Abstract:
Elastic compressible and flexible spacing supports out of foam or similarily compressible material is described for the filling of mattress cores, upholstery and pillows which are connected to one another as rib- or tube-like structures arranged in rows standing uprightly or lying horizontally and fixed at least on one side to an elastically resilient deck plate or cover. 
     These spacing supports avoid the stiffness of bulk foam and they are used in a variety of geometrical profiles. 
     They make possible a foam saving factor of two to three, a zone variation and the implanting of additional springy elements and they yield a superventilation of the mattress cores. 
     A roll packing of the cores or the finished mattresses is possible.

Description:
INTRODUCTION 
       [0001]    The invention concerns mattress cores, upholstery, and pillows which consist of a large variety of foam spacing supports placed between cover plates or sheathings in a sandwich construction having a considerably high foam volume saving factor of the inner core of two to three. 
         [0002]    1. The main intention and advantage of the invention is: 
         [0003]    To avoid the bulk stiffness of HR (High Resilient) foam (Polyurethane and -ether foam, in particular) by means of a variety of sandwich constructions. 
         [0004]    The non-linear, kinking elastic characteristic of bulk foam, and therefore its progressive stiffness, results from the following:
       For small compression strokes (1 to 2 cm penetration depth) the dependance of the stroke to the force (i.e. pressure×area) firstly is approximately linear.   Then the stroke to force curve strongly bends over since ever deeper lying foam areas are volume compressed, and   ever larger areas, reaching over the actual pressure-loaded area, from all sides are getting involved into the compression stroke.       
 
         [0008]    Therewith the tension elasticity of the HR foam is stressed which inherently is restricted because of the foam plastic material and its bubble structure. For Latex or moss rubber foams out of natural or artificial caoutchouc the tension elasticity is higher. Because of their softness, their weight, and for not being porous for air, these foams are not very suitable for the spacing supports of the inner core construction. 
         [0009]    Here the spacing support (ribs) running vertically or horizontally are arranged at a suitable distance in order to allow for an unhindered elastic compression and deformation for the applied stroke adjusting to the on-lying contour of the body. Thus for even a large compression factor, the elastic characteristic is approximately and in some cases less or more than linearly progressive. 
         [0010]    For small rib width (1 to 2 cm) compared to the average distance, a buckling-in occurs for higher pressures and thus the characteristics of resilience becomes less than linear. 
         [0011]    To this behalf the spacing support (ribs) are arranged in a practical distance with a volume filling factor of around ¼ to ½. 
         [0012]    Only when approaching the bulk consistency for a compression to about ⅓ to ¼ of the original core height, the above described stiffness of bulk foam gradually sets in. 
         [0013]    More advantages of the current invention of the sandwich construction compared to bulk foam (also contour cutted) cores are cited in the following, in particular, the huge variety of new degrees of freedom introduced: 
         [0014]    2. The geometrical form and the height of the spacing supports can be chosen for different applications and be arranged in rows or layers. 
         [0015]    The mode of installation is best defined with the plain of the inherent shape of the spacing supports. This plain is defined by the shape of the cross section of the figure or the running form of the spacing supports. 
         [0016]    The spacing supports are arranged between a top and a bottom plate in a way defined by their plain of shape, either standing vertically uprightly or lying horizontally. They can run transversally or longitudinally in the mattress core, upholstery, or pillow 
         [0017]    There are X-, V-, 8-, and sinusoidally shaped spacing supports, as well as hollow cylindrical or meandering ones, with all yielding excellent point elasticity. 
         [0018]    With the spacing supports out of premium HR or Polyether or -urethane foams with high volume weight, it is possible also to make very soft mattress cores without running the risk of getting troughs, as for the soft bulk foam cores, even for heavy constant use. 
         [0019]    For different applications, a geometrical variety of spacing supports are developed and cited. 
         [0020]    3. The X-, V- and the sinusoidally shaped spacing supports can be developed out of a correspondingly precut parent block of foam, with the variations possible:
       the length and the distance of the precut slots,   the height or width and the thickness of the final spacing supports,   the distance of the uncut pieces giving that of the connecting pieces or of the end pieces of the spacing supports,   the possibility of also cutting in the uncut pieces in a partial way through the parent block, thus reducing the height of the foam bridges connecting the spacing supports.       
 
         [0025]    4. The possibility of implanting into the openings of the uprightly standing spacing supports: 
         [0026]    pocket coils as singles or doublets, or 
         [0027]    free spiral springs, or rings of wire or plastic, all with 
         [0028]    varying shapes, height, and pre-tension, 
         [0029]    varying implanting tightness, and 
         [0030]    varying filling pattern. 
         [0031]    By changing the dimensions of the implanted coils relative to that of the openings, i.e. the tightness, the following two extremes cases are possible: 
         [0032]    a) The, e.g., barrel-shaped coils are freely moveable in the openings of the spacing supports even for the opening narrowing when compressed. That means, the largest winding diameter is somewhat smaller then the free diameter of the opening. 
         [0033]    Then the outer coil windings, in particular of barrel-shaped coils, are largely free down to their largest (middle) winding. Thus a particular high point elasticity is guaranteed here. 
         [0034]    b) The coils are fairly tightly fitting into the opening and by the compression-tightening also the smaller windings are successively somewhat hindered in giving-in. 
         [0035]    This effect drastically reduces the elasticity/resilience of the combination: coil and surrounding foam spacing supports. Therefore both the coil wire diameter and the thickness of the support ribs can be considerably reduced to give the same resilience as the linearly added combination would give. 
         [0036]    Thus as well foam volume as (steel) wire input can be saved. 
         [0037]    Of course all intermediate cases are possible, offering a large variation of resilience and of zones in the mattress cores which can be supplemented by the application of
       implanting only middle rings in the openings,   two small-sized, connected pocket coils in the slit-eyed openings of the, e.g., sinusoidal spacing supports,   free non-pocketed spiral springs, with the surrounding foam structure acting as pockets, advantageously of smaller height than the spacing supports.       
