US3105237A - Metal-frame furniture manufacture - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1, 1963 H. KRAMER METAL-FRAM FURNITURE MANUFACTURE Filed June l, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M m v s K A 82mm M QR m n S m N Nv NQ Oct. 1, 1963 H. KRAMER METAL-FRAM FURNITURE MANUFACTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l. 1961 mvENToR HYMA/V KRA El? ATTOR EY Oct. 1, 1963 H. KRAMER METAL-FRAME FURNITURE MANUFACTURE Filed Julie l, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 11 m. .um

wvr. ww \--mK JW xl La Nml Y INVENTOR HYMA/v KRAMiR Y ATTORN Y United States Patent O 3,105,237 ltfIETALFRAll/E FURNHURE MANUFACTURE Hyman `Kramer, 2764 E. 16th St., Brooklyn, NKY. Filed June 1, 1961, Ser. No. 114,214 1t) Claims. (Cl. 1 3) This invention relates to improvements in metal-frame furniture manufacture, and although not limited thereto will be more particularly described as a method of and apparatus for preassembling the fasteners which ultimately secure the webbing strips making up the back and/ or seat elements of conventional metal-frame furniture to the tubular frame members thereof, to the ends of precut, measured lengths of webbing strip, thus enabling the production in quantity of the webbing strips with fasteners attached to both ends thereof, ready for final fastening to the tubular frame members. The present application for Letters Patent is considered to be a continuation-in-part of my earlier filed application Serial No. 807,243, led April 17, 1959, now Patent No. 3,039,184, dated June 19, 1962.

As explained in my aforesaid application, it has been the general practice heretofore to manually apply the fasteners to precut webbing strips during the course of a conveyor-line operation of fastening the strips to the tubular frame, which operation required a rst operator on one side of the line to pick up a fastener, then apply it by a procedure dictated by its structure to one end of a webbing strip laid across the frame, and thereupon hook or otherwise engage said fastener with the frame tubing, all by hand; and a second operator on the other side of the line performing similar operations on the other end of the strip to secure same to the opposite tubular frame member.

To a large extent, such a laborious and time-consuming method was forced upon the industry lby lack of a fastener whose construction was such as to make possible or feasible its simple assembly to the ends of the precut webbing strips prior to said strips being related to the tubular frame moving along the conveyor line as aforesaid.

However, with the advent of the T-shaped fastener element according7 to my Patent No. 2,979,119, dated April 11, 1961, and more particularly to my application Serial No. 852,320, tiled November 12, 1959, now Patent No. 3,042,113, dated July 3, 1962, which is characterized by a shank or middle-leg which depends vertically from the fastener head part and which according to said Patent No. 3,042,113 terminates at its free end in an arrowheadshaped point, it became not only possible but also highly feasible to preassemble the fasteners to the ends of webbing strips which have been precut to proper length by a mechanized method of assembly, rather than manually in the course of applying the webbing strip ends to the tubular frame members as heretofore, thereby in large measure automating the laborious `and time-consuming operations of webbing strip-to-frame assembly, as above explained. Recognizing this valuable potential of the T-shaped fastener, I earlier developed the various methods of preassernbling such fasteners to both ends of webbing strips of proper length as disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid Patent No. 3,039,184. However, while proving highly satisfactory to the large tubular-frame furniture manufacturers who purchase the webbing strip material in bulk form, usually in rolls hundreds of feet long, for example, a reappraisal of the methods suggested by my said Patent No. 3,039,184, Ibased on the requirements of the smaller manufacturer who purchases or finds it more convenient to purchase his webbing strip material already precut to size, has developed the need for a method and impleinenting -apparatus for preassembling the fasteners to the ends of the webbing strips supplied in precut lengths as aforesaid, rather than to webbing strips which are cut to Y a previous operation, which is simple and fast in practice and is moreover admirably suited to lthe needs of the tubular frame furniture manufacturer who purchases his webbing strips in precut lengths and/or is unable, for various reasons, to adopt the fully automated method of preassembling the fastener elements to webbing strips according to my aforesaid Patent No. 3,039,184.

