CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS OR COUCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Blair, of Irvine, in the County of Ayr, North
Britain, -Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
BEDS OR COUCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Blair at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th March
1854.
11
I, JOHN BLAIR, of Irvine, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEDS OR COUCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved system or mode of constructing the
longitudinal side; frames of portable bedsteads, and also to an improved
construction of joint for the side and end frames. The improvements in the
side frames consist in so connecting, the supporting legs to them, that when the
frame is opened out, the legs adjust themselves without any other manipulation
than the simple opening of the frame.
This is effected by jointing the ends of the supporting legs on to that side
or flange of the angle iron which contains the folding joint of the frame,, the
legs being jointed on each side of such folding joint. The opposite ends or
any other portion of these legs or supports are joined together by a flat rule
joint, so that when the frame is shut or folded up the supports fold up inside,

page_text: but when opened out, the supports at once assume the position required; a
similar result may be attained by permanently rivetting the limbs at or near
their centre. The
The improved corner joint may consist of a dove-tailed junction,
formed by rivetting a dove-tailed piece on to the end of the angle iron of the
frame, which is turned in for the purpose of receiving it, or forming a rest, to
prevent any oscillation or vibration. This dove-tailed piece is fitted into a vertical
dove-tailed slot or groove in the end of the other piece or frame to be joined,
or may consist simply of a vertical pin fitted to the upper flange of the angle
iron, such pin being made either conical or with parallel sides, and fitting into
a suitable aperture in the end of the frame to be joined; a rule or other
folding joint may be applied to one or more corners. I propose to apply in the
construction of mattrasses and bedding felted or milled woollen fabrics, kersey,
or printers cloth, in place of the materials at present used. The support for
the bedding may be secured by being buttoned on to projecting catches on the
side of the framing, suitable button or eyelet holes being made in the mattrass
or other support, to correspond with the fixed buttons on the sides of the
framing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Blair in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BLAIR, of Irvine, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, 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 John Blair, Her special license that I, the said John Blair, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Blair,
my executors, administrators, or 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 IMPROVEMENTS IN BEDS OR COUCHES
AND OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Blair, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,

page_text: 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 John Blair, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My said Invention relates to the construction of the longitudinal side frames,
supports, and corner joints of portable metal bedsteads, and also to the application
in the manufacture of mattresses and bedding of a material not hitherto used
for that purpose.
In the class of bedstead to which the present improvements
are more particularly applicable, the frames are formed of angle iron, and the
longitudinal sides are each in two pieces, jointed together at the centre by
means of a flat rule joint on their vertical flanges, to enable them to be folded
into a space equal to half their length. According to the present Invention,
the legs or supports of the side pieces are jointed to the vertical flanges, that is
to say, to the flanges, upon which the central joint of the side piece itself is
formed, a leg being jointed to the side piece on each side of the central joint,
and at slight distance from it. The two legs may either be jointed to cach
other at their extremities, or they may be cressed and connected together by a
rivet or other joint, being arranged, in either case, so as to fold up along with
the side pieces, and to lie alongside their vertical flanges when folded. On
opening or unfolding the side pieces the legs necessarily assume their proper
position of themselves. Additional legs or supports may be jointed to the side
pieces at their extreme ends, the joints being also on the vertical flange of
the side piece. My improvement in the corner joint of the bed frame consists
in turning in the vertical flange of one of the frame frame pieces, for the purpose
of fixing to the turned in portion a dove-tail wedge, arranged to fit into a
corresponding socket fixed to the vertical flange of the other frame piece.
The cross end pieces of the bedstead frame may each be connected to one of the
longitudinal side pieces by a rule joint upon their horizontal flanges, so as to lie
alongside the longitudinal pieces when folded up. The material I employ in the
manufacture of mattresses and bedding is a felted or milled woollen fabric,
such as "kersey" or printers' felted cloth, which is to be adopted in place of
the fabrics hitherto used for this purpose. The support for the bedding may
be secured to projecting catches or buttons upon the frame pieces, being
formed with eyelet, holes, to correspond to such catches or buttons, upon the