 
         [0041]    Additionally, the frame structure of the mattress can easily be fortified by implanting along the longitudinal encasement one row and along the transversal encasement, e.g., two rows of pocket coils, see above. 
         [0042]    5. Saving factors of the foam volume of at least 2 to 3 in the inner core are possible without any cutting loss or costs as, e.g., for the contour cutted cores, resulting in the inherent compression factors of two to three, with an additional compression factor of at least three, for the roll or compressed packing of the cores possible. Also a roll packing of the finished mattress made of spacing supports is possible. 
         [0043]    6. An exceptional good ventilation and transpiration, comparable with Bonnell coil cores, and an additional pump effect of the chambers changing volume, because of the large part of air chambers of ½ to ⅔ of the inner core volume. 
         [0044]    7. A large variability of the elasticity in and of different zones and of the mattress height is furthermore possible by choosing and varying:
       the volume weight and/or the Indention Force Deflection (IFD) of the foam used, and moreover   the pocket coils in their (pretension) clothing implanted into the openings are completely decoupled from one-another by the surrounding spacing support ribs out of foam.   Because of the (sliding) guidance in the openings of the spacing supports, pocket coil heights and therewith also mattress heights of more than 30 cm are feasible, in particular for the two story version, with the mattresses having a much higher point elasticity than American box-spring mattresses.   transverse bars of (bulk) foam can be inserted in the Lordose zones for good support,   one or two rows of (pocket) coils can be implanted along the longitudinal or the transversal encasement, respectively.   The pattern of glueing the spacing support, in particular, to the top (and bottom) plate can be chosen.       
 
         [0051]    With all of the cited points, the number of possibilities of zone variations are close to infinite. 
         [0052]    8. These sandwich constructions are applicable for mattresses (designer mattresses as well, with very individual adjustment to weight and form of the bodies), for pillows, and also for upholstery, like couches, benches, car and airplane seats, truck and boat sleeping beds. 
         [0053]    9. Also two and three story spacing support configurations are possible which can easily reach the height of box-spring mattresses and which will have a much higher contour adjustment facility. 
         [0054]    10. Spacing support layers can also be used as toppers on one or both sides of mattress cores consisting of Bonnell or pocket coil inner cores, respectively. 
         [0055]    11. One- or two-story spacing supports glued to foam-plates or -stripes find application as inner damping cores for waterbeds. 
         [0056]    12. Simple assembling machines for the stretching- and the spreading-compression processes are designed for the making of the spacing support out of a parent foam block plus the simple mechanical slot-cutting apparatus of the latter are described or the block can be cut with a high pressure waterjet. 
       Description of the Related Art 
       [0057]    As yet mattress cores consisted of plain bulk or contour cutted foam or steel wire spring coils with or without a foam lining, respectively. 
         [0058]    In the European Patents EP 0 624 332 B1 and EP 0 793 932 B1 an “Elastic springy element and springy support provided with such springy elements” are described, in the first claim: “Elastic springy element which comprise a tubular foam body (2) which is provided with holes (cavities) (3) extending inwards from the outside, characterized in that it comprises a wire spring (4) which is surrounded by the body.” 
         [0059]    The foam structure spacing supports disclosed here are inherently different in as far as they consist of internally uncut foam support ribs and contain no holes or cavities. Their springiness and elasticity results from both the elastic volume compression and form deformation avoiding to a large extent the bulk stiffness of solid foam blocks because of their dimensional reduction to the mostly rib like structures. 
         [0060]    The spacing have in the main no tubular body. The properties and characteristic features of the here claimed spacing supports are described in the 12 points of inherent advantages listed in the introduction. 
     
    
     
       FIGURES 
         [0061]    The  FIGS. 1 to 13  illustrate the different geometrical form varieties of the foam spacing supports applicable for mattress cores, upholstery, and pillows. The X- and V-shaped, and the sinusoidal spacing supports can be formed out of slotted parent foam blocks by stretching/spreading-compression apparatuses which are also schematically sketched. 
           [0062]    All forms of spacing supports, X&#39;s, V&#39;s,  8 &#39;s, sinusoidal, or meandering bands can be used in mattress cores and pillows, standing uprightly (vertically) or running in rows horizontally which is exchangeable for all Figures shown. Besides the one-story configuration, for most spacing supports also a two-or more-story version is possible, easily allowing for mattress heights exceeding 30 cm. 
           [0063]    The implantation of pocket coils, free spiral springs, or middle rings into the openings of the spacing supports opens further essential degrees of freedom for the resilience and the zone variation of the mattresses. The shown configurations and applications for mattresses and/or pillows are only representative examples with many other variations possible. 
           [0064]      FIG. 1   a:  Cross section of part of a parent foam block  1  with length L′, width B′, and height H and with precutted transverse slots  2  and  3 . 
           [0065]      FIG. 1   a:  Cross section of part of a parent foam block  1  with length L′, width B′, and height H and with precutted transverse slots  2  and  3 . 
           [0066]      FIG. 1   b:  View onto two rakes  14  with prongs  16  inserted in the rows of slots  3  which stretch the parent block  1  from length L′ to length L of the inner mattress core. 
           [0067]      FIG. 1   c:  View onto a part of a mattress stretched from the parent block  1  with precutted longitudinal slots  2 ′ and  3 ′ and the side longitudinal and transverse encasement beams  7  and  4 , respectively. 
           [0068]      FIG. 2   a:  Cross section of a part of a parent foam block  1  as in  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0069]      FIG. 2   b:  Cross section of a foam block  1  cutting apparatus for the slots  2  and  3  with Guillotine-like  27  or triangular  27 ′ knives gliding through two compression plate  29 ,  29 ′. 
           [0070]      FIG. 2   c:  View onto sinusoidal spacing support  15  formed from the parent block  1  by a spreading-compressing mechanisme, with implanted barrel-shaped-pocket coils  30 . 
