US2855878A - Automatic mattress tufting machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1 4, 1958 E. L. BRONSTIEN, -JR., ETAL 2,855,878

I AUTOMATIC MATTRESS TUF TING MACHINE Filed July 11, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 2,855,878 AUTOMATIC MATss rnrrmio MACHINE Edward L. Bronstien, Jr., St. Paul, and Richard A. Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn, assignors to The United States Bedding Company, St. Paul, Minn a corporation of Minnesota Application July 11, 1956, Serial No. 597,152 4 Claims. (Cl. 112' -s This invention relates to apparatus for tufting mattresses and the like and more particularly to a machine which operates automatically to index the mattress in various position between the tufting heads of a conventional tufting machine for making the desired tufts ina predetermined sequence of operations to provide a desired tufting pattern without distortion or unbalance in the finished mattress. v

This application represents an improvement of our copending application Ser. No. 472,876, filed December 3, 1954, and entitled Automatic Tufting Machine, which application and disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.

V In the aforementioned copending application, description is made of a machine embodying means for auto matically registering the mattress in a desired sequence of tufting positions between the upper and lower heads of a tufting machine. The automatic machine includes a rigid frame on which an outer table is mounted for relative endwise movement in one direction and on which an inner table i mounted on theouter table for endwise movement of the inner table relative the outer table in the opposite direction. The inner table embodies means for receiving the mattress to be tufted in a relatively secure and stationary position.

Shifting movement of the inner and outer tables in one direction or the other is effected by a combination which includes a driving means operatively connected to the inner and outer tables and locking means in the form of brakes for holding the tables against movement. Use is made of a selector means for rendering one or the other of the driving means effective or ineffective and one or the other of the locking means effective or in-' etfective in a sequence of operations for causing displacement of the tables to predetermined positions for registry of the mattress between the tufting heads in desired positions for tufting. The machine includes switch means responsive to compietion of the tuftingicycle for selectively rendering a locking means ineffective and a corresponding driving means effective for movement of the table to displace the mattress to the next tufting position of the predetermined pattern and it includes switch operated means responsive to the movement of the tables to the desired position for registry of the mattress between the tufting heads for rendering the driving means ineffecti've and for simultaneously renderingthe locking means ineifective to hold the mattress in the desired position until completion of the tufting cycle. Thus the mattress is moved periodically in a continuous sequence of steps to various tu t'ting positions between the tuftiug eads of the tufting machine until the tuft pattern has been completed. Thereafter the tables are returned to their home or starting position.

in practice, it has been found that there areinstances where the tul'ting head is able to operate through a full cycle thereby toenable the subsequent operations of the brakes and clutches of the driving and locking mechanism described without actually having achieved or completed the desired tufting operation thereby to enable the machine to proceed through its tufting cycle without ac complishing the desired objective. In some instances, such continued operation may even cause destruction of parts or damage to the mattress thereby to interfere with the productivity of the machine. Such instances may occur, for example, when buttons are not available for use by the tufting head or when certain knots are formed in the twine but which do not interfere with the movement of the tufting heads between operated position and return. Thus it becomes necessary to repair the damage andmake up the deficiency and then return the machine manually to the stage in the cycle where improper operation commenced. This leads to a waste of time, material and labor.

Thus it is an object of this invention to provide means in the automatic tufting machine for stopping further operation of the machine whenever such inconsistency, interference or deficiency is encountered during the tufting cycle.

