US1888666A - Spring construction and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 22, 1932. O. HETHERINGTON 1,833,666

SPRING CONSTRUCTION'AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed May 13. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /0 7 l4 f f okz /2 INVENTOR. 04/145,? figs; 7f/E'fF/IV6 7.0m

SPRING CONSTRUCTION AND ME IHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed May 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2' Z W M f l INVENTOR. 601/5? fzs-rmsrw/va 70/1 v ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES SPRINGS, INCORPORATED, 0]? OF PENNSYLVANIA PATENT OFFICE OLIVER HETHFiRINGTON, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESS wnsr CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION SPRING CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Application filed May 13, 1930. Serial No. 451,893. U D

This invention, generally stated, relates to a spring mat or cushion insert for upholstered articles as mattresses, motor car seats, furniture and the like, and has more particular relation to the manner. of assembling the coiled springs therein.

One object of the present invention is to connect the coiled springs both longitudinally and transversely considered so that tangling of the coils is prevented, thereby to maintain the same in their original position in the unit without destroying, however, a maximum degree of flexibility in folding or rolling of the unit.

Another object is to provide a spring mat or cushion of the character stated wherein the coils are maintained sufiiciently secure against slippage with respect to one another to prevent rattling or similar noises without, however, destroying the greatest possible degree of flexibility.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a spring mat or cushion of the character stated in which a row of coiled springs may be tied together one with another longitudinallyconsidered at their overlapped tops and bottoms and in which adjacent coils laterally considered may have their overlapped tops and bottoms tied or clamped together to provide a s ring tension connection which, while posit vely holding the coils together against slippage, permits of a relative hinge-like action.

Other and further objects of the present in vention reside in the provision of general details of construction and in the arrangement, combination, and connection of parts for attaining the results sought by the foregoing objects. a

The invention consists of the novel con struction hereinafter described and finally claimed. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional plan view of a spring mat or cushion embodying the invention and taken npon'the line 11 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a'spring mat or cushion embodying the invention and taken upon the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in plan, drawnto an enlarged scale, of one of the coil fastenings shown-in Fig. 1;

. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates in elevation one of the tie pieces shown in the foregoing figures prior to being bent to form;

Fig. 6 is a top or plan View of a slightly modified form of coil arrangement going to make up a mat or cushion embodying the invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in plan drawn to an enlarged scale illustrating a modified form of tie piece;

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of the tie piece shown in Figs 7 and 8 prior to being bent to form;

' Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View in plan drawn to an enlarged scale of a still further modifiedform of tie piece;

Fig. 11 is a view in elevation of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a View in elevation of the tie piece shown in Figs. 10 and ll prior to being bent to form;

Figs. 13 is a top or plan view of a pair of goils clamped together by means of a clip; an

Fig. 14.- is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 13.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings several forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can" that a tight, non-slipping connection is same as that just described with the excep-- formed, yet -providing a hinge-like 'oint to provide maximum flexibility. The ree end of a coil is tied to the upper convolution of an adjacent spring 10 and likewise the lower adjacent convolutions of springs are srmilarly tied together. The connection 11 ust referred to may be described as being a crimped knot, and the spring convolutions both upper and lower are in difi'erent planes than are the knots themselves. There is provided a construction devoid of continuous, connecting or spacing members, either rigid or flexible, but rather a construction depending on a unique form of wire-tie passed pref- -erably diagonally through the overlapped portions of the top and bottom convolutions of the coil springs and with the free ends wound around said top and bottom convolutions outside the overlapped portions to se cure spacing and connection both laterally and transversely, or laterally or transversely only, in both of which cases spacing and connection in the remaining direction is attained by knotting with a crimped knot the top and bottom spring ends to the top and hot 1 tom convolutions of an adjacent spring. As shown in said figure, there are two such rows, although thenumber of rows depends upon the size of spring mat or cushion to be made.

Adjacent rows of coiled springs are tied together transversely so that the top and bottom coils of the springs are secured together in overlapped position.- This is clearly illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4:. Referring to these figures, and Fig. 5, the reference numeral 12 designates a strand of wire which per and lower-concentric coils at the over,

I wrap around the overlapped upper and lower coils of the springs 10 in spaced rela-- tion to form ring-like parts 13. That portion 40 of the wire 12 between the ring-like parts 13 is passed upwardly through the space formed between the overlapped springs 10 by bending the wire 12 first upwardly as at 14 and then downwardly as at 15, see Fig. 4. This forms a tight clamping of parts yet forms a hinge-like connection to permit of maximum flexibility of the mat or cushion. The reference numeral 16 designates a cover for the springs 10.

In Fig. 6 the construction of parts is the tion that instead of tying together the springs 10 in rows as at 11 of the same material formin the springs, I employ a se arate piece 0 wire as shown in Fig. 5 an bend the same in identically the same manner to form a tie connection as employed in the transverse connection of springs and the same reference numeral designates the same arrangement of parts in each instance. Thus, instead of having connected rows of coils .10, connected groups of individualcoils are provided. j Referring now to Figs. 7, 8, and 9 instead of employing thetie wire 12 as shownin bend over said arms 17 and thereafter further bend the terminals 18 of said arms 17 in parallelism, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9 so that the overlapped portions of the springs 10 are securely clamped together as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring now to Figs. 10, 11, and 12, I employ a substantially inverted U-shaped clip instead of the clip just described. The arms 19 of this clip have extensions 20 extended toward one another and bent U-shaped fashion as at 21, see Fig. 12. In practice the overlapped portions of the springs 10 both at their tops and bottoms have projected therebetween a clip of this character and theterminals of said arms 19 bent toward one another, at an inclination as shown by dotted springs 10 are clamped together by means of a fiat metal strip 22, the terminals 23 of which I 1 are bent around-the springs 10 both at their tops and bottoms. It will be understood that these strips 22, as well as the devices shown in Figs. 9 and '12, may be applied to the springs 10 in the manner of tying the springs together as shown in either Figs. 1 or 6. In general, any of the methods of independent tying depicted may be used in tying the uplapped position but in particular, claim is made for the method of passing a wire preferably diagonally through the overlapped portion which is not distorted and winding it around both adjacent coils outside of the overlapped section in such a manner as to produce a hinge-joint giving an easy and free hinge action, and at the same time tightly enoughto produce sufficient tension whereby the adjacent coils of the spring mat or cushion tend-to return to a position substantially in the same plane after being forced from it by pressure or flexure or otherwise moving the spring structure.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A self supporting spring cushion or mat consisting of spiral springs the upper and lower adjacentcoils of which overlap, awire arranged diagonally through said overlapped portions the respective ends of saiddiagonal wire being wound around said adjacent coils to provide a hinge-joint. I

2. A self supporting spring cushion'or mat comprising a grou direction being tied together to also provide a hinge-joint.

OLIVER HETHERINGTON.

Images