CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL SPRINGS FOR SPRING MATTRESSES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR CHAIRS, COUCHES, SOFAS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES WHERE AN EASY EXPANDING FORCE IS DESIRABLE.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Atkins, of the Firm of Atkins
and Son, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass
Founders, and Cabinet, Upholsterers', and Pianoforte Ironmongers,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL SPRINGS FOR
SPRING MATTRESSES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR CHAIRS, COUCHES, SOFAS, AND
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES WHERE AN EASY EXPANDING FORCE IS DESIRABLE.
-
"
•
Sealed the 24th January 1873, and dated the 25th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Atkins
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th July 1872.
I, HENRY WILLIAM ATKINS, of the Firm of Atkins and Son, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass Founders, and Cabinet,
Upholsterers', and Pianoforte Ironmongers, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL SPRINGS FOR
SPRING MATTRESSES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR CHAIRS, COUCHES, SOFAS, AND OTHER

page_text: '
"
1
LIKE PURPOSES WHERE AN EASY EXPANDING FORCE IS DESIRABLE," to be as
follows (that is to say) :--
My Invention has for its object the making of a cheap elastic
metallic spring, either of a circular, hexagonal, or other convenient
form, and designed either for applying to the laths of metallic or other
bedsteads, or made up in a combined series into a spring mattress
suitable for applying to bedsteads, and which springs are also applicable,
either separately or conjointly, at the convenience of the upholsterer,
for couches, sofas, chairs, or seats generally.
•
I produce my improved spring from sheet metal, either iron, hardened
brass, or sheet steel hardened and tempered; and for technical definition
I will describe my improved spring formed of a flat hexagonal piece
of iron, brass, or thin steel, which I liberate by means of a stamp
or other suitable appliances at every alternate angle one within the
other, preferring that as the points of liberation shorten as the divisions
approach the centre, so the parts liberated decrease in width as they
approach concentrically to the centre of the plate, which centre may
be altogether removed or left with a rivet hole for uniting, as hereafter
referred to. A plate of steel or other metal thus treated I raise into a
conical form, and after suitably hardening and tempering when required,
and the graduation of the liberated parts being observed, it will be as
pliable at the smaller part or apex as at the base; but in some
instances the freed parts, where great rigidity with lightness is required,
may be slightly curved in the transverse section so as to produce
stiffness without additional strength of metal. And this description
equally applies when the plate of thin steel, iron, or other metal is of a
circular shape, and the freed' parts of a curvilinear form from the centre
of such discs. Two springs thus formed suitably placed together at
their apexes or smaller part, and united together by rivetting or
otherwise through the hole before referred to, will be considerably a
lighter than an ordinary sofa spring made from wire, and possesses
the quality that from the convenience afforded for graduating the
metal of the freed parts, the sensitiveness to compression is general
'and not confined as in the common wire sofa springs to the larger
volutes of their construction; in other words, to produce the same a
result with the use of wire, it would require the length of wire
necessary for making the spring to be gradually tapered from the two

page_text: ends towards the middle, in the proportion of the contraction and ex-
pansion of the double conical voluted spring. Thus I produce a spring
sensitive in its entirety, lighter, and consequently cheaper, and of equal
or more convenient use than such kind of springs would be if made of
wire, as now commonly practised.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry William Atkins in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WILLIAM ATKINS, of the Firm of Atkins and Son, of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Brass Founders, and Cabinet, Upholsterers', and
Pianoforte Ironmongers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry William Atkins, Her special license
that I, the said Henry William Atkins, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry William Atkins, 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 "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN METAL SPRINGS FOR SPRING MATTRESSES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
CHAIRS, COUCHES, SOFAS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES WHERE AN EASY EXPANDING
FORCE IS DESIRABLE, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry William Atkins, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 Henry William Atkins, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say)
My Invention has for its object the making of a cheap elastic metallic
spring, either of a 'circular, hexagonal, or other convenient form, and
designed either for applying to the laths of metallic or other bedsteads,
or made up in a combined series into a spring mattrass suitable for
applying to bedsteads; and which springs are also applicable for use,
either separately or conjointly, at the convenience of the upholsterer,
in forming the seats, backs, or other covered parts of couches, sofas,
chairs, or seats generally.
I produce my improved spring from sheet metal, either iron, hardened
brass, or sheet steel, preferring the latter from its possessing the quality
of being hardened and tempered; and for technical definition I will
describe my improved spring formed of a flat hexagonal piece of steel,
which I liberate by means of a fly press, stamp, or other suitable
appliances and tools at every alternate angle, one within the other,
preferring that as the points. of liberation shorten as the divisions
approach the centre, so the parts liberated decrease in width as they
approach concentrically the centre of the plate; which centre may be
removed or left with a small rivet hole for uniting the finished springs
together, as hereafter referred to. A plate of steel thus angularly
treated I raise into a conical divided form, and after suitable hardening
and tempering when required and the graduations of the liberated parts
being observed, a spring in its expanded condition will be formed. In
some instances to vary the elastic force of such springs, the freed parts,
where great rigidity with lightness is required, may be slightly curved
in the transverse section so as to produce stiffness without additional
strength of metal. And this description equally applies when the plate
of thin steel is circular and concentrically divided, and the freed parts
raised in a conical form from the base to the centre. Two springs
thus formed placed together at their apexes or smaller part, and united
by riveting or otherwise through the hole before referred to, will be
considerably. lighter than an ordinary sofa spring made from wire, and
possesses the quality that the sensitiveness to compression is general
and not confined, as in the common wire sofa springs to the larger
volutes of their construction%; in other words, to produce the same
result with the use of wire it would require the length of wire necessary