These and other objects and advantages will h'ereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the-invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a perspective viewer? a portion of the bottom head of a conventional tufting machine showing the features of this invention; v v V Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2- 2 of Figure l; V g I y Figure 3 is a top plan view of the upper portion of the lower head of the tufting machine which is shown in Figure l-;' p

Figure 4 is an electrical diagram which isintended to be superimposed on the electrical diagram of the a orementioned copending application to embody the improve ment as a part thereof; and p I Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a mattress tufting machinev v v Illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing a portion otthe lower head of a conventional tufting machine. Such a machine is fully described in the aforementioned copending application and more fully illus; tratedand shown in the handbook published by the United Mattress Machinery Company of 2 Hancock Street, Quincy, Massachusetts, and entitled United Automatic Button Tufter -lnstruction Manual and Parts Catalog? I In the pertinent portions of theltufting head,, the numeral 10 indicates the housing of the lower head with the needle groove 12 through which twine is advanced forkhotted engagement to tie in a bottom button with another button located on the top side of the rnattresis and with the desired tension therebetw'een. Since the tufting head and its operation forms no-part for the invention described and claimed herein, detailed description thereof will not be made and description herein will be limited to the modification embodied therein to achieve the desired controls in operation and results.

Fixed to the top side of the lower head of the tufting machine is a metal plate 20, referred to as the throat plate. The. horizontally disposed throat plate is formed with a rectangular opening 22 extending laterally from a pair of longitudinally spaced bearing members 24 and with; a tail opening 26 contiguous with the rectangular opening 22 and extending in the other direction from the bearing members 24. Dimensioned tobe received within a portion of the rectangular opening is a flipper plate 28 which is secured for rocking movement aboiit a horizontal axis on a shaft 30 which is rotatably supported between the bearing members 24. i

The flipper plate 28 has a cut-out portion in its outer end with a substantially semicircular section 32 dimensioned to be slightly less in cross-section than the crosssection of a button 34, outlined in broken lines in Figure of the drawing. As a result, a button fed in position to be tied in by the twine with a button on the top side-of the mattress .will be overlapped-in its peripheral edge portion by a portion of the flipper plate. When the tied-in button 34 is ejected with the mattress, it will rock the flipper plate 28 about its pivot with the shaft 30 thereby to cause rotational movement of the shaft. The natural weight of the flipper plate, which extends to one side of the pivot, will operate constantly to urge the flipper plate to return to its normal position for use in its next cycle of operation. Instead of relying upon the gravitational force, use may be made of. additional means such as tension spring means constantly to urge the flipper plate to return to its normal horizontal position.

It will be evident that when a button is not ejected from beneath the flipper plate as when a button is not present or when some other obstruction is encountered which prevents ejection of the button, the flipper plate will not be rocked about its pivot, yet the head members will be able to carry on through the normal cycle of operation and thereby permit the automatic mattress tufting machine to continue through its normal sequence of operations without actually effecting the desired tufting operation.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, the shaft 30 is extended by a portion 36 which is offset angularly from its axis in the direction to engage a button 40 of a switch member 42, hereinafter referred to as the button flipper microswitch. The latter is fixed to a portion of the lower head in position to be engaged by the shaft when the shaft is rotated with the flipper plate during ejection of a button in the normal cycle of the machine. Instead of offsetting the shaft, other means such as a bracket or a lever may be secured to an end 4 diately prior to the completion of the knotting action of the lower head.

At this time, relay BP closes and holds itself closed via the button flipper switch 42 located on the lower head. If knotting is completed correctly and the switch 42 is engaged in response to rocking movement of the flipper plate 28, the relay BP is immediately opened in response thereto, permitting'the clutches to operate without stopping the tufting heads. Thus, as the head rises to engage the head switch, as described in Figure 9 of the copending application, the cycle is continued to cause shifting movement of the tables in the direction to bring the next position of the mattress into registry with the tufting heads. As the tables are stopped in position, the heads are again cycled through the described operation.

In the event that knotting'is not done properly or the flipper plate is otherwise not operative, the button flipper switch 42 is not tripped. Relay BP remains closedand the head is permitted to continue in its cycle until" it has cleared the crosshook, at which time the head stop microswitch closes to prevent further operation of the head. The power to the clutches is interrupted so that the tables are stopped directly over the button that has failed.

Correction can be made at this time or the operator may activate the automatic start button, described in the copending application, to pass over the position and continue the cycling of the machine.

