Abstract:
An apparatus for inserting through a mattress tufting straps having a frame for locking said mattress, a device for inserting the tufting straps through the mattress, supported by the frame, and actuators for actuating the device to move above the mattress. The inserting device includes a magazine for tufting straps, a needle with a tip receptacle for receiving and transferring a clip through the mattress, a transfer element, with a seat for receiving the clip, and a pusher, movable transversely to the needle for engaging the clip and inserting the clip in the tip receptacle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for inserting tufting straps in a mattress.  
           [0002]    It is known that mattresses, in order to restrain the external padding and prevent excessive expansion due to the compression of the internal springs and of the filling material, are kept flat by a plurality of retention elements, known as tufting straps, one of which is shown for the sake of clarity in FIG. 1. As shown in the figure, the tufting strap is designated by the letter P and is constituted by a tension element T, which consists of a tape provided, at its opposite ends, with clips S 1 , S 2  that are suitable to abut, in the active position, against disks D 1 , D 2  detailed hereinafter in order to keep the mattress substantially flat.  
           [0003]    Currently, the tufting straps are inserted with predominantly manual methods, which entail excessively long times and high costs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
           [0004]    The aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that allows to automate the application of tufting straps.  
           [0005]    Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that has a simple structure, is relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.  
           [0006]    This aim and this and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved with an apparatus whose characteristics are defined in the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an apparatus for inserting tufting straps in a mattress, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tufting strap;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a device of the apparatus according to the invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device from another viewpoint;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the needle;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a view, in a section along a plane at the transfer element;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the transfer element;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a perspective view, with some components removed in order to better illustrate some constructive details;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the device in a first operating condition;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the device as seen from the opposite side with respect to FIG. 9;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the device in an operating condition that occurs after the one shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the apparatus in which the device of FIGS.  1  to  9  is installed;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the apparatus, as seen from the opposite side with respect to FIG. 12;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 14 is an elevation view of the apparatus, taken from the side of the device;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 15 is a top view of the apparatus;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the apparatus;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 17 is an elevation view of the apparatus, as seen from the opposite side with respect to FIG. 14;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the apparatus. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    With particular reference to FIGS.  2  to  8 , the reference numeral  1  generally designates a device of the apparatus that inserts the tufting straps P through a mattress M.  
         [0027]    The device  1  (whose position with respect to the mattress is shown more clearly in FIG. 12) comprises a central supporting beam  2 , to the ends of which a cross-member  3  (see FIG. 3) and a plate  4  are fixed. The cross-member  3  is provided with handles  3   a  and  3   b  so as to provide a handlebar for maneuvering the device. A tufting strap magazine  5  is fixed to the beam  2  and has two slots  6  and  7  that slidingly accommodate the clips S 1 , S 2  of each tufting strap P. The tufting strap magazine  5  comprises a magazine pusher  8 , which is constituted by a sort of saddle, is arranged downstream of the plate  4 , as shown more clearly in FIG. 9, and causes, by way of the actuation means  9 , the clips S 1 , S 2  to slide toward the mattress M. The actuation means  9  comprise a lamina  10 , which frontally engages, by means of the vertical side  10   a , a pin  8   a  that is rigidly coupled to the pusher  8 . The lamina is rigidly coupled to a slider  11 , which can slide on a rail  13 , which is parallel to the beam  2  and is fixed by means of its opposite ends to the plate  4  and to the cross-member  3 . The slider  11  is actuated by a spring  14 , which is connected to the slider with one end  14   a  and to the plate  4  with the other end. The spring  14  applies to the slider  11  an elastic force toward the plate  4 , which allows the pusher  8  to make the tufting straps P advance toward the mattress M.  
         [0028]    Adjacent to the tufting strap magazine  5 , the device  1  comprises a tubular needle  15  (see FIG. 5), in which one end is fixed in a sleeve  16  and the opposite end has a tip  17  provided with a receptacle  18  suitable to receive the first clip S 1  through a lateral opening by means of a transfer element  31  described hereinafter.  
         [0029]    The receptacle  18  is connected to the internal cavity  19  of the needle, in which a rod  20 , suitable to lock the first clip S 1  inside the seat, can slide.  
         [0030]    The needle  15  is guided at right angles with respect to the mattress M by first means for actuation between a first position, in which the tip  17  is arranged upstream of the mattress M and the first clip S 1  is retained in the receptacle  18  by the rod  20 , and a second position, in which the tip  17  has pierced the mattress M and the rod  20  releases the clip S 1  downstream of the mattress M. Said first actuation means comprise a linear actuator  21 , which is fixed, by means of its opposite ends, below the plate  4  and the beam  2 . The actuator  21  actuates a carriage  22 , on which the sleeve  16  and a cylinder  23  for actuating the rod  20  are mounted.  
