IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES OR RECLINING SURFACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO BEDS, BERTHS, COUCHES, SOFAS, CHAIRS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 14, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES
OR RECLINING SURFACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
BEDS, BERTHS, COUCHES, SOFAS, CHAIRS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF
FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Victor Charles Thuau, of
Paris. in the Republic of France.
Sealed the 2nd September 1879, and dated the 19th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL 'SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1879.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton' Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES OR RECLINING SURFACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO BEDS, BERTHS, COUCHES, SOFAS, CHAIRS, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES OF FURNITURE." A communication from abroad by Victor Charles Thuau,
of Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to a cheap and simple construction of spring mattress or
reclining surface applicable to beds, berths, couches, sofas, chairs, and other like
articles of furniture.
In constructing a spring mattress or reclining surface according to this Invention
a cord, strap, band, or webbing of the length required, and of any suitable material,
is passed zig zag fashion and strained between two rods or bars provided or not
with grooved or plain pullies, and secured to the opposite ends or sides or both of a
wooden or other frame. In order to maintain the desired tension of the cord, strap,
band, or webbing any well known straining device, such as a buckle and strap or a
winding drum with ratchet and pall arrangement, may be employed. The proper
spaces are preserved between the bends of the cord by the aid of annular grooves
made in the rods or bars round which the said cords or straps are passed, either
directly or through the intervention of the grooved or plain pullies mounted and
maintained at the required distances apart upon such rods or bars. In some cases
the rods or bars may be dispensed with, and the pullies may be mounted in holders

page_text: secured directly to the sides of the said frame, and in lieu of using a separate and
independent frame the pullies or the rods or bars may be attached directly to the
framing of the article of furniture itself.
The different bends of the cord or strap may either pass longitudinally or
transversely to the frame or in both directions, crossing each other at right angles
or diagonally, and be so disposed as to produce a flat reclining surface or a more or
less convex or concave surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th September 1879.
"
IM-
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
PROVEMENTS IN SPRING MATTRESSES OR RECLINING SURFACES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO BEDS, BERTHS, COUCHES, SOFAS, CHAIRS, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES OF FURNITURE" A communication from abroad by Victor Charles
Thuau, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
The said Invention relates to a cheap and simple construction of spring mattress
or reclining surface applicable to beds, berths, couches, sofas, chairs, and other like
articles of furniture. In constructing a spring mattress or reclining surface
according to this Invention a cord, strap, band, or webbing of the length required,
and of any suitable material, is passed zig zag fashion and strained between two
rods or bars provided or not with grooved or plain pullies, and secured to the
opposite ends or sides or both of a wooden or other frame. In order to maintain
the desired tension of the cord, strap, band, or webbing, any well known straining
device, such as a buckle and strap or a winding drum with ratchet and pall
arrangement may be employed. The proper spaces are preserved between the bends
of the cord by the aid of annular grooves made in the rods or bars, round which
the said cords or straps are passed either directly or through the intervention of the
grooved or plain pullies mounted and maintained at the required distances apart
upon such rods or bars. In some cases the rods or bars may be dispensed with,
and the pullies may be mounted in holders secured directly to the sides of the said
frame, and in lieu of using a separate independent frame the pullies or the rods or
bars may be attached directly to the frame of the article of furniture itself. The
different bends of the cord or strap may either pass longitudinally or transversely
to the frame or in both directions, crossing each other at right angles or diagonally,
and be so disposed as to produce a flat reclining surface or a more or less convex
or concave surface.
J
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the

