US3084353A

US3084353A - Spring assembly

Info

Publication number: US3084353A
Application number: US101493A
Authority: US
Inventors: David I Levine
Original assignee: Spring Products Developing Co
Current assignee: Spring Products Developing Co
Priority date: 1961-04-07
Filing date: 1961-04-07
Publication date: 1963-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-09
Also published as: GB926436A

Description

April 1963 0. LEVINE 3,084,353

SPRING ASSEMBLY Filed April '7, 1961 United States Patent 3,084,353 SPRING ASSEMBLY David I. Levine, Swampscott, Mass, assignor to Spring PfigIdllCtS Developing Co., Swampscott, Mass, a partner- P Filed Apr. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 101,493

5 Claims. (Cl. 5-248) This invention relates to a coil spring assembly made up of a multiplicity of coil springs for use in the fabrication of mattresses, upholstered furniture and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a coil spring assembly in which the individual coil springs are spaced from one another but are interconnected in a novel and improved manner which deters inadvertent displacement of the coils from their positions in aligned rows and columns while providing a desired degree of firmness and enabling the flexing of the spring coils in the necessary manner.

In the improved spring assembly constructed in accordance with the invention there are provided successive spaced rows of helically coiled springs wherein the springs in each row are spaced from one another and are substantially aligned with corresponding springs in the adjacent rows. Thus the spring coils may be said to be aligned in spaced columns and rows. A heavy gauge border wire extends continuously around the periphery of the coil springs in the plane of the top surfaces of the coils to define a plane surface of the spring assembly. The border wire is secured to the coils by a spiral wire member that is positioned over the border wire and has loop portions which engage in securing relationship of upper ring portions of the peripheral coils in the spring assembly. A first tie wire which is substantially straight but has loop configurations disposed in it at spaced intervals extend along the peripheral portions of coils in each column in both the top and bottom planes of the spring assembly with each loop configuration engaging the top or bottom ringas the case may be in the column with which that tie wire is associated. The loop configuration is formed to provide two spaced loops of wire disposed generally perpendicularly to the axis of the tie wire and a third loop disposed parallel to the axis of tie wire but laterally spaced therefrom. The ring portion of the spring coil is disposed in the space between the two loops and the third laterally dis-placed loop with the laterally displaced loop preferably being disposed outwardly of the periphery of the coil. A straight tie wire is associated with each row of coils and extends through the several laterally spaced loops in a direction perpendicular to the looped tie wire and above the ring portions and the two tie wires cooperate to secure each coil on the tie wires. A wire link extends between two spaced coils in adjacent columns and passes through the other loops of the first tie wires so that it maintains these coils in proper spaced columnar relationship, inhibits any tendency for them to slide along the straight tie wires and integrates the end rings in a flexible yet firm plane. These wire links are preferably disposed parallel to and in substantial alignment with the straight tie wires. In this manner the invention provides a simple, firm and resilient assembly of coil springs which enables the use of fewer spring coils of heavier gauge wire than heretofore employed in similar types of coil spring assemblies and thus enables the provision of 'a more economical spring assembly which is functionally equivalent to more complex and substantially more expensive spring assemblies such as those in which portions of the top and bottom rings of adjacent coils are juxtaposed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be seen as the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof progresses, in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plane view of a portion of a coil spring assembly embodying principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the configuration and the arrangement of the tie wires and a wire link employed in' the construction shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 33 of FIG. 1 showing a second view of the assembly of tie wires and link wire;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 showing still another view of the relationship of the several coil spring positioning wires;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the configuration of the tie wires and link wire at their point of intersection with a ring portion of a spring coil; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of an illustrative spring assembly constructed in accordance with principles of the invention.