In its apparatus aspects, the invention contemplates and aims to provide apparatus for simultaneously applying (assembling) the two fasteners required to secure the opposite ends of each of the numerous webbing strips which are to form the seat and/ or back elements of tubu lar frame furniture to the spaced frame members thereof to said opposite ends of each precut webbing strip which is manually presented to it.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus as aforesaid which is simple and inexpensive and yet thoroughly dependable and fast in operation and which is also so foolproof that it can lbe operated by unskilled labor.

The above and other objects and advantages of a method of and apparatus for preassembling the fasteners serving to secure the numerous webbing strips employed in tubular frame furniture construction -to the spaced frame members thereof to the ends of each of said `strips according to the present invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred apparatus for carrying out said method in which- FIG. 1 is a broken-away, top plan View (with the housing front wall and the top die removed to show underneath structure) which illustrates the apparatus of the invention with two fasteners in position to be applied to the ends of an individual webbing strip (not shown), and other fasteners feeding to said position;

FIG. 2 is a broken-away, side elevation of the vapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 2, which illustrates the detailed construction of a fastener feed chute;

FIG. 5 is a broken-away, part-sectional front view of the top die incorporated into the herein apparatus shown separately from the latter;

FIG. 6 is a bottom face or underneath view of said top die;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation, partly broken away and in section, illustrating the relationship of the die parts making up the herein apparatus with respect to the ends of a precut individual webbing strip which have been presented thereto and which are shown to be positioned in readiness to receive the two fastener elements which will ultimately secure `said ends to the spaced tubular frame members of tubular frame furniture;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to |FIG. 7 but illustrating the die parts of `the apparatus in their fully closed position;

FiG. 9 is a view generally similar to FIG. 8 which i1- lustrates the die parts at an early sta-ge of their opening movement;

F.iG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, illustrating the relationship of the die parts upon comple-tion of the tfasteners-to-webbing strip preassembly operation but prior to removal of the webbing strip with fasteners assembled thereto from said apparatus; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective View illustrating a preferred type of fastener to be preassembled to both ends of webbing strips as used in tubular frame furniture manufactured by the method and apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to -the drawings in detail, reference character WS (FIG. 7) indicates a webbing strip which is assumed to have been precut in an earlier cutting-olf operation from a roll or other bulk supply of the webbing strip to proper length for use in forming the seat or back element of a particular piece of metal frame furniture, and to whose end portions el and e2 are to be preassembled the fasteners F1 and F2 (FIG. 1). Said fasteners, whose detailed construction is best shown in FIG. ll are each preferably of the ydrive or push-in type disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid Patent No. 3,042,113, beingV characterized by T-configuration as viewed in front elevation and comprising a bar-like head part 1.0 of length corresponding substantially to the width of said webbing strip WS, and a depending, suitably stiifened, prong-like shank or leg portion l2 extending substantially vertically therefrom and terminating in an arrowhead-shaped point 14 whose barbs or flukes 14a, 14h are displaced to one side of the plane of said shank portion, and which further includes a locking barb or louver 16 preferably consisting of an area struck out from vthe middle portion of said point which is displaced to Ithe opposite side of the plane of said shank portion. It is also a feature of such a T-iastener that the portion of the shank which lies intermediate the head part 1t? and the arrowhead-shaped point 14 is cut from the material ymaking up one side-edge portion of said head part whereby, when the shank or leg portion is bent at right .angles to the head part as takes place in the formation .of the -fastener to T-shape, said edge portion is formed with a sidewardly Vopening notch 1S when viewedfrom -above or below. Preferably also, the head part l0 of the fastener is provided with relatively upwardly convex strengthening ribs 20a, 2Gb, disposed adjacent its side edges and extending the full length thereof, it being noted that one of said ribs, i.e. the rib 29a, is interrupted by the aforesaid notch 18. As also seen in FlG. 1l, the side edge of the head part which is interrupted by the aforesaid notch 13 may be formed with teeth or serrations 22, which are adapted to bite into that portion of the webbing strip which underlies same when nal assembly of the fastener to the tubular frame member has been completed, thereby to increase the holding power of the fastener. However,'such teeth are an incident to the construction of the fastener and do not enter into the method and apparatus ofthe present invention.

