US2011747A - Handle for mattresses, box springs, and cushions - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 20, 1935. BEG-K 2,011,747

HANDLE FOR MATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS AND CUSHIONS Filed Aug. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l M. BECHIK Aug. 20, 1935.

HANDLE FOR MATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS AND CUSHIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug., 19, 1952 Patented Aug. 20, 1935 UNITED STATES HANDLE FOR MATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS, AND CUSHIONS Michael Bechik, St. Paul, Minn. Application August 19, 1932, Serial No. 629,421

15 Claims.

My invention relates to a handle for mattresses, box-springs and the like, where it is desirable to provide a means of engagement by the hand so I that the mattress may be engaged easily and handled so as to turn it over or lift and carry the same. A handle of this character is very desirable because it lies normally fiat against the side wall or boxing of the mattress, is moon-'- spicuous and yet is strong and durable, so that the mattress may be lifted and carried or engaged by handles of this character attached to the same.

A feature of my handle resides in providing a flexible handle member which may be in the form of a round or flat cord or strap and may be formed of any suitable material and which is anchored into the boxing or side wall of the mattress or cushion through grommets which are secured to the side wall and theanchor means. The portion of the handle engaged bythe hand liesjnormally fiat against the outside wall so as not to project or bulge from the same and I provide an anchoring and reinforcing means in an inner supporting member which may be bowed away from the center portion of the outer part of the handle to permit the side wall of the mattress to bend in toward this member directly back of the handle. Thus when the fingers engage over the handle lying against the side wall of the mattress or cushion, the wall will bend inward against the inner supporting member forming a hand recess about the handle making it easy to engage.

Further, I provide a replaceable handle which may be readily replaced by a similar handle at any time it is desired.

My handle includes a construction wherein an inner reinforcing member extends along the side wall or boxing of the mattress and may be straight or bowed intermediate the ends. When bowed inwardly it provides a hand recess for the handle which extends along the outside of the wall of the mattress or cushion. When the reinforcing inner member is straight the handle itself may be provided with resilient means which permits the handle to stretch for the easy engagement of the hand with the same.

The reinforcing member is secured to the inner wall of the mattress by the grommets through which the handle extends from the outside. This member may be tubular or flat. The tubular structure is preferred when a coil spring is attached to the. ends of the handle so as to permit the spring to operate in the tubular portion of the reinforcing member without interfering with the inner parts of the cushion or mattress or causing these parts to interfere with the operation of the spring of the handle. The handle maybe of a flexible resilient nature so that it will stretch as may be desired, thus providing the necessary give for the engagement of the hand. A primary feature of my handle is that it is inexpensive, attractive in appearance because it can be made of the same material as the mattress wall, or of other suitable decorative material, or of a silk-like cord, and being of a flexible nature is not hard or undesirable, extending along flat against the outside wall of the mattress or cushion. A further advantage of my handle is that the side wall of the mattress or cushion normally remains fiat with my handle lying directly against the same and with the'curved reinforcing anchor member which is rigidly fixed and concealed inside of the wall of the mattress, even though the wall of the mattress extends fiat it will readily bend inwardly the moment the hand moves into engagement with the handle.

-In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustartes a perspective detail of a portion of a mattress, showing my handle attached to the side wall of the same.

Figure 2 is a sectional detail of my handle in one form, illustrating the construction thereof as it would appear attached to the side wall of a mattress or cushion.

Figure 3 is an inner view in perspective of the construction illustrated in Figure 2. K

Figure 4 illustrates another sectional detail of a form of my handle.

Figure 5 is a similar section to Figure 4, showing the side wall adjacent the handle cord bent inward toward the bowed anchor member.

Figure 6 is a perspective detail of the straplike form of my handle, showing the flexible strap-like handle extending to the inside of the wall and the ends anchored together over the bowed anchor member.

Figure 7 is a perspective detail of a strap construction of my handle showing a coil spring in dotted outline attached to the inner ends of the same.

Figure 8 illustrates the manner in which the hand grips my flexible handle in use.

