US1594276A - Bedspring - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 27, 1926.

UNrrED STATE-s;

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. STACKHOUSE, OF HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO L. A. YOUNG INDUSTRIES, INC., OF DETROIT, mOHIG-AN, ACORPORIA- TION OF MICHIGAN.

BEDSPRING.

lApplication filed May 18, 1925. Serial No. 30,889.

This invention relates to bed springs and ,particularly to that type employing spiral or helical springs.

A bed spring of the character referred to consists of a main frame, an upper or border frame, a plurality of spiral springs, and tie members whereby they are secured with relation to each other and the respective frames. The upper or border frame is as a rule secured to and supported by the upper end of the spiral springs only, and asv such. is not as rigid as might be desired. That is, itleaves the side edges of the bed springs entirely too flexible and yielding so that a person. lying on one side of the bed has a tendency to roll ofi, and it also permits a side and end sway of the bed spring which is far from desirable.

The object of the present invention is t generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of bed springs of the character described and particularly to -provide a structure whereby the upper or border frame is rendered more rigid and the side and end sway is substantially eliminated. p

One form which-my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing` in whichv Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of the bed spring showing the manner in which the upper or border frame is rigidly supported withv relation to the spiral springs. y

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the form of spring structure illustrated in Figure 1.l

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing an ordinary form of spring structure.

By referring to the drawings in detail it will be noted that the bed spring consists of a main framel generally Vindicated at A, a plurality of spiral springsB, and an upper or border frame C. The main frame consists of side rails 2 which are tied to- A gether by means of sla-ts or cross bars such as indicated at 3'.. The lower ends of the spiral springs -are supported by the cross slats, and the upper ends are secured with relation to each other and also to the border frame C'. Double deck springs are employed in the present instance.` That is, the convolutions of the respective springs are contracted near the center portion as indicated at l and they are then gradually expanded so as to finally assume the largest diameter at their upper ends as indicated at 5.. The lower ends of the springs are secured to the cross slats bymeans of tie wires such as shown at 6. The center portions of the springs are also-tied together so as to maintain them in a vertical position by means of cross wires 7 and longitudinally extending tie wires 8. .The cross wires and the longitudinal wires are passed through the contracted center portion of the respective springs as shown at 4.- They then tie the springs with relation to each other and maintain the same in a vertical position, and they furthermore maintain a predetermined interspacing and centering of the springs. The ends of the cross tie wires 7 are extended upwardly to form supporting arms as shown at 7a. The upper ends are coiled or tied around the springs B and also around the border frame as shown at 7b. The longitudinally extending ltie wires 8 are alsoex'tended at the end and turned u wardly as' shown at 8 and they are similarly tied 'around the upper ends of the sprin'sB `and the border frame C as shown at S. v l l The cross. wires' 7 and also the longitudinal wires 8 arepreferably constructed of spring wire, and the arms 7a and 8 may thus spring or yield to a certain extent when weight is imposed on the,` border frames as hereinafter described.. The arms 7 a and 7b serve two functions: first, that of supportingthe border frame, and, secondly, that of tying the upper ends of. the

spring B with relation to the border frame.v

It should be realized that the perspective drawing ysubmitted merely indicates one corner of a4 bed spring and that arms 7a .and 8a therefore do not tie all the springs B with relation to the border .frame but merely the side and end rows of the springs. All the intermediate springs are also tied together at the upper ends, but they are not directly connected to the border frame. They are, however, connected withV adjacent sprngsphy means of cross helical or other wire ties such as indicated at l), and the upper ends of the springs are thus spaced and centered with relation to each other.

