Improvements in and connected with Pillows, Cushions, Bolsters, and other Upholstery.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
Improvements in and connected with Pillows, Cushions, Bolsters,
and other Upholstery.
I, JAMES NELSON, of Holme-next-the-Sea, Kings Lynn, in the County of Norfolk,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The chief objects of my invention are the manufacture of pillows, bolsters, and such
like articles which do not get hard after use in a few hours, maintain their shape while
in use without requiring beating or making up again and at the same time are cool
and cleanly, and the invention is applicable to upholstery generally.
According to my invention I make pillows, bolsters and such like articles of woven
wire fabric, hoop iron or steel, or of cane or a combination of cane and metal wound
up into the required form or shape varying in accordance with the article to which
the invention is to be applied, for example a pillow may be made of woven wire of
the required diameter and the wire should be made of tempered steel so as to be
capable of standing the strain or the weight of the head of the user, the action being
somewhat similar to that of a wire wove spring mattress as compared with a feather
bed and a feather pillow. The ends of the article are provided with spring wire or
hoop spring metal stronger than the lengthwise surface or if not of stronger wire the
springs should be more numerous at the ends so as to support the strain on the
bearing surface of the pillow bolster or other article constructed as before described
according to my invention. In some cases I employ a core of non-flexible material
to which the wire is attached.
The articles may be covered or upholstered with any suitable fabric or material.
Articles constructed in the manner before described are particularly applicable for
use in sick rooms, hospitals, and other places where comfort, coolness, and sanitation
are so particularly required, while at the same time the invention is applicable for use
generally where pillows and bolsters are required, and for upholstery purposes
generally the shape being varied accordingly.
Dated this 23rd day of Jan1000
JAMES NELSON.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pillows, Cushions, Bolsters,
and other Upholstery.
I, JAMES NELSON of Holme-next-the-Sea Kings Lynn, in the County of Norfolk
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The chief objects of my invention are the manufacture of pillows, bolsters and such
like articles which do not get hard after use in a few hours, maintain their shape while
in use without requiring beating or waking up again and at the same time are cool
and cleanly.
I will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shews in plan view a woven wire pillow constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section on the line X Y of Figure 1, where the pillow
is elliptical in section, and Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the
1
1

page_text: Figure 4 is a plan view shewing a woven wire pillow of circular section or
cylindrical in shape, and Figure 5 is an end view of same.
Figures 6 and 7 shew arrangements of cores of non-flexible material to which the
wire is attached and I make such cores in the form of struts those shown at Figures 6
and 7 being suitable for the elliptical woven wire pillows and Figure 8 shews an
arrangement of core of strut like form suitable for the circular pillow.
Figures 9 are detail views in plan and side elevation of the ends of the strut-like
cores shewing a device for connecting the ends of the same to the wire.
Figure 10 is a view shewing the pillow with cover applied thereto; and Figure 11
shews a longitudinal strut like core with projecting springs suitable for affording
additional support to the rounded edge of the pillow.
The body of the pillow is composed of woven spiral wire made in a somewhat
cylindrical form the edges being stiffened by coiled wire of heavier section than the
body of the pillow, the round ends are pressed together and the edges fastened. The
whole pillow is supported and held or kept in shape by a core made of rods forming
struts reaching from end to end of the pillow thereby preventing the structure from
collapsing and becoming too pliant for use.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is the woven spiral wire fabric of which the
pillow may be conveniently composed. B B are the stiffened or strengthened ends
of the pillow; in the elliptical form of pillow shewn in the drawing Figures 1, 2
and 3 each end of the fabric is flattened, brought together, and secured. CC represent
the core or cores 1 employ, the latter being non-flexible and may for the purposes of
this specification be hereafter called longitudinal struts the purpose of such cores or
These
struts being for supporting and holding apart the stiffened ends B B.
longitudinal struts CC are arranged inside the pillow on alternate sides of the
strengthened end juncture as best seen at Figure 2 and are connected at each end
of every strut by for example ring joints D such as are shewn in detail and full size
at Figure 9, the rings for this purpose passing through the wire fabric.
The struts near the longitudinal edge of the pillow may in some cases be so
constructed as to give greater or additional resiliency to the said rounded edge by
providing the strut nearest the edge with springs J as shown at Figure 11 or in any
other convenient way, and means may be provided for adjusting the length of the
struts by for example screws or other convenient appliances suitable for the
purpose.