           [0071]      FIG. 2   d:  Cross section of an implanting apparatus for the pocket coils  30  into the openings  12  of the spacing supports  15 . 
           [0072]      FIGS. 3   a  and  a ′: Cross section of a parent blocks  11 ′ with comb-like cutted slots  2  with different spacings. 
           [0073]      FIGS. 3   b  and  b ′ Cross sections of a part of mattress cores with V-shaped spacing supports  5 ,  5 ′,  5 ″ in uprightly arranged rows and glued ( 9 ) between top  10  and bottom  10 ′ foam plates: undeformed (b) and deformed (b′). 
           [0074]      FIG. 3   c:  View onto a mattress core consisting of rows of V-shaped, lying spacing supports  5 . 
           [0075]      FIG. 3   d:  Cross section of a pillow with V-shaped spacing supports  5  in a foam cover  20 . 
           [0076]      FIGS. 4   a  and  a ′: Cross sections of hollow cylinders  21 ,  21 ′ formed by rolling stripes of foam or foam bands clued ( 19 ,  19 ′) together at the touching lines. 
           [0077]      FIGS. 4   b  and  b ′: Cross sections of mattress cores with hollow cylindrical spacing supports  21  connected with foam bridges  26  between a top  10  and a bottom  10 ′ plate: undeformed (b) and deformed (b′). 
           [0078]      FIGS. 4   c  and  c ′: Cross sections of a pillow filled with hollow cylindrical spacing supports  21 ′,  21 ″ between a cover sheathing  20  of foamy material. 
           [0079]      FIG. 5   a:  Cross section of a slot cutting machine with two rows of insertable knives  28  and two pairs of differently large rollers  22 ,  23  each driving two belts  60  for compressing and transporting the parent foam block  1 . 
           [0080]      FIG. 5   b:  View onto a synchronous stretching-compression apparatus fixed to a precutted, unstretched parent foam block  1 . 
           [0081]      FIG. 5   c:  View onto a synchronous stretching-compression apparatus forming an inner mattress core with sinusoidal spacing supports  15  stretched apart from the parent block  1 . 
           [0082]      FIG. 6   a:  Cross sections of an unstretched parent foam block  1 ′ with precutted longitudinal slots  2 ′ and  3 ′, with the same dimensions as in  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0083]      FIG. 6   b:  View onto a stretching-compression apparatus for forming X-shaped spacing supports  15 ′ by means of waggons with hooking-iron-like needles  43  for fixation, with rhombic openings  12 ′ and glued on side  4  and transverse  7 ′ end encasement beams. 
           [0084]      FIG. 6   c:  View onto a mattress core with X-shape spacing supports  15 ′. 
           [0085]      FIG. 7   a:  Cross section of sinusoidal spacing supports  25  contour cutted out of a bulk foam block  1 ″. 
           [0086]      FIG. 7   b:  View onto part of a one-story mattress core filled with rows of sinusoidal spacing supports,  25  which are clued ( 9 ) together at the extrema and between top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plates, and the side encasements  4 , 7  and with some inserted pocket coils  30 . 
           [0087]      FIGS. 7   c  and  d:  Cross section of a formed 8-shaped spacing support  55  and part of a one-story mattress core filled with rows of 8-shaped spacing supports  55 . 
           [0088]      FIG. 7   e:  Cross section of a pillow filled with layers of 8-shaped spacing supports  55 ′ in a cover sheathing  20 . 
           [0089]      FIGS. 8   a  and  a ′: Cross section of a one- and a two-story parent foam block  11 ,  11 ″, respectively, both with comb-like cutted slots  2 ″ and  3 ″ and encasement bar pieces  4 ′,  4 ″. 
           [0090]      FIGS. 8   b  and  b ′: Cross section of a one- and a two-story mattress core filled with uprightly standing X-shaped spacing supports  35 ′,  35 ″: undeformed (b) and deformed (b′). 
           [0091]      FIG. 8   c:  Cross section of a two-story mattress core filled with rows of uprightly standing X-shaped spacing supports  35  and  35 ′ 
           [0092]      FIG. 8   d:  View onto a two-story mattress core filled with rows of uprightly standing X-shaped spacing supports  35 ,  35 ′. 
           [0093]      FIG. 8   e:  Cross section of a pillow filled with a row of uprightly standing X-shaped spacing supports  35 . 
           [0094]      FIGS. 9   a, c  and  e:  Cross section of slotted ( 2 ,  3 ) and contour cutted parent foam blocks  21 ,  21 ′ and,  21 ″, respectively. 
           [0095]      FIG. 9   b:  View onto a pillow filled with rows of sinusoidal spacing supports  15  standing uprightly. 
           [0096]      FIGS. 9   d  and  f:  Cross section of pillows filled with uprightly standing sinusoidal spacing supports  15  in a half bone- and wedge-form, respectively, with a bottom foam plate  57  and cover  20 ′ out of foamy material. 
           [0097]      FIG. 10   a:  Cross section of a part of a mattress core filled with vertically running rows of meandering spacing supports  45 . 
           [0098]      FIG. 10   b:  Cross section of a pillow filled with bands of meandering spacing supports  45 . 
           [0099]      FIGS. 10   c  and  d:  View onto and cross section through a continuous forming apparatus of the meandering spacing supports  45 . 
           [0100]      FIG. 11   a:  View onto part of a mattress core filled with uprightly standing meandering spacing supports  45 ′ filled with pocket coils  30 . 
           [0101]      FIGS. 11   b  and  c:  View onto and cross section of a continuously pocket coil-implanting apparatus into the simultaneously formed meandering spacing supports  45 ′. 
           [0102]      FIGS. 12   a  and  b:  View onto and cross section of a mattress core consisting of a Bonnell spring  72  story and a topper of sinusoidal spacing supports  15  between a top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plate. 