Figure 9 illustrates-a sectional detail similar to Figures 4 and 5, with the exception that the anchoring member is formed straight instead of being bowed inwardly on the inside of the mattres or cushion. A v

Figure 10 illustrates a perspective detail show-- ing my strap-like handle with a different an shoring means for the end thereof as associated ward the offset tube I4.

with the elongated grommet for receiving the ends of the handle which carries an anchoring pin.

Figure 11 is a sectional detail of the construction illustrated in Figure 10, showing the handle inserted through the grommet and the anchoring pin engaging against the inside of the same to anchor the ends of the strap handle.

Heretofore handles have been provided for mattresses and cushions wherein various constructions have been used, some of which have been of a type where a member was sewed to the side wall of the mattress or cushion, and others of which included a rod-like metal handle member, held to the side walls by various constructions so as to permit the same to'be engaged to lift or carry the mattress. These forms, I believe, are objectionable because when. they are sewed on they are very apt to pull ofi, and the metal handles are undesirable because they detract from the decorative textile material of which mattresses and cushions are usually made. It is with this in mind I have provided my handles A, which are made of flexible'material having a character so that they may be of the same material as the mattress or cushion and formed either in a round cord-like member or a flat construction.

When the handle A is formed of the cord I0 it may be of any suitable length and is adapted to be connected to the side wall II of the mattress spring I3 and these ends I2 and the. coil spring I3 are adapted to be carried in the tubular portion I4 of the anchoring and securing member I5.

The member I5 may be made by stamping the same from fiat stock or formed from a tube and is provided with washer-like end portions I6 which engage, fiat against the inner surface of the wall I I and which are adapted to be held secured to the wall by suitable grommets I! of the desired form and nature so as to firmly fix the anchoring member I5 to the inner wall I I of the mattress B. It is desirable to form the anchoring member I5 with the tubular portion I4 offset from the washer-like; ends I6 so as to normally provide a space I8 between the tube I4 and the wall II. This space I8 provides a means of permitting the wall In to move toward the offset tube I4 when the handle A is engaged, thus providing a finger space by forcing the wall II todle A to be easily engaged by the hand and yet 1 an important feature of this construction is that the wall II normally remains flat with the rest of the wall of the side II of the cushion or mattress B so as not to detract from the general smooth appearance of the same. The recess which is provided by the offsetting of the tube I4 in the side wall is not apparent normally, but

The handle A may be made in the form and construction illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, wherein the cord I0 is formed with a knot I9 on each-end toanchor the inner'ends of the handle This permits the hanto engage the handle cord Ill the wall II willbend inwardly as illustrated in Figure 5, forming a recess between the handle cord I0 and the wall so that a person's hand may easily engage the handle A to lift or carry the mattress B.

It may be preferred to form the handle A with a fiat flexible member 20, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7,-and in this construction the flat straplike handle 20 extends through the elongated grommets 2| which hold the anchoring bar I5 to the side wall I I of the mattress or cushion B.

The handle A" may be made of a single piece with the ends overlapped and secured together at 22 across the back of the anchoring bar I5 as illustrated in dotted outlinein Figure 6. When so formed the handle A is firmly fixed in place and has sufficient give topermit the hand to be slipped back of the handle between the wall II and the inside of the strap handle 20. Here again the anchoring bar I5 is bent inwardly in the same manner as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, so that the Wall II willben'd toward the inner bowed portion of the bar I5 as soon as the fin-.

gers of the hand slip around the strap handle 20.

The handle 20 in its fiat straplike nature may be formed with eyelets 23 secured in the ends of the sameand in these eyelets the ends of a coil spring 24 may engage to provide a more resilient handle A which has a nature to stretch to a certain extent when engaged by the hand. It is preferred that the coil spring 24 be encased within a tube such as I4 to protectthe coil spring 24, which is similar to the coil spring I3, against becoming entangled or interfering with the inner parts of ,the cushion or mattress B. Thus allowing'the spring 24 in thesame manner as the spring I3 operates, to move freely unimpaired in the tube I4. The construction of the handle A may be made as illustrated in Figure 9, where the cord I0 extends through the grommets I1. In this construction the grommets I'I hold the washer-like ends of the anchoring member I5," which is of the same construction as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, excepting the washer-like ends I6 are not offset from the tubular portion I4 but extend in line with the same and no space such as I8 is provided between the tube I4 and the wall II. Thus the anchoring member I5" lies fiat against the inner surface of the wall II of the mattress or cushion B and any space for the fingers of the hand is obtained by stretching of the cord ID, the ends of which are secured by the tubular-"fasteners 25 which are formed with an eye "26 which engages with the ends of the spring 21. tubular ends act as a funnel which is clamped over the ends of the cord I0 torigidly attach the tubular members 25 to the handle A. In stretching the handle III in the construction of Figure 9, the connection 25 acts as a stop when contacting with the grommet I! to prevent the spring 21 from being stretched too far. In the construction ofFigure 2, the doubled-over ends I2, as illustrated, will strike against the grommets and act as shouldersto prevent the stretching of the spring I3'.- 1

