IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL BEDSTEADS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Harlow, of the Bordesley Works, Birming-
ham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL
BEDSTEADS."
Sealed the 6th June 1854, and dated the 5th April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Harlow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
April 1854.
I, JONATHAN HARLOW, of the Bordesley Works, Birmingham, do hereby
declare the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL
BEDSTEADS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of applying a peculiar form of stop joint to the
pillars or stretchers of bedsteads, and such joint consists of a plate which
carries the axis (on which the pillars or stretchers turn), with two projecting
pins or stops, which, coming between the two stretchers, retain them from being
opened or pressed out too far; and in making the pillars of metal bedsteads, in
place of using the metal heretofore employed, the pillars or parts of them are
cast of malleable cast iron and annealed.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jonathan Harlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONATHAN
HARLOW, of the Bordesley Works, Birmingham, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Jonathan Harlow, Her special licence that I, the said Jonathan Harlow, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jonathan
Harlow, 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 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 THE MANU-
FACTURE OF METAL BEDSTEADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Jonathan Harlow, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Jonathan Harlow, 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 consists of applying a peculiar form of stop joint to the
pillars or stretchers of bedsteads, and such joint consists of a plate which
carries the axis (on which the pillars or stretchers turn), with two projecting
pins or stops, which, coming between the two stretchers, retain them from being
opened or pressed out too far; and in making the pillars of metal bedsteads, in
place of using the metal heretofore employed, the pillars or parts of them are
cast of malleable cast iron and annealed.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows part of two stretchers or pillars of a metal bedstead, with
part of my Invention applied thereto; Figure 2 shows two views of the plate
and stops separately.
a, a, are the two stretchers or pillars of a bedstead, which are connected
together by, and they move on, an axis b, in like manner to that heretofore
praetised; but on the axis b, between the two stretchers or pillars a, a, is
placed a plate c, on which are formed or fixed two studs or projections c', c',

page_text: which, when the pillars or stretchers a, a, are opened out, come between them
and form stops, and retain the stretchers or pillars in a proper position by
preventing them opening out too far. would remark, that the form of the
parts may be varied without departing from this part of my Invention, so long
as the use of a plate and stops c, c', be used in combination with stretchers or
pillars connected by an axis, as explained.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which has for its object
the manufacture of the pillars of metal bedsteads of malleable cast iron. Here-
tofore, when iron has been used in the manufacture of the pillars of metal
bedsteads, wrought iron has generally been employed, by reason of the com-
parative lightness and toughness which it offers, as compared with cast iron.
Wrought does not, however, readily admit of pillars being made of an orna-
mental character. I would state, that cast iron has in some cases been used
when making pillars of metal bedsteads.
Now, by the employment of malleable cast iron, the manufacturer may
introduce a more elegant and more ornamental manufacture than can be
obtained at a cost when using wrought iron for such purposes, and the use of
malleable cast iron affords the manufacturer the capability of making pillars of
bedsteads, whether more or less of an ornamental character, much lighter and
tougher than when ordinary cast iron is employed. In carrying out this part
of my Invention I cause patterns to be made of pillars for metal bedsteads of
such devices and forms as may be desired, and I form moulds therewith
suitable for having cast therein pillars for metal bedsteads of malleable cast
iron. In doing this, I prefer to use patterns made of metal when there is
much ornament or device thereon, and to employ sand or loam moulds made
therewith and in order to obtain lightness, I cast the pillars of bedsteads
hollow, by introducing suitable cores in the moulds.
The cast pillars thus made of malleable cast iron are then to be annealed,
and this is done as when annealing other articles of malleable cast iron, that is,
by enclosing them in suitable boxes or receivers, and covering them with oxide
ores of iron, and heating them up to a red heat and allowing them to cool
slowly, as is well understood when annealing other articles made of malleable
cast iron. Pillars of metal bedsteads thus made of malleable cast iron and
annealed will be comparatively light. They may be very ornamental, and will
be very tough and strong; hence, by the application of malleable cast iron in
the manufacture of the pillars of metal bedsteads considerable advantages will
be obtained.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―

page_text: First, the combination of parts shewn and described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing; and,
Secondly, I claim the manufacture of the pillars of metal bedsteads of
malleable cast iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Harlow, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
JONATHAN HARLOW. (L.S.)