US3064280A - Spring assembly structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1962 NACHMAN, 3,064,280

SPRING ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 17, 1960 512] i Vi/ A,

I INVENTOR. g5 76 FIG 5 Redd. flacizman J'n WWWYM 3,964,280 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 3,064,280 SPRING ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE Fred A. Nachman, In, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Nachman Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of l'llinois Filed Nov. 17, 196i), Ser. No. 69,958 19 Qlaims. (Cl. -353) This invention relates to spring assemblies and it relates more particularly to a bed spring or a spring for an inner spring mattress which is characterized by a greater resiliency and stiffness in the edge construction coupled with greater resiliency and stiffness in the body portion without increase in cost of the spring assembly from the standpoint of the additional usage of stiffening or re-enforcing members without loss of the ability of the spring assembly to retain a relatively uniformly fiat surface.

It is an object of this invention to produce a spring assembly characterized by improved resiliency and stiffness both in the edge construction and in the body portion, and it is a related object to achieve the improved resiliency and stifiness merely by the construction and arrangement of the spring elements as distinguished from the additions of stiffening and re-enforcing members, as heretofore practiced.

Another object is to produce a new and improved bed spring assembly formed of relatively low cost and readily available materials which are easily assembled into a strong and sturdy spring assembly having good feel and resiliency throughout the entire area thereof including the edge portions as Well as the body portion and which retains its resiliency and feel over great periods of actual use by comparison with present spring constructions.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bed spring assembly embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective elevational view of a Marshall type spring unit employed in the spring assembly embodying the features of this invention.

The concepts of this invention are embodied in a coil spring assembly formed of a plurality of coil springs 10, most of which are arranged in rows 12 and 14 extending lengthwise and crosswise between vertically spaced-apart, upper and lower border wire members 16 and 18 respectively. The border wires are aligned with the upper and lower terminal coils of the outermost coil springs.

All of the coil springs with the exception of the outermost coil spring 20 are confined within cells 22 formed of textile or the like fabric 24 into compartments having a cross section corresponding to or slightly greater than the confined coil springs and a height less than the height of the confined coil springs when in their relaxed state so that each of the coil springs will be confined in a tensioned relationship within each of the cells. The described construction wherein the coil springs lll are confined within cells 22 of smaller dimension to form the body portion of the spring assembly is generally referred to in the trade as Marshall type units, more fully described in the United States Patent No. 2,790,979.

The Marshall units may be separately formed into individual cells which are aligned in the lengthwise and crosswise rows and joined one to the other in the assembled relation as by staples 26, stitching or the like fastening means to interconnect the top and bottom terminal coils of the adjacent coil springs, as illustrated in the figures. Instead, the Marshall type units can be preformed into rows wherein a plurality of coil springs are arranged in the desired spaced relationship within lengths of fabric which are then stitched together between the coil springs to provide pockets within which the coil springs are retained in a compressed state, and after which the rows can be aligned for cross connection between terminal coils of adjacent coil springs to interconnect the rows into a spring assembly. It will be understood that when formed of individual cells or rows of cells, the cells can be staggered between rows, such for example as when a higher spring count is desired for greater stiffness support or resiliency.

In accordance with the concepts of this invention, a plurality of coil springs 26 free of the fabric enclosures are arranged about the perimeter of the assembled Marshall unit for location between the Marshall section and the border wires 16 and 18. The outer coil springs 20 are of a height corresponding to the height of the Marshall units and they may be of the same cross section for alignment with the rows of the coil springs forming the body portion of the spring assembly. It is preferred, however, that the outermost coil springs 24} be of larger dimension and formed of spring wire of heavier gauge for greater stiffness and resiliency. When formed of larger dimension, the coil springs cannot be aligned with each row but instead are preferably aligned with alternate row or other suitable spacing, as illustrated in PEG. 1.

To interconnect the Marshall units with the border wires in the spring assembly, the inner portion of the top and bottom coils of the coil springs 20 are connected, as by staples, stitching or the like to the corresponding terminal coils of the adjacent outermost spring of the Marshall section, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

With the outer coil springs 20 free of the fabric enclosure, it becomes possible to embody an improved edge construction by arrangement of the border frame members 16 and 18 to overlap the terminal coils of the outermost coil spring by an amount to bring the border frame wires into substantially vertical alignment with the central body portion of the coil springs, leaving enough of the terminal coil beyond the border frame members for wrapping about the border frame members to effect a firm interconnection therebetween, as indicated by the numeral 28 in FIG. 1 of the drawings. By virtue of this practice, an assembly having markedly improved characteristics from the standpoint of stength, resiliency and stiffness in the edge portions is achieved. By the arrangement of the border frame members to extend across the terminal coils of the coil spring as a chord, the border frame member is positioned in operative alignment with the principal lines of force generated by the coil springs, especially when the border frame members overlie at least a portion of the coil of smallest dimension within the outermost coil springs. This provides for greater resistance to deformation in the edge construction thereby to achieve an effect sought to be secured by the objectionable usage of auxiliary spring elements such as spring arms vertically arranged between the border frame members to stiffen the edge portion of the assembly.