The spring assembly in which the invention is practiced may incorporate the particular hour glass form of spiral compression coil springs 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, with each coil formed to define an upper ring portion 12 and a lower ring portion 14. The assembly may be made by placing the coil springs on a suitable block or form equipped with pins for holding the spring coils in the desired row and column relationship as they are being secured at their end ring convolutions 12, 14 by the tie wire elements 16, 1 8 and links 20. It will be noted that each end of the coil wire is secured to the portion of the helical coil to form a ring so that two spaced planar surfaces are defined by those rings when the coils are positioned in spaced rows extending lengthwise and crosswise with the end ring convolutions forming top and bottom planes of the spring assembly.

A first tie wire element 16 has sets of three

loo'ps

22, 24, 26 formed in it at spaced intervals. A first loop or U-shaped bend 22 is formed which extends parallel to the direction (axis) of the tie wire 16 and is offset laterally from the axis of the tie wire 16 and is bent upwardly from that axis. The wire 16 is additionally bent to form two S-shaped portions as shown best in FIG. 2 with two

loop portions

24, 26 which rise above the wire and are disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the wire. Two

depressions

28, 30 between the offset loop 22 and each

loop portion

24, 26 respectively result. This S-configured double loop may be formed in a series of successive shaping operations and is positioned at spaced intervals along the tie wire 16 equal to the desired spacing between the centers of the coils in the several columns. The tie wire is disposed so that a portion of the end ring 12 (or 14) is positioned in the

depressions

28, 30 between the three loops, with the offset loop 22 being positioned outwardly of the margin of the ring as indicated in FIGS. 16. A looped tie wire 16 is positioned along each margin portion of the coil rings so that two wires 16 are associated with each column of coil rings.

Cooperating straight tie wires 18 are then threaded through the offset loop 22 and over the ring wire 12 (or 14) so that the coil is secured to the tie wire 16 at opposite edges of the ring as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 6. The straight tie wire is aligned with the centers of the coils 10 in the associated row. Where the coils are connected in juxtaposed relation the two tie wires adequately secure them and prevent movement along the straight wire '18 but in this simplified spaced relation they are not inhibited from movement along that tie wire. To secure the coils in the desired inter-related positions and to inhibit relative movement a link wire 20 is provided which has a straight length 32 substantially equal to the desired spacing between adjacent columns of coils and a loop 34 formed in either end thereof. Each loop 34 of this link 20 is inserted through the

loops

24, 26 in tie wire 16, passing under the straight tie wire 18 and over the end convolution '12 (or 14) with the straight link portion extending between the marginal portion of an end ring in one column and the marginal portion of the end ring in the adjacent row as indicated in FIG. 1. This link thus clamps the assembled wires together in a more securerelationship and at the same time provides a fixed limit for the several coils 10 in their columnar positions.

The wires 20 may be inserted in place sliding the coils along the tie wires 18 toward one another. The several link wires 20 are positioned as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 6 and then the outer peripheral portions of the coil assembly are urged apart so that the link wire assemblies are forced tightly into engagement with the loop portions of the looped tie wire 16. The peripheral portions of the coil assembly are then secured to the firm border wire 36 which extends around the periphery of the coil assembly in the plane of the upper coil rings 12 by means of a helical wire 38 which flexibly and firmly interlocks and encompasses marginal portions of the upper and end ring convolutions '12 and the border Wire 36. The border wire and cooperating helical wire 38 thus serve in the spring assemblies as a border element which tends to resist misalignment of the assembly and to better define the plane surface of the spring, especially when the assembly meets with impact on an intermediate area of the spring assembly. The looped tie wires 16 terminate short of the border wire 36 while the upper straight tie wires 18 are looped over the border wire at their ends and the ends of the lower straight tie wires 18 are looped over the inner portions of the lower rings 14 to secure them in place, as indicated in PEG. 6.