         [0031]    A cam  24  is rigidly coupled to the carriage  22  and has an edge that is inclined with respect to the carriage advancement direction.  
         [0032]    Proximate to the tip  17  of the needle  15 , the plate  4  supports, so that it can rotate about a vertical rotation axis, a rocker  25  (see FIGS. 4 and 6), in which one end  26  is connected, by means of a spring  27 , to the plate  4  and the other end  28  forms a guiding recess  29  for the needle  15 . A free roller  30  is arranged on the end  28  and is suitable to be detachably engaged by the cam  24 . The function of the rocker  25  is to contrast the possible flexing of the needle when the clip S 1  is inserted in the receptacle  18 , while the cam  24  is meant to remove the abutment provided by the rocker  25  when the needle  15  is made to advance toward the mattress.  
         [0033]    A transfer element  31  (see FIGS.  6  to  8 ) is provided between the mattress M and the output of the magazine  5  and is supported by the plate  4 . The transfer element  31  comprises a transfer pusher  33 , which is actuated by a fluid-actuated cylinder  34  and is arranged opposite a block  32  provided with a hollow  35  suitable to receive the first clip S 1  that arrives from the corresponding slot  6 . Above the hollow  35  there are two plates  36 ,  37 , which are fixed onto the block  32  and are divided by a gap  38   a  that is aligned with the receptacle  18  of the needle  15 . Between the plates  36 ,  37  and the block  32  there remains an interspace or channel  38   b , in which there is an elastic lamina  38  provided with a U-shaped edge which is accommodated in the hollow  35  and forms a seat  39  that is aligned with the slot  6  in order to receive the clip S 1  and retain it under the plates  36 ,  37 . The pusher  33  has a second seat  40 , which is centrally provided with a passage opening  41  suitable to be engaged by a tooth  42  that protrudes from the block  32 . The seat  40  is aligned with the slot  7  in order to receive the second clip S 2 . The pusher  33 , by means of the cylinder  34 , can move transversely with respect to the needle  15 , so as to transfer the first clip S 1  from an initial position (in which it is locked elastically in the seat  39  by the lamina  38 ) through the channel  38   b  to a final position for insertion in the receptacle  18  of the needle. Once the clip has been transferred into the receptacle  18 , the tooth  42  disengages the second clip S 2  from the corresponding retention seat  40 .  
         [0034]    Two magazines  42   a  and  42   b  for the disks D 1 , D 2  (see FIGS. 6 and 10 to  13 ) are associated with the device  1 . The magazine  42   a  is constituted by a sort of case, which can be inserted removably in a seat  4   a  (see FIG. 2) provided in an element  4   b  associated with the plate  4 .  
         [0035]    The case  42   a  is formed by two parallel strips  42   c , provided with mutually opposite slots  42   d  and mutually connected by a wall  42   e  which, in alignment with the needle  15 , has an opening  42   f . The disks Dl are inserted from above into the slots  42   d  of the case  42   a , forming a column in which the lower disk faces the opening  42   f.    
         [0036]    The opening  42   e  allows the tip of the needle  15  to pass through the disk D 1  and place it on the face of the mattress M. Likewise, the other magazine  42   b  (see FIG. 13) is detachably supported on the other side of the mattress, in a region of the frame described in detail hereinafter, and has the same characteristics as the magazine described above.  
         [0037]    The described device  1  is conveniently integrated in an apparatus for the automatic application of tufting straps onto the entire surface of the mattress M shown in FIG. 12.  
         [0038]    Said apparatus comprises a frame, generally designated by the reference numeral  43 , which is composed of two rectangular walls  44  and  45  which are flat and mutually parallel so as to delimit between them a space  46  meant to receive the mattress M. The wall  44  is provided, in a central position of two parallel sides, with two bodies  47 ,  48  from which two respective mutually coaxial pivots  49 ,  50  protrude horizontally.  
         [0039]    The pivots  49 ,  50  can rotate, about the horizontal axis A, in supports  51  and  52 , which are fixed to the top of two side members  53 ,  54  anchored to a footing for resting on the ground.  
         [0040]    The sides of the walls  44  and  45  that are perpendicular to the axis A are spaced from the adjacent side members  53 ,  54  in order to allow the installation, on each side, of two jacks  55 ,  56 , in which the cylinders are articulated to the wall  45  and the stems are rigidly coupled to the wall  44 .  
         [0041]    The pairs of jacks  55 ,  56  allow to move the wall  45  with respect to the wall  44  in order to allow, when the walls are in a spaced position, the placement of the mattress M in the space  46  and, when the walls are in a mutually closer position, the retention of the mattress M in order to apply the tufting straps P by means of the above described device  1 .  
