US2063521A

US2063521A - Mattress making mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2063521A
Application number: US34508A
Authority: US
Inventors: O'brien Thomas Bolton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-08-03
Filing date: 1935-08-03
Publication date: 1936-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 1953-12-08

Description

Dec. 8, 1936.

T. B. OBRIEN MATTRESS MAKING MECHANISM Filed Aug. s, 1955 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR Jmmwk @75m BY W f Dec. 8, 1936. T.B. oBRlr-:N

MATTRESS MAKING MECHANISM Filed Aug. I5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Begg- 2 INVENTOR hnw/Mgam BY JKM ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1936. T, B, OBRlEN 2,063,521

MATTRESS MAKING MEGHANSM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 5, 1.935

ffi# I ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to means whereby the mechanism for partially forming empty mattress casings and the like, and then for completing the closing of such casings after the core has been inserted, are combined.

Objects of my invention are to produce a mechanism adapted for sewing the sides and edges of the casing together, both when lying flat or horizontally and when presented to the l sewing mechanism at an angle to the horizontal;

to accomplish this by the use of a sewing machine with a vertically reciprocating needle, combined with a work table which may be disposed either in a horizontal plane or at an angle to that plane; to move the work table, optionally, by hand or by power; to provide means for varying the angle of inclination of the work table; to provide means for optionally varying the height of the work table; to provide novel means for the mechanical feeding of the work table; tof provide novel means for holding the work in position on the table; and to secure the other advantages hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus, portions being shown in section the better to illustrate the table-feeding mechanism, the portion of one of the feed table supporting legs being broken` away for clearness; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, portions of the work table being broken away to show the mechanism beneath, parts of the table track frame being also broken out to save space; Fig. 3 is an end View taken as on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking to the right, but omitting the work table and its supports; Fig. 4 is a detail of the work holding clamp; Fig. 5 shows a modication for raising and lowering the hinged edge of the work table; and Fig. 6 is a detail.

I is a conventional sewing machine head provided with a reciprocating needle 2 cooperating, in a conventional way, with a looper, not shown, below the level of the sewing machine table. This sewing mechanism is driven by means of a belt 3 and pulley 4 actuating a shaft, not shown, in the sewing machine head. As I do not claim novelty in this part of the apparatus I have considered it unnecessary to show in detail the mechanical parts, as they are well known in the art.

VThe head I is mounted on suitable supports as 5, 6, spaced by suitable stay bolts 1, 'I and 8, 8, and carrying bearings for a driving shaft 3 and feed shaft I 0.

A suitable source of power, as an electric motor II, through pulley I2, belt I3, pulley I4, shaft I5, pulley I6 and belt II (the parts II to I6 being omitted from Fig. l, for clearness) transmits motion to idler I8 or, optionally, fixed pulley I9, upon the drive shaft 9, which through a pulley and belt 3, drives the sewing machine needle, and also through a pulleyv 2l, belt 22 and pulley 23, drives the feed shaft III. On the free end of the feed shaft II) is a pinion 24. This feed shaft IIl is, preferably, provided with a bearing at which permits the shaft to rock through the bearing. I have illustrated this bearing as consisting of a ball and socket arrangement; but this construction may be modified, if desired, so long as the shaft III has the requisite play. On the support 6 I provide a vertically sliding bearing support 26 which carries two ears 21, 2l through which pass

pins

28, 28, carrying a bearing sleeve 29 so that it may rock and adapt itself to the line of the shaft II) when deflected from the horizontal.

The bearing support 26 is pivoted, as at 29, to a rocking arm 33, connected at its other end to a rod 3l, pivoted below to a pedal 32 controlling a rocking shaft 33 journalled at the base of the machine. From the shaft 33 an arm 34 extends upward and is provided with a slot 35 accommodating a pin 33 fastened to a shifting bar 3'! reciprocatable in

fixed bearings

33, 39 and provided with belt shifting. fingers 4l), 40 controlling the belt Il. f

On suitable supports as 43, 43 is mounted a frame 44 the upper edges of which constitute parallel tracks adapted to carry travelling rollers.

Another preferably rectangular frame 45 has journalled to it flanged

wheels

46, 46, adapted to travel to and fro on the tracks on the frame 44.

To one side and above the frame 45 is hinged, as at 41, a frame 48, supporting a fiat work table 49, which normally lies in a horizontal plane, but may be tipped up and held at an angle, as by a support pivoted to the frame 45, its free end being adapted to rest ln either of a series of sockets 5|, 5I on the under side of the table topi. Such a prop and sockets are preferably provided toward each end of the table.

