US1536796A - Spring structure and method of assembling the same - Google Patents

Description

W. H. KINNEY SPRING STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME Filed Sept. 2, 1919 Patented May 5, 19 25. g srarss wen-m 1r. mm;

F CHICAGO; LLINOIS; A conro'im'rron.

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or oHIoAe-o; inrprnois; Assreu'ofa To Emmy-ROME coivr'mrnir,

srmne' s'rnnozrunn ann arn'rnon or ASSEMBLING THE SAME;

Application filed September inven't-ioinseeks to provide improved means for coupling the 'upholstering and spacing springs: which will securely connect the same,-and to provide an improved method oi} assembling which will facilitate and cheapen themanufactifire.

The invention consists 'n the features of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated in its preferredembodiment in the accompanying drawing and more particularly. pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing, higur'e 1 is a partial plan View of the springstr ucture 'embodyingi'the present invention. FigureQ is a .detail'vi'ew 'on an: enlarged scale,-fparts being shown in vertical section on the line 2-2 otFig.

1d FigureS-S is an endwiew of the'parts' shownin Fig. 2, and" Figure 4: is a View similar to .oneend of Fig. 2 and illustrating: a slight- 'lIlUtlifiCtt'tlOIL- In the manufacture of spring structures of the type towhiclr-iny improvement more particularly. relates, it hasheretoiore been customary to hold. the vertically disposed tupllolster ing springs j-at proper distances apartif'by means of small spiral or coil springs having at their ends U slraped connector loops. the crown portions of which encircled the uppermost coils of the upholstoring. spring-s, while: uiememberser the loops entered *thei-ends of the spiral spacing springs, QZIChi'lO'OPbGlIIg provided with an outwardly projecting. hookyat its inner end thatengaged withthe' coils of the-spacing "spring In such prior strhcturesfthe U- sh apcid l connector loops were. formed ofparallelarms or members and the width-of the loop plus the width of the hookat its inner end was so inaterially= greater than the inner diameter 'ofthe spacing spring, that in the assembling,operationh was nec- 2, 1919. Serial No. 321,189.

essary toscrew the end of the spacing spring over the nner portion of the loop. Inasmuch as, there is a connector loop at each end of the spacing spring, in the type of structure above referred to, it wasalso necessary in the assembling operation to screw the loop first inserted within the spacing spring to a considerable distance beyond that which it would normally occupy, so

that-by a reverse turning operation of the spacing. spring, the opposite end of such" spring could be caused to spirally engage or screw on to the connector loop at such opposite end. This method oiassembling the parts hasbeen' found expensive, and the primary object of my present invention is to enah'lea material saving of labor, and con sequent cost of production, to be effected in the assembling operation.

A designatos the upholsteringsprings that I may be of the usual hour-glass or like type and B designates the spacing springs that extend between the uppermost coils a I of theupholstering springs A. In the. drawing,-I haveshown only four of the' upholstering springs A but it will be understood,

of course, thatthese springs will be eniploycd in suitable number for a bed or like article in which the spring structure is to be used, Ordinarily, thespacing springs B w'illbe arranged so as to intersect each other, as-ii'idicated in Figure 1 of the drawmg, but thislis a well known arrangement,

and forms no part of the present invention. 'l he'endso'li the spacing springs l3 are united to the uppermost coils a of the upholstering springzn by connector loops L. In the pro'lnrred embodiment of the, invention, each otthese loops is of general U-shape outline; that to say, the loop comprises I arms oi members "0 and c that pass within the endportions of the spacing springs B. Preferably, the crown portion of the connector loop 10 that unites the members 0 and c" is arranged with a-seat c ofi'set at one side of said crown, the purposeof which seat will presently more fully appear. Each connector loop G has atleast one of its ends iii ettectively retain the loop atter it has been placed in position within the end of the spacing spring B. Preferably, also, the arm or member r: of the loop (l made somewhat longer than the arm 0 and the end of this arm n is turned inwardly, as at 0 to Facilitate the insertion of the loop into the end coils of the spacing spring B. In order to more effectively hold the loops C within the. ends of: the spacing springs B, I prefer to distort or bend inwardly the end portions 7/ of the outermost coils of the springs B so that after the loops C have been inserted within the ends of the spacing springs B, they cannot work loose therefrom, a

The method of assembling the parts hereinbefore described is as follows: The spacing springs B will be extended between the uppermost coils of the upholstering springs A, atter which the loops C will be passed around the coils a of the springs A and will be thrust straight through the end coils of the spacing springs B until the outermost coils of such springs bear firmly against the upholstering springs A; and at such time, the uppermost coil of each upholstering spring A will rest within the offset seat c at the end of the corresponding loop C. The width of the loops 0, plus the hooks c at their ends, is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the spacing springs B but as these loops C are formed of resilient material, the members or arms will be compre sed towards each other so as to permit the straight thrust of the members or arms 0 and a of the loops and the hooks 0 into the end coils of the springs B. Inasmuch as the hook of each loop C is preferably formed with a guard 0 it will be seen that after the loop has been thrust into the spacing spring B the required distance, the loop may be drawn slightly outward to cause the coil 7) of the spacing spring I) with which it is to engage to pass behind the gum-d c". By forming the loops C so that they may he thrust straight through the end coils ot the spacing springs to the required position for use, the necessity of screwing the spacing springs onto the loops is avoided and hence a material saving in time and labor in the assembling of parts is effected.

