US2399628A - Mattress - Google Patents

Description

Ma? 741946 M. CUNNINGHAM 2,399,62@

MATTRESS Fild April 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l M. M. CUNNINGHAM MATTRESS Filed April 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patentedl May UNITED s'rA'rEs ,PA

MAESS Marion Morgan Cunning, South t* :s

Ind.,

assigner to Misha 'Rubi' Woolen Manufacturing Company, Mishawoha, lind. a

corporation oil i t t n Application April ld? i943, Serini No. imite@- The present invention 'relates to mattresses, and particularly to combined inner spring and nge rubber mattresses.` The invention, in general, aims to provide a highly serviceable e d comfortable -mattrese by assembling a io sponge rubber pad with a spring unit or units made up of a number of coil springs. y

d. ille obiect of the invention is to provide u ttress oi the chnracter indiceted, inclu 'v a ent spongy rubber body supporting eieent or pad,` n spring assembly d e, severine or r thereior, which may bey easily disneeebied when it is denied to substitute other spring its oi greater or lesser resiliency, or wen thas pad end ticking is to be washed and/or its im er obiect is to provide a mattress construction which permits air to rmeate oi its walls for thorough and continuousventilation. d

ther object is to provide separate but united iabric compartments ici' the pad and springs, so

liti

liti' that the pad may be anchored to the springs vet may be easily removed therefrom, along with the fabric.

Other objects are to unite the metallic u ivi with soft foam rubber in such a way that th foam rubber cmmot be torn or cut by ordinary. usage; to protect the user under all conditionsA from contact with the spring unit; to provide a i mattress of pleasing appearance so that it is readily salable; to facilitate sliding the spring unit in and out oi the fabric compartment; and to provide a mattress which may be sold at n reasonablevcost.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a mattress having a spongy rubber body supporting member, an arrangement utilizing a plurality of spring units of differing tension, strength or supporting power whereby the mattress, and particularly the upper part thereof, hasample compressibility and resilience accompanied by a high hysteresis value as a whole, ir-

4ticking employed.

With these and other objects in view theinvention resides in the construction, operation and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the se or sooo any ci the advantages thereof.

lin the accompanying drawings: Fig. ll is u perspective view of one form of mattrees embodying features oi the present invention shown suppo on. a conventional box spr ioundation or beadstead;

ldt. 2 is a partial perspective view. on a larger scale, or the mattress seen in Fig. 1, showing the mattress cover or tic opened at one end, as tor insertion or withdrawaloi the spring unit;

Fig. d is an end elevation, looking at the mattress oi Figs. l. and 2 .trom the right-hand end thereof, with parts in section; Y 1

ii is n transverse cross section, as on th line t-t oi Fig. l. showing the mattress depressed as when supporting a person and also sho in eievetion the upper portion of the box sp tu ioundntion;

Fig. o "is e, fragmentary vertical section on a larger scale showing the attachment of tape to the foam rubber pad for the securing of the tici:u ing thereto;

Fig. d is a fragmentary vertical section through the pad on the scale of Fig. 5 showing the manner oi' securing it to the fabric envelope or ticking which encloses the springs; and

Fig. "i is an end elevational view, partly in section, sho a modied form of mattress wherein e i units of diil'ering supporting power are employed.

in general, the present invention, according to an important aspect thereof, comprises an enveloping casing or mattress ticking in an upper portion or compartn'nent of which is secured preferably in a more or less permanent fashion, a pad or body supporting member of sponge rubber. Such pod is preferably of the type molded of an aqueous dispersion of latex which has been whipped into a foam in the presence of a frothing agentl or which has been combined with a separately prepared foam, and generally contains internal cavities formed in the molding operation.-

' Underneath the seid pad the ticking is formed, respective of the particular type of covering or mattresses; At one end of the spring compartmentthe ticking walls are divided or slitted to form, proportion and minor details and arrange t ment of parte. within the scope of the claim, without departing' from' the spirit of the invenafford an opening for the ready insertion or removal of the spring unit, and are provided with suitable fastener elements to maintain the opening closed when the spring unit is within the compartment.