           [0103]      FIG. 12   c:  Cross section through a mattress core out of a pocket coil  72  middle part with a top  75  and a bottom  75 ′ topper of sinusoidal spacing support  15 . 
           [0104]      FIGS. 13   a  and  b:  View onto and cross section of an inner damping core of a waterbed consisting of sinusoidal spacing supports  15  glued between a top  10  and a bottom  10 ′ plate. 
           [0105]      FIG. 13   c:  Cross section through dito with the spacing supports  15  clued between top  70  and bottom  70 ′ foam stripes. 
           [0106]      FIG. 13   d:  Cross section of an inner damping core of a waterbed consisting of a two-story spacing support  15  configuration glued between three foam plates  80 ′,  80 ,  80 ″. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0107]      FIG. 1   a  shows the cross section of a parent foam block  1  of width B′ and length L′ having alternating rows of slots  2  and  3  with a distance b/2 which run parallel to its width B′ and are cut through all of its height H with the slots  2  and  3  having a length l′ and distance pieces  8  and  8 ′ with a distance a from the rim and to the next slot, respectively. 
         [0108]    Each alternating row is shifted by (l′+a)/2 to the neighboring one, thus each second row has a slot  2  open at the rim of the parent block  1 . 
         [0109]    In order to get the inner core of the mattress, shown in  FIG. 1   c,  the slotted parent block is compressed in its width from B′ to B and simultaneously stretched from length L′ to the final length L of the inner core, see  FIG. 1   b.    
         [0110]    By means of a cutting apparatus, see  FIGS. 2   b  and  5   a,  slots  2 ,  3  are cut through the parent foam block  1  in alternating rows such that one row of slots  2  are open to the sides and the other row has a closed end piece  8 , and the slotted block  1  is rolled or sprayed with clue  9 ′,  9  on top and on the sides before stretching. 
         [0111]    In  FIG. 1   b  a rake  14  with prongs  16  is inserted in the first and the last row of slots  3  and stretches the parent block  1  from length L′ to the length L of the inner mattress core resulting in the compound sinusoidal structure of uprightly standing ribs  15 . 
         [0112]    Then the side  7  and transverse  4  encasement beams and a top plate  10  out of foam is clued and pressed against the inner core, see  FIG. 1   c.    
         [0113]    After turning this unit around the go through zero of the sinusoidal ribs  15  and the side and transverse encasement beams is pointwisely or in stripes rolled with glue  9 ′,  9  and then the bottom plate  10 ′ is pressed to it. 
         [0114]    With a device in which the parent blocks hangs and is stretched vertically, both sides of the parent block  1  and the encasement  4 ,  7  can be sprayed or rolled with glue  9 ′,  9  in one operation thus saving time. 
         [0115]    In particular, by using zones with different spacings between the row of slots  2 ,  3  the formation of waists can occur when stretching the block  1  which can lead to a minorly wavy contour of the encasement. This can be repaired by cutting the side encasement beams in the complementary wavy structure or by using the synchronous stretching apparatus of  FIGS. 5   b  and  c.    
         [0116]    For the cutting of the slots  2  and  3  into a parent block  1  one can use also a very thin high pressure (2000 to 4000 bar) waterjet, possibly with two or four simultaneously operating heads. 
         [0117]    To avoid spilling by the waterjets the parent block  1  is placed onto a comb-like grill out of thin razor-like blades out of stainless steel. 
         [0118]    By means of the compression, the slots with a parent length l′ become slit-eyed openings of length l with an inner circumference of  21 ′, or described differently: 
         [0119]    The stretching/compression results in vertically, uprightly arranged sinusoidal spacing supports  15  of rib-width b/2, see  FIG. 1   c,  which are connected at the extrema by the slotdistance pieces  8 ′ and end pieces  8  of length a each. 
         [0120]    The zero crossings  8 ,  8 ′ at the block  1  rim of total width b of the interconnected sinusoidal spacing support  15  are then separated by the distance s, as shown in  FIG. 1   c.    
         [0121]    Before the stretching-compression process the upper side (and possibly also the lower side when using a hanging assembly line) of the slotted parent block  1  is rolled or sprayed with glue  9 ′ and then the stretched spacing supports  15  are glued onto the bottom plate ( 10 ′) and to the top plate ( 10 ) (not shown) of the mattress core, and thus hold fixed. 
         [0122]    The transverse encasement beams  4  may be part of the inner core with its width cut to the compressed width B of the stretched core. 
         [0123]    In  FIG. 2   b  the cross section of a cutting apparatus for the slots  2 ,  3  ( 2 ′,  3 ′) into the parent foam block  1  ( 1 ′) is shown, see  FIG. 2   a.  It consists of two plates  29 ,  29 ′ compressing the block  1  from its original height H to H′≈3H/4 or H/2, in order to secure a defined cutting-through without any lateral shifts. In these plates  29 ,  29 ′ several rows of Guillotine-like  27  or triangular  27 ′ knives are inserted which can cut all through the compressed foam block  1 . 
         [0124]    This cutting-through of the parent block  1  in several rows in one operation is rationally, fastly and cheaply performed and thus saves glue connections in the inner core of the mattress. 
         [0125]    With the automated stretching-compression ( FIGS. 2   c  and  5   b, c ) and the spreading-compression apparatus ( FIG. 6   b ) a very rational assembling of the mattress core is achieved, in particular, 
         [0126]    because of the spraying- or rolling-on of the slotted parent block  1  ( 1 ′) with glue for the later fixation of the spacing supports  15  on the bottom  10 ′ (and top  10 ) plate of the mattress. The separate glueing of the foam top plate ( 10 ) can advantageously be reduced to the zero cross overs  8 ′ and the end pieces  8  of the spacing supports  15  and the beams  4 ,  7  ( 7 ′). 
         [0127]    The transport/packing of the cutted parent foam blocks  1 ,  1 ′ is very rational and compact because of the inherent compression by factors two to three, with a further packing compression factor of about three possible. Also a roll packing of the mattress cores or the finished mattresses, respectively, is possible. 
