US2710648A

US2710648A - Spring frame construction

Info

Publication number: US2710648A
Application number: US38822A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mouw Andrew
Original assignee: No Sag Spring Co
Current assignee: No Sag Spring Co
Priority date: 1948-07-15
Filing date: 1948-07-15
Publication date: 1955-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1972-06-14

Description

June 14,1955 A. MOUW 2,710,648

SPRING FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed July 15 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. flyir w J72 a m June 14, 1955 A. MOUW SPRING FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed July 15, 1948 9 W 0 5 W M M s Va 0 m N W W m j 4 W M m M 3 y 4 J. a .5 v a June 14, 1955 ouw 2,710,648

' SPRING FRAME CONSTRUCTION V Filed July 15, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet s C D 47 A K 'I l I l r I: l v I l i 43 M INVENTOR.

fl/Zdz'ew Maul M $41 Y/i 'flrrazwsy June 14, 1955 A. MOUW I SPRING FRAME CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 15, 1948 mm; E W V w v M W 7 Ill a I r WT.-- 7 3 I 3 7 1. l lfif I i Z: I] l 1'' 5 a Z k H i 1 I M W illvll 1| M W 3 z 2 2,710,648 Patented June 14, 1955 SPRING FRAME CONSTRUCTION Andrew Mouw, Huntington Woods, Mich, assignor to No-Sag Spring Company, Warren Township, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application July 15, 1948, Serial No. 38,822

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-479) This invention relates to spring assemblies, and particularly to a spring assembly to be used on the back of a chair and the like.

The present invention pertains to a spring assembly embodying a light border wire across which a plurality of zigzag springs are stretched to provide a resilient surface disposed on a predetermined arc. The springs have an inherent set against deflection caused by being set on an arc much smaller than the arc remaining when the ends are stretched outwardly and attached to the border frame. The ends tend to draw the frame sides toward each other, and bracing means is provided to retain the frame sides in parallel relation after the frame is mounted on a chair. The frame assembly may be either connected to the chair frame in spaced relation thereto by resilient elements such as rubber, springs and the like, or the bottom edge of the assembly may be pivoted to the chair frame while the top is spaced therefrom by the resilient elements.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are:

to provide a unit spring assembly which is either attachable to the frame of a chair at the top and bottom by means of resilient elements so as to be movable with respect thereto or pivotally attachable at the bottom and resiliently attachable at the top so that the entire assembly may pivot toward and from the chair frame; to form a spring assembly from a light wire frame across which a zigzag spring is stretched and braces provided to prevent the portions supporting the spring from being drawn toward each other; to provide a brace pivoted to the top portion of a wire frame which is attachable to a chair frame for retaining the portion parallel to the bottom frame portion which is attached to the chair; to provide a brace pivoted to the top and bottom portions of a wire frame for retaining the frame portions in a parallel relationship; to provide a unit spring assembly of the aforementioned type which incorporates a soft head rest within the wire frame, and, in general, to provide a light spring assembly which forms one or more spring cushions at the back of a chair which is simple in construction and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a View in elevation of a spring assembly embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a further form which the invention may assume;

Fig. 3A is a broken, enlarged perspective view of part of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 4-4 thereof.

iii)

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a spring assembly, showing a further form which the invention may assume;

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of a spring assembly showing a still further form which the invention may assume;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of a spring assembly showing a still further form which the invention may assume.

Referring to the figures, a spring assembly is illustrated having a wire frame 10 of square or rectangular form welded together to form a closed frame element. The bottom edge portion 11 of the frame and the top edge portion 12 of the frame in the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1-4, have off-set sections 1.3 therein to which the ends 14 of zigzag springs 15 are secured by clamping bands 16. The springs are set on an arc, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when stretched between the members 11 and 12, and are provided with a set which causes the springs to assume the shape of an arc of much smaller radius. When the springs are stretched between the frame portions 11 and 12, they exert an inward pull on the portions which are drawn inwardly toward each other.

i n Figs. 1 and 2, corner bracing wires 17 are illustrated for spanning across each of the corners to brace the top and bottom portions 12 and 11 with the side portions of the frame. This substantially reduces the amount of deflection of the top and bottom portions 12 and 11 caused by the tension of the springs. A U-shaped wire element 18 is pivoted to the top portion 12 by a clamping band 16, the projecting ends of which extend below the bottom frame portion 11 and are bent inwardly at 19.

