US2272276A

US2272276A - Metal fabric and article formed therefrom

Info

Publication number: US2272276A
Application number: US345524A
Authority: US
Inventors: Piliero James
Original assignee: Dickson Wire & Cable Corp
Current assignee: Dickson Wire & Cable Corp
Priority date: 1940-07-15
Filing date: 1940-07-15
Publication date: 1942-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1959-02-10

Description

Feb. 10, 1942 Y J. PILIERO 2,272,276

METAL FABRIC AND ARTICLE FORMED THEREFROM Filed July 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: James Pzflzaro,

ATTORNEY Feb. 10, 1942. J. PILIERO METAL FABRIC AND ARTICLE FORMED THEREFROM Filed July 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR James Pilz'ero,

BY A M ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 10, 1942 METAL FABRIC AND ARTICLE FORMED THEREFROM James Piliero, Astoria, N. Y., assignor to Dickson Wire & Cable Corp., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 15, 1940, Serial N0. 345,524

3 Claims.

This invention relates to metal fabrics and articles formed therefrom.

The fabric according to the invention is especially well adapted for use in making bed springs or bottoms and, for purpose of illustration, is disclosed in connection with such use, but the invention is not thus limited. The fabric, for example, also may be used in the manufacture of furniture, such as chairs, divans and the like, in place of webbing, metal straps and other materials now employed for supporting purposes.

Among the features ordinarily desired in fabric of the type to which this invention relates are that it support the load without undue or permanent sagging; that it be sufficiently flexible both to conform to the shape of the body and distribute the load suificiently to prevent undue strain on any portion of the fabric; that it yield when stressed and return to its original position when unstressed without squeaking, scraping or clicking; and that it be easy and economical to manufacture and assemble with the article with which it is to be used. The present invention is directed to the provision of a fabric having these features and advantages.

In accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein the novel fabric is disclosed in connection with its use in a bed spring or bottom, the invention comprises the provision of a relatively limp fabric constituted by a plurality of spaced, parallel cable members arranged in pairs. Extending along the space between adjacent pairs of straight cable members are additional cable members arranged in zigzag form and connected alternately to adjacent pairs of straight members by clips which are slidable on the straight members. The straight members are connected respectively at their ends to helical springs which in turn are anchored to rigid frame members and the sidemost zigzag members are connected by suitable clips to rigid side members, which latter preferably are attached by springs to the end members.

An object of the invention is the provision of a novel, highly flexible metal fabric suitable for use in forming bed bottoms, furniture bottoms and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel bed spring or bottom which is very flexible and conforms readily to the shape of the load placed thereon without undue sagging; which has no substantial permanent sag, and which operates without noise or jar.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is essentially a bottom plan view of a bed spring or bottom constructed in accordance with the invention, with certain parts of the frame broken away for clarity;

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal crosssectional views taken along lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view showing particularly one of the clips and its cooperation with the cables; and

Fig. 5 is a view of a cross-section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the following description and in the claims, various details will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the fabric comprises a plurality of spaced, parallel, substantially straight members I, each of which preferably is constituted by paired strands 2, preferably formed by a single length of cable, the ends of which, may, if desired, be connected as indicated by the reference character 3 in Fig. 2. The strands are formed from metal cable in the nature of picture wire, only substantially heavier and stronger, which cable is flexible, capable of bending under the influence of relatively light stresses and capable of repeated bending without deterioration or weakening.

Extending along the spaces between adjacent straight members are zigzag members 4 also formed from flexible cable which may, if desired, be similar to the cable from which the straight members I are formed, and preferably each two adjacent zigzag members are formed from a single length of cable connected at one end of the fabric, as indicated by the reference character 5.

The zigzag members 4 are alternately connected to adjacent straight members I by clips 6, shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5.

Each clip 6 is formed with a body portion 1 having paired wings 8 extending from opposite side edges thereof and each adapted respectively to receive a zigzag member 4 and the adjacent strand 2 of the corresponding straight member I, thereby connecting the zigzag members 4 to the straight member I.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the wing 8 is caused to abut the body I and is of such dimension that the strand 2 is loosely received in the clip 6 and the clip 6 therefore is enabled to slide freely on the straight member I, being limited in its movement only by the zigzag member 4'. In cetain cases, it is desirable that the wing 8 also engage the zigzag member loosely for limited relative movement therebetween, although it is not as important that these members be relatively movable as it is that the clip 6 be movable on the straight member I.

The wings 8 may, if desired, be formed with a slight concave curvature as illustrated in Fig. 4, which feature minimizes any tendency of the clip to cut into the zigzag member 41.

Where the fabric is to be used in forming a bed spring or bottom, it is attached to a suitable frame comprising rods 18 carrying curved brackets I2 which support end rails H. The fabric is connected to the end rails H by a series of springs, preferably of helical form, which springs are connected respectively to the straight members I and are anchored tothe end rails ll, as illustrated in Fig. 1. It will be noted in this connection that each spring !3 is connected to a straight member I but only alternate springs have the zigzag members connected thereto.

