GUIDE APPARATUS FOR THE BEADING TO CONNECT THE COMPONENTS OF A COVER FOR MATTRESSES OR THE LIKE

Abstract: A guide apparatus for the beading that is bordering for the connection of a front component and of a side stripe of a mattress sheath or cover or the like, by means of a beading machine, which comprises: a fixed structure with perimetral tracks (20) for a beading machine (22); a frame (7) for a template provided for the assembly of the cover components; cross-like guide means (1A-3A) for the displacements of said frame (7) parallel to itself with a limited inclination with respect to said tracks (20); as well as thrust means (24) that can be activated and disactivated according to the position reached by the beading machine along the tracks, in order to move, in a programmed fashion, the template close to particular zones of the track; and means for blocking the frame to the structure in correspondence of the curved trajectories of the beading machine, and to release the frame in time and set free the movements thereof during the beading of same curves.

Description: The invention relates to a guide apparatus for the beading, i.e. bordering for the connection of a front component and of a side strip of a mattress sheath or cover or the like, by using a beading or bordering machine. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus of the type comprising: a fixed structure with perimetral tracks for a beading machine; and a frame for a mattress-shaped template provided for the assembly of the cover components. An apparatus of this kind is known from US-A-3 441 994 from which the known features of Claim 1 are derived. This known apparatus is provided with a fixed frame on which the template with the front panel or component and the side band of a cushion cover are placed. Clamps are provided for firmly hold the template while four independent sewing machines perform sewing of four edges of the cover. The object of the invention is an improved apparatus for beading or bordering of mattress covers. According to the invention, the apparatus comprises: cross-like guide means for the displacement of said frame parallel to itself with a limited inclination in respect to said tracks; thrust means that can be activated and de-activated according to the position reached by the beading machine along the tracks, in order to move, in a programmed fashion, the template close to particular zones of the track; means for blocking the frame to the structure in correspondence to the curved trajectories of the beading machine, and for releasing the frame in time and set free the movements thereof during the beading of same curves; and means for elastically urging the frame to ensure the approaching of the template to the trajectory of the beading machine. The template frame may be urged by cylinder-piston systems acting on pawls and capable of moving away therefrom; means are also provided for the timely control of the selective and programmed feeding to said systems. In practice, the apparatus may comprise limit switches in the vicinity of the corners of the tracks trajectory for the beading machine, said limit switches being influenced that is actuated by the same beading machine to make said cylinder-piston systems act on the frame and the mattress therewith in a programmed but elastic manner according to the beading requirements, and thus position in time the frame itself in correspondence to the tracks of the beading machine. On the frame for the template, edge means may be provided for retaining the template, actuated in time to be clear when the mattress is to be moved relative to the frame (loading operation), and to operate during the working of the beading machine. The template frame template may be formed in two parts being mutually adjustable in position according to the size of the template (and thus of the mattress) and of the sheath to be formed. The invention will be better understood by following the attached drawing, which shows a practical non limitative exemplification of the same invention. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows a plan view; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view; Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section; Fig. 4 shows an operation scheme; Fig. 5 shows a schematic section of a cover or sheath going to be formed; and Fig. 6 shows some working stages. According to what is schematically illustrated in the attached drawing, numeral 1 indicates a fixed framework forming sliding guides for a carriage 3 whose grooved wheels 5 are provided for the displacement thereof along guides 1A formed by the framework 1. On the axes of wheels 5, indicated by 3A and making part of the carriage 3, sliding guides are provided, orthogonal to those indicated by 1A, for a mobile frame 7, whose ball shoes 8 just slide on the axes 3A of carriage 3. The frame 7, which is intended to receive a template of a shape corresponding to that of the mattress for the beading, is made up of two adjustable parts to fit the frame to the size of the mattress whose sheaths have to be formed. In particular, the frame intended to