US2060675A - Means for supporting bedsprings - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 10, 1936. C K|RCHNER 2,060,675

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING BEDSPRINGS Filed April 16, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING BEDSPRINGS souri Application April 16, 1934, Serial No. 720,705

7 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in spring bed bottoms. It relates particularly to an improvement in means for supporting and positioning springs, bottom wires and other parts attached thereto.

One object of my invention is to provide a strong novel bed spring supporting and positioning beam or bar not possessing the objectionable features, such as notches, sharp edges, and increased thickness at certain points, of some other beams commonly used for a like purpose.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a beam of the kind described having novel means for engaging and positioning coil springs and their holding bottom wires which are supported by the beam.

Another object of my invention, is the provision of a beam of the kind described having novel projections formed of extruded portions of the beam, and adapted to engage and position parts engaged thereby and supported by the beam, which projections do not weaken the beam, nor increase its thickness, but which do add to the width and edgewise strength of the beam.

Still another object of my invention is the provision in a beam of the kind described of novel spring and bottom wire-positioning and holding means which are easily formed on the beam, add but little to its cost and are efiicient in operation.

The novel features are hereafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a portion of my novel beam 20 with springs, bottom wires and bed bottom side angle bar attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of what is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the lower portion of coil 23 Fig. 1, attached to a portion of beam 20, shown in section on line 4-4 Fig. 1, by means of a portion of bottom wire 24.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, parts being omitted, of the mechanism for forming the beam taken on line 55 Fig. '7, and showing a cross section of beam 20 in position for forming.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the mechanism in closed position and holding the formed beam.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the lower tool holder of the mechanism for forming the beam. It is also a bottom view of the upper holder.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of part of a beam 21 commonly used in bed bottoms.

Fig. 9 is a section view of beam 21 Fig. 3 taken on line 9-9 Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross section of part of another beam 28 used in bed bottoms taken on line l0-l0 Fig. 11.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the beam shown in the section view Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of part of my novel beam 20.

Fig. 13 is a. section of beam 20 Fig. 12 taken on line |3-|3.

Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation of a spring 23 attached to a portion of beam 28 Fig. 11, as shown in section view Fig. 10 taken on line l0lll Fig. 11, by a portion of a bottom wire 29.

Fig. 15 shows a portion of a bed bottom with the lower portion of several springs attached thereto.

In the following description similar numbers denote like parts in all views.

Referring now to Fig. 15, it will be understood 20 that a bed bottom and similar structures are generally composed of a number of bars or beams disposed parallel with each other, as are the beams 20, 21 and 28. The end portions of the 25 beams are usually firmly held in line with each other and also in spaced relation to each other by rivets 25 passing through the end portions of the beams and bars 2! beneath the end portions of said beams. As shown, the end portions of the beams are disposed flatwise horizontally and are twisted at right angles to the intermediate portions, which are disposed edge up.

In order that the beams may support as much weight as possible, they are made with a cross section of great width as compared to their thickness and it is desirable to connect them together at points intermediate of the side bars 2| to keep them properly spaced between said side bars. This is generally accomplished by a wire as 24 Figs. 1, 4, and 15; by a wire 25 Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 15; and by a wire 29 Fig. 14. As shown in the drawings, the wires are given a V or U shaped crimp at distances along their length corresponding to the spacing of beams 20, 27, and. 28. Wires so crimped for this purpose are commonly known as bottom wires. The crimps in the bottom wires 24 and 25 are brought into contact with the lower edges of the beams 20, 21, and 28 with the two side members of the crimps extending upward at each side respectively of the beams.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3, 14, and 15, the depth of the crimps is about equal to the depth of the beams, thus allowing the straight portions of the bottom wires to be in approximately the same 55 horizontal plane as the upper edges of the beams 20, 21 and 28 Fig. 15. The bottom wires when so crimped serve to space the beams and also to hold the springs upon the beams.

The springs 22 and 23, Figs. 1 to 4, are screwed around the upward extending portions and under the horizontally extending portions of the bottom wires and on top of the beams, thus being firmly held upon the beams.

It is necessary to prevent the bottom wires and springs from slipping away from their proper position at points spaced lengthwise on the beams. This is commonly accomplished by cutting notches in one or both edges of the beams as seats for the springs, or bottom wires or both as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Since the bending strengths of beams of like thickness and material are proportional to the square of the beam depths, it follows that a notched beam has considerably less strength than it possessed before the notches were cut into it. Beams 2! so notched were the subject of Locklin Patent No. 720,715 and are shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 15.