It is a feature of the invention that the fasteners which are to secure the `opposite ends of each of the precut webbing strips to the tubular frame members are simultaneously pre-assembled to said webbing strips with each Cycle of operation die means including movable and xed die parts. Accordingly, the herein apparatus comprises a pair of lixed anvils (die members) 24, 26 disposed in spaced parallel relation to which the two fasteners to be preassembled are fed by means of associated gravity chutes 28 and Sil, and which are adapted to support `the fasteners in inverted position in which their arrowhead-shaped points are directed upwardly and said fasteners are moreover turned so that their aforesaid notches 18 confront one another, a relationship which is intended to be indicated in FIG. l. The spacing between the anvils 24 and 26, and thereby between the two fasteners F1 and F2 supported thereon, is equal substantially to twice the distance that each fastener is to be set back from the end edge of that end portion of the webbing strip to which it is to be assembled, plus a small distance corresponding to half the thickness of an upright spacer and guide iin 32, whose function and mounting will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The aforesaid anvils 24, 26 are affixed to the top face of -a base plate 34 and operate in vertical through slots 36a,

36h provided in a spring-backed pressure plate 33 disposed above but movable toward said base plate against the bias of backing springs 4t?, which latter are disposed in encircling relation about guide bolts 42 which are afiixed to and extend downwardly from the pressure plate thro-ugh the base plate and thereby serve to guide the pressure Vplate in its movement toward and away from said base plate. As best seen in FIG. 7, the normal (raised) position of the spring-backed pressure plate 38 is such that the anvils 24., 2S extend a slight distance into the aforesaid slots 36a, 36h whereby the anvils close said slots from the bottom, and the thickness of said pressure plate is also substantially greater than the ver-tical dimension of the fasteners supported on the anvils, so that normally the pointed ends of the fastener legs are disposed a small distance lbelow the top-surface line of the pressure plate.

The aforesaid pressure plate 38 is adapted to serve both as a receiving table and as clamping jaws for the ends el, e2 of the webbing strip WS which are to receive the lfasteners F1 and F2 mounted on the aforesaid anvils 24, 26. In explanation, and referring particularly to FIGS. 7-10 inclusive, a webbing strip which is to receive said Ifasteners is held by its ends al, e2 and thereupon looped about the base plate 34 and pressure plate 38 from beneath in such manner that said ends are superimposed on the top surface of said pressure plate. Final positioning of said webbing strip ends is effected by moving said ends towards one ano-ther across the top of the pressure plate until their end edges contact the spacer rib 32 which extends front to rear of and upwardly from said pressure plate. The front-rear relationship of said ends of the webbing strip can be also determined by the operator with reference to the spacer rib 32, so that, when the webbing strip ends are brought together as aforesaid, they will be horizontally aligned and properly positioned to receive the fasteners F1 and F2.

A vertically reciprocable top die 46 is disposed above the pressure plate 38, and is preferably carried by a pneumatic hammer PH (which is `only generally illustrated) or other source of reciprocatory `die movement. In its fullraised or retracted position, the top die 46 is spaced a substantial distance above the top surface of the pressure lplate 3S, as facilitates insertion of the webbing strip ends el and e2 into the space between said top die and pressure plate. However, the stroke 'of the air hammer and thereby of the top die is such that in its downward movement said top die rst engages the pressure plate 3S thereby to effect iirm clamping of the webbing strip ends el, e2 therebetween, and then depresses the pressure plate against the upward bias of its backing springs 40 until it lowers almost to the base plate 34. As best seen in FiG. 8, this lowering movement of top die against pressure plate forcibly lowers the clamped ywebbing strip end portions el and e2, against the upwardly directed, pointed ends of the legs of the fasteners F1 and F2 immovably supported on the anvils 24, 26 which thereupon proceed to penetrate the material of said end portions. It will of course be understood that the movable top die 46 is provided with vertical, preferably circular openings 48a, 8b in its under face which are vertically aligned with the legs of fasteners mounted on said anvils. Thus, as the top die 45 moves downwardly to its fully lowered position, the legs of the fasteners will move into and be accommodated in said top-die openings 48a, 48b, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

As best seen in FIG. 6, the under face of the top die te is provided with la central front-to-rear-slot 32a for the reception of the spacer or guide lin 32, and parallel pairs of front-to-rear grooves designated 59a, 5015 and 52a, 52h, which are spaced to correspond to the spacing of the strengthening ribs 20a and 2Gb provided in the fastener head parts 10. Similarly, as seen in FIG. 9, the top surface of the xed anvils 24, 26 may also be longitudinally grooved as shown to provide grooves also complementing said strengthening ribs. Thus, the top die may lower substantially on to the anvils without danger of flattening the reinforcing ribs of the fastener head parts supported on the anvils or otherwise deforming or damaging said fasteners as a whole.