receive the template of the mattress is made up of a main part 9 and a part 9A movable relative to the part 9 on guides 9B to obtain a spacing between said parts 9 and 9A, which depends on the mattress width, while the frame parts 9 and 9A have fixed dimensions, because of the constant length of the mattress. The relative adjustment between part 9A and part 9 of the frame is carried out, for example, through screw adjustment systems 9C, this being a matter of width adjustments which are relatively infrequent, since the heights change only upon a production variation from a determined size of the mattress to a production of sheaths for mattresses of different dimensions. In substance, the frame 9, 9A is mounted on the framework 1 through a system substantially equivalent to a cross guide - represented by guides 1A and guides 3A, to obtain displacements developed along the plane of the frame 9, 9A - and so operating as to always have the frame moved parallel to itself. The frame 9, 9A for the mattress template, has peg-like edge retention means 11 operable by cylinder-piston systems 13 which rotate them to bring them down according to arrow f11 and lift them, so as to allow the horizontal insertion of the template to be worked on the frame 9, 9A and to move it away therefrom. A fixed edge 15 defines the mattress position on the frame 9, 9A, in correspondence to the mattress heads, that is, in correspondence to the sides spaced apart of a fixed dimension. To the framework 1, a structure is associated, being not illustrated in detail, but forming a track 20 for a beading machine 22, schematically illustrated in the drawing, which is thus able to move along these tracks 20 according to a rectangular trajectory defined by said track. Characteristically, the track 20 is inclined with respect to the displacement directions of frame 9, 9A and thus inclined with respect to the guides 1A and 3A of an angle of the order of magnitude of 1° and 30′ for the purposes indicated hereinafter. Adjacent to each curve formed by track 20 for the transit of the beading machine 22, two limit switches are provided and in particular (see Fig. 4), for the curve I two limit switches F1 and F2, for the curve II two limit switches F3 and F4, for the curve III two limit switches F5 and F6, and for the curve IV two limit switches F7 and F8 are provided. These limit switches are operated by the machine 22 during the transit thereof along the track 20 in correspondence of each limit switch. The limit switches F1, F2...F8 are intended to control four cylinder-piston systems 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, schematically illustrated in Fig. 4 as well as in the other Figures wherein, for example in Figs. 3 and 4, the cylinder-piston system 24A is in particular shown having a stem 124A able to act on the pawl 109 formed by the frame 9 for the purposes indicated below. In order to have a regular working of the beading machine, the material to be sewn for the beading is to be subjected to a certain pressure; accordingly, the straight paths of the track 20 result inclined, with respect to the corresponding sides of the frame, of the already mentioned angle of approximately 1° and 30′ which permits the maintainance of the thrust of the material on the advancing machine during the travel thereof along a stretch of the track, owing to the displacement that the frame has to perform to have its own edge progressively lined up with the track 20 wherein the beading machine is instantaneously present. In addition, the beading machine tends to drag along the material which is sewing, and therefore tends to drag along - in its movement - the template frame as well. Moreover, the machine must be as free as possible to allow for a manoeuvre by the operator during its transit along curves like those indicated by I, II, II and IV. To this end, if the advancement direction of the machine 22 indicated by the arrow f22 is considered, this machine, upon its arrival at the limit switch F1, causes the release of any constraint of the frame 9, 9A with respect to the framework 1 and the track 20, so that the machine runs along the curve I being released from any constraint of the frame 9, 9A; by starting to move along the side in which the limit switches F1 and F3 are present, the machine tends to drag the frame in the same advancement direction according to f22 and thus displaces the frame 9, 9A, with respect to the curve II, until it takes substantially the position indicated by the partial outline 9 II in Fig. 4. The limit switch F2 controls the cylinder-piston system 24B, which acts on the frame 9, 9A, in the direction opposite to the advancement direction of the machine along the side which comprises the limit switches F2, F3; the frame 9, 9A is thereby urged in the direction of arrow F B so as to bring this frame to the level of the side of the track 20 which comprises the limit switches F4, F5. Progressively, during the machine advancement according to f22 on the side comprising the limit switches F2 and F3, the machine itself pushes the frame inwards, thereby determining the pressure required for the