US2241551A - Cushion construction - Google Patents

Description

May13,1941. f H, HQ'PKES `2,241,551

CUSHIQN CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 9,1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n. .5. .gf 4

INVENTOR. Henry )Va/ies.

May 13, 1941.

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CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. VE), 1936 v2 'Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOR /--A Vm.

A TTOIENEYS.

Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED f STATES PAT Y CUSHION coNsTRUc'rroN .l t i Henry Hopkes, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignorto No-Sag Spring Company, Detroit, Mich., 'a cori. poration of Michigan f AApplication November 9, 1936, serial No. 109,897

2 Claims.

simplified spring cushion construction in which the wire for supporting the spring elements forms the frame for the cushion; to extend the side portions of a spring frame to form supports therefor; to provide a downwardly `disposed brace between 'theside portions of the spring frame to brace the sides and form a furthersupport for the frame;y to provide a tacking frame to which said frame deflected and supporting portions are secured; to provide a frame ,having its front portion bent downwardly to form a support and to provide an unobstructed. front edge for the springs which span the frame sides; to provi-de a spring surface having the elements closely -disposed to provide small gaps so that a thin pad may be 4supported thereon Without `materially projecting therethrough; and, in general, to provide a seat frame and cushion, which ssimple in construction and A economical of manufacture. f Other objectsand features ofnovelty of the invention will become apparent from .the following specification; from the claims hereinafter set forth, and from the drawings, in `which like numerals are used in the several views to designate like parts, 'and wherein: l

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a. seat,

with parts broken away, illustrating a spring cushion construction embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view,`with parts broken away, showing an embodiment of the spring frame construction of the seat illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the spring frame construction shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the spring frame construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view, taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the channel in the border wire;

Flgo is an enlarged, sectional View, (taken along the line B-B of Fig. 2, illustrating themanner in which the ends of the spring elements are attached to the border wire.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view with parts broken away, showing a further form which my invention may assume, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged broken view of a portion of the chair illustrated in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 1, a seat is illustrated comprising a base frame' l0, a border wire I`2` and a spring surface il interrelated ,to produce my novel spring frame construction. The spring surface i4 is constructed to provide smallgaps between the wireelements to form a plane surface onwhich a thin sponge rubber pad I6 may be supported. `The frame and pad may then be covered bysuitable trim material 18, in a well known rrianner.` r

In'Figs.` 2` to55, I have illustrated the base frame l0 'asbeing made of Wood strips 20, 22, 24 Aand 26.` The base frame forms the support for the cushion frame andamedium into which tacks for securing the trimmaterial, are driven. Other frame known in the `'art' to be suitable, may be utilized in place of 'the frame l0, whichV is shown for the purpose of illustration. i

`The spring surface `I4 isdisposed lin an arcuate plane spacedfrom the base 'frame Ill in a. inanner to be later more fully described. `The surface is'constructed from a plurality of spring elements 28 of the type disclosed in the KadenPatent No.

2,002,399, issued Mayf21, 1935 andunder which the applicants assignee is, an exclusive licensee. Spring elementsof this type are formed by sinuously bending` a suitable spring wire and curving the sinuous.wirelongitudnally offitslength to provide a vset therein on `an arcl materially "less than the arc i-t assumes when employed in a seat. The `ends of the elements are spread and secured in arched position to have the unsecured portion :between the ends provided with a tension to resist downward displacement. 'Ihe spring surface I4 is formed from a`- plurality lof, like spring elements 28, 29, 30, ,3|v and 32. The spring elementsare mounted in spaced parallelrelation to each other crosswise ofthe scatto obtain a soft front edge as will be more fully described.