With the construction so far described, it will be understood that, following positioning of the ends of a webbing strip as shown in FIG. 7, lowering movement of the top die 46 initially clamps said ends between the under face of said top die and the upper face of the pressure plate 38, and then proceeds to depress the pressure plate and the clamped webbing strip ends downwardly against the bias `of the backing springs 40, it being observed that the aforesaid clamping action increases with compression of the said springs. As lowering of the top die proceeds, the clamped webbing strip ends are forcibly moved against the arrowheaded points or terminals of the legs of the inverted fasteners F1 and F2 supported on the anvils 24, 26, and are punctured thereby, as they lower past said points until they nally press against the under surfaces of the fastener head parts, as is shown in FIG. 8. By design, the timing of the apparatus is such that when the latter occurs, the top die begins its upward or retracting stroke, and as the latter proceeds, the pressure plate 33 returns to its initial raised position, carrying with it not only the webbing strip ends, but also the fasteners F1 and F2 which have now securely attached themselves to said ends, as is illustrated in FIG. l0. This ligure also shows that the two next fasteners from the chutes 28 and 30 have moved onto the anvils to positions formerly occupied by the now assembled fasteners F1 and F2, in readiness for the next fastener-to-webbing strip assembly operation.

According to a further feature of the invention, means are provided both to assist the arrowheaded points of the fastener legs in making their holes in the material of the webbing strip ends without unduly damaging said material as could result in the strength `of -the webbing strips being impaired and thereupon to force the punctured webbing strip material beneath the locking barbs and louvers of said points as insures secure fastener attachment. IIn explanation, it has been determined that, when wideangled points characterizing the fasteners shown in FIG.

V1l are forced at a high rate of speed through the material of the conventional woven webbing strip, such may result in an undesirable severance of the threads, particularly the warp threads, from which the strip material is woven, and, in the case of the webbing strip being made of plastic, the arrowheaded points are likely to stretch and even tear a large hole in the material in the vicinity of the holes made by the points. To substantially reduce, if not eliminate entirely, the likelihood of the fastener leg-points weakening or damaging the webbing strip material as aforesaid when being forcibly projected through the same, and to further insure that said points completely penetrate and secure to said material, the invention provides the additional means now to be described.

Referring to FfGS. 6-10, the movable top die 46 mounts plungers 6i?, 62 operating in vertically disposed large-diameter cylindrical bores 64a, 64b which are disposed above and are coaxial with the aforesaid circular holes 48a, 48b provided in the top die for the accommodation of the fastener legs when the dies are fully closed. Preferably, said plungers 69, 62 are backed up from above by coil springs 66, 68 reactive between the upper ends of said plungers and plugs 70, 72 screwed into the top ends of the bores 64a, 4b so .as to close same from above. Also, the plugs 70, 72 afford a ready means of varying the backing-up force which the springs 66, 68 exert on the plungers.

Aixed to the plungers 60, 62 and depending downwardly therefrom through the aforesaid holes 43a, 4817 in the under face of the top die 46 are pins 74, 76, of length such that they normally project a substantial distance below the under face of said top die in the raised position of the latter. Preferably, the pins 74, 76 have half-round section and are oriented so that their at, diametrical faces extend front to rear and yare turned to the outer sides of the top die 46. As best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the aforesaid arrangement provides that said pins in section are substantially coextensive with and are also disposed to register vertically with the side-edge notches 18 of the fastener elements F1 and F2 mounted yon the fixed anvils 24, 26. To enable the pins to operate freely in accordance with the full vigor of the backing springs 66, 68 against the localized areas of the webbing strip ends ydisposed above said notches which said pins engage, the adjacent side walls of both the pressure-plate slots 36a, 36in and the anvils 24, 26 are grooved as indicated at 73a, 78h (FIGS. l and 8) to enable free lowering movement of the pins past the anvil top surfaces under conditions such that this movement can take place, i.e. prior to positioning of the webbing strip in the apparatus as in FG. 7.