page_text: same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan of the improved mattress, which is constructed
in the following manner:-On the two ends of a wood or metal frame having the
ordinary dimensions of a bed I fix the metal rods A and B supported at their.
extremities, and also at one or more points in their length to avoid flexion. A rope
or a flat band C of convenient size is fixed at one end a to the rod A, and is passed
zig zag fashion around each rod from one to the other as shewn in Figure 1. The
other end of the band is fixed at b. I thus obtain a simple but substantial mattress,
the band C being sufficiently taut to sustain the weights that it will have to
support, whilst maintaining nevertheless the requisite elasticity.
It is obvious that the parts where the band C is passed round the rods A and B
may be at various distances; apart, and at irregular or regular intervals, and that
one or more of the laps of the cord or band may be placed across the middle of the
mattress where it bears the greatest strain. The rods A and B may also be placed
on the long sides of the frame, the cords or bands passing transversely or at right
angles to the direction shown in Figure 1. In some cases, or if desired, these two
systems may be combined in such a manner as to form a species of trellis. The
Thuau, mattress so formed is of most simple construction, but I prefer to employ
a more perfect construction to the obviating of inconveniences attendant on the
first arrangement.
Thus in the arrangement Figure 1 the cords or bands are free to slide on the
rods A and B, whence might arise a various spacing of the laps which may be
prejudicial. To obviate this I make in the rods at the parts where the cord or
band is passed round grooves of convenient form, as shown in Figure 2, adapted
for a round cord or rope. The groove will be rectangular (as in Figure 3) when a
flat band or plaited cord of any suitable material is used.
As with the preceding systems the cords or bands might by their constant friction
round the rods during the movements of the mattress wear out rapidly at these
parts, I propose that the said cords or bands shall be passed over rollers or pullies D
mounted loosely on the rods round which they turn freely, they being maintained
in their proper places in any convenient manner, so as to prevent lateral dis-
placement. Figure shows this arrangement; also Figure 5, which represents
another simple manner of placing the rollers on the rods or bars. These rollers may
vary in form from a pulley with semicylindrical or other shaped groove to a mere
cylindrical collar rolling on an axis of rotation. It is obvious that in this system
the bars A and B may be dispensed with, and replaced by rollers or pulleys E
mounted in holders or frames in which they turn, such holders being fixed at con-
venient points on the ends or sides of the main framing. The said rollers may have
their axis of rotation either vertical or horizontal, as in Figures 6 and 7, or in an
oblique direction, and will be semicircularly grooved (Figures 6 and 7,) when cords or
ropes are used, or cylindrical rollers (Figures 8 and 9) when flat straps or bands are
employed. In the latter case flanges can be provided at their extremities to prevent
the band from slipping between the roller and the frame. If desired the mattress
frame itself may be dispensed with, in which case the rollers will be fixed in any
suitable manner directly to the sides or ends of the frame of the wooden or iron
bedstead. In certain cases where it will be found more economical the pulleys can
be replaced by simple hooks or eyes.
The pulleys ought not to be fixed in a rigid manner to the uprights or to the
rods, but should be free to move slightly round their point of attachment in order
to accomodate themselves easily to the diverging directions in which they are
strained by the cords or bands. The width of these pullies varies of course with
the diameter of the cord or band or the number of cords employed, since in some
cases two or more cords or bands, or two or more laps of the same cord or band,
may pass over these pullies.
I have shown in Figure 10 a portion of a strap or band composed of twisted cord,
but it is understood that cords of any kind, metallic or otherwise, and straps or

page_text: bands of hemp, hide, india rubber, linen, or other convenient material, may be
employed. In Figure 1 the mattress I have described is supposed to be flat, but I
may adopt if preferred the curved form of ordinary mattresses, as shown in per-
spective in Figure 11, in which case the rods or bars will be curved, or the ends E, G,
of the frame curved, or the pullies will be fitted to the frame of the bed, so as to
follow the curved form. Inversely the hollow or sunk form of a hammock may be
obtained in like manner.
If the cords or bands are required to be nearly parallel the arrangement shown.
in Figure 12 may be adopted, which consists in doubling the number of pullies. As
the cords or bands employed are liable to stretch in use it is necessary that provision
be made for tightening them at will. Any convenient strainer can be used for that
purpose. Figure 13 shows a simple one consisting of a strap H of leather or other
suitable material fitted with a metallic buckle I, and fixed as shown in the
Drawings to the end of the cord or band C. This strap passes through a stirrup
iron J and enters the buckle I, where it is held in the ordinary manner.
Figure 14 shows another strainer consisting of a ratchet wheel and detent fixed
as used in gardens for stretching wire rope. The manner of applying tension
can be varied in many ways, and be placed at any points of the network of cords
or bands.
These improved mattresses are obviously applicable to sleeping cars, ships, and
the like; they are easily fitted up and removed and raised or lowered. For example,
if they be suspended between two uprights there may be fixed, to these uprights
(permanent or not) the rods which carry the pullies or the pulleys themselves, the
bands or cords being strained when required for use. Independently of beds or
hammocks other articles of furniture, such as couches, arm chairs, divans, sofas,
moveable bedsteads, turn up bedsteads, and the like may be constructed upon the
same principle. The improved system of construction is also particularly applicable
for camping purposes, when it will suffice to drive into the ground the posts for
supporting the main parts of the frame which carry the pullies or rollers on which
the cords are stretched.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The construction of spring mattresses and other reclining surfaces by the
employment of ropes, cords, or bands, arranged or disposed substantially in the
manner herein before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. The combination with stretched ropes, cords, or bands, of pullies or
rollers, round which they are passed, substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.