Improvements in Metal Bedsteads.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
Improvements in Metal Bedsteads.
I, ADELBERT HENRY GALE, of Waterville in the County of Compton in the
Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention has for its object to improve the construction of combination metal
bedsteads, so that they may be used with the ordinary well known wire mattresses
where the same are hooked or fastened to the end rails of the bed-stead, and, as well,
where a separate frame is supplied with said mattresses. By this means, I seek to
supply a combination bed which will be doubly serviceable since it presents all
the advantages of an ordinary metal bed-stead with many superiorities and all the
advantages of an ordinary wooden bed-stead to which the mattress is applied by
merely resting upon the same.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure is a plan of a construction embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same partly in section.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same with certain details and
Figures 4 and 5 show certain other details.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A is the post, preferably of metal-pipe, upon which is cast the wing-boss D.
The wing of the boss is provided with a dove-tailed recess d, of the form clearly
shown in the drawings (see Figure 4) and this recess is formed in the said wing of
the boss D in such a manner that the strain upon the said recess by reason of the
dove-tailed tenon c, resting into it will not tend to break the part of the boss
which is shrunk about the post in casting it upon the said post. By placing the
tenon on either one side or the other of the immediate end of the side rail, either
laterally or obliquely with a corresponding arrangement of the dove-tailed recess
in the wing of the boss, I preserve the strength of the grip of the boss upon the
post formed by its being cast on the post as above described, and also, obtain
greater bed surface by thus allowing more space to be left for the reception of
the frame of the mattress when the parts of the bed-stead are assembled. At
the same time affording still greater bed-surface by bringing the edge of the
bed fabric to the outer frame work of the bed-stead over the rounded end of the
end rail.
B is the end rail of the bed-stead, and C, the side rail thereof. Hitherto beds
have been made with the dove-tailed end tenon of the side rail a prolongation of
the same, with the dove-tailed recess in the actual material composing the
boss itself.
By aligning the side rail to rest inside or outside of the centre of the 'post and
by placing the recess in the wing of the boss at the side thereof, I am enabled to
preserve the full strength of the boss and obviate the difficulties above referred to.
This end rail B is made of angle or double- iron, is arched upward and may be
arched outward, has a hole near its end to allow it to drop over the post A, and
rest upon the wing-boss casting D.
As a detail of construction it is of course to be observed that space should be
left between the relatively adjacent parts and the post, wing-boss and rail to
facilitate the attachment of the hooks which hold the end tension springs or the sides
of the fabric of the bed itself. The vertical part of the double-L or angle iron
(the web) is farthest from the bed and the flanges or edges, nearest thereto and
D

page_text: facing it. In these edges holes e are arranged to receive the hooks, f, for holding
the tension springs i, of this particular form of mattress, which may thus be made
low down in the frame of the bed or higher if desired by using the upper or the
lower row of holes in the upper or lower edge, or flange in the end rails as shewn
in the drawings. (See Figure 4.)
The end rails are so constructed and perforated as to admit of the outer edge of
the bed fabric being extended outward beyond the post thus allowing the fullest
width of bed surface to be realized, and whether the form of end rail represented by
the upper horizontal part is employed alone or combined with the lower horizontal
part, a spring edged bed will be formed which is less arbitrary as to its said
edge and more convenient and comfortable to get into or get out of, or to sit upon,
since, following the shape of the rounded over end of the end rail the mattress
itself will be also rounded over at its sides, and thus also greater bed surface will
be afforded.
The side rail is made of a flat bar of iron with a dovetailed tenon c, if it is
desirable to use an independent mattress frame, and has a lip turned horizontally to
receive the bed frame. By this means the independent bed frame acts and reacts
with the said side rail to make a strong structure with less material to secure
the required strength. If the bed-stead I am describing should be required to
be used with any wooden framed wire mattress it will serve this purpose also,
since such an independent bed frame may rest upon this lip a, without any cutting
away or previous preparation of the said frame.
This lip may be also placed on the outside of the rail and the tenon c, on the
inside thereof, to secure the greater width of frame and bed surface; corresponding
changes of location being also made in the relatively adjacent parts.
If it is desirable to attach the mattress fabric actually to the bedstead then the
side rail should be made of angle iron or metal pipe as shewn in Figure 1, in which
case holes are left in the upper surface of the pipe or angle iron to receive the
hook b, through which to hold the side of the mattress fabric down upon the rail
and thus prevent an insane patient, for example, from tearing the fabric from the
side rail. In any case, whether angle iron or pipe is used, a dove-tailed tenon is
attached to the side of the side rail near its end to drop into and engage with the
lateral dove-tailed recess in the wing-boss casting D above mentioned.
Figures 1 and 2 shew the end rails E, and the side rails F, of the independent
mattress frame, while the different forms of the iron side rail are shewn at G,
and C, in Figures 1 and 3.
It is to be observed, that when the angle iron is used for the side rails where
the independent mattress frame is dispensed with, that the horizontal part of the
angle iron should be rounded over so as not to give too sharp a corner to the edge
of the bed.
Also, the horizontal part of the angle-iron side rail is to be on top, and turned
outward instead of inward as has hitherto been done. My purpose in turning it
outward and rounding it over downward is to secure all the strength of the material
and to give a substantial appearance as well.
It is thought that no further description is necessary to enable those skilled in the
art to which my invention most nearly appertains to build or construct the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1st. The herein described bed-stead constructed substantially as set forth.
2nd. The herein described bed-stead, having the post A, the end rail B, and the
wing-boss D, having the lateral recess d in the wing, to receive the tenon c of the
side rail substantially as set forth.
3rd. The herein described bed-stead having the side rail C, with the tenon c,
and horizontal lip a to receive the mattress frame, the wing-boss D, having the
lateral recess d in the wing, the post A and the eud rail B, all as set forth.

page_text: 4th. The herein described bed-stead having the side rail G, the outer and upper
edge thereof turned outward and downward, perforated with holes to receive the
hooks b, to hold the fabric down on said side rail; the tenon c to rest into the recess d
of the wing-boss D; and the post A, having the end rail B supported by said
wing-boss D, and provided with the holes e, to receive the hooks of the springs, to
suspend the fabric of the mattress substantially as set forth.
6th. The lip a combined with the side rail of a bed-stead to sustain and support
a bed frame substantially as set forth.
7th. The tenon c combined with the side rail of a bed-stead substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
8th. The end rail having rounded ends extending outward beyond the post of a
bed-stead and secured thereto as described, and arched upward and outward
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9th. The end rail, B, combined with the post of a bed-stead, and arched upward
substantially as described.
10th. The end rail B combined with the post of a bed-stead and arched outward
substantially as described.
11th. The end rail extending outward beyond the post to the extreme width of
the bed, secured thereto by resting around the post of the bed-stead, perforated
with holes to receive the fastenings of the end tension springs and resting upon
and supported by the wing-boss D, substantially as set forth.
12th. The end rail B, resting around the post A and upon the wing-boss D,
having two horizontal flanges perforated to receive the wire mattress attachments
and having rounded ends extending outward beyond the post substantially as
described.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.