According to a further aspect of the invention the ticking with contained rubber pad may be provided with two lower compartments for the reception of two individual spring units which, preferably, may have differing characteristics as to stiffness, supporting power, and the like. In this aspectI of the invention the ticking is preferably provided with an opening or openings for the ready insertion and removal of the springs. The latter feature, however, -is not necessarily an essential component, since the providing of a mattress comprising a sponge r'ubber pad and a pair of springs of differing characteristics, all enclosed within an enveloping ticking, is deemed to constitute a novel and important aspect of the present invention, irrespective. oi whether the spring units are readily removable from the ticking or are substantially permanently incorporated therewithin.

In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, I employ a coil spring unit I of conventional construction embodying heavy marginal or frame rods or Wires II, coil springs I2 and tie wires I3 connecting the coil springs to each other and to the marginal -wires II. The latter are preferably covered with suitable padding material IIa forthe purposes of comfort and the prevention of damage to the ticking or casing presently to be described. Such a unit is extremely flexible, in' fact it will yield in every direction, and it is excellently adapted for supporting a foam rubber pad if the pad is properly anchored and adequately protected. against the cutting'or tearing action of the upper ends of coil springs I2. It will be understood that foam rubber is extremely soft and does not have a great deal of strength, but because of its lcompressibility and low internal friction, and for other reasons known to those skilled in the art, it is highly desirable for use in mattresses.

The foam rubber pad I4 (Fig. 3 et seq.) may be from one to two inches in thickness and preferably is both wider and longer than the spring unit, so that when assembled with the spring unit it overhangs the marginal wires II on all sides by about one inch. All the edges of the pad are made more flexible by being beveled both from the top and from the bottom, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, said beveling being indicated at I6 and I1 and obviously comprehendlng the overhanging portion of the pad. On the underside,

the pad- I4 has a large number of preferably cupshaped recesses or cavities lIii not only to increase the compressibility of the pad, but also to insure adequate and continuous ventilation thereof, as will be explained. The described pad must be protected by a cloth casing, to which it should be secured immovably without interference with flexing of the pad, and toA this end a heavy cotton duck or other porous cloth sheet I8 is stretched over the top of the pad, while a similar or even heavier fabric sheet I8 is stretched over the bottom of the pad. both sheets I8. I9 being stitched together, as indicated at 20, outside the thin edge provided by bevelingv I 8, I1. Cloth tape 2| may be secured over the'seam by the stitching 20 to make a better appearance. To

y anchor the sheets I 8 and I9 to the pad. a rubberized tape 22, cemented or vulcanized to the foam rubber pad along the lower beveled edge I1, may be secured by the stitching 20 to the upper and lower sheets, the lower sheet I 9 being outside of tape 22 as Vshown in Fig. 6. Tape 22 of course strong anchorage for the upper and lower cover pression,

the foam rubber pad that yields with the pad when the latter is compressed but is otherwise practically immovable relative to the pad.

To provide an envelope, casing or compartment for the spring uit, heavy cotton duck or other porous fabric walls 23 are attached along their upper margins, as by stitching @24, to thecover sheet I9 and tape 22, Fig. 6, thus securing the pad Iii and its covering to the compartment enclosing the spring unit. Walls 23 may be integral with or sewed along a seam 25 to a bottom fabric wall 25a which completes the envelope or casing, there being four walls 23 which provide two side walls and two end walls.

At one end of the envelope the material of the end wall and the adjoining side walls is slitted or divided, as at 26, to make an opening large .enough to admit thespring unit I 0 endwise, if v the spring unit is compressed as illustrated in Fig. 2, and suitable fastening elements, such as snap fasteners 21, may be employed to seal the opening (see Fig. 1) when'the spring unit is inside the envelope. It will be appreciated, of course.' that the opening 26, preferably, will be so constructed that the fabric forms overlapping lips for proper operation-of the fastening elements, as clearly seen in Figs. l and 2.