Thus the handle A may be formed as illustrated in Figure 9, without a space being provided Thebetween the anchor member and the wall I l and yet having sufficient room for the hand owing to the coil spring which permits the handle cord ID to stretch sufficiently to admit the hand in engagement with the cord.

The easy engagement of the cord ill by the hand is illustrated in Figure 8. This also shows the grommet I! which acts as a securing means for the ends of the anchor member l5 and a ventilator opening around the handle A through the grommet so that a ventilation to the mattress is provided as well as an opening through which the flexible handle A may move in operation.

I provide a construction of the handle A" which forms a removable strap member 28, only a portion of which is illustrated in Figures and 11. Here the strap 28 may be anchored by providing an anchoring pin 29 extending through the ends of the strap 28 and by means of the elongated grommet 30 which holds the inner anchor member l5 and which provides the slotted opening 3|, the end of the strap 28 which carries the anchoring pin 29 may be inserted through the slot 3| by bending the end of the strap 28 so that the pin 29 lies flat with the strap and then inserting the same through the grommet slot 3!. Each end is provided with an anchoring pin 29 as illustrated in Figure 10 for the handle 28. In operative position the pins 29 hold the ends of the handle 28 as illustrated. in Figure 11, with the pins 29 extending transversely across the slots 3| so as to securely anchor the inner ends of the handle 28. Should the handle 28 wear out or it be desired to replace the same a new handle can be supplied with anchoring pins 29 which will be extended through the slot 3| as heretofore set forth. If it is not possible to remove the end of the whole handle with the pin 29, the handle can be cut ofi and the inner parts will do no harm in the mattress or cushion. Thus I provide a removable and replaceable handle in the construction illustrated in Figures 10 and 11.

My handle A in its flexible nature is very adaptable to cushions and mattresses and articles where a strong'attractive handle is desire which may be adapted to lie along the side wall, resting flat against the same and without detracting from the appearance of the side wall or causing the side wall to bend or wrinkle by the attaching or use of the handle. The anchoring member in my handle provides a rigid securing means extending along in line with the handle, concealed within the mattress wall or cushion and preventing the pinching of the side wall when the handle A is engaged to lift the mattress. No metallic parts other than the grommets appear upon the side wall of a mattress or cushion equipped with my handle; It is flexible, easy to engage, soft on the hand in lifting the mattress, securely attached and anchored, and asuflicient hand space is provided without causing the handle to pinch the fingers between the wall and the handle. The inner ends of the handle are protected in the tubular anchor as well as the spring and extend close to and along the inside of the wall of the mattress or cushion so as to take up a small space and yet give flexibility as may be desired.

The flexible nature of my handle provides a hand engaging means whichis soft and fits closely to the side wall, giving a construction for the handle which may be made of textile material of the same nature as the cover of the mattress or cushionf or may be made of any other suitable flexible material, like leather or similar material, as well as of a decorative material in the form of a silk cord or strap which may act to decorate the side of the mattress as well as providing a means of easily engaging the same. Mattresses and cushions made of a square or box-like type are hard to engage and handle and where the handles are just sewed to the construction they are not properly anchored to provide a strong lifting and handling means for the same. Metallic handles are undesirable, whereas, my handle overcomes these objections and provides all of the advantages as setforth.