When the spring assembly is to be secured to the

cross members

21 and 22 of a chair frame, davenport and the like, clips 23 secure the bottom frame portion 11 in parallel pivoted relation to the cross member 22. At the top corners jack springs 24 or other resilient elements, secure the top frame portion 12 to the cross member 21 of the frame. The jack springs have one end secured to the top frame portion by the clamping bands 16, and the clips 23 secure the other end of the jack springs to the cross member 21. A jack spring 34 is disposed between the end legs of each of the jack springs 24 and has its looped portion secured to the looped portion of the jack. spring 24 by clip 35. The upper ends of the legs of the jack springs 34 extend above the jack springs 24 and are laterally bent and connected to transversely extending rods 36 by clips 37, as illustrated more specifically in Fig. 3A. The rods 36 support a burlap or other fabric strip 40 which extends rearwardly from the top of the spring frame and is connected to the rods and the chair frame. The strip 40 will thus extend arcuately rearwardly from the spring frame and over the rods so as to support the chair padding and prevent the latter from falling down between the spring frame and chair frame. In this way the finished chair will have a smoothly rounded top which is neat in appearance.

Thereafter, the ends 19 of the U-shaped wire element 18 are secured to the cross member 22 by clips 23 in a manner to exert an upward pressure on the top frame portion 12, to thereby retain it in parallel relation to the bottom frame portion 11 while permitting the assembly to deflect backwardly at the top toward the cross member 21. The spring strips 15 are secured to each other and to the side portions of the wire frame 10 by coil springs having hooks oneach end which engage the wire of the frame. The clamping bands 16 have an inner surface of sound-deadening material so that when they are drawn together about the wires of the frame and springs, squeaks and like undesirable noises are eliminated from the assembly.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a slightly different form of the invention is illustrated, that wherein the frame has the corner element 17 eliminated and a pair of bowed wires 27 is employed adjacent to the side portions of the frame to reduce the deflection of the top and bottom frame portions toward each other. A centrally pivoted wire 28 extends below the bottom frame portion 11 and is provided with a transverse end 19, the same as one of the legs of the U-shaped element 13 of Figs. 1 and 2. same manner to the

cross members

21 and 22 of the chair frame. Coil springs 29 are substituted for the jack springs 24 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the springs being secured to the corners of the frame 19 by the angularly disposed corner wires 31 and to the cross member 21 by clamps 32. The wire 28 has its transverse end 19 secured to the cross member 22 by a clip 23 to provide an upward force to the center of the top frame portion 12 to retain it parallel with the bottom frame portion 11 while permitting the top of the spring assembly to deflect toward and from the cross member 21.

Either of the spring assemblies illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 may have secured to one or both sides a wire extension element 33 that is sometimes desired in the seating art. and bottom frame portions locate the ends 14 of the spring strips and the clamping band 16 to retain them in spaced relation to each other and to prevent any shifting thereof when the spring assembly is mounted in furniture.

The assembly provides a resilient arched surface which is pivoted at the bottom and which deflects at the top when a load is applied thereto. The springs forming the arched surface will deflect as a load is applied to the assembly and the entire assembly will deflect as the

spring elements

24 or 29 at the top of the frame are compressed. it is to be understood that other resilient structures made of rubber and like material may be employed at the top of the frame in place of either of the springs 24 or 39 shown.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the ends 14 of the zigzag springs 15, are secured by the clamping bands 16 to the bottom and top edge portions 11 and 12 respectively of the spring assembly wire frame 10, as previously described. The springs 15 are secured to each other and to the side portions of the wire frame by means of coil springs 33. The corner bracing wires 17 are provided for spanning across each of the corners to brace the top and bottom portions of the spring frame so as to reduce the amount of deflection thereof caused by the tension of the zigzag springs. A bowed U-shaped wire 39 is pivoted to the top portion 12 by clips 41 and to the bottom portion 11 by clip 43, so as to maintain the top and bottom frame portions in a parallel relationship with respect to each other.

The spring assembly is secured to the

cross members

21 and 22 of a chair, davenport or the like, by means of jack springs 45. which are secured to the

cross members

21 and 22 adjacent each corner thereof, by means of clips 47, and to the adjacent corners of the spring top and bottom portions 12 and 11 by clips 49. The vertically opposed jack springs 45 are resiliently interconnected by means of coil springs 51, which. have one end thereof connected to the reversely looped portions of the jack springs 51 and the other end connected to a rod 53. The rod 53 thus connects the adjacent ends of the springs 51 so that the opposed jack springs are resiliently maintained in their proper relationship. In this way the spring assembly is resiliently connected to the cross members of the chair frame and the assembly may move toward and from the chair frame, as well as laterally with respect thereto, within limits defined by the jack springs. The spring assembly is therefore floatingly mounted with respect to the chair frame and the coil springs 51 and rods 53 prevent the jack springs from moving out of The spring assembly is secured in the The offset sections 13 formed in the top i? if 4 their operative positions and rendering the spring mounting inoperative.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the spring assembly includes the wire frame 10, having the upper and lower portions 12 and 11 connected by the side portions. A rod 55 spans the side portions of the frame below the upper portion 12 and has its opposite ends connected to the side portions by clips 57. The opposite ends of the zigzag springs 15 are connected to the lower frame portion 11 and the rod 55 by means of the clips 16. The corner bracing wires 17 span the corners between the bottom frame portion 11 and the side frame portions and the rod 55 and the side frame portions, so as to brace the rod 55 and bottom portion 11 and reduce the amount of deflection thereof caused by the tension of the zigzag springs.

