AN IMPROVED ADJUSTAble Bed- STEAD
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ADJUSTAble Bed-
STEAD." A communication from abroad by William Orr Reid, of
Vionna in the State of North Carolina United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st April 1870.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ADJUSTABLE
BEDSTEAD," to be as follows :—
This adjustable bedstead is intended chiefly for invalids who require
changes of posture. The frame of the bedstead is carried by posts which
rise to a sufficient height to support cords by which the operator effects
the changes required in the bed bottom. This bottom is made in three.

page_text: The
sections which are hinged together, and at the joint between the sections
1 and 2 they are journalled to a transverse shaft mounted in the side
rails of the bedstead. The section (1). nearest the head of the bedstead
is fitted below with a strong arm that projects well towards the foot and
near the floor, and carries at its extremity grooved pulleys, over which an
elevating and lowering cord passes. Jointed to this arm is a curved
brace which is attached to the foot section (3) of the bed bottom. Near
the transverse shaft before mentioned and somewhat below it is a rock
shaft fitted with two wipers which bear against the under side of the
middle section (2) so as to raise it when the shaft is turned. This
rocking of the shaft is effected by a cord which passes over a grooved
pulley carried by an arm or arms made fast to the rock shaft.
cord is secured to a fixed-point-of-the-bedstead-and-led-over-the-pulley,
and thence over stationary guide pulleys up to the top of the bedstead,
where it passes under a pawl which prevents it from slipping, and
terminates in a pendent end within reach of the patient. By pulling on
this cord the central section may be raised to a vertical position, the
foot section being at the same time proportionately elevated. The cord
which passes over the pulley of the arm attached to the head section is
similarly arranged that it may raise the head section, the middle section
being then in place. The raising of the head section will depress the
foot section by reason of their connection through the strong arm and
curved brace. A detachable table is fitted to the posts of the bedstead
and supported by suspending rods which will allow of its being swung
up to the top frame when not required for use. Supports are also
provided above and below the bed for holding articles within reach of
or accessible to the patient.
I
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SPECIFICATION in pursuance, of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the, said Alfred, Vincent Newton, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; ALFRED
VINCENT, NEWTON, of the, Office, for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year,
3

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, 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
miglit make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED ADJUSTABLE BEDSTEAD," being a communi-
cation to me from abroad by William Orr Reid, of Vienna, in the State of
North Carolina, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
•
The object of this Invention is to construct a bedstead specially
applicable for invalids, as it will allow of their changing their recumbent
posture to a sitting one and vice versa with little or no assistance from
attendants, and will also provide other facilities which will be greatly
appreciated by invalids.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in longitudinal sectional
elevation, a four post bedstead with the improvements applied thereto,
the bed bottom being shewn in a horizontal position, and Fig. 2 is a
partial longitudinal section shewing the foot end of the bedstead bottom
elevated.
A, A, are the bed posts carrying the cornice B, and connected firmly
together by longitudinal and transverse bars C, C*, which form the frame.

page_text: of the bedstead. Mounted in bearings on the longitudinal bars C is a
transverse shaft D, which forms the fulcrum on which the parts con-
stituting the bed bottom are intended to be moved. The bed bottom
consists of three sections E, F, G, which are connected together so as
to be capable of moving into a new position relatively to each other.
The section E is hinged to the transverse shaft D, and its other end rests
on the cross bar C*. Fixed to the under side of the section E is a pair
of arms E*, which project forwards in an inclined direction and are
furnished with grooved pullies for receiving a cord e, which cords are
made fast to the rear of the bedstead and are carried over guide pulleys
and brought down within reach of the patient through the canopy of the
bed. Pendent from the transverse shaft D is a pair of curved arms F*
which project rearwards-and-are-fitted-with-grooved-pulleys-to-receive.a
cord. These cords are made fast to the front of the bedstead, and after
passing over the grooved pulleys at the extremities of the arms F* are
returned to guide pulleys at the front of the bedstead and are led thence
under and over pulleys at the back of the bedstead and brought down
through the canopy within reach of the patient. The arms F* are
formed with a cranked or projecting piece at their upper ends for the
purpose of carrying the central section F of the bed bottom. To this
section the front section G is connected by a hinged joint and fitted
thereto is a foot board G*. This section G is by means of curved rods g
which are jointed to the under side of the section G and to the arms E*
held in position, and is caused to move when required in obedience to the
movement of the section E. The cords e and f are led through grooves
in the canopy of the bedstead and underweighted holding pawles H,
which rest on the cords and are so arranged that they will permit the
cords to be drawn up but will hold them from going back until lifted
by means of pendent cords / connected to the tails of the holding pawles
and brought within reach of the invalid. The changes in position which
the occupant of the bed may effect for himself are indicated in the
Drawings, thus the dotted lines in Fig. 1 show the head section E raised
to nearly a vertical position and the foot section G thrown down to a
corresponding position. This movement of the sections brings the
invalid to a sitting posture and it is produced by drawing upon the
cords e which through the arms E* and the rods g bring the sections E
and G into the position shewn.
In Fig. 2 the sections F and G are shewn in a raised position, the
section E remaining horizontal. This change brings the thighs of the

