Abstract: A bedding or seating product comprising a centrally located spring core, edge support means located around the perimeter of the spring core, filling material located above and below the spring core and an upholstered covering. The edge support may be either a string of springs, a pair of spiral edge supports or plastic edge reinforcements. The edge support means extends above and below the upper and lower surfaces of the spring core thus creating a higher peripheral edge than the central portion of the spring core. Layers of filling material are inserted over the central portion of the spring core in order to create a uniform upper and lower surface.

Abstract: A floating floor system for installation over a subfloor. The underlay has a polymer film with a relatively low coefficient of friction between itself and a floating floor cast to a relatively thin and dense open-celled foam with a relatively high coefficient of friction between itself and the subfloor. Also contemplated is a method for installing the underlay between the subfloor and the floating floor, wherein the foam surface of the underlay is placed against the subfloor and the floating floor is positioned onto the film layer of the underlay.

Abstract: A bedding or furniture spring product comprising a plurality of coil springs arranged in linear rows and columns. Each of the coil springs is preloaded by an endless strip of fabric, the strip of fabric encircling the exterior of one of the coil springs. The interior surface of the strip of fabric may be coated with a non-slip material so as to prevent the strip from falling or moving off the coil spring. Alternatively, the coil spring itself may be coated with a non-slip material. The strip of fabric leaves a portion of the end turns of the coil springs uncovered enabling the coil springs to be secured to a wire grid as for example by being wrapped around or clipped or laced to wires of the grid assembly. Alternatively, traditional hand 8-way tie may be used to connect the precompressed coil springs together and to a frame.

Abstract: A quilting machine is provided having at least one set of single needle stitch forming elements for forming chain stitched patterns on a thick multilayered material such as a mattress cover. The machine is preferably web-fed, with a panel of the continuous web being clamped and held stationary on a frame. The stitch forming elements include a needle and a looper mounted on separate heads that are independently moveable on a bridge transversely relative to the panel, which is moveable longitudinally relative to the frame. The bridge is longitudinally moved by a servo and the heads are transversely moved on the bridge by separate servos. The stitching elements on each head are driven by separate servos. A controller drives the servos to chain stitch patterns and differentially move the heads transversely to account for transverse needle deflection. The drives of the needle and looper are phased to compensate for longitudinal needle deflection. The controller determines or predicts needle deflection.

Abstract: A method of packaging a bedding product in order to create a plastic film package in which the bedding product is individually packaged. First and second webs of extruded plastic film are unwound from first and second web rolls, passed between rollers and across opposed first and second surfaces of the bedding product before being cut and joined together in order to create a plastic film package. Each of the first and second webs have a uniform width and a varying thickness across the width in order to provide increased protection along the ends of the packaged bedding product.

Abstract: A method of assembling strings of pocketed coil springs into an innerspring core which may be used as the core of a mattress, cushion or similar body support foundation uses plastic netting reinforced nonwoven webs supplied between a pair of spaced apart heated rolls. Strings of pocketed coil springs are fed in seriatim into the nip between the rolls to heat the netting and activate an integral adhesive to bond the webs to the top and bottom surfaces of the pockets of each string. The core formed thus has reinforced webs on the top and bottom of the strings. The process overcomes the problems encountered when hot melt spraying is utilized to bond the pocketed coil strings together.

Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing a spring core by adhesively bonding strings of pocketed coil springs together utilizes a moving adhesive applicator for depositing adhesive onto a moving string of pocketed coil springs. Subsequently, individual strings are adhesively bonded to similar strings to form the spring core of pocketed coil springs. The moving applicator may take one of any number of various embodiments which include reciprocating movement, rotational movement, pivotal movement and/or linear translational movement for spraying a pattern of adhesive onto the moving string of pocketed coil springs.

Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing a spring core by adhesively bonding strings of pocketed coil springs together utilizes a moving adhesive applicator for depositing adhesive onto a moving string of pocketed coil springs. Subsequently, individual strings are adhesively bonded to similar strings to form the spring core of pocketed coil springs. The moving applicator may take one of any number of various embodiments which include reciprocating movement, rotational movement, pivotal movement and/or linear translational movement for spraying a pattern of adhesive onto the moving string of pocketed coil springs. The adhesive may be dispensed in a plurality of parallel lines from a set of nozzles. The nozzles may be moved and turned on and off under the control of a programmed controller.

Abstract: A mounting device for use with a hand tying device to tie a bale of compressed material comprises a pair of elongated members positioned generally parallel to each other to form a generally planar body and legs extending from an end of the body, generally perpendicular to said body. Mounting feet depend from the legs and are configured to engage a generally horizontal surface of a bale to secure the body along a vertical surface of the bale. At least one standoff element extends from another end of the body and is configured for coupling to a hand tying device and orienting the hand tying device against the vertical surface of the bale when the body is secured to the bale.

Abstract: A pocketed coil spring assembly for use in the manufacture of mattresses or cushions or the like comprising a plurality of strips of integrally connected closed fabric pockets each containing one helically coiled wire compression spring having its axis disposed transversely of the strip, and wherein each of the strips contains a single band of inter-connected springs formed from a single length of wire into a plurality of interconnected helical coil springs. The springs of the bands may contain inserts such as foam cylinders or pocketed coil springs to impart differing degrees of firmness to different strips. Adjacent coil springs may be separated by multiple transverse lines of attachment in order to posturize the product.