If the border frame members were tied to the outer portions of the terminal coils of the outermost coil springs at their outer edge portions, the edge construction of the spring assembly would be soft and excessively depressed under the slightest loads. When interconnected in accordance with the concepts of this invention, the coil springs are tied in more completely with the border frame members in a manner which resists displacement and in a manner which is capable of maintaining the desired assembled relationship notwithstanding the direction of applied force. It will be apparent further that the location of the border frame members in a more effective 1 3 relationship with respect to the coil springs of the assembly will enhance the reaction of the spring assembly to the application of load from various directions for greater resiliency and better .feel.

The combined operation of the inner Marshall portion of the spring assembly and the described edge construction results in a multiple coil spring assembly which embodies the beneficial aspects of the Marshall type construction while being free of the weaknesses characteristic thereof and which simultaneously provides the beneficial aspects of an improved edge construction which is not restricted to the specific saddle type coils heretofore employed.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to coil springs of a particular shape or gauge and that use can be made of border frame members of round or flattened lengths of spring wire, plastics, wood and the like and that various other types of fastening means may be employed for joining the Marshall type units one to the other and to the inner portions of the outermost coil springs.

It will be apparent that I have provided an improved spring assembly having improvements in edge construction and in the construction of the body portion which become so interrelated as beneficially to affect one another without destroying any of the desirable characteristics of the separate complements.

Itwill be further understood that various changes may be made in the terms of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. A multiple coil spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in rows to form an internal spring portion and an external spring portion bordering the perimeter thereof and means interconnecting said spring portions, said internal spring portion comprising a plurality of coil springs, a cell for each coil spring formed. of textile material and dimensioned to have a diameter corresponding generally to the diameter of the coil springs and a length less than the normal length of the coil springs, said coil springs being confined within said cells in a compressed state to form prefabricated units which are separate and apart from each other, and means interconnecting said spring-containing cells aligned in rows to effect an assembled relation, and said external spring portion comprising a plurality of coil springs free of an enclosure and in an uncompressed state positioned in crosswise and lengthwise rows about-the periphery of the assembled enclosed springs, a top border frame member, and a corresponding bottom border frame member arranged about the coil springs adjacent the top and bottom terminal coils and positioned to extend as chord members across the terminal coils to subdivide said coils into inwardly extending portions and outwardly extending portions, the latter of which are wrapped about the border frame to effect an interconnection therebetween andto position the border frame members in substantial vertical alignment with the outer edges of the intermediate coils of least diameter in the coil springs thereby to locate the border frame members in substantial vertical alignment with the major axial forces capable of being developed by the engaged coil springs when said springs are inloaded condition.

2. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs confined in a compressed state within resilient enclosures, means interconnecting the coil spring one with another in crosswise and lengthwise aligned rows to provide a unitary assembly, other individual coil springs free of an enclosure and in an uncompressed state positioned in a crosswise and lengthwise row about the periphery of the unitary assembly, means interconnecting the adjacent portions of the terminal coils of the adjacent coil springs outermost in the unitary assembly and the other coil springs to interconnect the other coil springs with the unitary assembly to form a part thereof, upper and lower border frame members overlying and underlying respectively the terminal coil of the other coil springs to extend across a portion inwardly from the outer edges of the terminal coils of the other coil springs by an amount to provide an outwardly extending portion which is wrapped about the border frame member for interconnection therebetween.

3. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which' the other coil springs are dimensioned to have a relaxed height corresponding to the height of the compressed coil springs in the unitary assembly.

4. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the other coil springs are formed of spring wire having a heavier gauge than the coil springs in the unitary assembly.

5. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the other coil springs are aligned with alternate rows of the compressed coil springs in the unitary assembly.

6. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the border frame members are spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the terminal coils from the other coil spring by an amount less than the diameter of the terminal coils.

7. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the other coil springs are of saddle shape and in which the border frame members extend as a chord across, the terminal coils of the coil springs in substantially vertical alignment with the outer edge of the coil of smallest diameter in the other coil springs.

8. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the means joining the coil springs one to another comprise clips.

9. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the compressed coil springs are separately housed within the separate enclosures for joining one with another in References Cite-d in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,741,847 Kasper Dec. 31, 1929 2,048,979 Trotta et a1 July 28, 1936 2,261,581 Gleason Nov. 4, 1941 2,715,435 Rymland Aug. 16, 1955 2,885,693 Wuest May 12, 1959

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