page_text: for making the double coned spring to be gradually tapered from the
two ends towards the middle, in the proportion of the contraction and
expansion of the double conical voluted spring. Thus I produce a
spring sensitive in its entirety, light; cheap, and of equal or more con-
venient in use than sofa or upholsterer's spring would be if made of
wire, as now commonly practised.
But in order to be well and truly understood as to the nature of my.
Invention, as well as to the manner of giving effect to the same, I will
more fully describe my Invention as illustrated in the Drawing hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
.
P
==
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a disc of thin metal, say, by preference, steel
of suitable thickness, of which I have found No. 24, wire guage to
answer well, this definition of thickness being well understood by those
accustomed to the use of thin or sheet metals. In such a disc of metal
by means of suitable tools and appliances (such as are technically
known as fly presses and press tools), the necessary piercings and the
curve or concentric slots or divisions are formed, as here generally
exhibited without further particularising. A disc, say of steel, thus
pierced and divided I purpose raising by the concentric divided parts
into a conical form that two such may be united, as exhibited in an
expanded side view at Figure 2, the means of uniting them, as here
adopted, being by means of a rivet marked a passing through con- .
centric holes, as at b, Figure 1; the dotted lines C, C, and D, D,
merely representing the plan of bearing, while the dotted line marked
E, E, defines the division of the two springs united as before stated
by the rivet a. Springs thus formed of steel, as before assumed, may
be hardened and tempered and protected from oxidation by tinning,
coating with copper, japanning, or by any other inexpensive process or
treatment.
'
By way of diversification I have exhibited at Figure 3 an octagon
plate of metal angularly divided concentrically, notwithstanding a plate
of metal of any suitable number of sides may in like manner be pierced,
divided, and raised into a conical form, as before described of Figure 1,
and of such raised springs after tempering and treated as before
described, may be used by the upholsterer singly or united either
at the base or apex, as required; and should additional rigidity bo

page_text: necessary without increasing the thickness of the metal, the same
may be effected regularly through the entirety of the spring, or pro-
gressively concentrically from the base to the apex by more or less
curving the divided parts in their radial section, such as shown at
Figure 4, which may be supposed to be a section of the divided part
marked F through the dotted line g and h; in this view I have repre-
sented four rivet holes for uniting such springs, but as before expressed
any other mode may be adopted for retaining such springs in position
either at the, apex or base.
Having thus described my Invention, as also the means by which the
same may be produced or carried into effect, with the general modifi-
cations necessary for the various upholstery requirements to which such
springs may be adapted, such as spring beds, sofas, chairs, railway or
other carriage seats, backs, or other elastic parts, I wish it understood
that what I claim by these my in part recited Letters Patent is, the
making or producing such upholstery springs, herein described and
exhibited, from thin sheet metal in counterdistinction to making such
springs of wire, as heretofore practised, and by which means I am
enabled to economise cost and weight, and to concentrate the direct
elastic force of such springs directly vertical or at right angles with
their base.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry William Atkins, havo here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January,.
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
HENRY WILLIAM ATKINS. (L.S.)