page_text: patient to a vertical.position, at the same time lifting the feet above the
Ievel of the head. To effect this change the patient draws upon the.
cords and by means of the arms F* turns the section F on its fulcrum
when it raises with it the section G, the rods g swinging on their joints
to allow of this movement. When a return to a former position is
required the patient lifts the holding pawle H of the cords e or f, as the
case may be, by pulling on the pendent cord H, and the sections will
return to their former position. To facilitate the movements of the
section E, hooks I, I, are attached to the inner side of the foot board G*
to receive weights of a gravity proportioned to that of the section E of
the bed bottom for the purpose of counterbalancing the same in order
that the patient may be required to use little exertion in converting the
bed into a chair or the chair into a bed. When the bed bottom takes
the form of a chair the foot board will be brought near the floor and
thus the occupant may step out at the foot of the bed very conveniently.
K, Fig. 1 represents a pendent support for medicine or other light
articles which may be brought within reach of the patient while lying
down by being turned on the pendent rod K*. L is a table connected
detachably to the foot posts and supported at the front by rods L*,
jointed to and pendent from the cornice or top frame of the bedstead.
This arrangement allows of its being swung up to the top of a bedstead
out of the way when not required for use. To the ends of the section
E, near the head board, pins M are fastened for the purpose of holding
the clothes from falling when the section E is elevated.
I will now describe an arrangement of mechanism which may be
applied to the bed whereby the occupant will be enabled, if not in a
perfectly helpless condition, to answer the calls of nature without rising
from the bed or demanding the aid of an attendant. Fitting in the
centre of the section F is a swing door or stopper N hinged to the
section and capable of falling to the dotted position of Fig. 1 when its
support is withdrawn. This support consists of a latch n pivotted to a
bracket arm c fixed to the under side of the section F. To the tail of
this latch is attached a cord o which is led upwards to the top of the
bedstead and brought within reach of the occupant. This latch is forced
outward so as to support the door N in position by means of a spring n',
so that when the cord o is pulled the latch will be tipped and the door
will be allowed to fall. Below the opening thus exposed is placed a pan
or other suitable vessel p for receiving the discharge of the invalid.

page_text: For
This vessel is carried by a shelf q suspended from the side bars C.
the purpose of closing the door N a strut r is fitted to the arms E*, and
this strut also assists in supporting the door when the bed bottom is in a
horizontal position. From this explanation it will be understood that the
occupant of a bed before availing himself of the convenience just described
must first bring himself to a sitting position and thus remove the strut out
of the way of the door N so that it may be free to fall when the latch n
is drawn.
Having now described the nature of tlic Invention of "An Improved
Adjustable Bedstead," as communicated to me by my foreign corres-
pondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent.I claim,-
First. Constructing the bed bottom in three parts or sections which
are connected together and are capable of rocking on a fixed fulcrum, in
the manner and for the purpose above described.
Secondly. The means above described whereby the sections are moved
and retained in their elevated and depressed positions.
Thirdly. The arrangement of swinging tables above described.
Fourthly. The arrangement above described for opening and closing
the swing door in the section F.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.