The explanation of the manner in which the aforesaid pins 74, 76 act to minimize damage to the webbing strip material appears to be that each said pin, in applying downward pressure on the localized area of `the webbing strip which is disposed over the side-edge notch of a fastener head part and immediately adjacent the side face of the fastener-leg point which is proximal to said notch, depresses and tensions the material making up said area andthe immediately contiguous bordering areas. Then, as the tensioned material lowers against the fastener point, said pin, in cooperation with the diverging edges of the point provided by its arrowhead configuration, causes the material contacted by said point to spread sidewardly. When the webbing strips are fashioned from woven material, this spreading action tends to cause the warpllongitudinal) threads thereof which are engaged by the edges of the point, and which have been previously placed under tension by the earlier engagement therewith of a pin, to move to one or the other side of the point and in eifect to ride down the side edges of the point without being abruptly severed thereby.

In the case of the webbing strips being made of plastic sheet material, the aforesaid pins 74, 76, by pressing down on the localized areas of the material which are disposed above the fastener side-edge notches 18 and immediately to the side of the fastener points proximal to said notches, act t0 skin the webbing strip material over the diverging `edges of the fastener points, thus to reduce the tendency of the points to tear a large hole in 4the webbing strip material during the course of puncturing same.

The aforesaid pins 74, 76 also may be said to apply a kick force against the localized areas of the material engaged thereby as aforesaid when the top die begins its up stroke. Such follows from the fact that the pinbacking springs 66, 68 are compressed by the substantial retraction of the plungers 60, 62 within their bores 64a, 64b occurring first when the pins contact the webbing strip ends and progressing lthrough clamping of said ends until they are fully lowered against the under (no-vv upper) side of the fastener head parts (as in FlG. 8), and during the course of this vcompression store up energy. Then, as the top die partakes of its initial upward movement and the pressure plate tends -to follow same, as results in the clamped webbing strip ends and fasteners attached thereto also beginning to lift away from the anvils, Ithe energy of the springs 66, 68 is released .in the form of a kick applied by the pins on the localized areas of the webbing-strip ends contacted thereby, which of course tends to snap said areas downwardly, thereby positively forcing said areas and contiguous areas of the webbing strips beneath the fastener locking barbs and louvers as insures a secure attachment of fasteners to webbing strips.

While the aforesaid die parts may be housed in numerous ways, they are preferably partially housed or enclosed as best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. That is to arcas-37 say, the aforesaid base plate 34 which overhangs and is held raised from a bed or support -to permit downward movement of the bolts 4Z is further extended rearwardly (as in FIG. 2) beyond the anvils 24, 26, the pressure plate 38 and `the top die 46, and the vertical side plates Sii, 82 are secured to said rearwardly extended portion. The lower ends of the fastener feed chutes 2S, 39, to whose upper ends (not shown) lthe fasteners to be preassembled to ythe webbing strip are supplied by any suitable means such as by a vibratory feed hopper, extend on to the rearward end of the base plate and thus are housed between said side plates. Preferably, `the frontedge line of said side plates is arranged just `to the rear of the rear vertical plane of the movable top die 46, and to the front edges of the side plates above the uppermost line of the top die is secured a front plate 84. The above described arrangement is one providing adequate housing of Ithe die parts, plus a degree of accessibility Vto said parts, as is very desirable.

Without further analysis, it will be appreciated that the above detailed method of preassembling the two fasteners which are adapted to secure the opposite ends of precut'lengths of webbing strip -to the spaced frame members of tubular frame furniture `to said opposite ends of the webbing strip is simple and fast in performance, and is furthermore admirably suited to the needs of the manufacturer who prefers or whose manufacturing set-up ,demands hirn to operate with webbing strip which has been precut `to proper length in a previous operation, rather than with long, usually rolled, lengths of the webbing strip material from which the individual webbing strips must be cut during the course of the iinal assembly operation.

In its apparatus aspects, it will be obvious that the invention provides simple, inexpensive, thoroughly dependable, fast and .foolproof apparatus for simultaneously applying fasteners to both ends of precut lengths of Webbing strip, as enables the webbing :strips precut to proper length and with fasteners preassembled thereto to be produced on a quantity basis.