The coil springs of the adjacent rows thus are secured together in a simple but integrated assembly utilizing tie wires and link wires which coact to provide firm yet properly resilient support so that compressing and distorting forces impressed on particular areas of the spring assembly do not tend to cause the individual coil spring elements to separate from one another or to otherwise become misaligned since each end ring convolution is firmly locked in place and secured in spaced relationship from the adjacent end ring convolutions. The link or spacer wires 20 integrate each plane surface of the coil assembly and permit manufacture of a box spring founda tion for mattresses, studio couches or other furniture with less coils of a heavier gauge wire, thus effecting a considerable reduction in cost. This inexpensive spacer wire is easily assembled with the coils and remains securely fastened merely by threading through tie wire loops associated with spaced columns of coil springs. It enables omission of some coils, spans the openings between remaining spaced coils and produces a firm spring assembly. The invention also enables selected portions of the spring assembly to be made stitler, if desired. For example, the outside coils of the spring assembly may be arranged to overlap one another and the balance of the coils assembled with sp acer links which have lengths corresponding to the diameters of the coils that they replace. Similarly, the center of the spring assembly construction may be made stiffer by using additional coils in that area in place of spacer links. Thus the invention provides an inexpensive spring assembly which uses fewer coils, is lighter in weight and yet provides the firm and trouble free support that is desired of spring assemblies.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein and therefore it is not intended that the invention be limited to the described embodiment or to details thereof and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

I. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in a series of columns and rows, each said coil spring being spaced from the coil springs in the adjacent columns and rows and having an upper end ring convolution and a lower end ring convolution with said coil springs disposed so that all the upper end ring convolutions lie in a first plane and all the lower end ring convolutions lie in a second plane which planes respectively define the upper and lower surfaces of the spring assembly, a series of first tie wires disposed parallel to said columns, each said first tie wire having a plurality of sets of loop portions connected by straight portions of said tie wire, said sets of loop portions being spaced along each said tie wire at intervals equal to the spacing between centers of coil springs in adjacent rows, each set of loops including a first upstanding offset loop disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said tie wire and two cooperating upstanding loops disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tie wire, said cooperating loops being disposed on either side of said offset loop between said offset loop and the connected straight portion of said tie wire and being formed to provide a depression between each cooperating loop and the offset loop in each said set, a portion of each end ring convolution disposed in said depressions between said ofiset loop and the cooperating loops of each tie wire associated with the column of coil springs, a group of straight tie wires disposed perpendicularly to said first tie wires and passing across the centers of each row of coils, each said straight tie wire being passed through all the offset loops associated with each plane in the associated row of coils and over the associated end ring convolutions of the coils that are disposed in said depressions, and a plurality of link wires each having a straight portion and two end loop portions lying substantially in a single plane, one end loop portion of each said link wire passing through said two cooperating loops of one of the first tie wires and the other loop of the link wire passing through the cooperating loops in a tie wire associated with the next adjacent column of coils so that the end ring convolutions are clamped securely in the depressions formed in said first tie wire and movement of said coils toward one another is restrained without inhibiting the flexing and support action of said spring assembly.

2. The spring assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said link wires extend parallel to rows of coil springs.

3. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in a series of columns and rows, each said coil spring being spaced from the coil springs in the adjacent columns and rows and having an upper end ring convolution and a lower end ring convolution with said coil springs disposed so that all the upper end ring convolutions lie in a first plane and -all the lower end ring convolutions lie in a second plane which planes respectively define the upper and lower surfaces of the spring assembly, a border wire extending continuously about the coil springs adjacent the peripheral edges of the upper end ring convolutions of the outer coil springs, means interconnecting the border wire with the adjacent portion of the upper end ring convolution of the outer coil springs, a series of first tie wires disposed parallel to said columns, each said first tie wire having a plurality of sets of loop portions connected by straight portions of said tie wire, said sets of loop portions being spaced along each said tie wire at intervals equal to the spacing between centers of coil springs in adjacent rows, each set of loops including a first upstanding loop disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said tie wire and two cooperating upstanding loops disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tie wire, said cooperating loops being disposed on either side of said ofiset loop between said offset loop and the connected straight portion of said tie wire and being formed to provide a depression between each cooperating loop and the offset loop in each said set, a portion of each end ring convolution disposed in said depressions between said otlset loop and the cooperating loops of each tie Wire associated with the column of coil springs, a group of straight tie wires disposed perpendicularly to said first tie wires and passing across the centers of each row of coils, each said straight tie wire being passed through all the offset loops associated with each plane in the associated row of coils and over the associated end ring convolutions of the coils that are disposed in said depressions, the straight tie wires associated with said upper end ring convolutions secured to said border wire, and a plurality of link wires each having a straight portion and two end loop portions lying substantially in a single plane, one end loop portion of each link wire passing through said two cooperating loops of one of the first tie wires and the other loop portion of said link wire passing through the cooperating loops in a tie wire associated with the next adjacent column of coils so that the end ring convolutions are clamped securely in the depressions formed in said first tie wire and movement of said coils toward one another is restrained without inhibiting the flexing and support action of said spring assembly.

4. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in a series of columns and rows, each said coil spring being spaced from all of the other coil springs and each spring having an upper end ring convolution and a lower end ring convolution, said coil springs being disposed so that all the upper end ring convolutions lie in an upper plane and all the lower end ring convolutions lie in a lower plane which planes define two surfaces of the spring assembly, a first group of tie wires disposed parallel to said columns of coil springs, each said first tie wire having a plurality of sets of loop portions formed therein and connected by straight portions of said tie wire, said sets of loop portions being spaced along said tie wire at intervals equal to the spacing between centers of coil springs in adjacent rows, each said set of loops including a first offset loop disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said tie wire and two cooperating upstanding loops disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tie wire, said cooperating loops being disposed on either side of said ofiset loop between said oiiset loop and the connected straight portion of said tie wire and being formed so that a depression is provided between each cooperating loop and the ofiset loop in each set, said first tie wires being disposed so that said sets of loop portions are substantially aligned with the centers of said coils aligned in rows with the portion of each end ring convolution generally tangential to the column and facing another column of coils spaced therefrom being disposed in the two depressions between said ofiset loop and the cooperating loops with each said ofiset loop disposed outwardly of said end ring convolution, a group of straight tie wires disposed perpendicularly to said first tie wires and passing through the offset loops associated with each plane in the associated row of coils and over the associated end ring convolutions of the coils that are disposed in said depressions, and a plurality of link wires, each having a straight portion and two end loop portions lying substantially in a single plane, one end loop portion of each link wire passing through said two cooperating loops of one of the first tie wires and the other loop of said link wire passing through the cooperating loops in a tie wire associated with the next adjacent column of coils with said straight portion disposed parallel to the straight tie wire associated with that row of coils, each said link wire loop passing under said straight tie wire and over said end ring convolution to clamp the end ring convolution securely in the depression formed in said first tie wire so that movement of said coils toward one another is restrained without inhibiting the flexing and support action of said spring assembly.

5. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in a series of columns and rows, certain of said coil springs being spaced from coil springs in adjacent columns and rows and each said coil spring having an upper end ring convolution and a lower end ring convolution, said coil springs being disposed in said assembly so that all said upper end ring convolutions lie in a first plane and all said lower end ring convolutions lie in a second plane, which planes respectively define the upper and lower surfaces of said spring assembly, a series of tie wires disposed substantially parallel to said columns, each said tie wire having a plurality of sets of upstanding loop portions connected by straight portions of said tie wire, said sets of loop portions being spaced along each said tie wire at intervals equal to the spacing between centers of the coils in adjacent rows, each set of loops including first and second upstanding loops laterally spaced from one another such that a depression is formed therebetween so that the portion of an end ring convolution may be disposed in said depression between said two upstanding loops, and a plurality of spacer Wires, each said spacer wire having two end loop portions and a straight linking portion connecting said end loops, said end loop portion being formed by a bend adjacent the end of the spacer wire so that the direction of each Wire end is reversed and it is disposed substantially parallel to said straight portion but spaced therefrom, one end loop portion of each spacer wire passing through the tie wire loop disposed interiorly of an end ring convolution of a first coil spring with both the straight link portion and the end of the spacer wire associated with said one end loop portion disposed above the end ring convolution so that the end ring convolution is clamped securely in the depression in said first tie wire and the opposite end loop portion passing through a tie wire loop disposed interiorly of an end ring convolution of a coil spring in the next spaced column from said first coil spring with said straight link portion and the end of the spacer wire associated with the opposite end also disposed above the end ring convolution, said spacer wire maintaining said coils in proper spaced relation without inhibiting the flexing and support action of said spring assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 694,6 14 Closterman Mar. 4, 1902 2,314,050 Levine Mar. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 515,821 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1939 744,015 Great Britain Jan. 25, 1956

