Improvements in Spring Bottoms for Beds and other Articles of Furniture.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Bottoms for Beds and other Articles of
Furniture.
I, THOMAS ARMSTRONG STOLL, of Number 20 Wall Street, in the City of
Trenton, County of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer of Spring Beds, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to that class of spring bottoms which are made independently
of the articles of furniture with which they are to be used, and are fitted thereto
at pleasure. And the object of my invention is to provide a light, strong and
simple structure, built preferably of wire, in which I introduce a locking connection
between the top whirls of the springs of the structure (or frames intermediate of
said top whirls) and their supporting connections, and other improvements more
particularly hereinafter described. It will be understood that spring bottoms may
be variously constructed, and used for different purposes, and yet embody my
invention, as will be more particularly referred to hereinafter. I have, however,
in one form of the invention illustrated the same in this Specification by a spring
bed bottom constructed of ordinary double conical wire springs connected with
each other by means of longitudinal and lateral wires which together form a bed
bottom alike on both sides; in a modification I have shown a like locking connection
in a bed bottom wherein the spaces between the rows of springs are partially filled
in by frames or the like disposed in the same plane with the tops or bottoms of the
springs or both.
In the drawings forming a part of this Specification
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a spring bed bottom embodying one form of
my invention, the side of the bottom not shown being precisely like that
illustrated.;
Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the longitudinal connecting wires, showing the
forms of the bends made therein at the springs junctions;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a locking junction:;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of one of the outer springs and
border connections, and illustrates the manner of connecting an end of one of the
lateral connecting wires at the outer side of the spring bed bottom;
Fig. 5 shows a hinged connection of two adjacent springs of two folding sections
of a spring bottom.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper surface of a modified form of spring bottom
einbodying my invention:
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of that structure showing a corner and
a part of one side thereof, and illustrating the connection formed between the outer
springs and frames of the structure and the longitudinal and lateral supporting
members thereof.
In Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings A, A are the springs of the bottom, which in this
instance are of the usual double conical spiral form; B, B are longitudinal
connecting wires, and C, C are lateral connecting wires thereof.
In assembling such a bed bottom I lap the outer coils a,.a. of adjacent springs in
the manner shown in the drawing, making a sufficient number of transverse rows
of the springs in the bed bottom to afford the desired sustaining power. I then
place the longitudinal connecting wires B, B so that the bends & therein shall lie
between the lapped portions of the coils a, a of the springs as shown in Figs. 1
and 3. The transverse connecting wires C, C are then carried lengthwise of these

page_text: cross rows of springs and are thrust under the lapped portions of the coils a, a and
between such lapped portions and the bends 6 of the connecting wires B, as is
clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The transverse wires C being thus seated in
the bends of the connecting wires B, are firmly locked in their positions as are
also the coils a, a of the springs A', and the wires B. The ends of the wires B, are
bent or hooked over the lapped coils a, a, of each pair of end springs A in the
manner shown at c in Figs. 1 and 3; while the transverse connecting wires C have
their ends passed between the outer coils a of each outside spring A, and the
bend of the wire B, and are then given a turn around both the outside coil a and
the said bend 6 of the wire B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. By this construction I
obtain an exceedingly strong, light, durable and elastic spring bottom, it being
apparent that the springs are firmly braced at their locked junctions by the connecting
wires B and C in a very simple manner, and said connecting wires easily sustaining
all ordinary compressive as well as tensile strains.
As it is common to construct spring bed bottoms in two or more sections which
are arranged to fold upon each other, for convenience in transportation, storage, &c.,
I have shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings a simple means of forming & hinged
connection between two sections of a bed bottom constructed as above described.
By joining the outer coils of each two adjacent springs of two sections of a bed
bottom by means of small wire loops d in the manner shown in Fig. 5, a binge is
formed between two sections of the bed bottom which permits of their folding upon
each other in the usual manner. Of course, it will be obvious that these loops will
be formed ou only one face of the bed bottoin.
In constructing the locking junctions illustrated in Fig. 3 I can, of course, pass
the wire B under instead of over the lapped portions of the coils a, a and turning
the bend b upward, pass the cross wires C over said coils a, a and under the
bends of the wires B. I may also bend both of the wires B and C slightly at
their points of junction and cross them either above or below the plane of the
coils a, a.
But I prefer the construction illustrated in the drawings, as I am
thereby enabled to produce a more even surface of the spring bottom than I other-
wise could, and by forming the bends in only one set of connecting wires I am
enabled more readily to manipulate the other set of connecting wires in assembling
the bottom.
I can also construct a spring bottom, embodying my said invention, of springs
connected in the manner described on only one side of the bottom, and support
the springs at their underside upon wooden or metallic slats or frames, and I can
also join the springs composing the structure in pairs rather than in rows as
shown, while the springs themselves may be differently formed. But the method
of assembling the spring bottom by treating both sides thereof alike and assembling
spiral springs in rows is, in my judgment, preferable to any other.
In the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings A¹ are the springs;
B¹ are the longitudinal connecting members; C are the lateral connecting
members, and D are the frames or braces intervening between the top whirls of the
springs.
In
In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 I have illustrated connections between
the springs of the bottom and the longitudinal and lateral connecting members
thereof formed by lapping the outer coils of the springs and forming locking
junctions at said laps between the connecting members and the springs.
Figs. 6 and 7, however, in order to accomplish my object of separating the rows
of springs in the bottom and maintaining them in their proper positions and at
the same time filling the spaces between said rows of springs, I use the frames D,
which are preferably formed of wire of about the same gauge of the wire used in
the springs and make them preferably of a circular form and of a diameter about
equal to the diameter of the outer coils of the springs. These frames D may be
readily made of such wire knotted together at the ends as shown in the drawings.
The springs are placed in rows as shown in Fig. 6, and the frames D are placed
intermediate each two rows of springs and are lapped slightly over the outer coils