A zigzag spring 59 extends arcuately between the side portions of the spring assembly frame, between the upper portion 12 and the rod 55, and has its opposite ends connected to the frame side portions by means of clips 61. Coil springs 63 connect the zigzag spring 59 to the upper frame portion 12 and rod 55, so that when the portion of the frame between the upper portion 12 and rod 55 is covered, a soft chair head rest is provided. Bracing wires 65 extend between the upper bracing wires 17 and the side frame portions and are connected thereto by clips 67 so as to brace the side frame portions.

When the spring assembly is to be secured to a chair frame, the clips 23 secure the bottom frame portion 11, in adjacent relationship to the cross member 22. Jack springs 71, or other resilient elements, secure the side portions of the spring frame to the vertical members 73 of the chair frame. The jack springs have one end secured to the side frame portions by clips 67 and the other end secured to the vertical chair frame members by clips 75. Thus, with this modification the spring assembly is pivoted at its lower end to the chair frame and can move toward and from the chair frame at the upper end thereof, under the action of the jack springs. Likewise, it will be appreciated that with this construction a relatively soft head rest is provided at the upper end of the spring assembly by the cross zigzag spring 59, making this assembly especially adapted for use in seats for use on busses, railroad cars or airplanes.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 9, the frame 10 of the spring assembly is relatively wide in comparison with the aforementioned embodiments and is divided in half by means of a vertically extending wire 77, which has its upper end connected to the upper frame portion 12 by clip 16 and its lower end connected to the bottom frame portion 11 by clip 16. The zigzag springs 15 have their opposite ends secured to the upper and lower frame portions 12 and 11 on both sides of the wire 77, by means of clip 16 and it will be noted that with this embodiment a greater number of zigzag springs are employed than with the previous embodiments. Corner bracing wires 17 are provided for spanning each of the frame corners to brace the top and bottom portions 12 and 11 with the side portions of the frame, and in addition bracing wires 79 are provided for bracing the top and bottom portions 12 and 11 with the central wire portion 77. By using the plurality of braces and the central frame portion 77, the amount of deflection of the top and bottom por tions of the frame, caused by the tension of the zigzag (to the cross member 21, in the manner previously described, so that the top of the frame can deflect toward and away from the cross member 21.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spring assembly, a rectangular wire frame having top and bottom edge portions and side portions spacing said edge portions, zigzag springs spanning said top and bottom edge portions and providing a tension which tends to draw the edge portions toward each other, wires disposed across the corners of the frame between the side and top and bottom edge portions for reducing deflection of the edge portions toward each other, and a central wire element pivoted to the top edge portion and of a length to extend beyond the bottom edge portion, said central wire element being of U-shape having the web secured to the top edge portion and the two ends extending beyond the bottom edge portion being flanged laterally.

2. In a spring assembly, a rectangular wire frame having top and bottom edge portions and side portions spacing said edge portions, zigzag springs spanning said top and bottom edge portions and providing a tension which tends to draw the edge portions toward each other, wires disposed across the corners of the frame between the side and top and bottom edge portions for reducing deflection of the edge portions toward each other, a central wire element pivoted to the top edge portion and of a length to extend beyond the bottom edge portion, said central wire element being of U-shape having the web secured to the top edge portion and the two ends extending beyond the bottom edge portion being flanged laterally, and a resilient member secured to each top corner of the frame element and extending rearwardly thereof.

3. A spring assembly comprising a frame made of wire 1' having a top and bottom edge portion and connecting side portions, zigzag spring strips spanning said top and bottom edge portions, with the ends secured thereto, a jack spring having a central coil portion and diverging arms secured to at least each of two corner portions of the frame rearwardly thereof, and wire means supported between the arms of said jack spring and parallel to the top edge of said frame.

= thereof, and resilient means connected to the opposite ends of said wire means and to said corner resilient members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,263 Kaden Nov. 14, 1939 1,029,881 Micon June 18, 1912 1,446,453 Falls Feb. 27, 1923 1,587,199 Stoufl'er et al. June 1, 1926 1,764,967 McElroy June 17, 1930 1,833,817 Bing Nov. 24, 1931 1,884,230 Reed Oct. 25, 1932 2,106,644 Menge Jan. 25, 1938 2,149,350 Kloppman Mar. 7, 1939 2,185,036 Menge Dec. 26, 1939 2,233,545 Menge Mar. 4, 1941 2,234,253 Hopkes Mar. 11, 1941 2,291,004 Stewart et al. July 28, 1942 2,420,220 Bartlett et al. May 6, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 982 Austria Feb. 26, 1900 94,280 Sweden Jan. 17, 1939 232,312 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1925