page_text: :
frame pieces being formed, or the connection may be effected by means of S
shaped hooks. And in order that my said Invention may be properly under-
stood, I shall now proceed to describe the several explanatory figures on the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto attached..
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation of a portable bed-
stead constructed according to my improved system: Figure 2 is an inside view
of one of the longitudinal bedstead frame pieces with the supporting legs, as
in the act of being folded together; and Figure 3 represents the same parts
completely folded. Figure 4 is a side elevation of a bedstead with the centre
legs arranged across each other; another modification being also shewn in this
figure in red lines. Figure 5 is a view of the modification represented in
Figure 4, but shewing the frame piece and legs folded together. Figure 6 is
a plan looking on the top side, and Figure 7 is a plan looking on the under
side of my improved wedge and socket corner joint. Figure 8 is a side
elevation of the turned in flange with the dove-tail wedge fixed thereto; and
Figure 9 is an end view, corresponding. Figure 10 is an inside view of the
end of the frame piece to which the socket piece or pieces are fixed, and
Figure 11 is an end view, corresponding to Figure 10. Figure 12 is a plan of
the rule joint, as applied at one end of the corners of the bedstead frame. The
bedstead frame is made of angle iron, and the longitudinal sides are in two
pieces A, connected by a flat rule joint B at the centre, the joint being upon
the vertical flange of the angle iron. Supports or legs C are jointed at D to
the vertical flanges A of the frames, inside which flanges they are arranged to
lie when folded together, as in Figure 3. The joints D are each a short
distance from the centre joint B of the frames A, and the legs C are jointed
together either at their extremities, as at E, in Figures 1, 2, and 3, in which
case a flat rule joint is used, or they are jointed together at some intermediate
point in their length, as at F, in Figures 4 and 5, the legs being crossed over each
other, and being connected by a plain rivet or other suitable joint. The end
pieces and supports G of the bedstead may be constructed according to any of
the plans described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and
bearing date the Tenth day of September One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-one, and these end pieces may be connected to the longitudinal side pieces
A by joints, of the form which I will herein-after describe. In cases where
the bedstead is not required to stand very high, the legs C may be made short,
their points of connection with the frame piece A being brought nearer to
the centre joint B, as indicated in red lines at H, in Figure 4. The legs
thus arranged will take up less space along the flanges A, when folded down
upon them, and room will be left for additional legs, as indicated in red lines

page_text: at I-in Figure 4. These legs I, are to be jointed to the vertical-flanges A of
the side pieces at their extreme ends, and are to be of sufficient length to stand
at an angle, as shewn in red lines at J, in Figure 4, when the bedstead is
erected; whilst to prevent their turning outwards too far, they have shoulders
framed upon them at K, so as to abut against the turned in .flange at
the end of the frame piece A. In forming the corner joint, I turn. in: the
end of the vertical flange A of the frame piece, as at L, in Figures 7, 8, and
9, the same arrangement being also indicated. in dotted lines in Figure 6.
Upon the turned in flange L. is screwed or otherwise fixed' or formed a
dove-tail wedge M, with the narrow end downwards, this wedge being arranged
to fit into a socket upon the other frame piece N, to which, the frame. piece
A is to be joined. The vertical flange A of the frame piece N 'projects
beyond the top flange, the part projecting being covered by the overlapping
end of the top flange P of the frame piece A. The socket is formed by two
suitably-shaped projections Q, screwed or otherwise fixed or formed upon the
inside of the vertical flange O, the space R between the pieces Q forming
the socket, and being of a dove-tail wedge shape, with the. narrower end
downwards, to correspond to the shape and position of the wedge M. This
arrangement forms a good solid joint, and it is generally preferable to place
the socket upon the end cross piece of the frame, the wedge being fixed
upon the longitudinal side pieces; but in some cases it will be better to have
the socket on the side piece and the wedge on the cross piece; as for ex-
ample, when the side pieces are provided with additional legs at their
extremities, and the cross pieces may, consequently, be without other support.
Each of the cross pieces of the bedstead frame may be jointed to one of the
side pieces, as represented in Figure 12, the joint consisting of a flat rule
joint S, formed in the top horizontal flanges T of the side and end frame
pieces. In this manner each end piece may be folded up and turned round so
as to lie alongside the side piece to which it is jointed, so as to be conveniently
packed, and with few detached pieces.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of portable beds or couches,
as herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the system or mode of jointing the central legs of the side pieces of
portable metallic bed frames to the vertical flanges of the frame pieces, in
which flanges are the joints which connect the halves of the frame pieces
together, whilst the legs are also jointed together either at their extremities or
at an intermediate point in their length, so that, on folding or unfolding the
frame pieces, the legs adjust themselves to their proper position, as herein-before
described.
Third, the system or mode of turning in the end of the vertical flange of the
side or end pieces of portable bed frames for the purpose of attaching thereto
a dove-tail wedge or other joint piece to form the joint between the two frame
pieces at right angles to each other, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of connecting each of the end cross pieces of
portable bed frames to one of the longitudinal side pieces by a rule joint in the
top or horizontal flanges of the frames, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the application and use in the manufacture of mattresses and bedding
of felted or milled woollen fabrics, such as "kersey" or printers' felted cloth,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Blair, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four.
JOHN BLAIR. (L.S.)