-Of course, it will be understood that die apparatus substantially as described may be employed for a difterent purpose and/ or operated differently than as explained above. For example, by making the guide rib 32 in the form of a knife, the apparatus may be used not only to apply fasteners to two spaced points of a strip of webbing strip material being pulled by hand across the pressure plate 38, from a roll or other source of bulk supply located to one side of the apparatus, but also to successively sever predetermined lengths of webbing strip with fasteners applied thereto from the initially lo-ng strip with each working stroke of the top die 46. Also, in the use of the apparatus as described, numerous changes are possible. For example, the guide rib or separator 32 may be eliminated and a guide line inscribed on the top surface of `the prsure plate may be substituted therefor. The described apparatus and method may also be adapted =to the assembly of plural-point fasteners and other types of drive or push-in fasteners, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Accordingly, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

`1. The herein described method of preassernbling end fasteners to the end portions of webbing strips used in making up the seat and/or back elements of tubular frame furniture, which comprises the steps of: providing webbing stri-ps precut to proper length, providing end fasteners therefor of `a type having a bar-like head part and an attaching leg extending centrally and substantially vertically therefrom and which terminates in a point, supporting two such fasteners in inverted position and in spaced parallel relation on a rigid supporting surface, looping a webbing strip about said surface from beneath and in such manner that the end portions of said webbing strip are disposed above ythe respective fasteners, and simultaneously forcing both said end portions downwardly against the points of the fastener legs by an amount such that said points puncture and attach themselves to said end portion.

2. The method according to claim l, wherein said working strip end portions are brought substantially together along a line which bisects the space between said fasteners whereby each said end portion is disposed above a fastener and the latter is applied inwardly from the end edge of said end portion disposed above the same.

3. The herein described method of preassembling end fasteners to the end portions of webbing stri-ps used in making up the seat and/or back elements of tubular frame furniture, which comprises the steps of: providing webbing strips precut to proper length, providing end fasteners therefor of a type having a bar-like head part and `an attaching leg extending substantially vertically from the central portion thereof and terminating in an arrowhead-shaped point `and said leg being in part blanked out of the material of one side edge of the head part thereby to result in said head part having a sideedge notch, applying two such fasteners simultaneously to the end portions of each said Awebbing strip by forcing said webbing strip end portions to move over said points 'and substantially against the fastener head parts, and assisting the points of said fastener legs in puncturing said webbing strip end portions by applying pressure to those localized areas of said end portions which are aligned and substantially coexten-sive with the side-edge notches of the fastener head parts.

4. The herein described method of preassembling end fasteners to the end portions of webbing strips used in tubular frame furniture manufacture, wherein said end fasteners are of a type having a bar-like head part and an attaching leg extending substantially vertically from the central portion thereof and which terminates in an 'arrowhead-shaped point and said leg being in part blanked out of the materia-l of one side edge of the head part thereby 'to provide said head .part with a side-edge notch, said method comprising the steps of mounting such a fastener in inverted position on a supporting surface having an opening disposed beneath the side edge notch of said fastener, causing an end portion of a webbing strip which is to receive said fastener to move downwardly against the upwardly disposed point thereof and thereupon substantially against Ysaid fastener head part, and simultaneously therewith applying pressure to the localized area of said end portion which -overlies said side-edge notch of the fastener head part and said supporting-surface opening thereby to depress the material making up and lying immediately about said area into said notched `opening and in so doing to assist the yarrowhead-shaped point of the leg in puncturing the material of said end portion without causing objectionable damage -to same.

