Abstract: A motorized ladder rack for loading or unloading a ladder on a vehicle is provided. The motorized ladder rack comprises a stationary front cradle, a pivotable and extendable rear cradle and a side rail. The rear cradle includes a motorized drive assembly which may be remotely controlled. The front and rear cradles are secured to the vehicle. The front cradle includes a support member, front and side guides removably secured to the support member and a side stop removably secured to the support member. The side rail is secured to the front and rear cradles and extends therebetween. The ladder rack is movable between a first position and a second position by activation of the motorized drive assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for concealing a lift mechanism associated with a lift chair is provided. The lift chair includes a seating unit and a support frame. The apparatus is a piece of elastic material that includes a front panel, rear panel and a pair of side panels that are shaped to extend between the support frame and the seating unit. In particular, the side panels are tapered as they extend from the rear panel to the front panel. In concealing the lift mechanism, the front and rear panels extend around a front and rear bar respectively to conceal a top portion of the lift mechanism. In addition, front and rear panels may be coupled to one another by a coupling mechanism, such as a zipper. Further, a pull cord selectively secures the skirt to the bottom portion of the support frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for binding a transportable wire core including a binding table comprised of sections in spaced relation sufficient to allow passage between them of a binding wire, and a collapsible carrying spool having base members being in spaced relation sufficient to allow passage between them of a binding wires. The spool is positionable on the table such that the base members of the spool and the sections of the table are aligned in operative cooperation. Guide tracks have first sections attached to the table and in operative alignment between the spool base members and the table sections. Guide track second sections are translatable between a removed position that allows a wire core on a spool to be positioned on the binding tables and an engaged position that operatively engages the binding wire guide track first sections. The second guide track sections operatively align between the sections of the table and the base members of the spool.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided on large area substrates such as wide width textile webs. The printheads are driven by linear servo motors across a bridge that extends across the substrate. The timing of the jetting of the ink is coordinated with the motion of the printheads, so that the heads can be rapidly moved and the ink can be jetted while the printheads are accelerating or decelerating as they move on the bridge. Preferably, ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink is jetted and first partially cured with UV light and then subjected to heating to more completely reduce uncured monomers of the ink on the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling coil springs together into a matrix of coil springs. The apparatus has workholders with respective grippers that receive and hold portions of end turns of respective coil springs, and a loader supporting the workholders for moving the workholders through a motion that transfers the respective coil springs from a conveyor to the apparatus. The coil assembling apparatus has, for each coil, a die set having a fixed die and a movable die. The movable die is connected to a drive via linkage. The drive is operable to move the movable die through a motion that maintains a planar die face of the movable die substantially parallel to a planar die face of the stationary die. The coil assembling apparatus is also operable to automatically assemble two rows of coil springs into a row of coaxial coil springs.

Abstract: A novel support for use with furniture having a spring-edge is provided that includes a coil assembly. The coil assembly is typically square or rectangular with top and bottom surfaces and a front edge that faces the front of the furniture piece. A bridge is secured to the top surface of the coil assembly to provide support for the spring-edge. The bridge extends outwardly away from the front edge of the coil assembly and is supported in the same plane as the top surface of the coil assembly by a series of wires. The wire supports terminate at and hold a stiffening member in place that forms the upper portion of the spring-edge. The stiffening member is used to attach a series of front springs to the bridge. These springs are held in place on their lower end by the frame of the piece of furniture.

Abstract: A novel support for use with furniture having a spring-edge is provided that includes a coil assembly. The coil assembly is typically square or rectangular with top and bottom surfaces and a front edge that faces the front of the furniture piece. A bridge is secured to the top surface of the coil assembly to provide support for the spring-edge. The bridge extends outwardly away from the front edge of the coil assembly and is supported in the same plane as the top surface of the coil assembly by a series of wires. The wire supports terminate at and hold a stiffening member in place that forms the upper portion of the spring-edge. The stiffening member is used to attach a series of front springs to the bridge. These springs are held in place on their lower end by the frame of the piece of furniture.

Abstract: The apparatus has an indexable carriage adapted to move the coil springs and the border wire along a path. A wire cutter disposed adjacent the path has an inner member with an axial hole adapted to receive the wire and a tubular outer member receiving the inner member and movable relative to the inner member. The outer member has a cutting edge. An actuator is operatively connected to one of the inner and outer members to provide a relative rotation between the inner and outer members. That relative rotation results in the wire being sheared by the cutting edge to provide a length of wire. A wire wrapping mechanism disposed adjacent the path receives the length of wire and wraps the length of wire around an end turn of a coil spring and a border wire.

Abstract: A resilient structure having a fiber batt with coil springs disposed therein and respective coil spring paths. Each of the coil spring paths extending from a respective coil spring and having a profile similar to a cross-sectional profile of the respective coil spring taken in a plane parallel to a length of the coil spring. A method is also provided for heating the coil springs and inserting the coil springs into a side wall of the fiber batt to produce the coil spring paths that have a profile similar to a cross-sectional profile of the respective coil spring taken in a plane parallel to a length of the coil spring.