The spring elements yare connected at their ends to 'the side portions 34 and 36 of the border wire l2, which has a channel 31 on its inner side for receiving :the laterally extending end of each of the spring elements. The spring elements are secured in place in the border wire by a crimping operation which secures the outer edges of the channel over the ends of the elements, as indicated at 38 in Fig. 6. The spring elements are of such length and are secured in such positions that they will assume the proper curvature or vbolster for the surface of the seat. The inherent tendency of each of the spring elements is to assume an arc of smaller radius and the elements will thereby offer resistance to downward displacement. The spring elements are positioned ENT OFFICE i material by suitable screws 48 and 50, respectively. The border wire not only supports the spring elements but forms the spacing means for the spring surface I4 and frame II! and when so Vdeflected provides the unobstructed'spring front edgeto the spring surface.

The rear portion 52 of the border wire may be provided with a Z-shaped plate 54 having its -upper projecting portion disposed in the channel Y 31 and welded, clinched orotherwise secured therein with the bottom projecting portion provided with an aperture to receive a securing screw 56.V While asingle plate 54 is illustrated, itis to be understood that a plurality could be employed, spaced along the edge of thev border wire I2.'v When the wire is not deflected to provide the soft front edge for the cushion, the wire maybe entirely supported by the plates.

Additional support may be'provided by a cen- ``trai bracing element 58 which is herein illustrated as being similar vin cross section to the border wire I2. VThe bracing element 58 is bent upwardly at its ends, as indicated at 68 and 10,

to receivewires' 12 andV 14, respectively, of the border wire I2. Straps 6I!v and 62, similar to strapsA 44 and 46, secure the bracing element 58 to the frame III by suitable screws 64', 66. The

liralfirig element 58'pre'vents the movement of the portions `$4 and 36 of the border wire I2 andv aids injjsecurlng ,the wireto the base frame.

j `In Figs. 'Tand 8 I have shown a further form which my'invention may assume.V In Fig. '1,

l a'chair is illustrated, comprising tubular frame '1I, joined at the rear by tubular elements 12.

A cushion 13 is supported by the tubular frame 1I and elements 12, forming a back for the chair.

A seat frame 13 is also supported by the tubular -frame` and elements and is herein illustrated as Vhaving a front portion 'I4-cut away at 15 at its top edge. Joined to the frontportion 14 is a lrearwardly disposed U-shaped portion 16, the extending legs of which form a support for the spring elements 11. The elements 11 are similar to those described heretofore relative tothe structureillustrated in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive.

The elements 11 have their ends secured by clips k18 tothe extended legs ofthe U-shaped seat portion 16. I n view of the cut-away section of the frame portion 15, the spring elements 11 form a soft front edge to the seat which will not bottom. A suitable pad 8| which may be of felt or rubber, as hereinbefore pointed out, is disposed upon the spring elements 11 and a suitable trim cover material 82 is disposed over the pad. A very substantial seatis provided in this manner which has a soft front edge and which is very light in weight.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of a spring surface in which all .por-

tions of the spring elements lie in substantially the same plane. The elements forming the surface are of the ilat sinuous type and provide a support for a pad in which a maximum contact area is provided. The closely adjacent portions of the spring elements make it possible to employ a very thin sponge rubber pad which was not possible with prior spring constructions since suflicient contact support was not provided. The thin spongerubber pad I6 supported on the spring surface I4 having its front edge unsupported, provides a very comfortable seat. one which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. It is to be understood that asimilar construction can be employed for forming a back cushion for the seat cushion herein described.

- While I have described andlllustrated but a single embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that formal changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

I claim as myinvention:

1. A seat embodying a border elemento! U- shape havingportions at the open end extending downwardly forming supports, spring elements spanning the 'sides of said border element and retained thereby to form a spring surface having anunobstructed front edge, and a brace extending below said border element and secured to theside portions thereof to provide rigidity thereto.

2. A seat embodying a border element of U- shape having portions at the open end extending downwardly forming supports, spring elements spanning the sides of said border element and retained thereby to form a spring surface having an unobstructed front edge, a brace extending below said border element and secured tothe side portions thereof to lprovide rigidity thereto, and a tacking frame to which said downwardly projecting portions of the border element and the bracing elementare secured.

HENRY HOPKES.

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