The only novel feature' of the present in vention is that of exten-ding the c ross wires 7 and the longitudinal wires 8 to form the supporting arms 7a and 8a. This feature is exceedingly important and to clearly describe it the following is submitted: Most bed springs are constructed in the manner here illustrated, the only difference being that the cross wires 7 and the longitudinal wires 8 are not extended to form arms 7at and 8a. The ends of the wires in place of being turned upwardly are merely tied to the endmost spring and they therefore merely servethe function of forming a center tie between the springs which maintains the proper spacing between the same. The border frame C is tied to the upper ends of the spiral springs and a separate tie wire is therefore required for this purpose. This separate tie wire is entirely eliminated by extending the cross and longitudinal tie wires to form the supporting arms "a and 8a as these extended arms serve the function of tying the springs to the border frame and they also serve as a support for the border frame. Vhen comparing the present structure with common practice, it will accordingly be noted that a saving is accomplished in the cost of manufacture as the separate tie wire for the upper ends of the springs to secure them to the border fram-e is entirely eliminated. This is, however, only a minor feature. If the border frame C is tied to the upper ends of the spiral springs B it will be noted that the border frame will be entirely supported by the springs and as such--will readily yield or sag when a weight is imposed on the outer edge of the bed spring as full resiliency of each spring is permitted. This is perhaps best illustrated in the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 3 in which C indicates the bor-der frame and B a spiral spring supporting the same. If a weight is imposed at C in the direction of arrow a the entire spiral spring will yield between the points indicated by dotted lines (see arrow b). That is, compression of the entire length of the spring takes place. But if the border frame is supported by the springs as shown in the diagrammatic view (see Fig. 2) and weight is imposed upon the border frame in the direction'of arrow d it will be noted that only the lower half of the spring is placed under compression as any weight imposed upon the border frame is transmitted through the arms 7a and 8a to the lower half of the spring only. The lower half of the spring` will therefore yield but it will obviously require a much greater weight to compress one half of the spring to the same extent as the whole spring. It is for this reason that the arms 7a and 8n are important as they support the border frame from the lower half of the spring only. The upper halves of the springs are not compressed to any appreciable extent when weight is imposed on the border frame and practically all weightl imposed therefore is taken up by the lower halves of the springs. Hence the rigid support obtained by extending the cross wires 7 and the longitudinal wires 8. If the border frame is secured in the usual manner as shown in Fig. 3 and the entire spring is permitted to yield it is obvious that if a person is lying on the edge of the bed a greater sag will be permitted than whenl the border frame is supported as shown in Fig. 2, hence, a person will have a tendency to roll 0E the bed when the border frame is supported as shown in Fig. 3 while the rigid support obtained by the arms 7a and 8aM in Fig. 2 will obviate this tendency. It does not interfere with the resiliency of the springs within the border frame and the springs are therefore permitted to yield throughout their entire length when weight is imposed within the border frame. They will accordingly yield when such weight is imposed and a slight uphill formation will be produced within the border frame when a person is reclining, thus eliminating any tendency to roll offv the edge of the bed.

It was also stated that the structure substantially eliminated any side or end sway on the spring structure as a whole. This can also be clearly understood when referring to Figs. 2 and 3. Tf the border frame is secured to the upper ends of the spiral springsshown in Fig. 3 and force is exerted in the direction of arrow e the whole spring will tend to move in the direction of the dotted line indicated at f. If the same force is exerted on the border frame C as indicated by arrow g the force will be imposed on the lower half of the spring only, or at the point indicated at 72, and as only one half of the latter arm is presented when comparison is made with the illustration in Fig. 3 it is obvious that a much greater resistance is imposed and rigidity is obtained as far as side sway or end movement is concerned. In other words, the rigidity of the border frame is materially increased without aifecting the resiliency of the individual springs within the border frame. Further advantage is obtained by this increased rigidity as it permits greater tension to be applied to the cross helicals D or other ties thus tending to produce an even and uniform surface with relation to the upper ends of the spiral springs B.

While the spring structure is illustrated and described in connection with bed springs, it should be understood that it may be employed wherever spring structures of this character may be used. For instance, in couches. chairs, seats, upholstery work, etc., and while certain features of the present invention are more or less speciiically illust-rated l wish it understood that various changes in form and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. I similarly wish it understood that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or various uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A spring structure of the character described comp-rising a. main support, a border Jframe, a plurality of springs interposed between the support and the border frame and in parallel therewith, and means whereby the border frame may be secured and supported by the lower halves of said springs.

2. A spring structure of the character described comprising a main support, a border frame, and a plurality of springs interposed between the support and the border frame, and means securing the upper ends of the springs to the border frame, said means being interposed between the lower halves of the springs and the border frame and forming a support for the border frame.

3. A spring structure of the character described comprising a main support, a border frame, and a plurality of springs interposed between the support and the border frame, tie wires extending cross and lengthwise of the frames and passing through the springs at a point substantially midway between their upper and lower ends, and upwardly bent extensions on the ends of the said tie wires, the upper ends of the eXtensions being tied to the upper ends of the springs and the border frame and forming a support for the border frame.

4. A spring structure of the character described comprising a main frame, a border frame, a plurality of spiral springs int-erposed between the main frame and the border Jframe, tie wires extending` cross and lengthwise of the main frame and border frame and passingthrough the springs at a point substantially midway between their upper and lower ends, the ends of said tie wires being extended and being bent upwardly, and the upper ends of said eXtensions being tied to the upper ends of the spiral springs and the border frame.

5. A spring structure of the character described comprising a main support, a border frame, a plurality of helical springs interposed between the support and the border frame, said springs being so arranged that the outermost springs will be disposed in row formation in parallelism with the border frame and auxiliary supporting arms secured at their upper ends to the border frame and at their lower ends to the lower halves of the springs which are disposed in parallelism with the border frame.

GEORGE A. STACKHOUSE.

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