IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BED- STEADS AND COTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Walker Torr, of the Firm of Robert Walter
Winfield and Company, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants
and Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BED-
STEADS AND COTS."
Sealed the 13th April 1877, and dated the 20th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Walker Torr at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November 1876.
IM-
CHARLES WALKER TORR, of the Firm of Robert Walter Winfield and Company,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants and Manufacturers.
PROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BEDSTEADS AND COTS."
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of
metallic bedsteads and cots herein-after described, whereby great facility is
obtained in constructing and ornamenting the foot end of the bedstead or cot.
I make the corner blocks of such a figure that the foot pillars are not situated at
the angles formed by the side and end angle bars, but are situated at some distance
outside the said angles; that is, they project beyond the end angle bar and also
beyond the side angle bars. The side rails of the bedsteads or cot are not joined
directly to the foot corner blocks, but are indirectly connected therewith in the
following manner :-On each of the said corner blocks is cast an arm in the same
line as the side angle bar and forming part of the side framing of the bedstead or
cot. This arm may be of any desired length according to the ornamental character
to be given to the foot end of the bedstead or cot, but for ordinary purposes from
six inches to a foot is sufficient. These arms terminate in dovetail blocks, the said
dovetail blocks serving for the connection of the side angle bars of the bedstead or
cot and also for carrying pillars essentially similar to the ordinary corner pillars.
At the foot of the bedstead or cot there are thus four pillars, two at the extreme
foot end and two others at the sides of the bedstead or cot.
By this construction and arrangement the ornamental foot rail of the bedstead
or cot, which is usually confined to the vertical plane in which the foot pillars are
situated, may be carried-round to the sides of the-foot end of the bedstead or cot,
thereby facilitating the adoption of ornamental designs incompatible with the
ordinary construction of the foot ends of bedsteads or cots.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Walker Torr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
May 1877.
CHARLES WALKER TORR, of the Firm of Robert Walter Winfield and Company,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants and Manufacturers.
* IM-
PROVEMENTS IN METALLIC BEDSTEADS AND COTS."
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of
metallic bedsteads and cots herein-after described, whereby great facility is obtained
in constructing and ornamenting the foot end of the bedstead or cot. The said
construction and arrangement may also be applied where it is thought desirable to
the head ends of metallic bedsteads and cots.
I will describe my Invention as applied to the foot end of a metallic bedstead
or cot.
I make the corner blocks of such a figure that the foot pillars are not situated at
the angles formed by the side and end angle bars, but are situated at some distance
outside the said angles; that is, they project beyond the end angle bar and also
beyond the side angle bars. The side angle bars of the bedstead or cot are not
joined directly to the foot corner blocks but are indirectly connected therewith in
the following manner :-On each of the said corner blocks is cast or made an arm
in the same line as the side angle bar, and forming part of the side framing of the
bedstead or cot. This arm
may be of any desired length, according to the
ornamental character to be given to the foot end of the bedstead or cot, but for
ordinary purposes from six inches to a foot is sufficient. These arms terminate in
dovetail blocks, the said dovetail blocks serving for the connection of the side
angle bars of the bedstead or cot, and also for carrying pillars essentially similar to
the ordinary corner pillars. At the foot of the bedstead or cot there are thus four
pillars, two at the extreme foot end, and two others at the sides of the bedstead
or cot.
By this construction and arrangement the ornamental foot rail of the bedstead or
cot, which is usually confined to the vertical plane in which the foot pillars are
situated, may be carried round to the sides of the foot end of the bedstead or cot,
thereby facilitating the adoption of ornamental designs incompatible with the
ordinary construction of the foot ends of bedsteads or cots.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in perspective the foot end of a metallic bedstead and the
ornamental rail of the same constructed according to my Invention; and Figure 2
is a plan of the foot end of the same drawn to a larger scale.
a, a, Figure 2, represent the side angle bars, and b the foot end angle bar of the
framing of the bedstead. The side and end angle bars are connected together by
means of the arms c, c, each arm c forming a continuation of the side angle bar a.
Each of the said arms c is furnished with a dovetail block d for connecting the side
bar a to the said arm c, and also with a second dovetail block e for connecting the
end bar b to the said arm c. These arms c, c, are connected to the foot pillars f, f
as well as to other pillars g, g, at the sides of the bedstead. There are thus situated
at the foot end of the bedstead four pillars f, f, and g, g, the pillars f, f, being
situated at the extreme foot end, and the pillars g, g, at the sides of the bedstead.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 2 that the foot pillars f, f, are not situated
in a line with the end angle bar b, but project some distance beyond the said end
angle bar b. Similarly the side pillars g, g, are situated some distance beyond the
side angle bars a, a.
