US2014611A

US2014611A - Spring support for upholstered furniture

Info

Publication number: US2014611A
Application number: US704723A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel S Bernstein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-12-30
Filing date: 1933-12-30
Publication date: 1935-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1952-09-17

Description

P 1 s. s. BERNSTEIN 2,014,611

SPRING SUPPORT FOR UPI-IOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed Dec. 30, 1935 mm mm Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES SPRING SUPPORT FOR UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE Samuel S. Bernstein, Beverly Hills, Calif.

- Application December 30, 1933, Serial No. 704,723

8 Claims.

This invention has to do in a general way with the manufacture of furniture, andis more particularly related to the improvements in the construction of seats for upholstered furniture.

As is well known to those familiar with the art, the seats for upholstered chairs, davenports, and the like, ordinarily comprise a frame provided with a fabric bottom which may either be a single sheet or a plurality of webbing strips secured to the bottom of the frame. This fabric bottom constitutes the support for a plurality of foundation springs which usually are of the double cone type and are anchored to the fabric bottom with any suitable means such as threads or cords. These foundation springs are ordinarily secured to each other and to the frame by means of cross cords. This unit, which may be covered by means of a cover fabric, constitutes the support for the seat cushion.

Due to the fact thatthe majority of the weight is thrown upon the mid-portion of the seat, the bottom fabric in the course of time tends to stretch and sag so that it is visible beneath the bottom of the chair, making an unsightly and consequently undesirable construction. In addition to the unsightliness of this feature, the sagging of the bottom fabric tends to cock or tilt the foundation springs supported thereon, and as a consequence these springs tend to tear loose from their anchorage and become more extremely tilted or cooked and will eventually wear through either the bottom fabric or the top fabric; in some extreme cases causing excessive wear in the seat cushion. In any event, the sagging of the fabric bottom makes for an uncomfortable and consequently undesirable construction.

It is one object of this invention to provide a seat construction with means for preventing the fabric bottom sagging below the planev of the lower edge of the frame. My invention contemplates a construction in which the fabric bottom is always supported as a drum head in a single plane regardless of the load placed on the center of the fabric.

A further object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a seat construction of the class described with means for positively preventing any substantial movement of the fabric bottom when the seat is either subjected to or relieved of weight. This prevents the spring being cocked or tilted either in an"unloaded or a loaded position, and relieves the tying cords and cross cords of undue strain and wear.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of the class described which is of simple form and construction and which may be economically manufactured and incorporated in the furniture.

It is a further object 'of this invention to provide a device of the class described which is 6 readily accessible for adjustment both at the time of installation and from time to time during the life of the furniture.

The details in the construction of certain preferred forms of my invention, together with other 10 objects attending its production, will be best understood from the following description of the accompanying drawing which is chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a chair seat with the 15 cushion, cover fabric, and cross cords removed showing a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation which 20 may be considered as having been taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the device 25 shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing another modified form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating still'another modification; and 30 Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of the device shown in Fig. 7.

More particularly describing the invention as herein illustrated, reference numeral ll indicates a seat frame which is supported by legs I2. The 35 frame I I, which comprises a pair of side rails 13 and I3, a front rail l4, and a back rail I4, is provided with a fabric bottom l5"which, in this form of my invention, is shown as comprising a single sheet of fabric (canvas, heavy burlap, or 40 the like) which is secured at its margins to the undersides of the rails. This fabric bottom supports a plurality of foundation springs generally indicated by reference numeral l6, such springs F being anchored or secured to the fabric in any conventional manner.

It was pointed out above, as the primary ob- .ject of this invention to provide in a seat structure of the class described, means for holding the fabric bottom against any substantial movement during either the application or removal of weight from the seat. This is accomplished in a general way by providing auxiliary supporting means for the mid-portion of the fabric bottom. In other words, I secure a plurality of tension members to the mid-portion of the fabric bottom and extend these members upwardly to or over suitable bearing supports formed or provided at or near the upper edges of the frame. In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, this is accomplished by sewing or otherwise securing to the fabric bottom l5 a fabric patch ll. This patch covers the mid-portion of the fabric bottom, being secured to the upper surface thereof, and it is to this patch that I secure the tension members above referred o. In this particular construction, the tension members are formed by sewing the patch to the fabric bottom so as to leave a plurality of free ears I8 and 18. To the free ends of these ears, I secure secondary tension members in the form of cables indicated by reference numerals I9 and I9.

