IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDSTEADS AND CHAIRS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam,
of Old St. Pancras Road, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING
BEDSTEADS AND CHAIRS."
Sealed the 20th May 1856, and dated the 31st January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hallen Cottam
and Henry Richard Cottam at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition on the 31st January 1856.
We, GEORGE HALLEN COTTAN and HENRY RICHARD COTTAM, of Old
St. Pancras Road, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDSTEADS" AND CHAIRS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in folding bedsteads and
chairs. Heretofore there have been folding bedsteads constructed wherein
the surface on which the bedding is placed is composed of three parts hinged
together, the middle or centre portion being made with four fixed legs, and
such legs are connected together by four rods fixed to the four legs. The
other two parts (for the head and foot) of a bedstead are each formed with
a fixed frame on the upper side, constituting respectively the head and foot
rail or frame of the bedstead, and each of these two ends at their under side
has had two legs hinged thereto, which by connecting rods are connected
with the fixed legs of the central part of the bedstead, by which arrangement,

page_text: although such a bedstead will admit of mattrasses and bedding being enclosed
within when the bedstead is folded, the comparatively large space occupied
by the bedstead is very inconvenient, and our first improvements have for
their object the giving to some of the parts heretofore fixed the power of
movement, so as to enable a bedstead of this description to fold into a less
space, and be otherwise rendered more convenient. In place of making the
two middle or central legs on either side of the bedstead fixed to the central
part of the bedstead, as heretofore, these legs are hinged or pin-jointed to the
two end parts of the bedstead, and they are attached to the other folding legs
by links or connecting rods, and when the bedstead is unfolded for use the
two central legs are attached together by means of a rod attached or pin-
jointed at one end to one of the central legs, and capable of entering a socket
or other connection carried by the other central leg on that side of the
bedstead, and the foot and head frames or rails are hinged or attached so as
to fold, by which arrangement or combination of parts the space occupied by
the bedstead, when folded, will be less than that occupied by the former one
above described, and the bedstead will otherwise be. rendered more convenient.
These descriptions of bedsteads are for the most part made of metal, but in
some cases, in order to produce the appearance of a cabinet or closed. piece
of furniture, some of the parts may be covered with pannels of wood or metal
in such manner as to fold together, and when opened, each pannel being fixed
to its corresponding folding frame, will move with it.
In constructing folding chairs according to our improvements, the lower
part of a chair is formed of two quadrangular frames pin-jointed together, so
that they will fold flat or nearly so, and when open they will cross each other,
and be retained from opening too far. On the back upper rail of these two
frames is attached a third rectangular frame, on which the seat is formed.
The side rails of the frame to which the seating is fixed are attached to one
of the lower frames by pin joints at a short distance from the back rail of the
seat frame. There is a fourth frame also attached (in such manner as to
fold) to, the lower frames, where the seat frame is also attached, and this
fourth frame is to constitute the back, it having the canvas or other material
fixed to it constituting the back, and by reason of the back rail of the seat
frame being at a distance behind the points of attachment of the back frame,
when the back of the chair is inclined there will be no rail against the person
sitting on such chair.
And in order to apply woven cane surfaces to metal chairs and bedsteads,
the metal side and end rails thereof are to have holes. formed therein at
suitable intervals, as when applying like surfaces. of woven cane to wood

page_text: frames of chairs and bedsteads, and the cane is to be woven or formed by
hand on such metal frames as heretofore practised, and as is well understood
in respect to wood frames.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
HALLEN COTTAM and HENRY RICHARD COTTAM, of Old St. Pancras Road,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us.
the said George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam, Her special
licence that we, the said George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
George Hallen Cottam and Henry Richard Cottam, our executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from.
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within. the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING BEDSTEADS AND CHAIRS,
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Hallen Cottam
and Henry Richard Cottam, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Richard Cottam, on behalf of
myself and the said George Hallen Cottam, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention, as explained in our Provisional Specification, is applicable

page_text: to metal bedsteads" and chairs; and to those descriptions only where.the.chief
parts are made into permanent frames, which: when out. of use, retain the
form of frames, and are packed or folded away, retaining the form of frames,
in contradistinction to those metal bedsteads which when out of use take all
to pieces. And the Invention consists, first, in a peculiar mode of combining
a series of metal frames into a bedstead, the frames, of which, when the
bedstead is out of use, pack or come together, and retain the form of frames;
secondly, the Invention consists in a peculiar combination of metal frames for
making a portable chair; and, thirdly, our Invention consists of a mode of
combining woven cane surfaces with the metal frames of which metal chairs
and metal bedsteads are constructed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a metal bedstead constructed according to
the first part of our Invention; Figure 2 shows part of a side view; Figure
3 shows a side view, partially opened; and Figure 4 shows part of another
side view, the connecting being somewhat varied from the preceding. Here-
tofore there have been folding bedsteads constructed wherein the surface on
which the bedding is placed is composed of three parts hinged together, the
middle or centre portion being made with four fixed legs, and such legs are
connected together by four rods fixed to the four legs. The other two parts
(for the head and foot) of a bedstead are each formed with a fixed frame on
the upper side, constituting respectively the head and foot rail or frame of the
bedstead; and each of these two ends at their under side has had two legs
hinged thereto, which by connecting rods are connected with the fixed legs
of the central part of the bedstead, by which arrangement, although such a
bedstead will admit of mattresses and bedding being enclosed within when the
bedstead is folded, the comparatively large space occupied by the bedstead is
very inconvenient, and our first improvements have for their object the giving
to some of the parts heretofore fixed power of movement, so as to enable a
bedstead of this description to fold into a less space, and be otherwise rendered
more convenient. In place of making the two middle or central legs on either
side of a bedstead fixed to the central part of the bedstead, as heretofore, these
legs a, a, are hinged or pin-jointed to the two end parts or frames b, b, of the
bedstead, and they are attached to the other folding legs c, c, by links or con-
necting rods d, d; and when the bedstead is unfolded for use the two central
legs are attached together by means of a rod e, attached or pin-jointed at one
end to one of the central legs, and capable of entering a socket f, or other
connection carried by the other central leg on that side of the bedstead; and

