IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS ADAPTED MORE PARTICULARLY FOR INVALIDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Johnson, of Addlestone, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BEDSTEADS ADAPTED MORE PARTICULARLY FOR INVALIDS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1872, and dated the 24th November 1871.

page_text: thereof I mount a long spindle in bearings, and to this spindle I fix a
framework of hoop iron to support and carry a mattrass and bed. This
framework I form in three longitudinal parts; the centre part is fixed to
the aforesaid spindle, and the outer parts are hinged to the central part
so as to act as flaps, which lie flat and rest upon the sides of the bed-
stead when out of use. Upon that end of the aforesaid spindle which
comes at the back of the head of the bedstead I fix a lever arm to the
upper end whereof another short arm is hinged, and lies horizontally
in one or other of a series of notches formed in a semicircular piece of
iron fixed to the head of the bedstead. I also fix a bent lever arm to
each of the before-mentioned flap pieces for raising and holding up the
said flaps when required, and so as to prevent children or invalids from
falling out of bed, or for pressing the clothes against them.
And an important feature in this Invention consists in being able to
turn an invalid over from his right side to his left, or vice versa, without
touching his or her body for that purpose. This may be effected by
lifting the hinged lever arm above referred to out of the notch that holds
it and pulling or pushing the said arm in the direction in which the
invalid requires to be moved, the effect of which will be to move the
bedding and person thereon in a sloping direction sideways, and thereby
move their body gently from the side on which it was lying to the
opposite side, after which the bedding may if desired be placed and held
flat, as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 24th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
JOHNSON, of Addlestone, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the 3
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the

page_text: thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Johnson, Her special licence that
I, the said James Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 CON-
STRUCTION OF BEDSTEADS ADAPTED MORE PARTICULARLY FOR INVALIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Johnson, 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 James Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
To the framework of a bedstead and lengthwise of its centre I mount
a long spindle in bearings, and to this spindle I fix a framework of hoop
iron or other suitable material to support and carry a mattrass and bed.
This framework I form in three longitudinal parts; the centre part is
fixed to the aforesaid spindle, and the outer parts are hinged to the
central part so as to act as flaps, which lie flat and rest upon the sides of
the bedstead when out of use. Upon that end of the aforesaid spindle
which comes at the back of the head of the bedstead I fix a lever
arm, to the upper end whereof another short arm is hinged, and lies
horizontally in one or other of a series of notches formed in a semi-
circular piece of wood, iron, or other suitable material fixed to the head
of the bedstead. I also fix a bent lever arm to each of the before-
mentioned flap pieces whereby they may be raised and held up when
required, and thus prevent children or invalids from falling out of bed
or enable the clothes to be pressed against them.

page_text: An important feature in this Invention consists in being able to turn
an invalid over from his right side to his left, or vice versa, without
touching his or her body for that purpose. This may be effected by
lifting the hinged lever arm above referred to out of the notch that holds
it, and pulling or pushing the said arm in the direction in which the
invalid requires to be moved, the effect of which will be to move the
bedding and person thereon in a sloping direction side ways, and thereby
move the body gently from the side on which it was lying to the opposite
side or to any intermediate position, after which the bedding may if
desired be placed and held flat, as before described.
Having in the foregoing descriptive statements in regard to my said
Invention particularly described and ascertained the nature thereof, I
will now refer to the Drawings accompanying this Specification, so as
with the foregoing statements, to particularly describe and ascertain in
what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, side elevation; Fig. 2, elevation at back of head of bedstead;
Fig. 3, front elevation; Fig. 4, plan.
In these Figures A denotes the frame of bedstead; B, central spindle
worked by the hinged lever arm C; D, semicircular piece of iron or
other metal or material provided with notches into which the hinged
lever arm C drops and regulates the turning of the invalid, as before
explained; E, E, bent lever arms fixed to spindles F, on which the side
flaps G, G, work for lifting the sides of the mattrass for preventing the
invalid from falling out of bed; H, iron support; K, denotes an iron for
keeping the pillow from rubbing against the head of the bed when the
bed moves from right to left. It is fixed to the cross rod at the head of
the bedstead and in the middle thereof, where it is rivetted on.
It may
conveniently be one foot wide and nine inches in height, and at the top
one foot six inches to give more room for the pillow.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the improve-

page_text: ments in the construction of bedsteads adapted more particularly for
invalids, as the nature of the same is described in the outset of this
Specification by the words preceding the Description of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JAMES JOHNSON. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
S.W.