show a tidy F, hung from
one corner by a pin D, passed through the tidy into a headless plug A, set into the
center of the back frame bar directly above the upholstery coverings over which
the tidy hangs, as seen also in Figure 11. I show two plugs A, set into the center

page_text: of the frame bar of the left hand sofa back panel to which a tidy may be hung
squarely by pins D, passed through one edge of the tidy into each of the plugs.
In Figure 9, three plugs A, are inserted in the chair back frame next the
upholstery coverings which will allow tidies F, to be hung diagonally and centrally
on the chair back as shown, by a pin D, passed into the center plug, or squarely by
pins passed into the two outer plugs or into all three plugs.
In Figure 10, is shown a tidy F, held squarely to a caned back chair by passing
pins D, through the tidy into three plugs A, (dotted) set into the frame bar just
above the caning of the back.
I show in Figure 9, and in enlarged cross sectional view in Figure 12, headless
plugs A, set into the sides of the arm frame or block G, of a chair, whereby a
tidy H, may be held to the arm by pins passed through its opposite corners or
edges into the plugs, a tidy being applied to the left arm only of the chair, the
better to show the plug at the inside face of its right arm.
When the arm frame or block G, is thin, one plug A, may be passed entirely
through the arm as shown in dotted lines in Figure 12, and the opposite tidy
attaching pins D, will be crossed or lapped past each other in the body of the plug,
as will readily be understood.
When the arm frame or block G, of a chair or sofa is thin vertically and the
upholstery covering reaches quite down to its lower edge, I will insert a headed
plug A, upward into the arm from its under side so that opposite ends of a tidy H,
may be lapped on each other over the head or end of the plug, and be fastened to
it by a single pin D, as in Figure 13, and which often will be the preferred position
of the plug in any size of arm frame, as the plug A, and pin D, are out of sight.
up
When the arm frame or block G, is heavy or broad, a plug A, may be set into
it from the bottom near both its edges so that opposite corners or edges of a tidy H,
may be attached one to each plug by pins D, D, as in Figure 14, where is shown
also in dotted lines at I, I, how cushion blocks of angular or quarter-spherical shape
may be fastened at the angles between the arm block G, and the arm or side J, of
the chair, but the set in plugs A, are preferred, as they closely fit the bore made in
the arm frame to receive them and do not collect dust in joints around them.
When the arm frame G, is of considerable length, two plugs A,-either headed or
headless may be used at each side or at the bottom face of the arm, instead of
a single plug attached at the lengthwise center of the arm, as above described.
Projecting pads or blocks may be fastened to the faces of the sofa and chair back
frames next the upholstery or caning in the positions above described for the plugs,
to pin tidies to, but such pads or blocks would be likely to mar the design of the
sofa and chair frames and break off easily, hence the inserted plugs are preferred.
By the use of cushion plugs or blocks applied as above described, the tidies may
securely be attached by pins to upholstered or unupholstered sofa and chair back
frames without concealing the ornamental carvings or finish of the heads of said
frames, and the plugs or blocks may be applied to both the back and arm frames of
sofas and chairs, or renewed when worn, at a trifling cost.
It is evident that my improvements are applicable to new or old furniture.
I do not claim as my invention, broadly, the attachment of cushion plugs or
blocks to articles of wood or metal in general, and my invention is not to be con-
founded with those improvements wherein cushion blocks or pads have been
fastened at the backs of furniture frames to serve as wall stops or buffers; or
wherein fabric plugs have been inserted in bobbin holders or lapboards to serve as
pin cushions.
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
1. The combination with the frame of a piece of furniture, of plugs or blocks
attached thereto, and adapted to receive pins for securing pillow shams, tidies, &c
in their usual positions, to said frame, substantially as herein set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination with the back frame of a piece of furniture, such as a bed-
stead, sofa, or chair, of plugs or blocks made of softer material than the back frame
and attached to the frame, and adapted to receive pins for securing pillow shams or
tidies to the furniture, substantially as herein set forth.
3. The combination with the back and arm frames of a piece of furniture, such as
a sofa or chair, of plugs or blocks made of softer material than the back and arm
frames and attached thereto, and adapted to receive pins for securing tidies to said
back and arm frames, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this Twenty Eighth day of August 1885.
HENRY LAWRENCE GOODWIN.