In this connection, it is to be understood that the word cable as used herein refers to any relatively small flexible member such as a wire, a wire cable, a rope, a cord, or the like.

The cables IS in this form of my invention are shown as extending over bearing plates 20 mounted on the upper edge of the front rail I 4 and curved so as to offer a minimum frictional resistance. After passing over the bearing members 20, the cables extend downwardly through grooves formed in the front of the front rail [4 and over additional bearing plates 2| provided on the lower edge of the front rail so that their free ends extend rearwardly beneath the bottom fabric. The cables l9 follow a similar course over the back rail l4, and the free ends of the cables are interconnected beneath the bottom fabric through the medium of an adjustable clamp or clip, generally indicated by reference numeral 23.

In this particular construction, the sets of cables l9 and I9 each constitute a loop of one cable, the cable l9 having the loop which constitutes its free end secured in an eye 24 on a hook plate 25. The plate 25 has a tongue 26 adapted for reception in one of a plurality of apertures 26' in a clamping plate 21 which is hinged at 28 to a third plate 29 to which the second cable loop I9 is secured through an eye 30.

The parts are held in a locked or clamped position as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 by means of a slip ring 3| slidably mounted on the plate 29. This clamp provides a convenient means for adjustably maintaining a predetermined tension in the tension members which comprise the cables and the ears, and it will be seen from the broken line position that the tension members may be released by moving the slip ring 3| forward and that the tension may be increased by placing the tongue 26 in an aperture 26' which is near the eye 30.

It will be understood of course that various other types of connections may be used at this point without departing from the scope of the invention.

It will be seen that this construction will positively prevent any substantial downward movement of the fabric under the influence of a. body load on the seat. Assuming that a body load were applied to the center of the fabric of sufficient weight to establish contact with the clamp member 23, it' is obvious that downward movement, due to this load, will be opposed by the four "Lrnsion members which are connected to the adjustment clamp, thereby acting upon the entire central area of the fabric bottom.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the principle and the resultant action is similar to that obtained in the construction described above; however, instead of using one large reinforcing patch in the fabric bottom l5a, I employ a plurality of small patches 35 which are secured to the fabric bottom so as to leave ears 36, such patches being arranged symmetrically about a central area on the fabric bottom. The ear 36 is secured through any suitable means to a cable 31 which extends upwardly through an eye or bearing member 38 provided on the inner face of the frame rail 39. The cable extends downwardly from the bearing member 38 through a second bearing member 38' and the free ends of the cables arranged in this manner are interconnected beneath the fabric bottom through a suitable ad table clamp as that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 6, the cable 31 insteadof extending to a point beneath the fabric bottom extends through an eye or hearing member 38" and has its free end secured to a screw member 42 which in turn projects upwardly through a bearing bracket 43 and has a wing nut 44 on its lower end whereby the tension in the cable or tension member may be adjusted.

It is to be understood that the type of cable support shown in either Figs. 4 or 6 may be employed in conjunction with the type of patch shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, or that the type of patch shown in Fig. 4, for example, may be employed in conjunction with the cable support shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. It will also be apparent that the cables or tension members can be secured directly to the fabric bottom through a suitable eye formed therein. However, this construction is not as desirable as the one shown, since it tends to weaken the fabric. It will also be understood .that modifications may be made in the types of bearing members, for example, rollers may be employed in a device of the type shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, I show the seat frame as comprising

marginal rails

45, 45' and 46, 46'. The fabric bottom in this frame is composed of a plurality of webbing strips generally indicated by reference numeral 41, such strips being secured at their ends to the marginal rails. The tension means for supporting the mid-portion of the fabric bottom in this form of my invention, comprises a pair of crossed

fabric strips

48 and 49, which are secured at their region of intersection 50 to the mid-portion of the fabric bottom made up of the webbing strips 41. It is to be understood that various means may be employed for securing the

crossed tension strips

48 and 49 to the upper surface of the fabric bottom. In the form shown, I indicate these strips as having been sewed as indicated at 5|.

