IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES OR SUPPORTS FOR SWINGING COTS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Thompson, of Beaumont Street, Portland Place,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Manager, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES OR SUPPORTS FOR
SWINGING COTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1880.
ALFRED THOMPSON, of Beaumont Street, Portland Place, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES OR
SUPPORTS FOR SWINGING COTS."
The chief object of these improvements is so to construct the frame for supporting
swinging cots as to ensure lightness, strength, safety, and portability.
For this purpose I provide a central block socketted to receive the corTO-
spondingly shaped ends of the legs of the framework, and also the ends of the arms
of supports to which the swinging frame of the cot is attached in any convenient
manner.
This central block is drilled vertically to receive the rod or bar of the cap pieco
by which the socketted ends of the frame work are secured in place. The cap
piece consists of a disc or plate of metal, having a bolt which is threaded to receive
a screw projecting from its centre.
When the legs and supports of the cot have been placed in the sockets of the
central block the bolt of the cap picco is passed through the vertical hole in the
centre of the block, and a knob or winged nut of ornamental or other form is
screwed firmly onto it.
It is convenient to make the contact surfaces of the central block and cap piece
interlock, so as to prevent the cap piece from working loose.
The swinging frame of the cot 1 joint at the middle of its length to permit of its
folding over when the cot is intended to be packed for transport.
For detaching the arms and legs from the central block, for the purpose of
packing, it is only necessary to remove the cap picce when the block may be easily
disengaged. The parts will then pack closely together, and occupy with the cot
and its swinging frame a comparatively small space.[

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of tho Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
August 1880.
ALFRED THOMPSON, of Beaumont Street, Portland Place, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRAMES OR
SUPPORTS FOR SWINGING COTS."
The chief object of theso improvements is so to construct the frame for supporting
swinging cots as to ensure lightness, strength, safety, and portability.
For this purpose I provide a central block socketted to receive the corre-
spondingly shaped ends of the legs of the framework, and also the ends of the arms
or supports to which the swinging frame of the cot is attached in any convenient
manner.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in side elevation a cot constructed
according to my Invention, the frame being composed of detachable parts which are
held firmly together when required for use, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
In those Figures, A is a central block of cast iron formed with chamfered radial
recesses in its upper face to receive at its angles four legs B, B, and at its ends a
pair of bracket arms or supports C, C, which carry the swinging frame D of the cot.
The inner ends of these legs and arms B, C, terminate each in a rounded enlarge-
ment to fit a corresponding space at the inner ends of the radial recesses; this is
clearly shewn in the enlarged plan view, Fig. 3, of the block detached. Fig. 4
shews this block in vertical section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 3, the inner ends
of the arms C, C, being in place in the block. By thus enlarging the inner ends
of the legs and arms B, C, they are prevented from being withdrawn endwise out
of their recesses. To secure these parts B and C to the block A a cap piece E,
shewn in plan view at Fig. 5, is provided. This cap piece overlies the face of the
block and interlocks therewith, the block being cast at its centre with a recess to
receive an increased thickness of the cap piece E.
The central block A is drilled vertically to receive a screw bolt F, which passes
down through the centre of the cap piece and receives a binding nut G at its
lower end.
When the legs and supports of the cot have been fitted in the recesses of the
central block A, and the cap piece has been placed over the block the bolt F is
passed through the vertical hole in the centre of the block, and the nut G, which
may be made of any ornamental form, is applied to the bolt and tightened
up. The effect of this is to secure the socketted ends of the legs and arms in
place.
I have found it convenient to make the contact surfaces interlock as explained,
so as to prevent the cap piece from working loose.
The swinging frame D of the cot I joint at the middle of its length to permit of
its folding over when the cot is intended to be packed for transport.
For detaching the arms and legs from the central block for the purpose of
packing it is only necessary to remove the cap piece, when the block may be easily
disengaged. The parts will then pack closely together, and occupy with the cot
and its swinging frame a comparatively small space.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Frames or Supports for Swinging Cots," and explained the manner

page_text: of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
Constructing the frames of swinging cots of interlocking detachable pieces, which
are secured in place in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Thompson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty first day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
ALFRED THOMPSON. (L.S.)