A METHOD FOR MAKING OR CONSTRUCTING BEDS, PILLOWS, HAMMOCKS, CUSHEONS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF THE LIKE KIND, &c.
Year: 1813

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN CLARK,
of Bridgwater, in the County of Somerset, Grocer, do send greeting.
WHEREAS King George the Third did, by His Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of July, in the Fifty-third year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said John Clark, my exors, admors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the
said John Clark, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should and lawfully might,
during the term of years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A
METHOD FOR MAKING OR CONSTRUCTING BEDS, PILLOWS, HAMMOCKS, CUSHEONS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF THE LIKE KIND, &c.;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that if I, the said John Clark, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in the King's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advan-
tages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become
void, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Clark, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are ascertained and particularly
described as follows (that is to say):
Firstly, I do render the case of the bed, pillow, bolster, hammock, cusheon,
or pad, impervious to air.

page_text: Secondly, I do strengthen the said case; by, enclosing it in another case, which
said external case need not be impervious to air.
Thirdly, I do fill the aforesaid internal case with common atmospheric air
instead of down or feathers, or other materials hitherto used.
Fourthly, I do insert the air into the said case through an aperture or tube,
by means of an air pump or any other suitable instrument. and I do prevent
the air from returning, by means of an air-tight stopcock or valve. There
may be numerous methods of rendering the aforesaid internal case impervious
to air, either by constructing it of such suitable substance or substances as are
of themselves air proof, or otherwise covering it with any composition which
is, when dry, elastic, pliable, and impervious to air. But the method which I
have hitherto preferred and adopted is described as follows:-The said internal
case, being made in the usual manner with tick or other suitable material, is
rendered impervious to air in the following manner:-To one ounce of casutchouc
(usually called elastic gum or indian rubber) cut in small pieces, add eight
ounces of spirit of turpentine; let it stand inclosed in a glass vessel for two
or three days, or until the casutchouc be.considerably distended, and almost in
a state of solution; then throw the whole into an open or uncovered furnace or
vessel, containing seventy ounces of linseed oil, and boil it slowly for several hours,
stirring it frequently until the composition becomes of a thick, glutinous con-
sistency; then let it cool, and filter it through a fine cloth: care must be taken
to prevent its coming in contact with fire or water, as it is very inflammable,
and water. injures it, therefore the furnace should be surrounded with brick-
work and sheltered from the weather, and over it there should be a funnel to
carry off the steam. When this said composition is used it must be made
rather warm, and the said internal case of the bed, pillow, bolster, hammock,
pad, or cushion, must, be immersed in it until completely saturated therewith;
it must then be extended by cords and loops attached to its corners, and
exposed to a current of air in a shady place, and sheltered from the weather,
turning it frequently to prevent, the composition from draining off until dry.
Another covering of the said composition must then be added by means of a
flat hair brush. When in this state a circular-aperture about one inch diameter
must. be made in any convenient part of the case, and some of the said com-
position poured in to cover it internally as well as externally. The superfluous
composition being then poured out, the small circular aperture must be closed
by adapting thereto and securely fastening on by means of screws, ligatures, or
by any other method, a short metallic tube furnished with an air-tight stop-
cock or valve, through which, by means of an air pump or other suitable
machine or instrument, as much air must be inserted as will fill the case,
whereby it will be distended and rendered more commodious for receiving the
.

page_text: subsequent.coverings of the said composition, one after another, as they dry; in
laying on which great care must be taken at the scams, and to cover the whole
smoothly and uniformly with the said composition until the case be perfectly
air-tight; this composition drys slowly, but is, when dry, extremely pliable,
elastic, and adhesive. If two apertures be made in the said case, and a tube,
furnished with a valve or stopcock, as before described, be adapted to each,
a current of air may be made to pass through the case, which will accelerate
the drying of the external composition. When the case is quite dry it must be
washed in clear water, wherein, if any air bubbles arise from the case they will
indicate the exact place of the leak or leaks, which being marked, the case
must be dried from the water and retouched with the aforesaid composition
until no such air bubbles arise from any part of the case when filled with air
and immersed in water. This said case may afterwards, if required, be covered
with leaf gold merely by laying the sheets of leaf gold on it and greatly pressing
them down. The external case may be made of tick or velvet, or any other
suitable material, and must be made rather smaller than the internal case,
otherwise it will allow the internal case to be too much distended when filled
with air. The air pumps, together with all the machinery which may be
used for filling or exhausting the beds, may be enclosed under the bedsteads, and
may communicate with cords and tassels or handles placed commodiously
within reach, and the tubes through which the air is conveyed, either to or
from the beds, may communicate with the outside of the building if cold air
be required for medical purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirteen