US2871925A - Edge roll for cushion spring assemblies - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3,1959 2,871,925

EDGE ROL FOR CUSHION SPRING ASSEMBLIES W. F. RI CHARDSON Filed June 21, 1957 INVENTOR. 1447/17/22 Fzfiardxm BY Uni-tedStates PatentO EDGE ROLL FOR CUSHION SPRING ASSEMBLIES William F. Richardson, Carthage, Mo., assignor to Flex- O-Lators, Inc., Carthage, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 21, 1957, Serial No. 667,687 2 Claims. (Cl. 155-184) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in upholstery, and has particular reference to an elongated padded member, commonly designated an edge roll, adapted to be applied around the upper marginal edge of a cushion spring assembly or deck, between the springs and the overlying layers of padding, whereby to protect the padding against wear by contact with the spring wires, and whereby to provide the finished cushion with a smooth and firm, yet comfortably padded and yieldable edge.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of an upholstery edge roll of the character described which while possessing sufiicient yieldability to function as a cushioning pad, may easily be manufactured to possess any desired cross-sectional contour, and to retain said contour through long periods of usage. Generally, this object is accomplished by forming the roll of layers of a soft or compressible material such as certain types of paper, folded on itself along lines longitudinal to the edge roll in a series of layers with the layers so disposed to each other and of relatively varying widths so as to provide the desired'cross-sectional contour, and then stitching the layers together along lines longitudinal to the edge roll to prevent relative movement or shifting thereof. Since the types of paper and other padding material suitable for this purpose are usually soft and easily torn or damaged, the shape-retaining characteristics of the edge roll are further enhanced by enclosing the padding layers in a sheath of a relatively tough, pliable material.

Another important object is the provision of an upholstery edge roll of the character described wherein the padding material itself forms strands extending longitudinally of the edge roll and of sufficient toughness that clips or hog rings each encircling one of said strands and a wire of the spring assembly will secure the edge roll firmly and permanently to the spring assembly. Said strands are formed by longitudinal folds in certain of the padding layers, the folds being tightly compressed and secured, whereby to impart the requisite toughness thereto, by lines of stitching through said padding layers.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency and dependability of operation, and adaptability for use, wherever padded strips having a degree of flexibility may be desired.

With these objects in view, as Well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a cushion spring assembly, showing an edge roll embodying the present invention applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l, with parts omitted and parts broken away.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts in both of the views, and the numeral 2 applies generally to a cushion spring assembly comprising a plurality of helical springs 4 arranged in rows with their axes parallel and coextensive. The upper end loops 6 of said springs are ice disposed in substantially coplanar relationship, and said end loops of adjacent springs in each row overlap slightly. The springs are joined by a plurality of helical binder coils 8, each of said coils passing between corresponding springs in each of the rows of springs and coiling about the overlapping portions of the top loops thereof. This method of joining the springs is illustrative only, and is not restrictive in any way. The lower end loops of springs 4 may be attached to a rigid base or frame, not shown, or in the case of a double-faced or reversible cushion, may be joined by binder coils similar to coils 8.

The edge roll forming the subject matter of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10, and constitutes a padding core 12 and an enclosing sheath 14, the edge roll having the form of an elongated strip adapted to be laid on the top surface of spring assembly 2, around the marginal edge thereof, and secured thereto by means to be described hereinbelow. Core 12 comprises a plurality of strips 16 of a padding material such as a soft pulp paper. In order to provide a greater degree of yieldability, the paper may be of the type commonly known as waffle paper, having regularly spaced indentations formed therein. 16 -of padding paper are used. In order to impart the desired cross-sectional contour to the edge roll, strips 16 are folded longitudinally of the edge roll to form a plurality of superimposed layers as shown, the Width and disposition of the respective layers being such as to provide the over-all contour desired. For example, in many cases it is desirable that the edge roll be generally wide and fiat, in order to provide broad support for the upholstery layers tobe applied thereover without undue bulk, and that the outer edge of the roll overhang the edge of the spring deck, both to protect the upholstery layers against wearing contact with the springs and to provide a cushion edge providing a high degree of comfort. For this reason the strips 16 are folded to present a minimum number of layers at the inner edge of the roll, the number of layers being more or less gradually increased toward the outer edge of the roll, a large number of layers being gathered into an outwardly and upwardly inclined bead 18 extending longitudinally of the roll at the outer edge thereof, said bead being secured by a line of stitching 20 adjacent the outer edge of the roll and extending through all of the layers of padding 16. Another line of stitching 22 extends longitudinally of the roll substantially midway between the inner and outer edges thereof, being stitched through all of the padding layers. The function of stitching 20 and 22 is primarily to prevent shifting of padding layers 16 relative to each other, whereby the contour of the edge roll is maintained over long periods of use. Any number of lines of stitching desired could of course be used.