5. Apparatus for preassernbling T-shaped end fasteners to the end portions of webbing strips used inttubular frame furniture manufacture comprising, in combination, a fixed base, a pair of anvils iixedly mounted in spaced parallel relation on said base, said anvils in plan having elongated bar form corresponding generally to the plan form lof the top part of said fasteners land being adapted to support two fasteners thereon in inverted position so that their legs are upwardly directed, a vertically yieldable pressure plate also mounted on said base and having slotJlike through openings accommodating said anvils as it partakes of its lowering and retracting movement, said pressure plate having a normal raised position in which said anvils extend a small distance into said pressure plate opening and the top surface of said pressure plate is `disposed above the anvil top surfaces a small distance in excess of the vertical dimension of the fasteners supported thereon, `a reciprocatory top die disposed above and being normally spaced from said pressure plate, said top die having vertical openings in its under face disposed in registry with the legs of the inverted fastener supported on said anvils and adapted on its working stroke first tc lower against said pressure plate thereby to clamp spaced portions of a 'webbing strip positioned on said plate against the latter, and thereupon to ydepress both the pressure plate and said clamped webbing strip portions, thestroke of the top die being such 'as to lower said clamped end portion to substantially the level of the top surfaces of the anvils thereby to cause said fastener legs to pierce and move through said clamped Webbing stri-p portions, and coacting means operative betweenv said pressure plate and top die for establishing a line of separation between said clamped webbing strip portions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, -wherein said last means comprises an upright spacer and guide member extending from the top face of said pressure plate, said `member extending front and rear of and dividing said top face into equal halves each of which is adapted to receive and position one clamped portion of a webbing strip.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the anvils are spaced equal distances to the sides of the vertical plane containing said spacer and guide member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the top die mounts a pair of spring backed pins which normally extend downwardly therefrom through its said under-face openings, said pins being adapted -to engage the clamped webbing strip portions and to exert downward pressure on Ilocalized areas thereof which are disposed immediately adjacent the areas of said clamped portions which are acted on 'by said fastener legs.

9. The herein described method of assembly end fasteners to the webbing strips used in making up the seat and/ or backing elements of tubular frame furniture which comprise the steps of: clamping the portion of the webbing strip which is to receive a fastener at two points spaced a small distance lengthwise of said strip from the point of intended fastener reception, mounting a fastener having an attaching leg terminating in Aa point in position such that said leg is directed towards and in close proximity to said point of reception, imparting relative approach movement to one of the clamped portions of the webbing strip and the fastener by an amount causing said fastener leg to penetrate the webbing strip at said point of reception, and additionally applying pressure against the face ofthe webbing strip `at the localized area thereof immediately to one side of said point of reception both prior to 4and during the penetration of the strip by the pointed end of said fastener leg.

K10. Apparatus of the character. described comprising, in combination, means for clamping a Ilength of webbing strip at two points spaced a sm-alil distance lengthwise thereof, means associated with said first means for mounting a T-shaped fastener having :an attaching leg -in position such that said attaching leg is directed towards the webbing strip and is further aligned with the length portion thereof which is disposed between the clamped points of said strip, means `for imparting relative approach movement to one of said means with respect to the other thereof in amount such as to cause the fastener leg to penetrate said non-clamped length portion, and means carried by said clamping means `and operative responsive to such approach lmovement for applying pressure on a face of the webbing strip opposite that against which the fastener leg moves and at `the localized area just to one side of the plane of the fastener leg.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 642,254 Parker Ian` 30, 1900 2,120,693 Cheney June 14, 1938 2,229,550 'Catrow Ian. 21, 1941 2,304,301 Carfagno Dec. 8, 1942 2,583,615 Tobey Jan. 29, 1952

Claims (1)

1. THE HEREIN DESCRIBED METHOD OF PREASSEMBLING END FASTENERS TO THE END PORTIONS OF WEBBING STRIPS USED IN MAKING UP THE SEAT AND/OR BACK ELEMENTS OF TUBULAR FRAME FURNITURE, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING WEBBING STRIPS PRECUT TO PROPER LENGTH, PROVIDING END FASTENERS THEREFOR OF A TYPE HAVING A BAR-LIKE HEAD PART AND AN ATTACHING LEG EXTENDING CENTRALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY THEREFROM AND WHICH TERMINATES IN A POINT, SUPPORTING TWO SUCH FASTENERS IN INVERTED POSITION AND IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION ON A RIGID SUPPORTING SURFACE, LOOPING A WEBBING STRIP ABOUT SAID SURFACE FROM BENEATH AND IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE END PORTIONS OF SAID WEBBING STRIP ARE DISPOSED ABOVE THE RESPECTIVE FASTENERS, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FORCING BOTH SAID END PORTIONS DOWNWARDLY AGAINST THE POINTS OF THE FASTENER LEGS BY AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT SAID POINTS PUNCTURE AND ATTACH THEMSELVES TO SAID END PORTION.

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