MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INVALID BEDSTEADS, CONVERTIBLE INTO OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS
Year: 1861

page_text: Hertford, Master of the Workhouse, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INVALID BEDSTEADS, CONVERTIBLE INTO OTHER
ARTICLES OF FURNITURE FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS."
Sealed the 27th May 1862, and dated the 2nd December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wakenell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
1.: December 1861.
I, JAMES WAKENELL, of. Hitchin, in the County of Hertford, Master
the Workhouse, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INVALID BEDSTEADS, CONVERTIBLE INTO
OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS," to be as follows:-
214
And that my Invention may be more readily understood; I will refer to the
annexed Diagrams, in which the ordinary frame of a bedstead (a, Figs. 1 & 2,).
is to be fitted, with a separate moveable bottom (b) running on friction rollers,
in a groove on the ordinary frame (a); or a flange may be attached to this
frame (a), and grooved or flanged-rollers may be employed upon the moveable
frame (6). This moveable frame (6) is jointed at about one-third of its
length from the head of the bedstead, as seen at (c), in such manner that the
upper or head end (d) may be made to assume an inclined position. It is
worked into this position by means of a winch or crank handle (E), furnished
with a pinion (F)working in a rack (g)-upon the under side of the moveable
frame (b) By turning this crank or winch (E), the head(d) of the move,
able-frame (6) gradually rises into an inclined position at an angle with

page_text: the under frame. Small friction rollers (h) attached at or near the angles
run up grooves or upon flanges on the inside of the head posts (I), and serve
to steady the moveable frame laterally. In this way the patient may be
gently and imperceptibly raised from a horizontal to a recumbent or reclining
position, and being thus raised, any suitable stop action (a mere cotter pin is
sufficient) may be employed to prevent the apparatus from running back.
In Figure 3 is represented a construction of side table furnished with a
rising desk, shewn at (K), for the purpose of holding a book or writing
materials. This table is thus brought into use:-The knobs of the foot
posts (1).(Fig. 1,) being removed, the table travels up a groove in each side of
the fixed or under frame (a), and by means of cotter pins or other convenient
and readily adjusted contrivance, the table is fastened to the moveable
frame.(b); the pins for this purpose may pass through the legs of the table
and into the moveable frame, thus suspending the frame between and upon
the legs of the table; a chain, strap, or other tie is placed at (m) .connecting
the table & moveable frame together. In this way a patient may recline &
read, write, or take food whilst in bed. If it be desired to remove him from
the bed, the moveable frame (b), either with the table, as shewn in the
Diagram (Fig. 3), or without, can be slid off the under frame (a), wheeled
upon the table standards to any desirable position, and the foot end of the
moveable frame (b) being jointed in manner similar to the head end, that part
may be lowered, as shewn in the Diagram, and the whole apparatus forms an
easy chair and table combined. The easy chair, with or without the table,
may also be formed by sliding the moveable frame (b) to the foot of the
ordinary frame (a), and lowering the foot of the moveable frame; but if the
table be not used in this position, a chain, tie, or strap of some description
must be attached, as seen at (n) (Figure 2), to prevent the raised head from
falling back, as it will have lost the support of the head posts. This Inven-
tion may be carried out in any of the materials of which similar articles are
all Commod
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Wakenell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WAKENELL, of Hitchin, in the County of Hertford, Master of the Workhouse, 35
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and, sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Wakenell, Her special licence that I, the said
James Wakenell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Wakenell, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INVALID BEDSTEADS, CONVERTIBLE INTO
OTHER ARTICLES OF FURNITURE FOR THE USE OF INVALIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Wakenell, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Wakenell, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood, I will
refer to the annexed Diagrams, in which the ordinary frame of a bedstead
(a, Figures 1, 2,) is to be fitted with a separate moveable bottom b; running
on friction rollers in a groove on the ordinary frame a; or a flange may be
attached to this frame a, and grooved or flanged rollers may be employed upon
the moveable.frame b. This moveable frame b is jointed at about one-third of
its length from the head of the bedstead, as seen at c, in such manner that the
upper or head end d¿ may be made to assume an inclined position. It.is
worked into this position by means of a winch or crank handle e, furnished
with a pinion f working in a rack g upon the under side of the moveable
frame b. By turning this crank or winch e, the head d of the moveable
frame 6 gradually rises into an inclined position at an angle with the under
frame. Small friction rollers h are attached at or near the angles, which run
up grooves or upon flanges on the inside of the head posts i, and serve to
steady the moveable-frame laterally. In this way the patient may be gently
and imperceptibly raised from a liorizontal to a recumbent or reclining position,

page_text: and being thus raised, any suitable stop action (a mere cotter pin is sufficient)
may be employed to prevent the apparatus from running back.
In Figure 3 is represented a construction of side table furnished with a
rising desk, shown at k, for the purpose of.holding a book or writing materials,
This table is thus brought into use:-The knobs of the foot posts 1, Figure 1,
being, removed, the table travels up a groove in each side of the fixed or under
frame a, and by means of cotter pins, or other convenient and readily adjusted
contrivance, the table is fastened to the moveable frame b, the pins for this
purpose. may pass through the legs of the table and into the moveable frame,
thus suspending the frame between and upon the legs of the table. A chain,
strap, or other tie is placed at m, connecting the table and moveable frame
together. In this way a patient may recline and read, write, or take food
whilst in, bed. If it be desired to remove him from the bed, the moveable
frame, either with the table, as shewn in the Diagram, Figure 3, or without,
can be slid off the under frame a, wheeled upon the table standards to any
desirable position, and the foot end of the moveable frame b being jointed in
manner similar to the head end, that part may be lowered, as shewn in the
Diagram, and the whole apparatus forms an easy chair and table combined.
The easy chair with or without the table may also be formed by sliding the
moveable frame b to the foot of the ordinary frame a, and lowering the foot of
the moveable frame; but if the table be not used in this position, a chain, tie,
or strap must be attached, as seen at n, Figure 2, to prevent the raised head
from falling back, as it will have lost the support of the bed posts. This
Invention may be carried out in any of the materials of which similar articles
are usually formed.,
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wakenell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day-of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES WAKENELL. (L:S:)