Abstract: A quilting apparatus is provided with a computer controlled presser plate adjusting mechanism. A presser plate rocker shaft is separate from and mechanically connected to a needle rocker shaft and imparts a reciprocating motion to the presser plate. The presser plate rocker shaft is adjustable to vary the range of its output link to the presser plate, thereby changing the endpoints of its reciprocating path of travel. Certain embodiments have an output end of the presser plate rocker shaft adjustable relative to the input end through a coupling to different angular positions relative to an input end in order to change the upper and lower ends of the range of reciprocation of the pressure plate relative to the needle plate. Alternatively, the length of a link between the needle and pressure plate rocker shafts is variable to make the presser plate adjustment.

Abstract: A seat assembly with a frame supporting a spring construction therein for providing resilient support to a user. The spring construction having parallel sinuous springs and plural coil springs connected together by upper stabilizer wires. Support wires are secured to the coil springs at their bottom turns by transversely laid stabilizer wires and tie wires.

Abstract: A pneumatic product vending and delivery system is provided which preferably uses an existing product vending machine as a storage and loading device for use in a pneumatic vending and delivery system along with an interface unit in place of the vending machine door. A product dispensing terminal is provided that is connected by the delivery tube of a pneumatic conveyor from the storage and loading device, which has a loading mechanism configured to load a product dispensed by the dispensing mechanism into the delivery tube. The pneumatic conveyor includes a back pressure source operable to apply reverse pressure to a product in the delivery tube to gently slow a product approaching the product dispensing terminal through the tube. A gate is selectively moveable into and out of the path of a product proximate the outlet end of the delivery tube to stop a product slowed by the back pressure source and to release the stopped product for delivery to a customer at the product dispensing terminal.

Abstract: A display rack including shelf assemblies which are movable between a retracted position and an extended position. Each shelf assembly includes a pair of slides adapted to slidably receive a pair of support arms extending forwardly from vertical uprights of the display rack. Each slide has a cavity therein in which one of the support arms is slidably received. The shelf may be locked in either an extended position or a retracted position.

Abstract: A quilting machine is provided having a first station and a second station, one being a printing station and one being a quilting station. The printing station is located either in line and preferably upstream of the quilting station, with a conveyor extending through each of the stations to convey a web of quilting material through the machine, or is off of the quilting line such that the material with a pre-applied pattern thereon is transferred, preferably in web form, to the line of the second station for the application of a pattern in registration with the first applied pattern. At the second station, for example, registration of a plurality of transversely spaced points is detected to determine longitudinal and transverse registration as well as skewing or rotation of the material, and the opposite transverse sides of the material are differently adjusted to orient and register the material.

Abstract: A bedding or seating product comprising a centrally located spring core, edge support means located around the perimeter of the spring core, filling material located above and below the spring core and an upholstered covering. The edge support may be either a string of springs, a pair of spiral edge supports or plastic edge reinforcements. The edge support means extends above and below the upper and lower surfaces of the spring core thus creating a higher peripheral edge than the central portion of the spring core. Layers of filling material are inserted over the central portion of the spring core in order to create a uniform upper and lower surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a mattress having a core formed from a plurality of elongated rows of interconnected coil spring containing fabric pockets, each row having a plurality of spaced apart pockets with a spring encased in each pocket, and having a reinforcing and/or adhesive material between adjacent rows. A first row of spring encased pockets is placed in a tray in a horizontal position and held in the tray by fingers which engage the fabric of the pockets at the ends of each spring, there being a finger at each end of each pocket. An adhesive, if necessary, may be placed on the upper surface of the row. The tray is mounted on a pivotable plate which is then rotated to a vertical position and moved linearly toward a table containing prior rows of the core to bond the row carried in the tray to the last row on the table.

Abstract: A bedding or seating product comprising a centrally located spring core, edge support means located around the perimeter of the spring core, filling material located above and below the spring core and an upholstered covering. The edge support may be either a string of springs, a pair of spiral edge supports or plastic edge reinforcements. The edge support means extends above and below the upper and lower surfaces of the spring core thus creating a higher peripheral edge than the central portion of the spring core. Layers of filling material are inserted over the central portion of the spring core in order to create a uniform upper and lower surface.

Abstract: An innerspring structure for a mattress comprises a row of outer coils formed from a continuous piece of wire with the coils interconnected with interconnection segments and a row of inner coils similarly formed. The interconnection segments of the coils form coil heads for pairs of adjacent coils and each head includes a first linear portion disposed generally parallel to the row. The row of inner coils is positioned together and generally coaxially with the row of outer coils for forming reinforced coil units. A helical lacing structure winds around portions of the inner and outer coils to couple the coils together into reinforced coil units and the first linear portions of the coils are configured for being captured with at least approximately three loops of the helical lacing structure for forming a row of reinforced coil units.

Abstract: An apparatus for stitching fabric to produce a quilted fabric having a needle plate for supporting the fabric, a presser plate located at a first position above the needle plate and a needle located above the presser plate. A needle rocker shaft is mechanically connected to the needle and imparts a reciprocating motion to the needle in response to the angular displacements of the needle rocker shaft. Further, a presser plate rocker shaft is mechanically connected to the needle rocker shaft and imparts a reciprocating motion to the presser plate in response to the angular displacements of the presser plate rocker shaft. The presser plate rocker has an output shaft movable to a different relative angular positions with respect to an input shaft in order to locate the presser plate at a second position with respect to the needle plate.