The height or width of walls 23, preferably, is such that the spring unit is somewhat compressed throughout its area when it is within the envelope.

Thus the walls 23 are maintained under tension except when the mattress is supporting a load as shown in Fig. 4. The reaction from the compression oi' the spring unit tends to hold the heavy wire frames I I in the inside corners formed at the upper and lower margins of the side and end walls, as' seen in Figs. 3 and 6.

Wh'en it is desired to separate vthe spring unit I0 from its envelope, the fastening means 21 are separated and the opening 26 is spread apart whereupon the envelope or ticking', and contained rubber pad, may be drawn off the spring unit, as will be clear from Fig. 2. When inserting a spring unit, the cotton or other padding II a which covers all of the marginal wires II will facilitate sliding the unit, and the fabric sheet I9 on the bottom of the pad I4 cooperates in making the introduction of the unit, ev'en though under comaA relatively easy operation. Other spring units of different resiliencies or load-capacities may be substituted at any time for the unit I0 in a mattress of t'he invention to adapt the mattress to the comfort or whim of the user.

. Thus the invention is especially valuable for use .extends all around the pad and affords a very l in hospitals, hotels and wherever the public is particularly catered to. When maximum comfort is desired, as in a hotel, the mattress will be supported probably on box springs 28 of conventional form (Figs. 1 and 4). Of prime importance, however, is the fact that the described removable envelope, and contained pad, may be readily removed from the spring unit and washed and sterilized as a unit, without any injurious effect, and this feature is obviously of the greatest importance in hospitals and asylums.

Another feature of the invention is the extraordinary provision .for thorough ventilation lof the mattress. The foam rubber itself is essentially a mass of intercommunicating air cells formed in vulcanized latex, and it permits continuous circulation of air; a circulation which is mattress.

foam rubber against the tearingor cutting action of the upper ends of the coil springs I2, and as previously stated, assists in facilitating sliding of room, etc. The cavities-I6 play an important Y part in Ventilating the mattress, as the cavity walls are collapsed by the weight of a body lying on the mattress, and the extent of collapse oi the walls of each cup-like recess or cavity I depends upon the weight or compressive stress imposed on that part of the pad Il. The body of a person lying on a mattress is constantly shifting or changing its position, and with every movement of `every limb, with every turnof the head orl trunk, the walls defining some of the cavities it are deformed and compressed or are relieved of pressure, the result being a continual compression l of air in the different cavities, followed by relief of such compression as the air seeps through the porous fabric It covering the openings in said cavities. The sudden compression oi air in any cavity also causes some of the air to be forced through the intercommunicating air cells ol the roam rubber pad and thus ventilation of the padl itseli, which normally takes place very slowly but continuously, is accelerated by normal use oi" the lt will be understood that the ventilat- -ing aircurrents which constantly pass through the v mattress oi the invention are entirely unnoticeable and do not in any way detract from the oomi-"ort oi the user. On the other hand adequate ventilation oi' the mattress will usually enhance the conilort oi the user. especially in hot weather, as will he understood without further description.

le the cavities or recesses lb are distributed uniformly over the greater part of the area of the underside of the loam rubber pad, as best shown in, rigid there is an area adjacent the marginal wires I i oi the spring unit where the loam rubber pad has no cavities and hence odors adequate padding for the wires Il, which would be very uncomfortable if felt through the pad.

I; en one sits on the side ofthe bed, the projecting or overlapping portion of the pad will bend or iold down, again to prevent discomfort from the Wires I I. This downward bending or folding takes place more readily because of the bevellng It and vlll oi the edges of the pad. said beveling making `the pad edges much more exible.

When a person lies down on the mattress, the top pad cover I8 will be depressed (Fig. fiiwith concomitant compression of the foam rubber pad, and as pad cover I8 tits smoothly over the top Asurfaceot the pad, central downward depression of pad cover I8 will cause a tension in the pad cover adjacentboth side'edges and, this vtension will lift the beveled edges of the foam rubber pad and will tend to pull said edges inwardly. The pad and its covers I8 and I9 areA free to move inwardly relative to the upper 'marginal wires il because they are not fast to said marginal wires,

and with slight downward movement oi .either of the upper marginal wires lI, responsive to compression, the side wall 23 may slide overthe wire a Vmodification of the present invention, wherein `two spring units. of didering characteristics are` employed. ln this form there has been shown,

thespring' unit into its envelope or compartment.