The longitudinal struts may be so applied as to render the degree of longitudinal
tension with which the two ends of the wire fabric are held apart capable of adjust-
ment and such an arrangement is shewn at Figures 4 and 5 as applied to a pillow
cylindrical in shape. In this case the struts C C₁ radiate from each circular end B of
the pillow to which they are secured circumferentially towards the centre of the
pillow. The set of struts Care at their inner ends each jointed to a bolt E; the
struts C¹ are connected to a runner F on the bolt the position of the said runner being
regulated by a nut G so that the apex of the struts C may be brought closer to or
further from one another and the tension of the fabric A thereby varied as may be
required.
When such an adjustable tension arrangement is not necessary or it is desirable to
lessen the expense of construction plain strut rods such as are shewn at Figures 1, 2
and 3 may be employed reaching from end to end of the pillow, and at Figure 8
I have shewn as an example how such rods may be arranged.
It will be readily understood that the arrangement or position of the struts may be
varied (also in the elliptical pillow) without departing from my invention thus as is
shewn at Figure 6 the struts C may form a rigid frame and also reach diagonally
from corner to corner and if desired this arrangement of struts C may be provided
with additional struts extending from end to end as at Figure 1.
Another arrangement is shewn at Figure 7 where a series of crossed struts (
are shewn and it will be obvious that these different positions of the struts may be
infinitely varied at pleasure.
If found necessary I may further strengthen the pillow at or near its two ends by

page_text: for example introducing a ring or oval of coiled wire, steel band, or cane, or other
suitable material to occupy about the positions indicated by the hands H H shewn at
Figure 6.
To destroy or deaden the noise of vibration or friction of the wires I apply paint,
varnish or other similar substance to the wire fabric which I have found to be effective
for the purpose.
*
I provide a cover for woven wire pillows such as herein described which may be
or other suitable soft
made of swansdown," cotton, quilted feathers or "down"
fabric and I prefer that such cover should not extend entirely around the pillow but
should leave the ends open. Such a cover is shown on a pillow at Figure 10 leaving
the ends open so that the air may have free access to the interior of the pillow
although of course if desired the pillow may be entirely covered as is usual.
Articles constructed in the manner before described are particularly applicable for
use in sick rooms, hospitals and other places where comfort, coolness and sanitation
are so particularly required, while at the same time the invention is applicable for use
generally where pillows and bolsters are required.
I am aware it has been heretofore proposed to form pillows or bolsters of woven
wire, I am also aware that such woven wire constructions easily lose their shape in
use because of the unstable and yielding nature of the material when formed into the
shape of a pillow, and unsuccessful attempts have been made to strengthen such
structures by bending and tying in the ends and by various other means such for
example as inserting spring frames of a smaller size than the pillow, I therefore do
not lay claim to such constructions but I intend to define my invention and limit my
claims to a woven wire pillow in which the two ends are directly and positively held
in position from one another by internal struts, whereby the woven wire material
composing the body of the structure is held and supported in position, so that the
coils of spiral wire, which in the weaving are made to take a circumferential direction
around the pillow are held in position and so that the pressure is received by the
circular spiral coils of the wire fabric in the direction of the diameter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First In the construction of pillows and bolsters from woven spiral wire, the
stiffened edges B thereof in combination with the internal cores or struts C for
holding the said edges B apart and thereby preserving the coils composing the woven
fabric in an edgewise vertical position substantially as set forth.
Second In the construction of pillows and bolsters from woven spiral wire, the
combination with the wire fabric A, of the stiffened edges B folded together and
fastened at each end together with the cores or struts O secured to the wire fabric A
on alternate sides of the edges thereof for supporting and holding the said wire fabric
in position as set forth.
Third: In the construction of pillows and bolsters from woven spiral wire the
combination with the wire fabric A, of the adjustable cores or struts C C whereby
the ends of the pillow or bolster may be held distanced by more or less degree of
tension as set forth.
Fourth In the construction of pillows and bolsters from woven spiral wire, the
combination with the wire fabric A and the cores or struts C, of the ring formed
stiffening pieces H. as set forth.
T
1000
JAMES NELSON.
By Brewer & Son,
Agents.