page_text: the foot and head frames or rails b, b, are hinged or attached so as to fold; by
which arrangement or combination of parts the space occupied by the bedstead
when folded will be less than that occupied by the forme, one, above described,
and the bedstead will otherwise be rendered more convenient. These descrip-
tions of bedsteads are for the most part made of metal; but in some cases, in
order to produce the appearance of a cabinet or closed piece of furniture, some
of the parts may be covered with panels of wood or metal in such manner as
to fold together, and when opened, each panel being fixed to its corresponding
folding frame, will move with it.
We will now describe the second part of our Invention.
Figure 5 shows a chair constructed according to our Invention. a, a, is a
quadrangular frame; and b, b, is another quadrangular frame pin-jointed together
at c, c. These frames are permanently together, and they are prevented opening
too far when in use by stops d, d, fixed to the side rails of the frame a, a;
these two frames constitute the legs or stand of the chair. e, e, is another
frame on which the seat is formed, and the two frames a and b are attached to
the frame e, e, by pin' joints. The seat on the frame e, e, is shown to be made
of a woven fabric fixed to the frame, or the same may be stuffed or otherwise
formed, or it may have a woven surface of cane combined therewith, as
hereafter described as the third part of our Invention. ff, is another frame,
constituting the back of the chair, and it has fixed in it a canvass or other cloth,
or may be stuffed, or may have combined therewith, when properly made to
receive it, a woven surface of cane, as hereafter described in respect to the
third part of our Invention. It will be seen that the back frame f,f, is pin-
jointed to the side rails of the sent frame e, e, at points forward of the back rail
of the seat, and it is this which constitutes the peculiar character of this part of
our Invention, as by thus placing the back forward of the back rail of the chair,
there will be no rail against the person at whatever angle the back is inclined;
and, for the same reason, the lower part of the fabric of the back is fixed to a
curved rail, so placed as not to incommode those reclining in the chair.
We will now describe the third part of our Invention, which consists in
a mode of combining woven surfaces of cane with metal frames of metal chairs
and bedsteads; and we would here state that we are aware that frames of
wood have before been combined with surfaces of woven cane, and such wood
frames have been fixed in the metal frames of metal chairs and bedsteads; but
such means of applying surfaces of woven cane to metal chairs and bedsteads
has not been found convenient, nor has it to any considerable extent been
found to be practically useful. Now, by this part of our Invention, surfaces
of woven cane are combined directly with the metal frames of metal bedsteads

page_text: and metal chairs, that is, with the metal frames which constitute the sides, ends,
and bottoms of bedsteads, and the backs and seats of chairs, where those parts
are-made permanently into frames, which are attached together by subordinate
parts, and of which description of metal chairs and bedsteads there is great
variety; and this part of our Invention is not confined to any particular shapes
of the metal frames so used, as the frames constituting the ends, sides, and
bottoms of bedsteads, as well as those constituting the backs and seats of metal
chairs, may be varied in form. The section of iron or other suitable metal
which we prefer to employ are shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4. In the frames
holes are punched or drilled at suitable intervals or distances apart, as shown,
and the holes are rounded or countersunk in order to prevent the edges
cutting the cane. The weaving of the cane may, as heretofore, be of different
patterns, as when weaving cane surfaces in wood frames; and the weaving
when applied to metal frames is performed in a similar manner. We have
not ordinarily used any bushings or linings to the holes, but in place of round-
ing or countersinking the holes in the metal frames, as above explained, they
may be bushed with soft metal, wood, or other material; we, however, prefer
to dispense with any bushings or linings.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that what we claim is,-
First, the combining of the metal frames constituting the head and foot
rails of a metal bedstead, as herein described
Secondly, we claim the mode of combining the frames constituting the back
and seat of a metal chair in such manner that the back rail of the seat is at
a distance beyond the points where the back frame is attached, as above
⚫described.
And, thirdly, we claim the combining of surfaces of woven cane directly
with the metal frames which form the ends, bottoms, or sides of metal
bedsteads, and also with the metal frames which form the backs or seats of
metal chairs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Richard Cottam, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
HENRY RD COTTAM. (L.S.)