The provision of such notches is also accomplished by pressing the metal at points along the edges of the beams inward toward the neutral plane of the beams cross section, as described in Frank L. Kusterle Patent No. 1,858,780. A beam I so notched is shown in elevation in Fig. 11, and

in Fig. 10, in section on line Ill-40 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 14 shows a sectional elevation of the lower portion of a spring 23 attached by means of a bottom wire 29 to a beam 28 with pressed notches, said beam being shown in section taken on line Ill-l0 Fig. 11.

Beams with pressed notches are undoubtedly stronger than beams with portions of the edge metal removed to make the notches. However, the beams are weakened considerably when the metal at the edges is pressed inward since such notches reduce the depth of the beams cross section. It is true that the thickness of such a beam is increased near the pressed notch. But since an increase of thickness, if taking place throughout the entire depth of the beam, would increase the beams strength only in proportion to such increase of thickness, it will be understood that such proportional increase of strength due to added thickness does not make up for the reduction of strength due to the notch decreasing the beams depth as described in reference to Locklin Patent No. 720,715.

Another disadvantage of beams with the cut or pressed notches is that the beams thickness is increased by the pressed in metal or a frill left by the cutting tool as shown respectively in the section views [0 and 9. This increased thickness makes it necessary to use bottom wires with wide crimps which do not prevent the beam failing under load by tipping over as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 14.

My novel beam is provided with projections 31 disposed in the plane of its width at points along its opposite edges as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 12 and 13. No metal is removed from it. In forming the projections 37, the metal at points near the beams edge is displaced outward in the plane of the beams width which adds to the strength of the beam. As when notches are pressed into the beam, the cross sections through all points along my beam remain practically constant in area.

However, it is to be understood that when metal is pressed inward from the edge of a beam, the beam is weakened as clearly shown by the decreased value of the moment of inertia for a cross section of such a beam taken through the notch.

Since the extreme fibers of my novel beam are displaced outward and farther from the beams neutral axis, its strength is increased. It will be seen by referring to Fig. 13 that the thickness of my improved beam is not increased at any point and that firm support against tipping of the beam is secured by closely fitting U crimps in the bottom wires as shown in Fig. l. The springs 22 are each positioned by a shallow crimp in a bottom wire 25 disposed between two pairs of projections 3'! on opposite edges respectively of the beam as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will be seen from Fig. 13 that my beam has no sharp edges to injure workmen, that the pro jections have practically the same contour of edge as the rest of the beam, and that there is no point where a crack might start to cause failure of said beam.

Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of my novel and preferred mechanisms for forming the projections. Upright tools having rounded upper ends are held in vertical holes in the holder 3| by springs 32. The holder Si is fastened to the platen 33 of a press. The springs normally hold the tools 30 against vertical walls of the holder 3|. An upper holder 34, similar to holder 3!, is bolted to the press ram 35 in a position where the tools 30 held in holder 3 are aligned with like tools in holder 3|. The lower ends of the tools 31) in the holder 34 are rounded.

The holes 36 in the holder 3! diverge upwardly and outwardly, and the holes 36 in the holder 34 diverge downwardly and outwardly, thus permitting the tools, when indenting, to swing laterally outwardly, as shown in Fig. 6.

To form the projections 37 a beam 20 Fig. 5 is positioned between the ends of tools 30. The press is operated to force ram 35 toward platen 33. The tools 39 enter the beam from opposite sides near the edges of said beam. As the tools begin to penetrate, the material between the ends of the tools and the edge of the beam, being comparatively unsupported, bulges outward. Since the yielding material does not support the sides of the tools as firmly as the material toward the center of the beam, the tools follow the yielding material and swing outwardly at an angle to the line of motion of the press ram. As the ram 35 advances farther, the tools are forced to rock farther outward and carry before their adjacent ends a portion of the material as shown in Fig. 6. The travel of the ram is regulated to draw the projections to suitable height. When the ram 35 returns to start position the formed beam may be removed or positioned for the forming of additional projections. As shown in Figs. 1 and 15, the projections 37 on the upper edge of the edge up portion of the beam 23 engage opposite sides of the bottom coil of each spring 23, thus holding the spring from shifting lengthwise of the beam. The projections J! on the under edge of this portion of the beam 23 engage opposite sides of the bottom wire 2 2, thus holding the bottom wire from lateral shifting.