' the word switch," the letters N. C. are intended to indiportion of the shaft in position to engage a switch for normally closed microswitch, as shown in the electrical diagram.

If a button 34 is extracted from beneath the flipper plate 28, then the shaft is turned about its axis to engage the button flipper microswitch 42 thereby to open the normally closed microswitch whereby the time delay relay would drop out and enable the cycle to repeat in a normal sequence. If, on the other hand, abutton is not extracted, the button flipper switch 42 is not engaged so that the time delay relay remains closed and another microswitch located on the lower head shaft cam would trip and instantly stop the machine through the regular emergency stop circuit described in the aforementioned copending application.

Referring now more specifically to Figure 4, the lead from relay F and relay C and relay D is to be broken. In this way, voltage to operate the two drive clutches of the table drive mechanisms must first pass through relay BP before going through it to relays C and D. All other connections may be made to any convenient point in the circuit of the electrical system of the aforementioned copending application, as indicated, to tie in the microswitch member 42 as a part of the automatic machine.

In operation, as the tufting head starts its cycle and a mattress is compressed, voltage is applied from the head microswitch to the delayrelay S0 The time of operation of therelay S0 is set so that it trips immecate the words normally closed, and the letters N. O. are intended to indicate the words normally open. The numerals merely indicate the numbers of the relays in the commercial reduction to practice of the machine as illustrated by the electrical diagram in the copending application.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and operation, without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In an automatic mattress tufting machine having a pair of upper and lower tufting heads between which a mattress is located for tufting, a flipper plate on a head mounted for rocking movement from a normal to a displaced position responsive to extraction of a button which has been tufted means on said plate to receive a button to be tied in during the tufting operation when said plate is in normal position thereby to rock the plate from normal to displaced position responsive to removal of the tufted button, a switch member, means responsive to rocking movement of the flipper plate to displaced position upon extraction of a button for operating the switch member, and means interconnecting the switch member into the power system of the tufting machine for stopping operation of the machine upon failure of operation of the switch by the flipper plate.

2. In an automatic mattress tufting machine having a pair of upper and lower tufting heads between which a mattress is located for tufting, a shaft mounted for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a flipper plate mounted for rocking movement from a normal to a displaced position responsive to the extraction of a button which has been tufted, an operative connection between the plate and shaft for turning movement of the shaft responsive to rocking movement of the plate, means on said plate supplying a button to be tied in during the tufting operation when said plate is in normal position thereby to rock the plate from normal to displaced position responsive to removal of the tufted button, a switch member, means responsive to rotational movement of the shaft upon removal of a tufted button for operation of the switch member, and means interconnecting the switch member in the power system of the tufting machine for stopping operation of the machine responsive to failure of operation of the switch during the tufting cycle.

'3. In an automatic mattress tufting machine having a pair of upper and lower tufting heads between which a mattress is located for tufting, a shaft mounted for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a flipper plate mounted for rocking movement from a normal to a displaced position responsive to the removal of a button which has been tufted, an operative connection between the plate and shaft for turning movement of the shaft responsive to rocking movement of the plate, means on said plate supplying a button to be tied in during the tufting operation when said plate is in normal position thereby to rock the plate from normal to displaced position responsive to removal of the tufted button, a switch member, means on the shaft for operatively engaging said switch member for operation responsive to turning move- 15 ment of the shaft by the flipper plate upon removal of the tufted button, and means interconnecting the switch member in the power source to stop operation of the tufting machine upon failure to be engaged by the shaft during the tufting cycle.

4. An automatic mattress tufting machine as claimed in claim 3 in which the means on said shaft for operatively engaging the switch comprises an extension on said shaft which is bent out of line with the axis in the direction to engage the switch upon turning movement of the shaft by the flipper plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,037,847 Morley July 20, 1937 2,251,368 Moser Aug. 5, 1941 2,387,958 Vossen Oct. 30, 1945

Images