Claims

1. A SPRING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF COIL SPRINGS ARRANGED IN A SERIES OF COLUMNS AND ROWS, EACH SAID COIL SPRING BEING SPACED FROM THE COIL SPRINGS IN THE ADJACENT COLUMNS AND ROWS AND HAVING AN UPPER END RING CONVOLUTION AND A LOWER END RING CONVOLUTION WITH SAID COIL SPRINGS DISPOSED SO THAT ALL THE UPPER END RING CONVOLUTIONS LIE IN A FIRST PLANE AND ALL THE LOWER END RING CONVOLUTIONS LIE IN A SECOND PLANE WHICH PLANES RESPECTIVELY DEFINE THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF THE SPRING ASSEMBLY, A SERIES OF FIRST TIE WIRES DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID COLUMNS, EACH SAID FIRST TIE WIRE HAVING A PLURALITY OF SETS OF LOOP PORTIONS CONNECTED BY STRAIGHT PORTIONS OF SAID TIE WIRE, SAID SETS OF LOOP PORTIONS BEING SPACED ALONG EACH SAID TIE WIRE AT INTERVALS EQUAL TO THE SPACING BETWEEN CENTERS OF COIL SPRINGS IN ADJACENT ROWS, EACH SET OF LOOPS INCLUDING A FIRST UPSTANDING OFFSET LOOP DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID TIE WIRE AND TWO COOPERATING UPSTANDING LOOPS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE TIE WIRE, SAID COOPERATING LOOPS BEING DISPOSED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID OFFSET LOOP BETWEEN SAID OFFSET LOOP AND THE CONNECTED STRAIGHT PORTION OF SAID TIE WIRE AND BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A DEPRESSION BETWEEN EACH COOPERATING LOOP AND THE OFFSET LOOP IN EACH SAID SET, A PORTION OF EACH END RING CONVOLUTION DISPOSED IN SAID DEPRESSIONS BETWEEN SAID OFFSET LOOP AND THE COOPERATING LOOPS OF EACH TIE WIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLUMN OF COIL SPRINGS, A GROUP OF STRAIGHT TIE WIRES DISPOSED PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID FIRST TIE WIRES AND PASSING ACROSS THE CENTERS OF EACH ROW OF COILS, EACH SAID STRAIGHT TIE WIRE BEING PASSED THROUGH ALL THE OFFSET LOOPS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PLANE IN THE ASSOCIATED ROW OF COILS AND OVER THE ASSOCIATED END RING CONVOLUTIONS OF THE COILS THAT ARE DISPOSED IN SAID DEPRESSIONS, AND A PLURALITY OF LINK WIRES EACH HAVING A STRAIGHT PORTION AND TWO END LOOP PORTIONS LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A SINGLE PLANE, ONE END LOOP PORTION OF EACH SAID LINK WIRE PASSING THROUGH SAID TWO COOPERATING LOOPS OF ONE OF THE FIRST TIE WIRES AND THE OTHER LOOP OF THE LINK WIRE PASSING THROUGH THE COOPERATING LOOPS IN A TIE WIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEXT ADJACENT COLUMN OF COILS SO THAT THE END RING CONVOLUTIONS ARE CLAMPED SECURELY IN THE DEPRESSIONS FORMED IN SAID FIRST TIE WIRE AND MOVEMENT OF SAID COILS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER IS RESTRAINED WITHOUT INHIBITING THE FLEXING AND SUPPORT ACTION OF SAID SPRING ASSEMBLY.