         [0128]    The spreading-compression apparatus is schematically sketched in  FIG. 2   c.  Two waggons  31  each connected to a pair of scissors  32  are fixed with needles  33  in the outer distance pieces  8  of the going-to be sinusoidal spacing supports  15  and are pulled apart to a distance s and simultaneously the width B′ of the block  1 ′ is reduced to the width B of the final core, see  FIG. 1 . 
         [0129]    A forced synchronisation is achieved analogously to the spreading-compression apparatus of  FIG. 5 , with two pairs of scissors ( 39 ) at each end of the mattress core. 
         [0130]    In the slit-eyed  12  (or rhombic  12 ′) openings of the spacing supports  15  in  FIG. 2   c  barrel-shaped pocket coils  30  are inserted which gives a considerable increase in the resetting characteristic of the spacing supports  15 . 
         [0131]    This opens up new degrees of freedom for zone variations of mattress cores. 
         [0132]    In  FIG. 2   d  the implanting apparatus of the pocket coils  30  is schematically shown. 
         [0133]    The pocket coils  30  are gripped with pairs of plyers  34  and are placed into the openings  12  of the spacing supports  15 . One, two, or more rows of pocket coils  30 , or spiral springs, or middle rings are inserted in one operation. 
         [0134]    In  FIG. 3  uprightly standing V-shaped spacing supports  5  are shown with the cross section of the parent foam block  11  sketched in  FIGS. 3   a  and  a ′, with different distances between the slots  2 . 
         [0135]    These slots  12  are cut comb-like and alternating from the top and the bottom of the block  11  with an uncut distance  8  to one side each and thicker encasement pieces  17  at both ends. 
         [0136]    The parent block  11  is then stretched by a factor of two to three to give the vertically arranged V-shaped spacing support ribs  15  shown in  FIGS. 3   b  and  b ′ which are placed and glued ( 9 ) between a top  10  and a bottom  10 ′ plate. 
         [0137]    For inherent stabilization and/or zone variation the next row of V&#39;s , see  FIG. 2   b,  may have a phase shift of 180 degrees to the neighbouring one, i.e., the corresponding parent block  11 ′ is just turned upside-down by 180 degrees. 
         [0138]    The encasement pieces  17  clued ( 9 ) together become the longitudinal (or transversal) encasement  4  and are also clued ( 9 ) to the V&#39;s. 
         [0139]      FIG. 3   b ′ shows the partly deformation of one row of V&#39;s  5 ″ under compression. 
         [0140]    In  FIG. 3   c  the view onto a mattress core with horizontally lying rows of V-shaped spacing supports  5  is shown. 
         [0141]    In  FIG. 3   d  the cross section of a pillow is shown, with uprightly standing V-shaped spacing supports  5  also obtained by stretching a parent block ( 11 ′) with half round end pieces  17 ′, all surrounded by a sheathing  20  of HR- or of visco-elastic foam  20  or of a fleece material. For differently contour shaped pillows, see  FIG. 9 . 
         [0142]    In  FIG. 4  foam spacing supports have the form of a hollow cylinders  21 ,  21 ′ connected by foam bridges  26 . 
         [0143]    In  FIGS. 4   a  and  a ′ the longitudinal cross section of the hollow cylinders  21 ,  21 ′ are shown which are produced either by winding foam strips roundly and glueing ( 19 ) it together at the edges or by folding a foam band to form the hollow cylinder  21 ,  21 ′ and glueing ( 19 ,  19 ′) at the longitudinal edge. 
         [0144]      FIG. 4   b  shows the cross section of a mattress core with hollow cylinders  21  separated by foam bridges  26  arranged transversally (or longitudinally) between a top  10  and a bottom  10 ′ plate and the encasement beams  4  (or  7 ). 
         [0145]      FIG. 4   b ′ sketches the deformation of  FIG. 4   b  by a partly compression. Here the cylinders  21  are partly deformed into squares and the foam bridges  26  are compressed as well. 
         [0146]    For very heavy pressure load the hollow cylinders finally become flat and the bulk elasticity characteristic will become valid, see above in the introduction. 
         [0147]    It is possible to fix each, every second, or third cylinder to the top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plate by glueing ( 9 ) on the contact lines or on several spots. When some of the cylinders  21  are left free, an interaction between the strongly compressed cylinders and the neighbouring not so strongly compressed once takes place, giving rise to an interaction with a small positive adjustment stroke. This includes a shift of the cylinders  21  which can be assisted by applying a fabric lining, e.g., Corovin® under the top  10  and on the bottom  10 ′ plates for better gliding. 
         [0148]    In  FIGS. 4   c  and  4   c ′ the longitudinal and the transverse cross sections, respectively, of a pillow filled with hollow cylinders  21 ′,  21 ′″ of larger outer diameters ( 21 ′) in the middle and smaller diameters ( 21 ″) at the ends of the pillow. 
         [0149]    Again a sheathing  20  covers the cylinders  21 ′,  21 ″, which tapers off at the end and which is glued to a flatish connexion piece  24  of soft foam. 
         [0150]    Of course, the hollow cylindrical or the V-shaped spacing supports  5  from  FIGS. 3 and 4  can also be used in uprightly standing rows glued together at the touching points and in the openings of which can be inserted additional springy elements  30 . 
         [0151]    In  FIG. 5   a  a further mechanical cutting apparatus is shown which consists of two pairs of rollers  22  and  23  for a belt  60  each with the width of the foam block  1  to be cut. The two large rollers  22  have cheeks of larger diameter in order to keep the width of the foam block  1  when fed into the belts  60  and to avoid a transverse extension when compressed. The front rollers  22  have, e.g., a diameter of approximately H, with H=height of the foam block  1 , and the smaller rollers  23  have a diameter H′ of the dimension of the compressed height H′ of the block  1 . The envisaged ratio H/H′ may lie between three and five. 
