WO2004020327A1

WO2004020327A1 - Method of forming pocketted springs

Info

Publication number: WO2004020327A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/003731
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Douglas Spinks; Simon Paul Spinks
Original assignee: A Harrison (Bedding) Limited
Priority date: 2002-08-30
Filing date: 2003-08-29
Publication date: 2004-03-11
Also published as: AU2003259377A1; GB0220125D0; EP1625094A1

Abstract

A method of forming a pocketted spring (10, 12) comprises inserting a compressed spring (10, 12) between two continuous layers or a folded layer of fabric or other material (4), joining the fabric or other material (4) together at the side extremity(ies) in the vicinities of the spring and laterally so as to form a closed pocket in which the spring (10, 12) is located, and turning the spring (10, 12) through approximately 90° so as to allow the spring (10, 12) to lie substantially co-axial with said closed pocket (24, 26). The pocketted spring (10, 12) may be a double pocketted spring (10,12) in which two springs are located in end-to-end relationship and in separate pockets (24, 26).

Description

METHOD OF FORMING POCKETTED SPRINGS

This invention relates to a method of foπriing pocketted springs for use

in beds, divan beds, mattresses, and other upholstered units.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a

method of foπriing a pocketted spring comprising the steps of mserting

a compressed spring between two continuous layers or a folded layer

of fabric or other material, joining the fabric or other material together

at the side extremity(ies) in the vicinities of the spring and laterally so

as to form a closed pocket in which the spring is located, and turning

the spring through approximately 90° so as to allow the spring to lie

substantially co-axial with said closed pocket.

In an embodiment of the invention, the pocketted spring will be a

double pocketted spring wherein two springs are located in end-to-end

relationship and in separate pockets.

The double pocketted spring will be formed by inserting two

compressed springs between two continuous layers of fabric or other suitable material, securing said two layers together at their side ^v

extremities in the vicinities of the two springs and simultaneously

securing said layers together along a medial line of said two layers,

additionally securing said two layers together along lateral lines so as

to form two pockets each containing one of said springs, and thereafter

turning said springs through approximately 90° such that said springs

lie substantially co-axial with said pockets.

The springs may be fed between the layers of fabric or other suitable

material from a single coiler located at one side of the layers of fabric

or other suitable material.

In an alternative arrangement for forming double pocketted springs, the

springs may be fed towards each other and between the layers of fabric

or other suitable material from discrete coilers located one at either side

of said fabric or other suitable material. In such a case, the layers of

fabric or other suitable material will firstly be connected together along

a medial line so as to form two open-ended pockets into which said springs are inserted, whereafter the open ends of the pockets are *

closed and simultaneously the layers of fabric or other suitable material

are secured together laterally so as to form two closed pockets arranged

in end-to-end relationship and each containing a spring. Thereafter, the

springs are turned through approximately 90° such that the springs lie

substantially co-axial with said pockets.

The layers of fabric or other suitable material will preferably be

connected together by welding.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood,

embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only,

reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of apparatus for carrying out a

method of foπriing pocketted springs according to a first embodiment

of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of apparatus for carrying out a

method of forming pocketted springs according to a second embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 showing the use of two^" discrete

coilers.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figure 1, there is shown

pocketted spring forming apparatus comprising a conveyor (not

shown) for conveying superposed layers of fabric or other suitable

material in the direction of aπow 2, the upper layer of fabric or other

suitable material being indicated by reference numeral 4.

Located to the side of the conveyed material is a coiler 6 for forming

coil springs, the coiler being adapted to push formed coil springs out of

the coiler in the direction of aπow 8 and onto the conveyor such that

pairs of springs, such as those indicated by reference numerals 10A,

10B and 12A,12B, lie between the layers of fabric or other suitable

material.

Located in the vicinity of the conveyor, are welding machines which

are aπanged such that there is a welding machine 14 on the medial line of the conveyor, welding macriines 16 and 18 along the edges of ihe

conveyor, and welding macriines 20 and 22 aπanged laterally of the

conveyor.

As the coil springs 10A and 10B approach and pass beyond the

welding machines, the welding machines are actuated to cause the

layers of fabric or other suitable material to be welded together at their

edge regions, and along the medial line and laterally, so as to create

two end-to-end pockets, such as those indicated by reference numerals

24 and 26, the pockets containing springs 28 and 30 respectively.

After being enclosed in the pockets, the coil springs are turned through

approximately 90° such that the coil springs lie substantially co-axial to

one another and to the pockets in which they are located.

Thus there is provided a 'string' of pocketted springs for subsequent

insertion and incorporation into a bed, divan bed, mattress or other

upholstered unit. Referring now to Figure 2, the aπangement is substantially similar to

that described with reference to Figure 1, such that like parts have been

given like reference numerals. It will be observed from Figure 2 that

instead of there being a single coiler, there are two discrete coilers 40

and 42 located one at either side of the conveyor. These coilers 40 and

42 are adapted to feed coil springs 12A and 12B in the directions of

aπows 44 and 46 and between the layers of fabric or other suitable

material.

It will be observed that unlike the aπangement of Figure 1, the welding

machine 14 is located in a position in advance of the position at which

the coil springs are fed onto the conveyor and that the welding

machines 16 and 18 are located after (in the direction of travel of the

conveyor) the lateral welding machines 20 and 22.

Instead of the pocketted springs being formed as double pocketted

springs, they may be formed as single pocketted springs, such that

there is formed a 'string' of single pocketted springs, two of such 'strings' being subsequently welded or otherwise secured together to

form a two-layer construction.

In addition, where a 'string' of single pocketted springs is required, the

'strings' of double pocketted springs may be slit longitudinally so as to

for the single 'strings'.

Instead of the fabric or other material being in two discrete layers, it

may be constituted by a folded piece of fabric or other material, in

which case it will only be necessary to join the fabric or other material

at the open side thereof instead of at both sides as previously

described.

Claims

CLALMS:

1. A method of forming a pocketted spring comprising the steps of

mseiting a compressed spring between two continuous layers or a

folded layer of fabric or other material, joining the fabric or other

material together at the side extremity(ies) in the vicinities of the

spring and laterally so as to form a closed pocket in which the spring

is located, and turning the spring through approximately 90° so as to

allow the spring to lie substantially co-axial with said closed pocket.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the pocketted spring is

a double pocketted spring wherein two springs are located in end-to-

end relationship and in separate pockets.

3. A method according to Claim 2, including the steps of inserting

two compressed springs between two continuous layers of fabric or

other material, securing said two layers together at their side

extremities in the vicinities of the two springs and simultaneously securing said layers together along a medial line of said two layers,

additionally securing said two layers together along lateral lines so as

to form two pockets each containing one of said springs, and there¬

after turning said springs through approximately 90° such that said

springs lie substantially co-axial with said pockets.

4. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the spring is fed

between the layers of fabric or other material from a single coiler

located at one side of the layers of fabric or other material.

5. A method according to Claim 2, wherein the springs are fed

towards towards each other and between the layers of fabric or other

material from discrete coilers located one at either side of said fabric

or other material.

6. A method according to Claim 5, wherein the layers of fabric or

other material are connected together along a medial line so as to form

two open-ended pockets into which said springs are inserted, the open ends of the pockets then being closed and simultaneously the layers

of fabric or other material are secured together laterally so as to form

two closed pockets aπanged in end-to-end relationship and each

containing a spring.

7. A method according to any of the preceding Claims, wherein the

layers of fabric or other material are secured together by welding.

8. A pocketted spring when formed by the method of any of Claims

l to 7.

9. A mattress, bed, divan bed or other upholstered unit including a

pocketted spring according to Claim 8.