To one side of the frame 45 is attached a rack bar 54 extending practically the whole length of the frame 45. With this rack bar 54 the pinion 24 is adapted to intermesh when brought into proper position. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modi` cation which permits varying the height of the table 49 above the frame 44. In this modication instead of the

wheels

46, 46 being mounted directly on the frame 45, they are carried by

members

55, 55 each carrying a slotted extension 56, the extension being omitted from the right hand member 55, for clearness. Through the slots in those extensions 56 bolts 5l pass into the frame 45. The

members

55, 55 are slidably connected, as by bolt and slot elements, with an upward extension of the rack bar 54; and the

members

55, 55 may be drawn toward or away from each other by means of the rod 58 threaded through ears on the

members

55, 55. The result of this arrangement is that the table top 49 can be raised or lowered relative to the frame 44, the advantage of which will be hereinafter pointed out.

In order to hold the work on the table it is desired to have some positive appliance which will grasp the work.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated such an appliance wherein a pivoted finger 6|, carried by an eX- tension G2, fastened to the frame 48 is controlled by a locking lever 63 so that it may be tightly clamped against the work upon the table. Toi avoid confusion I have omitted this clamp from the drawing of Fig. 1.

From the above description it will be seen that the sewing machine and the table-feed mechanism may be both operated simultaneously from the same source of power and may be controlled by the pedal 32. For when the pedal is pushed down the belt shifter will shift the belt 40 on to the pulley I9, thus putting the sewing mechanism into operation and, at the same time, if the pedal is depressed suiciently, raising the bearing 29 so as to swing the shaft l0 upward and cause its pinion 24 to mesh with the rack 54 thereby moving the table forward past the needle.

The swing of the shaft IU is so adjusted that by easing up on the pedal 32 the pinion 24 may be dropped out of operative connection with the rack 54 before the belt l1 has been fully shifted off the pulley I9 on to the idler I8; so that the feeding of the work table may be suspended without, necessarily, stopping the sewing machine needle. This is desirable under certain circumstances, as, for instance, the sewing of a corner of the mattress cover, where the material must be swung around, by hand, so as to produce a curved seam instead of a straight seam. It also permits the drawing back of the work table, periodically, without necessarily stopping the sewing machine; and it also allows the table to be fed forward by hand if circumstances make that desirable.

Suitable means, as the spring 66, returns the pedal and its connected parts to a normal position.

With the table in its horizontal position the flat work of sewing the sides and the edge web of the mattress together may be proceeded with, the work being preferably clamped to the table and carried by it past the needle at a rate suitable for the formation of the seam.

In practice I iind it desirable to sew up all eight of the rounded corners of the mattress case as well as to sew up all of the edge seams, except at one end between two corners, before inserting a spring core, which is, preferably, bent or folded longitudinally so that it will pass through the opening afforded by the unclosed seam, and into the interior of the casing.

When this has been done it becomes necessary to sew up the unclosed end seam, taping it in a customary manner like the rest of the seams..

The mechanism for applying the tape I have omitted from the drawings, as it is not part of my invention, and is well understood in the art.

The open seam above referred to, obviously, cannot be closed by presenting the mattress flatwise to the needle, in a plane at right angles to the needle. For the seam could not be brought under the needle, under those conditions, without the edge of the mattress blocking the operation of the needle. Hence some other method of closing the seam must be provided.

As has been explained, the work table top may be tilted up into an inclined position, for instance, as illustrated by the broken lines in Fig. 1, the extent of inclination being adjusted to the thickness of the mattress, so that with the mattress lying at on the table its upper edge, where the seam is open, may be brought directly beneath the needle, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, in which 1B indicates an end of the mattress. To present the mattress in this position to the needle, it is necessary that the table 'H of the sewing machine shall not project forward beyond the needle so as to interfere with bringing the seam properly under the needle, the support usually given by the fixed table of the sewing machine being furnished by the work table 4s. Now when the work table is tilted up so as to present the upper edge of the f mattress below the needle, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the edges l2, 'I3 of the unclosed seam will lap over the edge of the table 'H and will be supported in that position by the tilted table 49, so that the edge of the mattress may be fed along below the needle, and the seam properly sewed up from above so that the stitching will correspond with the stitching of the rest of the seam which has also been sewn from above. To accomplish this it is necessary not only that the table 'Il should not project materially beyond the path of the needle, but also that the shuttle mechanism and other attachments under the table ll shall be set sufficiently far back, so that they will not be fouled by the mattress when its edge is presented, as above, to the needle.

Some variation in the thickness of the mattresses may be compensated for by tipping the table 49 more or less. But, as already explained, if the variation is considerable the hinges of the table may be raised or lowered as may be desirable, by some suitable mechanism such, for instance, as is illustrated in Fig. 5.