The free portions of the

strips

48 and 49 are twisted and drawn over the upper edges of the marginal rails 45 and 45' and downwardly along the bottom where the

free ends

49E and 49E of the strip 49 are opposite the

free ends

48E and 48E of the strip 48. These strips are secured in suitable clamping elements indicated at 55 and 55', such clamping elements being interconnected by suitable adjusting means such as the screws and thumb nuts indicated generally by reference numerals 60 and 60'.

It will be seen that in this form of my invention the tension members are interconnected in separate pairs or sets beneath the fabric bottom whereas in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive all four tension members are interconnected through the single adjustable clamping assembly. It is to be understood that, while I have herein described and illustrated certain preferred forms of my invention, the invention is not limited to the precise structural features shown and described herein, but includes within its scope whatever changes fairly come within the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a seat frame consisting of four rails; a fabric bottom secured to the bottoms of said rails; bearings at the top and bottom edges of oppositely disposed rails; a plurality of tension members secured to the top surface of said fabric and extending first over 'said top bearings, then over said bottom bear ings and along. the undersurface of said fabric bottom; and adjustable means for interconnecting the free ends of said tension members beneath said fabric bottom.

2. The combination of: a seat frame consisting.of four rails; a fabric bottom secured to the bottoms of said rails; a plurality of. tension members fixedly secured to the top surface of said fabric bottom and extending upwardly toward the upper edges of oppositely disposed rails; bearing means at the upper edges of said rails for supporting intermediate portions of said tension means; and adjustable means secured" to the free end portions of said tension members and interconnecting same beneath said fabric bottom for holding said tension members in tension and in engagement with the undersurface of said fabric bottom.

3. The combination of: a seat frame; a fabric bottom secured to the lower edge of said frame; oppositely disposed bearing means at the upper edge of said frame; corresponding bearingmeans at the bottom edge of said frame; a pinrality of flexible tension members secured to said fabric bottom and extending first upwardly over said upper bearing means, then downwardly to said bottom bearing means, then inwardly along the undersurface of said fabric bottom; and adiustable means situated below said fabric bottom and secured to said tension members for maintaining said tension members in tension.

4. The combination of a seat frame having a fabric bottom adapted to support foundation springs; means for preventing downward displacement of the mid-portionof said fabric bottom comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tension members fixedly secured to a central area of said fabric bottom; and adjustable means secured to said tension members for maintaining them in tension, said tension members extending over bearings at the upper edge of said frame,

then downwardly along the sides of said frame and then inwardly beneath said fabric bottom and in engagement with the undersurface thereof.

5. The combination. of: a seat frame having a fabric bottom adapted to support foundation 5 springs; means for preventing downward displacement of the mid-portion of said fabric bottom comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tension members fixedly secured to a central area of said fabric bottom; said tension members including cables which extend over the upper. edges of said frame and along the underside of said fabric bottom; and means interconnecting the free ends of said cables beneath said fabric bottom for maintaining same in tension.

6. The combination of: a seat frame having a fabric bottom adapted to support foundation springs; means for preventing downward displacement of the mid-portion of said fabric bottom comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tension members secured to a central area of said fabric bottom; and means secured to said tension members for maintaining them in tension, said fabric bottom comprising a fabric sheet secured to said frame at its margins, and said tension members comprising fabric ears secured to said fabric sheet, and cables secured to said ears extending over the upper edges of said frame downwardly along the sides of said frame and inwardly along the underside of said fabric bot- 3 tom, and adjustable means interconnecting the free ends of said cables beneath said fabric bottom. v

7. The combination of a seat frame having a fabric bottom; a patch secured to the top surface and at the mid-portion of said fabric bottom to provide four free ears spaced inwardly from the corners of said frame; a cable secured to each ear; a hearing at the upper edge of said frame supporting each cable, said cables extending downwardly along the sides of said frame and inwardly along the under surface of said fabric bottom; and means interconnecting the free ends of said cables for maintaining the same in tension.

8. The combination of a seat frame consisting of side rails and front and back rails; a sheet fabric bottom secured at its margins to the bottom of said frame; a patch secured to the midportion of the-top surface of said bottom; free 50 ears on said patch; tension members secured to said ears and extending respectively over the top and bottom edges of the front and back rails of said frame to points beneath said fabric bottom; and adjustable means for releasably intercon- 65. necting said tension members beneath said fabric bottom.

summs. Barium.-