         [0042]    The mattress M is positioned in the space  46  while the walls  44  and  45  are in the horizontal position. For this purpose, the stem of a jack  57  is articulated to one side of the wall  44  and is pivoted, by means of its cylinder, to a frame  58  that is rigidly coupled to the side member  53 . Once the mattress has been positioned in the space  46  and therefore rests on the wall  44 , the jacks  55 ,  56  are actuated and lock it between the walls  44  and  45 , reducing its thickness to a value that is smaller than the length of the tufting straps P that will be driven through it.  
         [0043]    Respective pairs of guides  59 ,  60 ,  61 ,  62  (see FIGS. 12 and 13) are fixed on the sides of the walls  44 ,  45  that lie at right angles to the axis A, and two carriages  63 ,  64  can slide thereon; said carriages are substantially constituted by a beam that is parallel to the axis A and has, at its opposite end, sliding blocks  65 ,  66 ,  67 ,  68  (see FIGS. 14 and 17) which are slidingly rigidly coupled in the guides  59 - 62 .  
         [0044]    A rail  69  is fixed on the beam that constitutes the carriage  63  and allows the sliding of a slide  70  on which the plate  4  of the device  1  is fixed. The slide  70  can move along the rail  69  by means of a transmission composed of a reversible gearmotor  71 , which is coupled by means of a flange to one end of the carriage  63  and on whose output shaft a toothed pulley, for the actuation of a toothed belt  72 , is keyed. The belt  72  is wound in a loop around a guiding pulley, which is supported at the opposite end of the carriage  63 , so that the two portions of the belt  72  are parallel to the rail  69 . One of the two portions of the belt is rigidly coupled to the slide  70 , so that by activating the gearmotor  71  it is possible to move the device  1  along the rail  69  in order to position it transversely on the wall  45 .  
         [0045]    In order to position the device  1  at right angles to the axis A, at the corners of the wall  45  there are two pairs of pulleys  73 ,  74  and  75 ,  76  (see FIGS. 12 and 14), around which two respective toothed belts  77 ,  78  are wound which run parallel to the rails  59 ,  60 . The pulleys  73 ,  74  are rotationally coupled to each other by means of a shaft  79 , which receives its motion from a gearmotor  80  of the reversible type, which is coupled by means of a flange laterally to the wall  45 . The sliding blocks  65 ,  66  are rigidly coupled to a portion of the belts  77  and  78 , so that the carriage  63 , by actuating the gearmotor  80 , can move along the rails  59 ,  60  while remaining parallel to the axis A.  
         [0046]    In order to move the carriage  64  with respect to the wall  44 , there are elements that are fully identical to the ones described above to illustrate the movement of the carriage  63  with respect to the wall  45 .  
         [0047]    These elements (see FIG. 13) comprise a slide  81 , on which the magazine  42   b  of the disks D 2  is fixed; said slide can slide on a rail  82 , which is fixed to the beam that constitutes the carriage  64 . The slide  81  can be moved along the rail  82 , and therefore parallel to the axis A, by means of a belt  83  actuated by a reversible gearmotor  84  mounted on the carriage  64 . In order to move the carriage  64  at right angles to the axis A, the sliding blocks  67 ,  68  are connected to two belts  85 ,  86  (see FIGS. 13, 17), which are parallel to the rails  61 ,  62  and are wound around respective pairs of pulleys  87 ,  88  and  89 ,  90 , which are rotatably supported at the corners of the wall  44 ; the pulleys  87 ,  88  are rotationally connected by a shaft  91 , which is actuated by a reversible gearmotor  92 .  
         [0048]    The walls  44 ,  45  are provided with a plurality of holes  93 ,  94 , through which the device  1  drives the tufting straps P through the mattress M.  
         [0049]    The holes  93  of the wall  44  are arranged perfectly opposite with respect to the holes  94  of the wall  45 , and their placement is determined substantially as a function of a uniform distribution of the tufting straps P with respect to the dimensions of the mattress M, although the choice of the tufting strap application points can follow various criteria.  
         [0050]    Since, as will become better apparent from the description that follows, respective disks D 1 , D 2  are arranged between the opposite faces of the mattress M and the clips S 1 , S 2  of the tufting straps, the disk D 1 , taken from the magazine  42   a  of the device, must be perfectly aligned with the disk D 2  that is taken from the magazine  42   b  that lies behind the wall  44  and therefore there must be perfect synchronization of direction, orientation and modulus of the movements performed by the magazines  42   a  and  42   b , and therefore ultimately of the slide  70  that supports the device  1 , with the magazine  42   a  and the slide  81  that supports the magazine  42   b.    