By the use of my improvements I secure a mattress making mechanism adapted to sew the particular seams required in a mattress casing, both when the casing is empty and also when the core has been inserted, and, I combine with such a machine an automatically fed work table adapted to support the casing during its formation, and also the mattress after the core has been inserted, such work table being adjustable so as to present work in a normal horizontal plane to the needle. and also to present a filled mattress case to the needle in such a way that the upper edge seam of the mattress may lie normally beneath the needle; and I also provide a positive, but optionally releasable, table feed which will either carry the table and its superimposed material past the needle at a predetermined speed, or which may be moved by hand, as the operator desires, or the exigencies of the work require. Thus the sewing together of the parts of the mattress casing and the closing of the casing after the core has been inserted may all be done on the same apparatus and the finished mattress produced in which the lines of stitching are uniform and complete.

I wish it to be understood that details of my mechanism can be varied, as by the use of mechanical equivalents, without departing from the spirit of my invention as described and claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a mattress making apparatus, the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity to the forward edge of the machine table, a normally horizontally disposed traveling and cooperating work-carrying table pivoted at a point substantially below its top and substantially removed from its edge adjacent to the said needle, so that said edge is tiltable and adjustable toward and below the machine table edge at a plurality of selected angles and distances, whereby the adjacent edges of a filled mattress and a boxing may be brought into position below said needle for the formation of a seam downwardly and outwardly therethrough.

2. In a mattress making apparatus, the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity t the forward edge of the machine table, a cooperating ywork-carrying table normally at the level of and adjacent to the forward edge of the machine table, table feeding means, and means embodying a hinge substantially removed from the edge of said table, for depressing it below the stitching line of the sewing machine, to the extent of the selected thickness of a completed mattress and elevating the opposite edge of the table, whereby the adjacent edges of the mattress and the boxing may be presented below the needle for the formation of a seam downwardly and outwardly therethrough.

3. In a mattress making apparatus, the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity to the forward edge of the machine table, a cooperating work-carrying table normally at the level of and adjacent to the forward edge of the machine table, common means for actuating the sewing machine and propelling the work-carrying table forward relativer thereto, or optionally releasing the work-carrying table, such propelling means embodying a driven shaft passing through a reciprocable bearing and provided with a terminal pinion to optionally engage a rack connected with said work-carrying table, means for depressing the adjacent edge of said table, below the stitching line of the sewing machine, to the extent of the selected thickness of a completed mattress and elevating its opposite edge, whereby the adjacent edges ofthe upper side of the mattress and the boxing may be presented below the needle for the formation of a seam downwardly and outwardly therethrough.

4. In a mattress making appartus, the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity to the forward edge of the machine table, a cooperating work-carrying table normally at the level of and adjacent to the forward edge of the machine table, common means for actuating the sewing machine and propelling the work-carrying table forward relative thereto, common control means for the said actuating and propelling means, and means for depressing 4the adjacent edge of said table, below the stitching line of the sewing machine, to the extent of the selected thickness of a completed mattress and raising the opposite edge of the table, whereby the adjacent edges of the upper side of the mattress and the boxing may be presented below the needle for the formation of a seam therethrough. k

5. In a mattress making apparatus, the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity to the forward edge of the machine table, a cooperating work-carrying table normally at the level of and adjacent to the forward edge of the machine table, common means for actuating the sewing machine and propelling the work-carrying table forward relative thereto, or optionally releasing the work-carrying table, and means, including vertically adjustable hinges, substantially removed from and below said table edge, for depressing the edge of said table, below the stitching line of the sewing machine, to the extent of the selected thickness of a completed mattress and raising the opposite edge of the table, whereby the adjacent edges of the upper side of the mattress and the boxing may be presented below the needle for the formation of a seam downwardly and outwardly therethrough.

6. In a mattress making apparatus the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity to the fixed, forward edge of the machine table, a work support disposable substantially in the plane of said table and adjacent to its said edge, but independent thereof, means for optionally depressing the edge of the work support adjacent to said table at an angle downwardly toward and below its level, and work support feeding means; whereby the apparatus may be used for sewing a fiat seam, or optionally a seam from above downward and outward through the adjacent edges of the boxing and upper side of a cored mattress.

7. In a mattress making apparatus the combination of a sewing machine embodying a needle reciprocable vertically in close proximity to the fixed, forward edge of the machine table, a work support disposable substantially in the plane of said table and adjacent to its said edge, but independent thereof, means for optionally depressing the edge of the work support adjacent to said table downwardly toward and below said table for variable distances and at variable angles, and work support feeding means; whereby the apparatus may be used for sewing a flat seam, or optionally a seam from above downward and outward at a variable angle through the adjacent edges of the boxing and upper side of a cored mattress of several optional thicknesses.

THOMAS BOLTON OBRIEN.