page_text: of the adjacent springs. The longitudinal wires B' are preferably orimped or bent
at designated points, and are placed over the lapped portions of the springs A
and frames D with their crimped portions between the lapped portions of the
springs and frames. The lateral connecting members Care then carried under
the outer coils of the springs A' and the frames D, and are thrust between the
crimped portions of the members B' and the frames D and outer coils of the
springs A'. I thus obtain a locking junction of the parts gonerally similar to that
shown between the top whirls of the springs in the modification shown in Figs. 1
to 5.
The connecting members B¹ aud Ċ of the bottom are secured at their ends in
the manner shown in Fig. 7. The lateral members C¹ are securely beut or
wrapped around the longitudinal members B' at the sides of the bed bottom and
the outer coils of the springs which they touch, while the longitudinal members B¹
may be hooked or bent at their ends and drawn firmly against the adjacent springs
and frames as shown.
It will, of course, be understood that the forms of springs and of the intervening
frames or braces D may be modified in various ways, and that the frames D may
be alternated with springs A so that the rows of springs shall extend diagonally
across the bottom instead of laterally or longitudinally, that one side of the
bottom may be formed upon slats, that both sets of connecting members may be
crimped, and that the construction may be modified in other ways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A locking device, consisting of two overlapping coils, and two connecting
members crossing each other in a plane within the lapped portion of said coils
substantially as shown and described.
;
2. In a spring bottom a number of supporting springs, said springs lapping
each other, in combination with connecting members crossing each other at said
laps of said springs and forming locking junctions thereat: substantially as shown
and described.
3. In a spring bottom, the combination of rows of springs, the springs in each
row lapping each other, and connecting members crossing each other at said laps
of said springs, and forming locking connections with said springs at said laps;
substantially as shown and described.
4. In a spring bottom, a number of supporting springs, each pair of said springs
lapping each other, in combination with connecting members crossing each other
at said laps of said springs, and forming locking joints with said springs at said
laps, and having their ends attached to the spring bottom at or near its ends and
Bides respectively: substantially as shown and described.
5. In a spring bottom, the combination of a spring and frame, portions of which
spring and frame lap each other with two connecting members crossing each other
in a plane within the lapped portions of said spring and frame and forming a
looking junction at said point: substantially as shown and described.
6. In a spring bottom, the combination of a spring and frame, portions of which
spring and frame lap each other, with two connecting members crossing each other
in a plane within the lapped portions of said spring and frame, one of said
connecting members being bent to receive and retain the other of said connecting
members between said bend and the lapped portions of said spring and frame, and
forming a locking junction thereat: substantially as shown and described.
7. In a spring bottom, a number of supporting springs, and franes intermediate
said springs, said springs and frames lapping each other, in combination with
connecting members crossing each other at said laps of said springs and frames
and forming locking junctions thereat: substantially as shown and described.
8. In a spring bottom, a combination of rows of springs, rows of frames
intermediate said rows of springs, said springs and frames lapping each other, and

page_text: connecting members crossing each other at said laps of said springs and frames,
and forming locking connections with said springs and frames at said laps ;
substantially as shown and described.
9. In a spring bottom, a number of supporting springs, a number of frames
placed intermediate said springs, said springs and said frames lapping each other,..
in combination with connecting members orossing each other at said laps of said
springs and frames at said laps, and having their ends attached to the spring bottom
at or near its ends or sides respectively; substantially as shown and described.
Dated this Twenty-third day of August 1894.
THOMAS ARMSTRONG STOLL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.