         [0051]    For this purpose, the gearmotors  80 ,  92  and  71 ,  84  that actuate the carriages  63  and  64  and the slides  70  and  81  are controlled by a control unit, which controls their synchronized movements according to a predetermined and presettable program. The same program controls the elements that determine the activation of the actuator  21  for the advancement of the needle supporting carriage  22  and of the cylinders  34 ,  23  that actuate the transfer and retention of the clip S 1  of the tufting strap P in the receptacle  18  of the tip of the needle  15 .  
         [0052]    The operation of the illustrated apparatus, albeit fully evident from the provided description, is as follows.  
         [0053]    Starting from a situation in which the walls  44 ,  45  are arranged horizontally and are mutually spaced at a distance that is greater than the thickness of the mattress M, said mattress is inserted in the space  46 . Once the placement of the mattress has been completed, the four jacks  55 ,  56  are actuated and, by moving the walls  44  and  45  toward each other, compress the mattress to a thickness that is smaller than the length of the tufting straps P.  
         [0054]    After the walls  44 ,  45  have assumed the vertical position shown in FIGS.  12 - 17  as a consequence of the activation of the jack  57 , the actuation of the gearmotors  80 ,  92  and  71 ,  84  determines the movement of the slides  70 ,  81  into the position for alignment with the holes  93 ,  94  of the walls  44 ,  45 , in which a tufting strap P is to be inserted. At this point, the cylinder  34  is activated and, by acting with the pusher  33  on the clip S 1 , transfers said clip from the seat  39  through the channel  38   b  into the receptacle  18  of the needle  15 , where it remains because it is retained by the thrust applied by the rod  20  due to the cylinder  23 . It should be noted that during the passage of the clip S 1  in the channel  38   b , the tension element T passes through the gap  38   a . When the pusher  33  moves, the second clip S 2  is pushed out of the seat  40  due to the thrust applied thereto by the tooth  42  through the opening  41 .  
         [0055]    Upon completion of the transfer of the clip S 1  from the seat  39 , in which it was retained by the laminar spring  38 , into the receptacle  18  of the needle  15 , the actuator  21  is activated and pushes the needle  15  through the disk D  1  of the magazine  42   a  and, by continuing its stroke, through the holes  93 ,  94  of the walls  44 ,  45  and of the interposed mattress M. The movement of the needle  15  is sized so that before said needle reaches the end of its stroke the clip S 2  engages against the disk of the magazine  42   a , so that with the subsequent movement the disk D 1  is extracted from the magazine and moved into abutment against the adjacent face of the mattress, remaining clamped between said face and the clip S 2 . When the needle, after passing through the mattress M and the disk D 2  contained in the magazine  42   b , exits from the opposite side (see FIG. 10), the cylinder  23  is activated and retracts the rod  20  that lies inside the needle, releasing the clip S 1 , which by means of the subsequent return stroke of the needle protrudes from the receptacle  18 . It should be noted that as mentioned, since the mattress has been compressed down to a thickness that is smaller than the length of the tufting strap P, said tufting strap remains loose (see FIG. 11) until the mattress is removed after completion of the application of all the tufting straps and the spacing of the walls  44 ,  45 .  
         [0056]    The operating steps for the insertion of the tufting straps are repeated for each tufting strap in the manner described above, following the preset program.  
         [0057]    The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept. In particular, a partially automated solution provides for the application of the disks D 1 , D 2  only on one side. In this case, while the application of the disks D 1  is performed according to the program with the device  1 , application of the disks D 2  is completed manually. Naturally, the apparatus will have a simplified structure due to the absence, on the wall  44 , of the magazine  42   b  and of the elements meant to move it.  
         [0058]    Another cheaper embodiment of the apparatus, shown in FIG. 18, provides for manual actuation of the device  1 . In this case, the gearmotors  71 ,  80  are not present and the slide  70  is actuated manually by the user by gripping the handlebar  3 ,  3   a ,  3   b  that is fixed to the end of the beam  2  and by moving the device  1  horizontally, making the slide  70  slide along the rail  69 , and vertically, making the carriage  63  slide along the rails  59 ,  60 . Advantageously, one pair of pulleys  75 ,  76  is connected by a shaft  79 , and on the belts  77 ,  78  there are counterweights  95 ,  96  suitable to counterbalance the weight of the carriage  63  and of the elements mounted thereon.  
         [0059]    In another embodiment of the invention, the means for transmitting motion from the gearmotors  80 ,  92  and  71 ,  84  to the carriages  63 ,  64  and to the slides  70 ,  81  can be constituted by worm screws.  
         [0060]    The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2001A000260 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.