         [0152]    The running belt  60  driven by the two rollers  22  and  23  each compresses and simultaneously transport the block  1  between two slotted guiding metal plates  64  eventually coated with Teflon®. 
         [0153]    In the slots  63  of the metal plates  64  two rows of knives  28  stick with the correct frequency through the compressed block  1 . The row of knives  28  glide with bushings  57  in the corresponding rails  58 . 
         [0154]    The transport velocity of the compressed block  1  and the frequency of the knives  28  is synchronized to give the cutting pattern of that shown in  FIG. 5   b.  The cutting through and the pull back movement of the row of knives  28  advantageously take place hydraulically. 
         [0155]    If necessary, two small rollers  23 ′ with belts  61  catch the compressed, slotted block  1  directly behind the guiding metal plates  64 . The rollers  23 ′ rotate with the same rotary velocity as the rollers  23 ′ of the same diameter in front of the metal plates  64 , and thus prevent a compression in the direction of the slot cutting. 
         [0156]    By changing the distance between the knives  28  in both rows and the cutting frequency, the cutting pattern can arbitrarily be changed. 
         [0157]    The belts  60 ,  61  have a rough surface in order to transport the compressed block  1  with the velocity of the belt. 
         [0158]    This mechanically, continuously operating cutting apparatus is an inexpensive alternative to the high pressure waterjet cutting and is suited for mass production. 
         [0159]      FIGS. 5   b  and  c  shows the view onto a stretching-compression apparatus capable of transforming the slotted ( 2 ,  3 ) parent block  1  of foam of width B′ and length L′ into the stretched sinusodial spacing supports  15  of the size B and L of the inner mattress core. This stretching-compressing process is performed by means of gliding waggons  37  running in rails  36  symmetrically arranged on both sides of the block  1  or of the to become inner mattress core, respectively. 
         [0160]    These waggons  37  are fixed to the go-through-zero end pieces  8  of the spacing supports  15  by means of needles. The waggons  37  are connected to a multiple pair of scissors  38  arrangement which performs the measured stretching of the end pieces  8  to the desired distance s by moving apart the waggons  37  gliding in the rails  36 , resulting in the stretching of the block  1  length L′ to the length L of the inner mattress core. 
         [0161]    The synchronous, corresponding compression from B′ to B is performed by two pairs of large scissors  39  at each end of the block  1  which are also connected to two waggons  37  running in the two side rails  36  each. 
         [0162]    With the starting distance and the length of the pair of scissors  39  chosen such that the stretching/compression ratio in question is achieved. 
         [0163]    Advantageously the multiple pairs of scissors  38  are hold fixed in the middle (M) of the arrangement. The table, the spacing supports  15  are gliding on, is covered with Teflon or a fabric not hindering the movement and/or the resistance is reduced by means of grooves with a small top area machined into the table. 
         [0164]    Or the complete stretching procedure can be carried out with a vertically arranged apparatus. Then to both sides of the parent block  1  glue  9 ′ can be applied before stretching. The assemblage to the finished mattress core is then performed as described for  FIG. 1 . 
         [0165]    In  FIG. 6   a  the view onto a spreading apparatus is depicted which produces the X-shaped spacing supports  15 ′ from the slotted ( 2 ′,  3 ′) parent foam block  1 , shown in  FIG. 6   a.  To this behalf waggons  42  are fixed to the encasement pieces  7 ′ by hooking-iron-like needles  43  pushed into the frame pieces  7 ′ by means of rotating arm  44  mechanisme. Then the hooked-in waggons  42  are pulled outwardly in order to transform the slotted block  1 ′ into the X-shaped spacing support  15 ′. 
         [0166]    The synchroniced movement of the encasement pieces  7 ′ and the spreadching-apart of the X-pattern is accomplished by multiple pairs of scissors (not shown) attached to all the waggons  42  and arranged in a transversal row on both ends of the mattress core (not shown), with the length of the scissors pairs matched to the movement required, compare  FIGS. 5   b, c.  In the rhombic openings  12 ′ of the X&#39;s, pocket coils  30 , spiral springs, or middle rings can be implanted. The filling-in pattern can, of course, be varied for all openings ( 12 )  12 ′ filled, to each second, third, etc., filled, with any thinkable pattern. 
         [0167]    For a stabilization of the mattress core at the encasement, the triangular openings  13 ′ (as well as the peaked vault-shaped openings  13  of the sinusoidal spacing support  15 ) can be filled each or every second opening  13 ′ ( 13 ) with (two) pocket coils of smaller winding diameters (not shown). 
         [0168]    In  FIG. 6   c  part of the finished mattress core with X-shaped spacing supports is shown. 
         [0169]    In  FIG. 7  some more spacing support variations are sketched. 
         [0170]    In  FIG. 7   a  sinusoidal spacing supports  25  are cut out of a parent bulk foam block  1 ″ by means of a usual contour cutting machine. These sinusoidal wave bands  25  are then arranged standing uprightly in a mattress core, the view onto which is shown in  FIG. 7   b,  and are glued ( 9 ) between a top  10  and a bottom  10 ′ plate, with beams  4  ( 7 ) of the encasement, and are glued ( 9 ) together at the extrema. 
         [0171]    The sinusoidal spacing support bands  25 ,  25 ′ have a width of λ/3 to λ/2, with λ=wavelength of the sinusoidal band, and are arranged alternating with a face shift of 180° between neighbouring bands. 
         [0172]    For a better interaction of adjacent λ-areas of the sinusoidal spacing support bands  25 ,  25 ′ each second or third extrema of the sinusoidal band supports  25 ,  25 ′ can be fixed by glueing it to the plates  10 ,  10 ′. The neighbouring bands can be glued ( 9 ′) together at the extrema. 
         [0173]    Of course the profile cutted, sinusoidal spacing support bands  25 , see  FIG. 7 , can also be glued ( 9 ) only in parts of the height H, either in the middle or on the upper and/or lower part of it. 