At the inner edge of the roll a relatively tough strand 24 is formed by gathering a number of layers of padding 16 into a bead extending longitudinally of the roll, and

a tightly compressing and securing said bead by a line of stitching 26. Similarly, a strand 28 is formed/at the lower side of the roll adjacent the outer edge thereof and secured by stitching 30. When the edge roll is applied to the spring assembly, strand 28 is disposed substantially tangent to the top coils 6 of marginal springs 4, and is secured thereto by a plurality of ring clips 32 commonly known as hog rings, each comprising a length of Wire sharpened at its ends and adapted by a special tool to be closed in a loop to encircle spring loop 6 and strand 28, piercing the edge roll in inwardly spaced relation from stitching 30. Similarly, strand 24 is secured As shown in Fig. 2, three strips of spring assembly 2, the inner edge of the roll may be notched as indicated at 36 (see Fig. 1), in order that it may be bent or curved around the corner without breaking or buckling.

Since the soft pulp paper padding layers 16, or any other padding materials suitable for this purpose, are ordinarily weak and easily torn, and hence ordinarily could not retain any of the stitching under repeated flexing Without tearing, the sheath 14 is preferably formed of a very tough, tear-resistant material such as a heavy grade of kraft paper, and the stitching 20, 22, 26 and 30 is sewed through said sheath. This provides good anchorage for the stitching, and also is of value in retain ing the strands 24- and 28 tightly compressed to resist tearing by the clips 32 and 34. In order to prevent the sheath itself from imparting too much rigidity to the edge roll, and to prevent breaking of the sheath when the edge roll is flexed in use, the sheath is preferably formed of X-crepe paper, this type of paper having two sets of crepering wrinkles formed therein in angular relation to each other. This paper has a two-way stretch which imparts a degree of flexibility to the finished edge roll.

Thus it will be seen that an edge roll having several advantages has been produced. It is extremely economical and is easily formed on automatic machinery. The strands 24 and 28 necessary for eflicient connection to a spring assembly are formed from the padding material itself, longitudinal beads of said padding being compressed to form cord-like members. The folded relationship of the padding layers 16 permit easy production of one edge roll having virtually any desired contour. While the roll has sufficient yieldability to perform its padding function, it will retain its contour over long periods of use. Any substantial change of shape would necessitate shifting of the padding layers relative to each other in their own planes, and such shifting is prevented by the stitching through said layers. The edge roll has been found sufliciently strong to serve the function of the usual marginal or frame wire of the spring assembly, no such wire being shown in the drawing. If the assembly included such a margin wire, strand 28 would lie thereagainst and be secured thereto by clips 32.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An edge roll for cushion spring assemblies comprising an elongated member formed of longitudinally extending'strips of soft, easily tearable sheet padding material, said strips being folded longitudinally into a series of superimposed layers with said layers proportioned and disposed to provide the desired cross-sectional contour to the finished edge roll, a sheath of relatively tough, tear-resistant pliable material enclosing said padding material, and a plurality of lines of stitching extending longitudinally of the edge roll and sewed through said padding layers and said sheath to secure said sheath to said padding layers and to secure said padding layers against shifting movements relative to each other.

2. An edge roll as recited in claim 1 wherein said padding strips constitute sheets of soft pulp paper, and wherein said sheath is formed of X-crepe paper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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