US3149350A

US3149350A - Differential construction for bed springs

Info

Publication number: US3149350A
Application number: US257570A
Authority: US
Inventors: George F Stevens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-02-11
Filing date: 1963-02-11
Publication date: 1964-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-22

Description

Sept. 22, 1964 G. F. STEVENS DIFFERENTIAL- CONSTRUCTION FOR BED SPRINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR. Ggorzes F. STEVENS Sept. 22, 1964 G. F. STEVENS DIFFERENTIAL CONSTRUCTION FDR BED SPRINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR. GEORGE F. STEVENS Fig. 3.

United States Patent Ice l 56pm,

3,149,350 DIFFERENTIAL CONSTRUCTION FOR BED SPRINGS George F. Stevens, 201 N. 28th St., Elwood, Ind. Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,570 2 Claims. (Cl. 5-260) This invention relates generally to bed spring construction and in particular to a bed spring unit or assembly, suitable for use in, for example, inner spring mattresses which are characterized by a difference in resiliency characteristics on one face as compared to the opposite face of the spring assembly.

As is well known, there is, among bed or mattress purchasers, a Wide range of preference as to resiliency characteristics, that is, the hardness or softness of the mattress or bed spring construction. Certain sacroiliac disorders are often aggravated by bed spring construction which is overly soft; people not bothered by such disorders often prefer a relatively soft spring construction. A condition indicating a relatively hard mattress or spring construction often is temporary and a soft characteristic might be preferable subsequent to termination of the condition. Aside from instances where spring characteristics are determined by therapeutic considerations, since individual preferences vary widely, manufacturing and stocking problems can be alleviated by a spring construction which is relatively soft on one face and relatively firm or hard on the opposite face thereby permitting the user to choose the desired resiliency characteristic by placing one or the other face of the spring construction up.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bed spring or inner spring construction having a differing resiliency characteristic at one face as compared to that at its opposite face.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bed spring or inner spring construction utilizing a series of conventional coil springs joined at one face by helical or spiral members, to provide a relatively soft resiliency characteristic, and with the springs joined at their opposite face, both at the margins of the assembly and transversely thereacross, by relatively rigid members to provide a relatively hard resiliency characteristic.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a spring assembly embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the portion of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a spring unit or assembly embodying the present invention. The portion shown is fragmentary but it will be understood that the complete structure merely duplicates the spring arrangement shown and that for a bed spring or inner spring arrangement the complete unit would have a generally rectangular configuration with one major face as illustrated in FIG. 1 and the opposite face as shown 111 FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 it will be evident that the unit includes a series of adjacent, axially parallel coil springs, the springs at the margin of the assembly being identified at and the springs inward of the margin of the unit being identitied at 10a. The assembly further includes marginal members 11 having a helical or spiral configuration and extending along the outer margins of the unit at one end of the coil springs. The helical marginal members 11 are joined to the springs 10 at the margins of the unit by threading the helical members through the adjacent portion, identified at 10b, of the initial coil of each of the springs 10 at the margins of the assembly. While the construction of FIG. 1 shows the marginal members as helical, where desired the marginal members might be relatively rigid wires or rods such as indicated at 14 in FIG. 2.

Transverse helical members 13 are also provided and these extend across the unit and are joined to the initial coil of the springs by encircling, or being threaded through, the adjacent portions of the initial coils of the

springs

10 and 100. Because of the relatively weak resistance of the helical members 11 and 13 to stresses applied transverse to their axes, the face of the unit defined by the helical members and the initial spring coils will have a relatively soft resiliency characteristic.

Referring now primarily to FIG. 2 the opposite face of the unit will be described in detail. This face of the unit is defined by rigid, marginal members 14 which may be formed of relatively heavy gauge wire or rod joined in sections or integrally formed. The marginal members 14 extend around the outer margin of the unit and suitable means are provided for joining the members 14 to the adjacent portion 16 of the final coil 10d of each of the springs 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the means just referred to may take the form of short coils of wire 18 which encircle mutually the rigid members 14 and the coil spring portions 16.

Relatively rigid transverse members 19 are also provided and these extend across the unit and are joined by any suitable means to the final coils 10d of the springs 10 and 1011. As shown in FIG. 2 the means for joining the rigid, transverse members 19 to the spring coils is formed by coiling the transverse members about the adjacent final coils of the springs but it will be understood that the members 19 might be uncoiled and instead joined to the spring coils by means of separate, loop shaped clips. The face of the unit defined by the

rigid members

14 and 19 and the final spring coils 10d, because of the appreciable resistance of the rigid members to transverse stresses, has a relatively stilf or hard resiliency characteristic.

The structure described, embodying the present invention, thus provides a bed spring or inner spring unit or assembly which can be selectively utilized, depending on which face of the unit is uppermost, to offer either relatively soft or relatively stifi resiliency characteristics. The differential resiliency characteristic between the two faces of the unit also permits differences and variations in tufting of one face of the unit as compared to the opposite face. While the structure has been described as embodied in a bed spring unit, it will be understood that it might also be embodied in similar cushion type articles and might be embodied in articles having an exterior configuration other than rectangular.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A reversible spring unit for beds or the like comprising a series of adjacent, axially parallel coil springs, marginal members extending along the outer margins of the unit at one end of the coil springs, said marginal members being joined to the initial coil of each of the springs at the margins of the unit, transverse helical members extending across said unit and joined to the initial coil of said springs, marginal members extending along the outer margins of the unit at the other end of the coil springs, means for joining said last mentioned marginal members to the adjacent portion of the final coil of each of the springs at the margins of the unit, relatively rigid transverse members extending across said unit and joined to the final coils of said springs, whereby the face of said unit defined by said helical members and said initial spring coils has a softer resiliency characteristic than the face of said unit defined by said rigid members and said final spring coils.

2. A reversible spring unit for beds or the like comprising a series of adjacent, axially parallel coil springs, marginal members extending along the outer margins of the unit at one end of the coil springs, said marginal members being joined to the springs at the margins of the unit by encircling the adjacent portion of the initial coil of each of the springs at the margins of the unit,

transverse helical members extending across said unit and joined to the initial coil of said springs by encircling adjacent portions of said initial coils of the springs, marginal members extending along the outer margins of the unit at the other end of the coil springs, means for joining said last mentioned marginal members to the adjacent portion of the final coil of each of the springs at the margins of the unit, relatively rigid transverse members extending across said unit and joined to the final coils of said springs, whereby the face of said unit defined by said helical members and said initial spring coils has a softer resiliency characteristic than the face of said unit defined by said rigid members and said final spring coils.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,925 Myers June 19, 1888 2,214,135 Hickman Sept. 10, 1940 3,004,266 Blecker Oct. 17, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,342 Great Britain May 18, 1938