US2332726A - Method of making metallic bats - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26, 1943. w Yc JR 2,332,726

METHOD OF MAKING METALLIC BATS Original Filed July 5, 1940 INVENT R:

Will/AM J- I0 cg Ir.

Patented Oct. 26, 1943 2,332,726 METHOD OF MAKING METALLIC BATS William J. Joyce, Jr., Southbridge, Mass., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 5, 1940, Serial No'. 344,129. Divided and this application July '5, 1941, Serial No. 401,267

1 Claim.

This application is a division of Serial No. 344,129, filed July 5, 1940.

This invention relates to a method of making resilient bats from metallic wool.

It is an object of the invention to provide metallic wool bats that have the crossed over strands thereof bonded together at their adjacent portions so that the bat does not pack upon compression but remains as a resilient cushion.

In carrying out the above object it is an object, in some cases, to bond adjacent strands of wool together with a low melting point metal.

A still further object is to provide a material which may be used as a substitute for horsehair, sponge rubber and other resilient material heretofore used as fillings for seat cushions, mattresses, etc.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention are clearly set forth.

In the drawing:

The drawing represents an enlarged photographic view or the material wherein each of the strands of wool is coated with a soft metal.

tion, may be heated to an elevatedtemperature and then cooled thereby causing the crossing portions of wire thattouch one another to bond together and to be held together by means of the low melting point metal 24. Similarly, it is possible to make bats 22 of metallic wool 20 and then immerse said bats intoa vat of molten low melting point solder material, thereafter removlng excess low melting point metal by asuitable method, such as centrifuging under elevated temperature conditions or by the use of hightemperature high pressure air blown therethrough, whereupon when cool, the strands of wool are bonded together by the low melting point metal 24.

I also prefer to use steel wool since this type of wool is-inexpensive and easy to handle as well as having a high modulus of elasticity. It should be understood, however, that when steel wool is referred to hereinafter that, it is within the scopeof my invention to substitute any other suitable metallic wool thatis available.

By microscopic examination of a the bat was placed under compression, that flex- In the manufacture of bats for filling seat cushions and other resilient, compressible bodies, horsehair and sponge rubber have been the usual materials used. These materials provided a resilient filling for the cushion which did not pack down readily and thereby maintained the shape of the cushion over along period of time. Horsehair and sponge rubber are, however, expensive materials to be used in production manufacture. The present invention is directed to a substitute for these materials which has all of the inherent good qualities thereof together with the advantage of being more fire resisting and much less expensive to produce in production quantities.

I have found that metallic wool -20, such as steel wool, iron wool, nickel wool, brass wool, or any other wools made from metallic strands, whether shredded or whether made from drawn wire stock, to be particularly adapted as a substitute for horsehair and the like since metallic wool has a high modulus of elasticity and does not pack readily when adjacent strands thereof are bonded at their contacting portions. I have- ,may be provided which, after the wool 20 is shaped into the bat. 22 of the desired configura- In the manufacture of this materiaLit is.apparent that in some instances the steel wool may be shaped to any configuration desired preparatory to the treatment with the bonding agent, while in some instances it is more facile to form the steel wool in long striplike bats andtreat the bat with the bonding agent, thereafter cutting.

the bat to shorter lengths and putting them in place in suitable confiningenvelopes.

It is also manifest that this method may also be carried out continuously wherein a longlength of wool may be utilized. In other words,

the type of procedure is adaptedto a continuous process as well as an intermittent one and either processls within the scope of my invention.

While the embodiments of the present inventionas herein disclosed. constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scopeof the claim which follows. What is claimed is as follows: The method of producing a low-cost self-sustaining fibrous metal bat of uniform light weight and standardized resiliency, comprising: forming a quantity of resilient filamentary metallic material into a tangled mass of definite density and external shape, impregnating said tangled mass with a copious quantity of a metal having adhesive afiinity for contiguous filament portions resilient bat made as herein described it was found that when 25' mined adherent quantity thereof distributed throughout the filamentary mass, and finally stabilizing the individual filaments of the mass by solidification of the thus-distributed retained adhesive metal as a myriad of individual filament ties.

WILLIAM J. JOYCE, JR.

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