Beds – Mattress – Having innerspring-type core
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-24
2001-12-04
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Having innerspring-type core
C005S655700, C005S248000, C005S256000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324711
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to the manufacture of spring assemblies, and more particularly to the manufacture of low density mattress spring assemblies, particularly assemblies of widely spaced unknotted coils.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Spring assemblies or spring interiors such as those used in inner spring mattresses are usually made of rectangular arrays of individually coiled springs linked together with transverse coils of lacing wire. These assemblies are presently made on automated machinery that includes one or more coil forming machines or coilers, a coil collecting conveyor, a coil row transfer device and a coil row assembler. The coil machines produce individual coils and place them on the conveyor. The conveyor collects and then conveys rows of coils, one row at a time, to the row transfer machine. The row transfer machine transfers the rows of coils, one row at a time, transversely into an assembly machine which laces the rows together to form a rectangular array that becomes the spring interior assembly of an inner spring mattress. Systems for making these assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,386,561; 3,774,652; 4,111,241; 4,413,659; 4,705,079; 5,579,810 and 5,934,339, which are all hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
In the automatic production of these spring assemblies, manufacture of rectangular arrays is the easiest, and the spring assembly making machinery is typically configured to assemble spring interiors in these rectangular arrays. Where softer mattresses are desired to be made, the convenient way of doing so is to use softer springs in the arrays.
Before the automated manufacture of spring assemblies became dominant, when spring interiors were assembled by hand, relatively soft spring units were often made by hand lacing coils with spaces between adjacent coils of a row so that few coils per unit area of mattress were present. Early spring assemblies made of low density arrays of unknotted coils are described, for example, in the 1934 Swiss Patent No. 165465 to Büron and in the 1935 French Patent No. 793.155 to Simmons. The absence of knos to secure the ends of the wire of the coils presents few problems when units are assembled by hand. When machines became common for assembling spring interiors, unknotted coils were found to be dimensionally unstable and difficult to handle with automated gripper devices, and arrangements of coils at widely spaced intervals were not compatible with the machinery.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and machinery for the automated assembly of spring interiors for mattresses that have low density arrays of individual coil springs, particularly coil springs without knotted wire ends.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a spring interior assembly method and apparatus for producing low density spring assemblies, particularly assemblies of unknotted springs.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a method and machinery having flexibility in the spacing of springs allowing low density spring assemblies to be produced on machinery designed to produce spring assemblies formed of rectangular arrays of knotted coil springs. A more particular objective of the invention is to provide a method of making low density spring assemblies with a minimum of alteration to existing equipment that has been provided for making assemblies of springs in rectangular arrays.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a spring interior assembling method is provided having four components, including one or more spring formers or coilers, a conveyor, a row transfer station and a spring interior assembler. The components are preferably the same as would be included in a conventional spring interior assembly line on which standard assemblies are made having rectangular arrays of springs, but with at least one difference. The difference results in empty spaces in the array where springs would otherwise be located. One or more of the components differs from the corresponding component of the conventional machine.
In one embodiment, a spring coiler is controlled to execute some cycles in which a coil spring is formed and delivered to the conveyor. In other cycles, an idle cycle is executed in which no spring is delivered to the conveyor. Preferably, alternating productive and nonproductive cycles are executed by the coiler to deliver springs to alternate positions on the conveyor. The conveyor indexes once per cycle so that empty locations appear on the conveyor when no spring is delivered in a cycle of the coiler. As a result, with only a change to the control of the coiler, all of the other components of a standard spring assembly line can remain unchanged. The same line can be selectively controlled to produce either regular or low density assemblies.
In another embodiment, the coiler is made to operate at its normal rate, but additional index commands are sent to the conveyor. When producing a coil row having coils at alternate locations, two index pulses can be sent to the conveyor control for each coil produced, so that an empty space exists on the conveyor following each coil placed on the conveyor.
In other embodiments, along with either of the embodiments above, one or more additional indexing signals may be communicated to the conveyor so that the row of coils and spaces on the conveyor aligns differently with the assembler at the transfer station. For example, where staggered rows of alternate coils and spaces are to be assembled, one row is moved by the conveyor to the transfer station with its coils in odd numbered positions. Then, the next row is moved to the transfer station with its coils in even numbered positions. Alternatively, two parallel conveyors can be used, with coils on one conveyor fed in a staggered relationship to the coils on the other conveyor, with both rows being transferred to the assembler simultaneously at the transfer station.
Alternative to the embodiments discussed in the paragraph immediately above in which the conveyor is differently indexed to shift one row relative to another, the transfer station may cooperate with the assembler to selectively shift rows of coils to differently align the coils and spaces. In a further alternative, the coils can be produced and fed to the conveyor, one at each position on the conveyor, with fewer coils than the number of positions in a row, and the transfer station and assembler can cooperate to spread the coils along the entire row while creating empty positions.
These and other configurations, objectives and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the drawings and preferred embodiments, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 125250 (1872-04-01), Andrews
patent: 426022 (1890-04-01), Jeffery
patent: 1860642 (1932-05-01), Zimmerman
patent: 1866664 (1932-07-01), Munn
patent: 3916464 (1975-11-01), Tyhanic
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patent: 4426070 (1984-01-01), Garceau et al.
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patent: 5579810 (1996-12-01), Ramsey et al.
patent: 5584083 (1996-12-01), Ramsey et al.
patent: 5701653 (1997-12-01), Rupe
patent: 165465 (1934-02-01), None
patent: 793155 (1935-11-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Conley Fredrick
L&P Property Management Company
Wood Herron & Evans L.L.P.
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