The springs 22 on the flatwise end portions of the beam 26 are each held from movement 1ongitudinally of the beam by the adjacent bottom wire 25, the crimped portion, as before described, having its opposite sides engaged at opposite edges of the beam 28 by the projections 87, which are provided in pairs, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the forming of the projections 31, each projection is formed by portions of the beam 20, at opposite sides thereof, being extruded by the tools beyond the adjacent edge of the beam and outwardly between the planes of the sides of the beam. Each projection 31 has a rim of substantially the same thickness as that of the normal portion of the beam, and has substantially the same cross section at the edge of the rim as the normal edge of the beam. The cross sectional area of the beam through each of the projections 3'! is substantially the same as that of the other normal portions of the beam. Due to these features of structure, the beam 20 in the transverse planes of the projections 31 has greater edgewise strength than has the normal portion of the beam.

Many modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, which I desire to have construed as broadly as possible.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bed bottom including upright coil springs and bottom wires for holding said springs, a relatively wide thin beam having a portion disposed horizontally fiatwise for supporting thereon one of said springs, and having two pairs of projections extending respectively in opposite directions from opposite edges of said portion between the planes of the sides of said portions for receiving and positioning the bottom wire which holds said spring on said portion.

2. In a bed bottom including upright coil springs and assembling wires, bottom bars supporting rows of said springs, each bar being in its median portion arranged on edge and being thin, fiat and of substantially uniform width and thickness throughout, the upper edge of each bar having a pair of semicircular, upwardly directed extensions of the same thickness as the bar, spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them the lower coil of one of said springs, the lower edge of the bar having a pair of similar extensions projecting downwardly and located centrally below the first mentioned pair and spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them an assembling wire for the purpose of holding said lower coil in confined position and a circular concavity in each side of the bar for each extension and concentric therewith, the concavities and the extensions being so related in magnitude that the cross-sectional area of the bar is substantially the same when taken through the centers of the concavities as when taken through the unextended portions.

3. In a bed bottom including upright coil springs and assembling wires, bottom bars supporting rows of said springs, each bar being in its median portion arranged on edge and being thin, flat and of substantially uniform width and thickness throughout, the upper edge of each bar having a pair of upwardly directed extensions of the same thickness as the bar, spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them the lower coil of one of said springs, the lower edge of the bar having a pair of similar extensions projecting downwardly and located centrally below the first mentioned pair and spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them an assembling wire for the purpose of holding said lower coil in confined position.

4. In a bed bottom including upright coil springs and assembling wires, bottom bars supporting rows of said springs, each bar being in its median portion arranged on edge and being thin,

flat and of substantially uniform width and thickness throughout, the upper edge of each bar having a pair of upwardly directed extensions of the same thickness as the bar, spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them the lower coil of one of said springs, the lower edge of the bar having a pair of similar extensions projecting downwardly and located centrally below the first mentioned pair and spaced so as to receive and. confine closely between them an assembling wire for the purpose of holding said lower coil in confined position and a concavity in each side of the bar for each extension, the concavities and'the extensions being so related in magnitude that the cross sectional area of the bar is substantially the same when taken through said concavities as when taken through the unextended portions.

5. In a bed bottom including upright coil springs, a bottom bar supporting on its upper edge said springs and being in its median portion arranged on edge and being thin, flat and of substantially uniform width and thickness throughout, the upper edge of the bar having a pair of upwardly directed extensions of the same thickness as the bar, and spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them the lower coil of one of said springs, and a concavity in each side of the bar for each extension, the concavities and the extensions being so related in magnitude that the cross-sectional area of the bar is substantially the same when taken through said concavities as when taken through the unextended portions, and means for holding said spring to said bar.

6. In a bed bottom including upright coil springs and assembling wires, a bottom bar supporting on its upper edge said springs and being in its median portion arranged on edge and being thin, fiat and of substantially uniform width and thickness throughout, the lower edge of the bar having a pair of downwardly directed extensions located centrally below one of said springs and spaced so as to receive and confine closely between them one of said assembling wires and which engage and hold the lower coil of said spring in confined position, and a concavity in each side of the bar for each extension, the concavities and the extensions being so related in magnitude that the cross sectional area of the bar is substantially the same when taken through said concavities as when taken through the unextended portions, said bar having means confining said springs from movement lengthwise of said bar.

'7. In a bed bottom, a bottom bar which is thin, flat and of substantially uniform width and thickness throughout its median portion being arranged on edge, its upper edge having a pair of upwardly directed extensions spaced so as to be adapted to receive'and confine closely between them the lower coil of an upright coil spring, its lower edge having a pair of downwardly directed extensions located between the vertical planes of the first named pair and spaced so as to be adapted to receive and confine closely between hold said lower coil to said bar, said bar having lateral concavities for said extensions respectively, said concavities and extensions being so related in location and magnitude that the cross sectional area of the bar is substantially the same when taken through said concavities as when taken through the unextended portions.

CARL O. KIRCHNER.

them an assembling wire adapted to engage and

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