         [0174]    Then also a similar two-story configuration is possible with an upper and a lower sinusoidal spacing support band  25  running horizontally above one another and glued ( 9 ′) together at the touching points (not shown). 
         [0175]    This gives a variation in the resilience of the support ribs ( 15 ,  25 ), in particular, also when pocket coils are implanted in the slit-eyed openings ( 12 ) of the sinusoidal or X-shaped supports  15  and  15 ′, respectively. 
         [0176]    In  FIG. 7   c  a spacing support  55  in form of an 8 is shown which is obtained by forming a stripe of foam into the 8 and clueing ( 29 ) it together at the touching line. These 8-shaped supports  55  are arranged in  FIG. 7   d  standing vertically (of course also lying horizontally possible) between the top  10  and the bottom  10 ′ plates of the core to which they are glued ( 9 ) at the touching lines, advantageously pointwisely, and (partly) also to their neighbours. In  FIG. 7   e,  a pillow is filled with 8-shaped supports  55  piled up in between a cover sheathing  20  out of foam or fleece. The layer can be arranged in different fashion so as to fill the pillow. 
         [0177]      FIGS. 8   b, b ′ and  c  shows the cross sections of a one- and a two-storied mattress core, respectively, with horizontally running X-shaped spacing supports  35  spreaded out of the slot ( 2 ″,  3 ″) cutted parent blocks  11 ,  11 ″, see  FIGS. 8   a  and  a′.    
         [0178]    The block  11  in  FIG. 8   a  is cut with slots  2 ″ and  3 ″ reaching almost through the height H of the block with uncut end pieces  8 , and with slots  3 ″ from both sides almost to the middle uncut pieces  8 ′, respectively. 
         [0179]    Then the slots  2 ″ are glued ( 9 ″) together to give the same length end pieces  8 ′ as on the other uncut side of the slots  2 ″. The block  11  ( 11 ″) is pulled apart to give the X-shaped spacing supports  35  which are glued to the top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plate with the end pieces  8 ,  8 ′ for fixation. 
         [0180]    In  FIG. 8   c  the uniformly compressed mattress core with the compression-deformation of the X-shaped spacing supports  35 ″ is shown. 
         [0181]      FIG. 8   d  shows the view from above onto the end pieces  8  and  8 ″ of the X-shaped spacing supports  35  and  35 ′ of two rows of X&#39;s running transversally (longitudinally) in the mattress core and glued together by means of a flexible band  18  at the middle uncut pieces  8 ′ and  8 ″. This arrangement in rows of X&#39;s can be used as a stabilization and as a zone variation, with the foam spacing supports  35  and  35 ′ having different volume weight, compression shore hardness and also possibly width of the legs of the X&#39;s. 
         [0182]    In  FIG. 8   c  the analogous arrangement for a two-story configuration with the, in principal, same numeration for the two parent blocks  11 ″ is shown glued ( 9 ,  9 ″) together. Here a flexible band  18  can be replaced by two Stripes of glue  39 ′ applied already to the parent block  11 ′ before stretching to give the X-spacing supports  35 ,  35 ′ above one another. 
         [0183]    This two story configuration can easily reach an all over heights of 35 cm, including top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plates which makes it at least comparable to the height of an American box-spring mattress, but with much higher point elasticity. 
         [0184]    Because of the horizontally running, uprightly arranged rows of X&#39;s, in this case no pocket coils or spiral springs can usefully be inserted into the openings ( 12 ′) formed by the X&#39;s. p In  FIG. 8   e  a pillow is shown, the cover sheathing  20  of which, is filled by stretched, horizontally running X-shaped spacing supports  35  with a half-cross  54  of foam at the end. The cover  20  is clued ( 39 ′) together at an overlapping end stripe and the X&#39;s are pointwisely glued ( 9 ′) to the cover  20 . 
         [0185]    Similarily also a two-story configuration of two, e.g., sinusoidal (or X-shaped) spacing support  15  ( 15 ′) planes  75 ,  75 ′ can be clued between a top  80 ′, a middle  80  and a bottom plate  80 ″, see  FIG. 13   b.    
         [0186]      FIGS. 9   b  and  d, f  show the view onto and cross sections of, respectively, two pillow configurations of different shape that originate from slotted ( 2 ,  3 ) and contour cutted parent foam blocks  21 ,  21 ′,  21 ″. The slotted ( 2 , 3 ) foam block  21 ,  21 ′ or  21 ″, see  FIGS. 9   a, c,  and  e,  are stretched by a stretching-compression apparatus, as sketched in  FIGS. 5   b  and  c,  to give the sinusoidal spacing supports  15  running longitudinally in the pillow, as shown in a view from above in  FIG. 9   b.    
         [0187]    The stretched sinusoidal spacing supports  15  are then fixed with glue  9 ′, applied onto one side of the parent block  21 ′ before spreading, to a thin bottom sheath of foam  57 , see  FIGS. 9   d  and  f.  A top cover sheath  20 ′ with two foam wedges  53  ( 53 ′) on both sides of the sinusoidal spacing  15  rows is then glued ( 9 ′) pointwisely to these and the top of the spacing supports  15 . And foam side frames  56  complete the pillow. The cover sheath can be of HR or Latex foam, visco-elastic foam or out of an artificial fleece material of 1 to 3 cm thickness, respectively. The behaviour and the elasticity characteristic of this pillow is at least comparable to a pillow with pegged Latex or contour cutted HR foam cores. 
         [0188]    The excellent ventilation and transpiration, and the pump effect because of the multiple chambers/openings ( 12 ,  13 ) makes it an ideal pillow for a healthy sleeping climate in bed. The outer shape of the pillow can vary between half-bone-,  FIG. 9   d,  wedge-shaped,  FIG. 9   f,  or a flat version,  FIG. 9   b,  which all can be cut out of the contour cutted parent blocks  21 ,  21 ′ and  21 ″ along the lines  59  or  59 ′ without any cutting loss, see  FIGS. 9   c  and  e.    