A further'function oi'-v sheet I9 is to cooperate with the foam rubber in insulating the coil springs, which, being of metal, will' draw ofi body heat rapidly in a cold room. A

Desirably the spring .unit is so made that the coil springs in the center are slightly higher than those at the margins adjacent wires il. This `causes the spring unit to have a slight crown or convexity which is imparted to the top oi the rubber pad when the mattress is assembled, as

best shown in Fig. 3. Thus the mattress'has a better appearance and is more readily sold.

In Fig. 7, as previously indicated, there is` shown for purposes of illustration, the same, type oi integrated envelope or tic, and contained sponge rubber pad, as previously described. rlhus there is seen the pad it, with its enveloping cover layers it and it, the depending walls it, and the bottom wall tta, the space wit the said walls accounmodatlng a pair ol springs as will presently be described. The end wall, seen partially in elevation, is preferably provided with a mouth or opening adapted to he normally maintained closed by the fasteners tl, in the manner and tor the purpose previoy described.

in the presentpinstance the vertical length of the side and end walls iii is somewhat greater than in the nrst described io ci the invention, thus providing an enclosed space below the pad iii ci substantially greater depth. This enclosed A space'is divided by a horizontal fabric partition II and follow the pad in its inward movement.

' iii, which may be stitched or otherwise attached along its margins to the walls it, into two superposed compartments iii and lit, each. of which is adapted to accommodate a separate individual `A coil spring unit, as indicated by the numerals di and it. Thus it is possible to provide the mattress oi Fig. 'i with a; pair oi springs oi aidering characteristics, and this end may be accomplished .by having the compartments ti and il ci substantially equal depth and utilizing, in one compartment, a spring unit of heavier construction or gauge'than that employed inthe other.

However, I prefer to so construct the ticking that the depth or thickness'oi the upper compertinent di is materially greater than that of theY lower compartment 32, to snugly accommodate spring units of corresponding depth or tains, also under slight compression, a coil spring 4 unit of about four inches inthickness; an overall spring height oi. about ten inches.

One advantage of such an arrangement is that the upper spring unit may be vof a fairly readily depressible nature so as to respond easily to depressive forces and thus contribute factors of softness and comfort, while the lower unit may have a' stiffer, 'stronger spring action so as to aiord a firm foundation mize sagging tendencies. Since the lower spring unit .Il is not required or desired to yield downwardly to the extent necessarydn the case of the and 4prevent or minie l such as burlap or the like,

upper unit 33, the former may be of relatively small depth as compared with the latter.

`Thus, it will be readily appreciated that the' provision of a mattress having a surface or top pad of sponge rubber and an underlying assembly of spring units of differing supporting cheracteristics, all enclosed within an integrated envelope or ticking, constitutes, in and of itself, e, novel and advantageous contribution to the ort. Accordingly, while this arrangement has been shown in e; ticking equipped with the desirable feature of the spring removal opening 2t, it will escasos nection with certain types of spring and a certain kind of foam rubberpaci, other spring units and pads might be used, and various changes and modincations may be de without departing 'from thel principles of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claim.

'What I claim is:

A unitary composite spring,r and pod mattress structure comprising a fabric envelope with septrate upper and lower` compartments, o let coil spring assembly in the lower compartment end a flat spongy rubber pad in the upper comportment and extending marginally outward beyond the surrounding wall of the lower compartment, and an attaching strip or fabric extending oround the spongy rubber pad end edhesively secured to the underside of the outwerdly erbtending margin thereof, said attaching strip being secured along its outer margin to the periphery of the upper compartment and elong its inner margin to the top oi' the surrounding wall of the lower compartment.

MARION MORGAN CUNNINGHAM.

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