Side rails Hi are provided and preferably are connected as by one or more helical springs to the end rails H. The sidemost zigzag members 4 are suitably connected to the side rails M at points corresponding to the connection of the other zigzag members 4 to their respective straight members I. Clips l6 which may, if desired, be similar to the clips 6, are employed for connecting the sidemost zigzag members 4 to the side rails I l.

The fabric is so dimensioned that it is held taut when not in use, the helical springs I 3 being only slightly tensioned; thus the fabric presents a neat and attractive appearance and is capable of supporting a load with a minimum of unnecessary sagging.

When the load is applied to the spring, as by a person reclining on the bed of which the spring is a part, the straight members I in that portion of the spring on which the person is lying, are bowed downwardly and extend their respective helical springs I3 accordingly. The zigzag members 4 connected to those of the straight members I which are stressed, serve to prevent lateral separation of the straight members I under the influence of the load and also to transmit to adjacent straight members successively the force of the load; these straight members in turn transmit this force to their respective helical springs. Additionally, the zigzag members transmit a relatively small force to the helical springs to which they are connected respectively. Thus it will be seen that the load is transmitted to the helical springs both by the straight members which are directly involved and also by other of the straight members which are acted upon by the zigzag members.

When a load is thus applied to the spring and the directly involved straight members are bowed, the clips 6 slide on the stright members I and permit a certain degree of adjusting movement of the zigzag members relative to the straight members, thereby providing a high degree of flexibility of the fabric and a substantially wide distribution of the forces generated by the load.

The fabric is highly flexible owing not only to the arrangement of straight and zigzag members, and the sliding of the clips on the straight members, but also owing to the high flexibility of the cables from which the straight and zigzag members are formed. The flexible cables moreover permit considerable adjusting movement under load without noise or snapping, as is often the case where more rigid members are employed.

The provision of a double strand straight wire provides increased flexibility over that which would be obtained from the use of a single wire, and the double wire also more completely fills the space between adjacent zigzag members than would a single wire. However, it is within the contemplation of the invention to employ a single strand straight wire where this may be desirable, although in most cases it will be found preferable to provide a multi-strand straight member.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A bed bottom comprising rigid, parallel end bars and rigid parallel side rails, anchor springs connected to said end bars, a flexible fabric extending between the anchor springs at opposite ends of said spring, said fabric including a plurality of pairs of normally straight, parallel flexible members each of said pairs being connected at their ends to corresponding anchor springs at the opposite ends of said bed springs and formed of a single length of cable, flexible zigzag members disposed between said pairs of straight members and anchored at their ends to alternate anchor springs connected to said end bars and clips slidable on said straight members for connecting each of said zigzag members at spaced points alternately to its adjacent straight members, each of said clips having a pair of oppositely disposed wings each wing being curved over a single straight member and a single zigzag member to form a loop engaging and holding said members in position, said loop permitting slidable movement of said engaged straight and zigzag members, and clips connecting the sidemost zigzag members of said fabric to the corresponding side rails.

2. A bed spring which comprises end rails maintained in rigid and fixed parallel relation to form a frame, side rails extending longitudinally of said frame, helical springs connecting said side rails at each of their ends with said end rails, a plurality of parallel pairs of straight flexible metal cable members, each pair being formed by a single length of said cable, a plurality of pairs of oppositely disposed helical springs anchored to said end rails, each of each pair of said oppositely disposed helical springs being connected to an end of one of said parallel pairs of straight metal cable members, a plurality of flexible metal cable members engaging said straight members in zigzag fashion, each pair of straight cable members being flanked by one of said zigzag flexible members, said zigzag members being formed in pairs and each pair being formed of a single length of cable, metal clips slidable on said straight members connecting said zigzag flexible members with said straight members at equidistant points along said straight members, each of said clips formed with a. pair of oppositely disposed wings each wing being curved to engage a zigzag member and a single straight member, said clips being alternately spaced on the respective pairs of straight members, ends of each pair of said zigzag members being connected alternately to said springs anchored to said end rails, and clips connecting the outermost zigzag members to said side rails whereby said zigzag members present a plurality of diamond shaped forms of equal size.

3. A fabric to be resiliently mounted in a frame of the character described which comprises a plurality of parallel pairs of straight flexible metal cable members, each pair being formed of a single length of said cable, a plurality of pairs of zigzag members, each pair of zigzag members being formed of a single length of flexible metal cable and shaped to form a series of generally diamond shaped forms, said zigzag members engaging a straight member at the loci of the points of said diamond shaped forms. metal clips slidable on said straight members slidably connecting said zigzag members with its adjacent straight member at the loci of the points of said diamond members.

JAMES PILIERO;