IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN'S COTS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
COLLETT, of Aylesbury, in the County of Buckingham, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, at Westminster, the
Twenty-ninth day of September, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas
Collett, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Thomas Collett, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Collett, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN'S COTS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas Collett,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Collett, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described, and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-

page_text: cots, in order to give a swinging motion thereto without depending on the
attention of the nurse. And in order to give the best information in my power
I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a cot in section; Figure 2, an end view of a cot having
my Invention applied thereto; Figures 3 and 4 show a side view and end view
of the works separately on a larger scale. In each of these Figures the same
letters indicate similar parts. a, a, is a cot of the ordinary, construction. b, b, are
springs by which it is suspended to the two posts or uprights c, c, all of which
are of the ordinary construction. d is a barrell containing a powerful steel
spring, similar to a clock spring; indeed, the parts superadded to the cot are
in many respects like the spring and train of wheels of a clock. My Invention
does not, therefore, consist in the parts themselves, but in their adaptation and
application to a cot in order to give motion thereto. e is a barrel, on to which
the cord is wound, and from which it is drawn by the spring barrel d. The
barrel e is of a conical form, in order to compensate for the decreasing power
of the spring. f is a click or catch to the wheel on the barrel d, and g is a
click or catch to the wheel on the axis of the barrel e, and are for the purpose
of retaining those axes stationary when desired, motion being communicated
to the barrel e; that motion is transmitted by the wheel h, which is affixed on
the axis of e, to the wheel or pinion i, which is affixed on the axis j, and on the
axis there is a wheel k, which takes into and drives the pinion on the
axis m, there being a wheel n affixed on the axis m, which takes into and
drives the pinion on the axis o; all which will readily be traced by examining
the Drawing, particularly at Figures 3 and 4, and the nature of the framing
will also be traced. The train of wheels and other works are carried by the
end framing of the cot, and are affixed thereto, as is clearly shewn.
On the axis o is applied a crank, the crank pin of which carries a friction
roller, and the crank pin is so arranged as to slide along the crank, there being
a spring, however, to control and resist the movement, by which means the
crank in its revolution will offer an elastic pressure to the sides of a groove,
against which the friction roller on the crank pin moves, it being important
that the movement obtained thereby should be quiet and easy. p is a lever
moving on a fulcrum at p', which is affixed to and carried by one of the
springs b.
7 is a pin which is affixed to one of the posts or uprights, such
pin passing through the lever p, as is clearly shown.
lever is formed with a groove by two projecting parallel plates, in which the
The lower end of the

page_text: friction roller on the crank pin of the axis o works; consequently, when
motion is taking place in the train of wheels caused by the spring, there will
be a swinging motion communicated to the cot, and the extent of swing
will be greater than what is described by the crank on the axis o, owing to the
mode of applying the lever p, as will readily be traced. It should be stated,
that the axis e is suitably formed at its end to receive a key to wind up the
cord or chain; and it will be evident that the speed of the swinging motion
will depend on the power of the spring and relative dimensions of the various
wheels, as is well understood; and the length of going or swinging of the cot
will evidently depend on the spring and the train of wheels employed, all
which may be varied, depending on the desires of the person for whom the
cot is to be made.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would, in conclusion,
remark that I do not claim any of the parts separately, my Invention being
the application of mechanical means, as herein described, to actuate or swing
a child's cot, which will be found highly useful, as, by the use of such cots,
much of the attention heretofore requisite in watching, by the nurse, and
swinging of children's cots by hand, will be dispensed with, and a more uniform
swinging action will be obtained, and consequently of a more soothing character
than what can be produced by the irregular impulses or jerks often given by
the hand.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Collett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand sicht hund ou