. I claim:

1. A flexible handle for mattresses, cushions and the like comprising, an anchoring bar having an ofiset central portion, means for anchoringsaid bar to the wall of the mattress or cushion within the same, a hand engaging member extending through the mattress wall at substantially spaced points to engage said anchoring bar at points oppositely disposed on either side of said ofiset portion, said ofiset permitting flexing of the 'said wall when said handle is engaged.

2. A resilient handle for a mattress, cushion and the like including, a flexible hand engaging member extending along the wall of the mattress, anchoring means held by grommets, concealed along the inside of the mattress wall, said anchoring means including a tubular central portion offset from the ends thereof to form aspace into which the mattress wall may be flexed, and a coil spring securing the ends of said flexible handle within said tubular anchor.

3. A handle for cushions and the like including, a flexible handle member, means for anchoring the inner ends of said handle member including a coil spring, a tubular member in which said coil spring operates, securing ends formed onsaid tubular member, anchoring means, for said securing ends to secure said ends to the wall of the cushion or the like, said tubular member forming a shield for the inner ends of the handle member and coil spring.

4. A handle for a cushion and the like including, a flexible hand engaging strap-like member, and means for. anchoring the ends of said flexible handle member to the wall of the cushion including a cushion wall flexing recess formed in said anchoring means in a manner to permit the wall of the cushion to remain normally flat and to flex inwardly when said flexible handle member is engaged.

-5. A mattress handle including, a supporting bar across the inside wall of the mattress. grommets extending through the ends of said bar to fix the same to the mattress wall, and a handle extending through said grommets, said bar being secured in a manner to permit said handle to be easily engaged.

6. A handle for a mattress and the like comprising, a reinforcing bar concealed in the mattress, a flexible handle carried by said bar having an engaging portion on the outside of the mattress, ends on said handle extending into the the hand engages said handle.

wall to permit the side of the same to sink in when '7. A handle for a mattress, cushion and the i tress and extending through said grommets, said curved portion of said bar permitting the side wall of the mattress to bend in thereby forming a space for the hand in engaging said handle.

- within the mattress wall for the spaced ends of said handle including bight means forming a recess between the bight and mattress wall for allowing said wall to flex into the bight to facilitate easy engagement of the handle, the recess being normally inconspicuous by the straightening of the wall of the mattress.

9. A mattress handle including, a hand engaging member, means for anchoringthe ends of said member within the wall of the mattress, and a flexing space in said anchoring means to permit the mattress wall to flex inwardly when the hand engaging member is engaged.

10. A mattress handle including, a reinforcing bar concealed within the mattress, a flexing recess formedin said bar, a handle member, endson-said handle member extending into the mattress at points a substantial distance apart to engage 'said reinf'orcing'bar on oppositely disposed sides of said flexing recess, said bar permitting the flexing of the mattress wall into the recess when the hand engages the handle.

11. A mattress handle including, a reinforcing bar, means for securing said bar to the inside of the mattress wall, a flexible handle engaging said bar and means for anchoring the ends thereof to said reinforcing bar, whereby the portion of the handle between the ends of said bar outside the mattress wall is engageable for lifting said mattress.

12. A handle for a mattress including, a handle member, a reinforcing and spacing'memher having an offset portion between the ends thereof, means for securing said reinforcing member inside the wall of the mattress, and means for securing said handle member to said reinforcing member, whereby the wall of the mattress lies between the handle member and the reinforcing member and remains normally flat and flexes inward without material resistance when the hand engages said handle mem-- ber. a

13. A handle for cushions, mattresses and the like, comprising, a reinforcing member, means for securing said reinforcing member with the ends fixed to the mattress or the like, and a hand engaging member extending between the ends of said reinforcing member in a manner to' normally lie flat against the wall of the mattress or cushion, said reinforcing member permitting the wall of the mattress to flex inwardly without tension other than the tendency of the wall to normally remain comparatively flat between the ends of said reinforcing member.

14. In combination with a mattress wall having a pair of openings therein, a rigid bracing member secured interiorly of said wall and having an aperture in each end thereof to register with said openings in said mattress wall, the central portion of said bracing member being curved inwardly away from said mattress wall to permit inward flexing of the wall toward said inwardly curved'portion, a handle member passing through said openings in said wall and said bracing member to normally lie in contact with said wall, retaining means secured to each' end 'of said handle member inwardly of said brac-

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