         [0189]    For a variation of the compression resilience, for instance, the outer double row of sinusodial spacing support  15  can be made out of foam with different volume weight, compression hardness, or rib width, see  FIGS. 9   c  and  e.    
         [0190]    In  FIGS. 10   c  and  d  the view onto and the cross section of an automatic, continuously forming apparatus for a meandering foam band of spacing supports  45  is sketched. 
         [0191]    This meandering band of spacing supports  45  is horizontally running in a mattress core, see  FIG. 10   a,  between the top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plates and the side frames  4  ( 7 ) of the encasement, or in a pillow between a cover sheathing  20 , to all of which it is pointwisely glued ( 9 ) to, see  FIG. 10   b.    
         [0192]    Of course it ( 45 ) can also be arranged standing vertically, uprightly, see  FIG. 11   a,  similar to the sinusoidal  15  or X-shaped  15 ′ spacing supports of  FIG. 1 ,  5  or  6  for example. 
         [0193]    The forming apparatus for the meandering spacing supports  45 ,  FIGS. 10   c  and  d,  consists of two gear wheel-like interacting crosses  47 ,  47 ′ rotating synchronously clock- and counter clock-wise, respectively, and having at the end of each cross arm  44 ,  44 ′ a round forming poles  46  ( 46 ′) standing up perpendicular to the cross planes. 
         [0194]    A stripe of foam  31  of width (height) H is fed into the two gear-wheel-like interacting crosses and thus formed into the continuous meandering spacing supports  45 . 
         [0195]    Glue stripes  49  are applied by means of rolls  48  running at an angle to the moving foam stripe  31  so as to give via the movement a perpendicular strip of glue  49 . 
         [0196]    After the circles in the meandering band of the spacing support  45  are formed, the poles  46 ,  46 ′ are clicked off the arms of the crosses and can fall or are pushed by means of a spring mechanisme out of the circles onto a belt  58 . This belt is snail-likely arranged under each cross and thus heaves the forming poles  46  ( 46 ′) again upwardly into their working position at the arm ends  44 ,  44 ′ of the crosses  47 ,  47 ′ where they are clicked in again, see  FIG. 10   d.  In an analogous way the round openings of the meandering band  45  are filled with pocket coils  30  or the like by a continuously working machine, as depicted in  FIGS. 11   b  and  c.    
         [0197]    The apparatus is set-up like that in  FIGS. 10   c  and  d,  but instead of the poles  46 ,  46 ′, pocket coils  30  are hold fixed at the end of the cross arms  44 ,  44 ′ and are released when they are surrounded by the circles in the meandering foam stripe  31 . Further pocket coils  30  are fed to the arm  44  as shown in  FIG. 11   c.  The resulting standing uprightly meandering spacing support band  45 ′, shown in  FIG. 11 , are clued pointwisely together and between frame bars  4  and  7  of the encasement and to the top  10  and bottom  10 ′ plates. 
         [0198]    Of course, also a combination of the apparatus in  FIGS. 10   c, d  and  11   b, c  can be used to fill only every second or fourth, etc., opening with additional elastic springy elements. 
         [0199]    In  FIGS. 12   a  to  c  are shown multi-storied mattress cores consisting either of one story of Bonnell  72  or pocket coils  72 ′ with one topper  75  or surrounded by two toppers  75 ,  75 ′ consisting of, e.g. sinusoidal spacing supports with a top  10  and a bottom foam plate  10 ′, respectively. 
         [0200]    The interconnected spacing supports  15  originate from a slotted parent block  1 ′, as described in  FIGS. 5   a  to  c,  and the top  10  and the bottom  10 ′ foam plates are glued to the stretched configuration of spacing supports  15  in order to hold the stretched structure in place. 
         [0201]    Between the Bonnell spring  72  and the toppers a thin sheat of stuffing  79  is inserted to which the topper  75  is glued to. 
         [0202]    For the Bonnell coils  72  the stuffing  79  is hold in place by the rough surface of the outer rings and of the helical wire  77  structure and in addition, by the outer frame foam encasement  4 , 7  glued to the top  10  or bottom  10 ′ foam plates. 
         [0203]    In the case of the pocket coils the toppers  75 ,  75 ′, can be pointwisely glued to the pocket Fabric for fixation. 
         [0204]    The Bonnell multi storied mattress cores with the one sided topper  75  resembles to some extend and can reach the height of the fairly stiff box-spring mattresses, but yet is a mattress with two sides, one much softer and the other one quite hard. 
         [0205]    Whereas the three storied core with the pocket coil middle  72 ′ part will give a very flexible, high mattress very usable also for motor- or adjusting underframes. 
         [0206]      FIGS. 13   a  to  c  show the view onto and the cross section of inner damping cores for waterbeds consisting, e.g., of sinusoidal spacing supports  15  enclose in and clued to a frame of foam surrounding encasement beams  4 ,  7  and to outer foam stripes  71 ,  71 ′, on top and on bottom of the vertically arranged spacing supports  15  or are glued to a thin top  70  and bottom  70 ′ foam plate and an encasement  57 ,  54 . 
         [0207]    This damping core may float more or less freely in the water bed cover  74  or may be hooked by means of plastic bands (not shown) to eyes or rings vulcanized to the interior of the plastic waterbed hull  74 . In  FIG. 13   d  another two-story configuration with rows  75  of, e.g. sinusoidal spacing supports  15  are shown glued between three foam plates, a top  80 ′, middle  80 , and a bottom  80 ′ one, which are connected and hold in place by glued—in inner stripes of foam or plastic bands inserted as a tongue into the ends of the spacing supports  15  rows  75  (not shown). 
         [0208]    This two story configuration can also serve as normal multi-story, purely out of foam mattress core in normal mattresses and easily reached the height of a high American box-spring mattress.