Wireworking – Fabric making – Link and perforated plates
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2001-11-20
Larson, Lowell A. (Department: 3725)
Wireworking
Fabric making
Link and perforated plates
C005S716000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318416
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to spring interiors and the manufacture of spring interiors and springs therefor that are of differing degrees of firmness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Interior spring mattresses consist of a multitude of steel springs joined together in a regular grid. Typically, the end rings of the neighboring steel springs are directly connected to one another by way of wire spirals. Alternatively, barrel shaped springs are often sewn or welded into pockets in rows and in turn the pockets lying next to one another are connected to one another. With inexpensive mattresses, all the springs used are designed to be identical, i.e. they have the same spring constants and the mattress is uniformly hard or soft over the whole surface. In order to achieve a greater sleeping comfort there is the desire to design the mattress with different hard or soft zones, in particular to reinforce the heavily loaded zones. The differing hardnesses in the individual mattress regions have up to now been produced in different ways. For example, geometrically identical springs with differing wire strengths may be manufactured and used, in which springs with thicker wires are applied in the regions of greater firmness, e.g. in the central region, and springs with thinner wires are applied in regions that are softer, e.g. in the region of the head or feet. The manufacture of springs of different thicknesses does not present a problem in itself, but on later assembly of the mattress, these springs must be arranged at the correct locations in the spring interior. This is not possible with fully automatically operating machines of the present art since typically springs of different types are usually alternately transferred from the winding machine and inserted into the automatic assembly machine. The springs are laid behind one another in rows and the rows one after the another are connected to each other by wire spirals.
Another possibility of producing various hardness regions within a mattress lies in arranging the springs to lie closer to one another in the region of desired reinforcement. Then, the grid in which the springs are then arranged in the spring interior will no longer be uniform. Two springs may also directly inserted one into another.
The manufacture of a mattress with a non-uniform spring grid as well as also the manufacture of a mattress with springs of differing wire strengths is only possible by way of large scale conversions of conventional machines. In one case, the setup of the assembly machine must be changed, which leads to stoppage time and thus to higher manufacturing costs; in another case, two automatic spring winding machines would be necessary, but differing springs could only be arranged in rows.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a better way of providing spring interiors with regions of differing firmness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a method which permits the fully automatic manufacture of mattresses with freely definable hardness zones in the spring interior on conventional automatic spring interior assembly machines.
According to principles of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a spring interior for an interior spring mattress or for cushioned furniture, with zones of differing hardness, in which the springs are produced on spring winding means, are joined together in rows, and are subsequently connected to one another. In particular, while on a spring winding means, the mean radius of one or more inner winding lying between the two end rings is changed so that the spring constant of individual springs or several springs produced after one another is changed. The springs are then transferred directly from the spring winding means to an automatic spring interior assembly machine where they are subsequently, in the sequence of their manufacture, joined together to a spring interior.
According to further principles of the present invention, there is provided a spring interior for a mattress or for cushioned furniture, comprising a multitude of rows arranged parallel next to one another, consisting of a multitude of individual springs with end rings of the same diameter and produced from wire of the same diameter and same material, characterized in that springs with differing mean winding radii of the windings lying between the two end rings are arranged next to one another in the rows and form zones of differing hardness within the spring interior.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the springs which are fully automatically continuously manufactured on a winding machine with the average winding radii of the windings lying between the end rings of a different size without rearranging the stations subsequent to the winding machine such as the handling, the knotting and the heat treating stations, and without rearranging the spring interior assembly machines. Each spring interior is preferably produced with individually formed, customer-specific hardness zones of differing hardness, position and size, without there being required an adjustment or conversion of the further processing stations or of the transport mechanism between the winding machine and the automatic spring interior assembly machine. Differing hardnesses are provided among longitudinal rows as well as transverse rows. All springs so formed may comprise the same end ring diameter and essentially the same height, while the central sections of the springs, i.e. the central winding of the spring, which gripping and handling tools grasp, hold and convey on manufacture and further processing, are always located at the same predetermined location.
In the present invention, springs with different spring constants may be arranged selectively behind one another within each row of springs, and springs of different spring constants may be arranged from spring row to spring row. As a result, not only can the prior assembly machines be employed but also the overall arrangement of the spring interior, i.e. of the grid, remains the same.
Springs in the mattresses with a multitude of different zones, for example, hard edge and shoulder regions, may be manufactured on a winding machine controlled by software. The appropriate springs of differing hardness are produced by changing the winding diameter in the correct sequence, with the sequence of their manufacture determining their predetermined location at the assembly machine. With this, it is not important whether the spring interior is narrow or wide or whether this mattress is long or standard length. The spring interior need not externally differ from a conventional one and as a result may be further processed in subsequent steps without adaptation of those steps, using the known methods and machines for finishing mattresses, e.g. providing with covers and surrounding them with material.
By way of an illustrated embodiment example, the invention is explained in more detail.
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L&P Property Management Company
Larson Lowell A.
Wood Herron & Evans L.L.P.
LandOfFree
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