Abstract: A variable lumbar support has a support assembly mountable on a seat frame, a pressure element engaged with the support assembly to move in relation to it in a first direction and a second direction. The directions are substantially parallel and opposite and usually vertical. A first traction element engaged with the support assembly and the pressure element moves the pressure element in the first direction and a second traction element engaged with the support assembly and with the pressure element moves the pressure element in the second direction. At least one actuator engaged with the traction elements causes the movement.

Abstract: A novel support for use with furniture having a spring-edge is provided that includes a coil assembly. The coil assembly is typically square or rectangular with top and bottom surfaces and a front edge that faces the front of the furniture piece. A bridge is secured to the top surface of the coil assembly to provide support for the spring-edge. The bridge extends outwardly away from the front edge of the coil assembly and is supported in the same plane as the top surface of the coil assembly by a series of wires. The wire supports terminate at and hold a stiffening member in place that forms the upper portion of the spring-edge. The stiffening member is used to attach a series of front springs to the bridge. These springs are held in place on their lower end by the frame of the piece of furniture.

Abstract: A ratcheting, locking actuator for selectively positioning ergonomic devices is disclosed. The actuator has an overrunning, locking clutch in a housing, a lever, a hanging ratchet and a pulley for anchoring a traction element. The pulley is driven by a gear which is driven by the one of two ratchet pawls in either of two selectable directions. The drive direction is controlled by a lever to which a ratchet post is attached. Engagement and disengagement of the ratchet pawls with the drive gear is controlled by steps on the housing. The actuator is especially useful for controlling traction elements such as bowden cables for ergonomic devices such as lumbar supports.

Abstract: A multilayered bedding or seating product comprising a spring core made up of an upper layer and a lower layer of pocketed coil springs. Each layer comprises a plurality of parallel strings of springs joined to each other. Each of the strings of springs comprises a row of interconnected pocketed coil springs. The strings of springs of the upper and lower layers may be secured to at least one scrim sheet therebetween.

Abstract: An ergonomic device actuator including a housing, a pulley rotating inside the housing, the pulley being adapted to draw a traction element, and a locking clutch encapsulated by the housing and disposed to control rotation of said pulley. A drive clutch drives the pulley through the locking clutch. A drive shaft that rotates in the housing drives the drive clutch. A traction cable fixed to said pulley communicates with an ergonomic device.

Abstract: An adjustable bed having a bed frame and a center support section supported by the bed frame. A second support section has one end pivotally attached to one end of the center support section, and the second support section has an opening therethrough. A massage motor assembly has a housing mounted to the second support section over the opening. A massage motor is disposed in the housing, and a resilient material is disposed in the housing between the massage motor and the housing. Enclosing the massage motor in the resilient material reduces its operational noise and permits the massage motor to move in its natural orbital motion.

Abstract: A bedding or seating product comprises a pocketed spring assembly having a plurality of parallel strings of springs joined to each other. Each of said strings of springs comprises a row of interconnected pockets, each of the pockets containing at least one spring encased in a fabric pocket. Some of the pockets contain two coil springs, an outer spring and an inner spring, the inner spring extending between the end turns of the outer spring and being wound generally coaxially with the outer spring. The end turns of the inner and outer coil springs are adjacent one another.

Abstract: A synchrotilt chair mechanism and a chair are provided. The synchrotilt chair mechanism is for use on a chair that has a base assembly with an extending pedestal, a seat and a back. The mechanism includes a chassis that is coupled to the pedestal and a seat plate that is coupled to the chassis and to the chair seat. The seat plate can slide relative to the chassis. The mechanism further includes a back support bar that is coupled on one end to the chassis. The support bar extends upwardly from the chassis. A pair of arm supports are further included that can be coupled to the chair. Each arm support extends upwardly adjacent one side of the chair seat. The mechanism further includes a back bracket having a pair of ends that extend adjacent a side of the chair. Each end is pivotally coupled to the adjacent arm support. The back bracket further includes a guide plate that mounts to the chair back and that has at least one guide slot.

Abstract: A pocketed coil spring unit and associated method of assembly combines top and bottom sheets with bonding of the sidewalls of adjacent rows of pocketed coil springs. With this combination, a posturized spring unit is produced in a commercially efficient manufacturing process. The top and bottom sheets extend perpendicularly to the rows of pocketed coil springs and the adjacent rows of pocketed coil springs are bonded on the sidewalls of the fabric pockets in the absence of the top and bottom sheets. As such, the spring unit can be customized for posturization to provide a firmer supporting foundation at the locations of the top and bottom sheets and a more individualized flexible construction in the regions of the inter-row sidewall bonding.

Abstract: A support deck for a sofa bed having a plurality of support members is interconnected at joints such that when a force is applied to one side of the deck the deck will yield but when a force is applied to the opposite side, the deck will be relatively resilient. The support members consist of molded plastic links which are serially and pivotally interconnected to form the deck from a number of generally parallel longitudinal columns of links. Each link includes a planar upper surface for supporting the mattress and a reinforcing rib on the lower surface for added strength. Pivot pins are used to interconnect the links and a stop is provided on each end of the link to restrict the upward flexing or movement of the joined links. The links are economically and easily manufactured thereby providing a commercially competitive sofa bed without the detrimental aspects associated with prior sofa bed structures.