Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-01-09
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S235000, C029S283000, C029S283500, C005S703000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170143
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a mattress handle assembly and to components associated therewith, individually and collectively designed to allow efficient attachment of the handle to the mattress and allowing such efficient attachment to be achieved by machine. The invention also relates to methods and means for attaching the handle to the mattress.
A mattress typically comprises a resilient core and a cover including top and bottom layers joined about their periphery by a border. The handle is attached to the mattress border before the attachment of the top and bottom layers to the mattress border. Hence the description to follow deals with the attachment of the handle to the border.
Typically, the handle has a flexible extent, having at each end, anchors including a clip extending toward the other end while diverging from the flexible extent. The mattress border is provided with a pair of spaced apertures to receive the handle anchors. The spaced apertures are preferably defined by grommets. The grommets, in addition to attachment to the mattress border, preferably attach a back strap to the inside of the mattress border.
The grommet openings thus coincide with openings in the back strap.
By ‘grommets’ herein I include the standard metal grommet well known to those skilled in the art but also equivalents thereof. Such an equivalent can include a plastic member with a central opening, a flange which engages the outside of the border and a short tube which extends through the border opening to be formed around the edge and fastened to the back strap to be described. At the time of preparing this application the conventional metal grommet is preferred since it is not certain that the plastic can be fastened to the back strap with sufficient strength.
When the handle has been installed on the border the handle anchors are located on the inside of the border and the adjacent portions of the handles extend through the grommet openings. Clips on the anchor contact the adjacent grommet and prevent the inside to outside movement of the anchor through the adjacent grommet opening.
Under lifting pulls on the handle the clips bear on the grommet to transfer the lifting force from the handle to the mattress border.
A good example of the handle described above is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,415; dated Mar. 18, 1955, to Bechik.
Presently a handle of the Bechik type is manually attached to the grommets (and hence, to the mattress border and back strap) by inserting each anchor through the grommet, from outside to inside with the clip resiliently deflected inward in passage to pass through the grommet. The clip then extends outwardly to contact the grommet and hold the handle in place.
It is an object of this invention to provide a handle having the clip attachment means as used with the prior handles, but which allows efficient attachment to the border, and is designed to facilitate attachment by machine methods.
Preferably, the grommets attach a back strap to the inside of the mattress border. The back strap has two spaced openings and at each opening is attached by the grommet to the inside of the mattress border. Thus when the handle, after installation, is used to pull or lift the mattress, the back strap assists in transferring the pulling force from the handle to the mattress border.
It is an object of this invention to provide such a back strap which is particularly shaped to allow gripping by clamping members adjacent each grommet opening, to allow bending of the mattress border and back strap to position the openings, for insertion of an anchor therethrough.
It is an object of this invention to provide a handle whose anchors will, at each end, extend through apertures in the mattress border, wherein the handle is designed so that its leading end may be drawn through the two apertures, (when positioned) so that the handle is thereby installed.
It is an object of this invention to provide that at least one, and preferably each, end of the handle is provided with a coupling member for coupling to a pulling tool so that the leading end of the handle when coupled thereto may be pulled through the grommet apertures when aligned.
It is an object of this invention to provide first coupling means on the anchor which is located at at least one free end of the handle, such first coupling means allowing detachable attachment of second coupling means on a pulling tool, so that the pulling tool may be extended through a grommet opening to pull the first coupling means and anchor through a grommet opening to install the handle.
In one variant the pulling tool is a straight rod. Clamping means grasp each back strap, adjacent the grommet and bends the border and back strap into a U shape and so that the grommet openings are aligned. At this time the back strap is on the convex side of the U. A straight puller rod, acting as the puller tool, may then be extended through the aligned openings and coupled to the first coupling means of a free end of a handle anchor. The rod then pulls the leading end through both aligned openings. The handle is now properly installed and, under lifting tension, will couple to the border since the clips will retain the handle in place.
In another variant, the clamping means grasps the back strap as before but the U shape is more of a V and the grommet axes are not parallel but on a common arc, for example, at 45°. A curved pulling rod is caused to move through the grommet holes, in the anti-pulling direction, to couple with the anchor at the leading end of the handle to draw it in an accurate path through both grommet holes, after which the handle is properly installed.
In a third variant the handle is shaped in a curve concave toward the outer surface of the border. In this variant each anchor is provided with first coupling means. The border and attached back strap, with a separate puller tool projecting through each grommet opening, are then bent into a V shape which is concave toward the handle. This bending and the positioning of the members are controlled to cause each pulling tool's second coupling means to couple with the handle's first coupling means at the adjacent end. The pulling tools may, then, each, pull the anchors through the grommet holes so that the handle is installed.
It is an object of the invention to provide anchors complete with coupling means, for attachment to the handle, which anchors may be formed from a flat blank having the spring clip at the end to be nearest the remote anchor, a middle portion for crimping about the handle, and at the end remote from the remote anchor, coupling means in a section preferably U shaped as viewed in section longitudinally of the handle.
The anchor with the U-shaped section has a middle portion and two outer portions, and the middle portion is provided with coupling means, preferably a tab diverging in the direction toward the other anchor, for coupling to a pulling member for drawing the anchor at leading end of the handle through the grommet openings.
Overall, it will be noted that the handle with leading anchor coupled to the pulling tool must have a profile to pass through the grommet openings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2982977 (1961-05-01), Caster
Hong John C.
Hughes S. Thomas
Leggett & Platt Incorporated
Wood, Herron & Evnas, LLP
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