The object in forming the loops C with the offset. seats 0 in their crown portions is to insure the holding of the upper portions of the spacing springs more nearly in line with the coils oi": the upholstering springs, thus giving a flatter and more uniform surface to the structure; and by thus providing the loops C with offset seats 0 the tendency of the loops to turn and twist is also resisted. By so forming the loops (l so that they may be thrust straight through the end coils of the spacing springs l3, it is possible to form the end coils of the spacing springs l) at the outset with the distorted or inwardly bent portions 7), which would not be possible it the loops were so 'lorn'ied, as in prior structures, that the spacing springs had to be united to the loops by screwing the springs onto the loops.

While I have described what I regard as the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that details of the invention may be varied without departing from the scope thereot Thus, for example, in Figure 4 of the drawing, I have shown a form of connector loop in which the guard c is omitted and in which the crown of the loop is provided with an extended portion 0 that will enable the loop to be more readily grasped when it is to be inserted in the end of the spacing spring B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiral spacing springs extending between the upholstering springs, and connectors adapted to be inserted through the open end and into the body of the spacing spring, each of said connectors comprising a member looped around a portion of the upholstcring spring and having a pair of spaced arms, both bent in the same direction in the plane of the loop and inserted into the end of the spacing spring, the bend in one of the arms forming a hook for engaging between two consecutive coils of the spacing spring.

2. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering sprin s, spiral spacing springs extending between the upholstering springs, and connectors adapted to be inserted through the open end and into the body of the spacing spring, each of said connectors comprising a member looped around a portion 0']? an upholstering spring and having a pair of spaced arms inserted in the end of the spacing spring, one oi said arms being 'l'orn'ied with an outturned hook for engaging an inner coil of the spacing spring at one side of the latter and the other of which arms resiliently engages the opposite side of the spring to hold the hook engaged with said coil.

3. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiral spacing springs extending between the upholstering springs and end connectors on the spacing springs, each of which comprises a, member looped around a portion of an upholstering spring and having a pair of spaced arms secured in the end of the spacing spring and hooked onto an inner coil thereof by relative movement of the spacing spring and connector in a plane coinoident with the arms of the connector and the axis of the spacing sprin 4. In a Spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiral spacing springs extending between the upholstering springsand connectors on the ends of the spacing springs engaging the upholstering springs, each of said connectors comprising a loop with a pair of spaced arms inserted straight into the end of the spiral spring and an outturned hook on one of the arms interlocked with an inner coil of the spacing spring by separating tension between the arms.

5. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiral spacing springs extending between the upholstering springs and having connectors on the ends, engaging the upholstering springs each of said connectors comprising aloop with a pair of spaced arms insertable straight into the end of the spiral spring and an out turned hook on one of the arms yieldingly arranged so as to retract from each successive coil of the spacing spring as the arms of the connector are inserted therein and spring outwardly between two adjoining coils of the spacing spring when the connector is fully inserted and thereby interlock with one of said coils to prevent removal of the connector. c

6. In a spring structure the combination of a pair of spaced upholstering springs, a spacing spring interposed between the upholstering springs, a connector at each end of the spacing spring looped around a portion of the adjacent upholstering spring and having a pair of spaced arms inserted straight into the end of the spacing spring, and interlocked with a' coil of the spacing spring at a distance from the end, and means on the end of the spacing spring co-operating with the connector to hold the latter against turning movement as it is inserted in the spacing spring.

7. In a spring structure the combination of apair of upholstering springs, a spiral spacing spring extending between the upholstering springs, a connector Inserted and locked in each end of the spacing spring and engaging a portion of theadjacent upholstering spring and means on each end of the spacing spring engaging the respective connectors for holding said connectorsv against turning movement as they are inserted 1n the spacing spring.

8. A sprlng structure comprising upholstering springs, splral spacing springs extending between and engaging the ends of said upholstering springs, and connector loops each having upper and lower members inserted and locked in the end of a spacing spring and an off set seat at the bight of each connector loop eccentrically arranged at the outer end of the spacing spring and WILLIAM H. KINNEY.

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