The length of the arms c, c, may be varied according to the ornamental character
to be given to the foot end of the bedstead. The ornamental foot rail, which is
applied to the foot end thus constructed, is marked h, h, and h², h², the parts h, h,
being connected to and situated between the foot pillars f, f, and the parts h², h

page_text: being connected to and situated between the foot and side pillars f, g, f, g, as will
be understood by an examination of the perspective view, Figure 1.
The ornamental rail h, h³, is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. It will thus
be seen that the ornamental foot rail which is usually confined to the vertical plane
in which the foot pillars f, f, are situated is carried round to the sides of the foot
end of the bedstead, whereby an improved appearance is given to the bedstead end,
besides permitting of the adoption of a great variety of ornamental designs.
The arms or prolongations c, c, of the side angle bars may be constructed in
various ways, and I have represented in the accompanying Drawings several
methods of constructing the said arms, but I do not limit myself to these
methods.
Instead of making each of the said arms or prolonged side bars in one piece each
arm may be made in two pieces joined together by a connecting plate or short angle
bar, as illustrated in Figure 3, where i is one part of the arm provided with the dove-
tail block d for connecting the side angle bar a, and to which the side pillar g is
also connected, and is the other part of the arin having the dovetail block e for
connecting the end angle bar b, and to which the foot pillar fis also connected. The
parts i, are angle pieces, and are pierced with holes, and are connected together
by rivetting short pieces of angle bar or plates (one of which is shown at /) to the
said angle pieces; or the parts of the foot end of the bedstead may be constructed
in the manner represented in Figure 4, that is to say, I give the corner blocks l, l,
the configuration represented, to each of which blocks the side and end angle bars
a, b, are connected by the dovetails at d, e. The foot pillar fis also connected to
the block. On each of the side bars a I cast a dovetail block m for carrying the
side pillars g, g, of the foot end of the bedstead, which said side pillars are furnished
with he dovetails for engaging with the dovetail blocks m, m. The position of the
dovetail blocks m, m, with respect to the corner blocks 1, 1, will be understood by
reference to the Drawing.
In constructing foot ends according to my Invention, having a curved figure
instead of an angular figure in plan, I prefer to arrange the parts in the manner
illustrated in Figure 5, where a, a, are the side angle bars, and 6 the foot angle bar.
The connecting arms, which are curved, are marked p, p. One end of each of the curved
arms p terminates in the dovetail block p for connecting the side rail a and side
pillar g, and the other end terminates in a he dovetail p³, which engages with the
dovetail block f2 on the foot pillar f. The ends of the foot angle bar b also engage
with the block f, ƒ, of the foot pillars f. f. The side parts h², h², of the ornamental
foot rail are in this arrangement curved to follow the curved figure of the connecting
arms p, p, as represented.
Although I have only described and represented my Invention as applied to the
foot end of a metallic bedstead, yet my said Invention is equally applicable to the
construction of the foot ends of metallic cots, as well as to the head ends of
metallic bedsteads and cots; and although I have only represented in the accom-
panying Drawings one pattern of ornamental rail applied to a foot end constructed
according to iny Invention, yet patterns or designs of various kinds may be applied
to the said ends, my said Invention being capable of being carried into effect in
connection with a great variety of ornamental designs.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention of
improvements in metallic bedsteads and cots, the construction and arrangements or
combinations of the parts of the foot and head ends of the said metallic bedsteads
and cots herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
whereby the ornamental end rail is carried round to the sides of the foot or head
end of the bedstead or cot, instead of being confined wholly to the plane in which
the foot or head pillars are situated, that is to say, making at the foot or head end
of the bedstead or cot four pillars, two at the extreme end and two at the sides of
the bedstead or cot, to which four pillars the ornamental foot or head rail is attached,
the said pillars projecting beyond the end and side angle bars, and being connected

page_text: to arms forming prolongations of the side angle bars, substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 1,-2, 3, and 5; also the modification herein described and
illustrated in Figure 4, in which the blocks for connecting the side pillars are cast
or formed upon the side angle bars.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Walker Torr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM HENRY TAYLOR,
Cambridge Street Works,
Birmingham.
CHARLES WALKER TORR. (L.S.)