beading of the edge. On its arrival at the end of the run on said side, the machine acts on the limit switch F3 thereby causing the release of cylinder-piston system 24B which stops its thrust action according to fB, thus determining again the release of any constraint of the frame with respect to the track 20, in order to cause the machine to perform the travel along the curve II. After encountering the limit switch F4, the machine controls the cylinder-piston 24C to urge the frame 9, 9A according to arrow fc in such a way that, at the end of the run along the side of the track 20 comprising the limit switches F4 and F5, the frame is pushed inwardly to cause the angle of the frame and thus of the template, to coincide with the angle of the curve III as in the previous stage; by encountering the limit switch F5, the action of the cylinder-piston 24C is released and the curve III is run with free movement, and after that the machine sets out on its run again along the side of the track comprising the limit switches F6 and F7; by encountering the limit switch F6, the machine controls the operation of cylinder-piston system 24D which acts on the frame according to arrow fD to make it move close to the curve IV, this action being interrupted upon reaching the limit switch F7, while the frame is urged inwards along this side too, thus determining the pressure necessary for the sewing of the band and the front of the cover or sheath to be formed. The machine, after having run the curve IV without any constraints, comes into contact with the limit switch F8 to control the cylinder-piston system 24A, which urges the frame according to fA to cause the last sewing run up to the release occurring when the limit switch F1 is reached. Substantially, the apparatus according to the invention makes easy the beading of a cover by the operator, that is, the connection by the operator of a front FG of a sheath or cover with the perimetral strip SG of the cover or sheath, as they are presented in the template D (see Fig. 5) in such a way as to have the edge of the sheath BG formed along the periphery of the front FG between this latter and the strip SG during the machine travel around the annular track 20 and with the above described procedure. It is understood that the drawing merely shows an exemplification given only as a practical demonstration of the invention, as this may vary in forms and dispositions without nevertheless departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended Claims.

Claims: A guide apparatus for the connection beading of a front component and a side strip of a mattress sheath or cover or the like by means of a beading machine, comprising a fixed structure with perimetral tracks (20) for a beading or bordering machine (22); a frame (9) for a mattress-shaped template for the assembly of the cover components; characterized in that it further comprises: cross-like guide means (1A-3A) for the displacements of said frame parallel to itself with a limited inclination with respect to said tracks (20); thrust means (24) that can be activated and de-activated depending on the position reached by the beading machine along the tracks, in order to move, in a programmed fashion, the template close to particular zones of the track; means for blocking the frame to the structure in correspondence to the curved trajectories of the beading machine, and to release the frame in time and set free the movement thereof during the beading of same curves; and means for elastically urging the frame to ensure the approaching of the template to the trajectory of the beading machine. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the template frame (9) is urged by cylinder-piston systems (24) acting on pawls and able to move away therefrom; means being provided for the timely control of the selective and programmed feeding to said systems. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises limit switches (F1....F8) in the vicinity of the corners (I....IV) of the tracks trajectory for the beading machine, which are influenced, that is, actuated by the same beading machine to make said cylinder-piston systems (24) act on the frame and on the mattress therewith in a programmed but elastic way, according to the beading requirements, and then position same frame in time in correspondence to the tracks of the beading machine. Apparatus according to the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises - on the frame (9) for the template - edge means (11) for retaining the template which are controlled in time to be defiladed for the movements of the mattress relative to the frame (loading stage) and be operated during the working of the beading machine. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the frame of the template is made up of two parts (9-9A) mutually adjustable in their positioning, according to the dimensions of the template (and thus of the mattress) and of the sheath of the sheath to be formed.

Inventors: DORDI, GIANMARIA, FIORINI, GIANFRANCO
Applicants: PERMAFLEX S.P.A.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B68G15
IPC codes: B68G15