Abstract: A hand cart for transporting a roll of wire and straightening and measuring a length of wire pulled from the roll. The hand cart comprises a generally planar frame having upper and lower transverse mounting plates located in the plane of the frame. A center post extends outwardly from the lower transverse mounting plate and rotatably supports a rotatable reel. The rotatable reel is adapted to support a roll of wire for rotation about a reel axis, the reel axis being generally perpendicular to the plane of the frame. The hand cart further comprises a transverse axle and a pair of rotatable wheels rotatable mounted on opposite ends of the axle. A wire straightener and a wire counter are secured to the upper mounting plate of the frame so that a length of wire pulled off the roll may be straightened and measured before it is cut to the appropriate length.

Abstract: A drop-in spring unit seat assembly includes a top grid spaced from a bottom grid having conical springs positioned therebetween. The conical springs are snap-fit for attachment to the top grid and/or bottom grid and require no mechanical fasteners nor complicated tools for such attachment. A pair of opposed detents are formed in the top and/or bottom turns of the spring and/or the detents formed in grid wires extending on the top and/or bottom grid. The opposed detent in the springs snap-fit engage with the depressions in the grid wires and a plurality of springs are interposed between the top grid and bottom grid to form the spring unit assembly. In selected embodiments, the spring unit includes multiple bottom grids attached via springs to a single top grid. The assembled spring unit can be dropped into a chair, seat or other article of furniture for attachment to and support by a pair of spaced frame members of the chair or other article of furniture.

Abstract: An edge support spring and handle structure is provided for use in mattresses comprising a continuous length of wire bent to have an elongated top portion and a pair of transverse arms extending downwardly and inwardly from the ends of the top portion, and a bottom portion that mirrors the top portion, with each pair of mirrored transverse arms meeting in a loop to form a pair of loops to which a pair of inwardly extending members of a handle attach. The handle is constructed to have an elongated portion for gripping outside the mattress cover and inwardly extending members that attach to the loops in the edge support spring, such that any strain created by use of the handles will be directed to the edge support spring.

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 mechanism for securing together the overlapped ends of an elongated binding device wrapped around a bale of compressible material for binding the bale comprises a housing and a twister pinion rotatably coupled to the housing and configured to receive overlapped ends of the elongated binding device into a slot therein. The twister pinion includes alignment pins positioned on opposite sides of the slot for engaging the overlapped ends and maintaining those ends in the pinion slot. A drive mechanism is coupled to the pinion and rotates the pinion to twist the overlapped ends. In another embodiment of the invention, the twister pinion is coupled to a twister gear by an alignment pin which extends into an alignment aperture and an alignment groove in the gear and pinion. In another embodiment of the invention, a retrieving device is movably coupled with the body for moving toward and away from the twister pinion for moving the ends of the binder device into the twister pinion slot.

Abstract: An existing product vending machine, such as a refrigerated vending machine provided by a bottled soft drink manufacturer or distributer, is adapted to serve as a storage and loading device for use in a pneumatic vending and delivery system by installing an interface unit in place of the vending machine door. The interface unit may be configured to mount on hinges or other pre-existing panel supporting structure of the vending machine and to lock to pre-existing latching structure on the vending machine. Alternatively, the dispensing mechanism and product storage supply from one or more product vending machines may be installed in a vault and equipped with one or more of the interfaces. The interface is provided with a loading tube that connects to the upstream end of the tube of a pneumatic conveyor of the vending and delivery system.

Abstract: A lumbar support mechanism for incorporating in a seat comprises a pair of opposing triangular brackets each having a base and a peak, wherein the brackets are positioned such that said peaks are facing one another. Elongated flexible border elements have ends pivotally coupled proximate the base of each of said brackets. One of the brackets is movable with respect to the other of the brackets to move said peaks together, and the flexible border elements pivot at their ends and flex outwardly away from the brackets to thereby provide support to the lumbar region of a person in the seat.

Abstract: A sofa sleeper foldable sofa bed assembly having pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot frame sections each including a pair of opposed side rails. The frame sections are extendable to form a bed and foldable to form a sofa seat. The frame is supported laterally by at least one generally U-shaped cross brace which is biased in an upwardly raised position by at least one resilient member.

Abstract: A bed frame center support assembly comprising a pair of parallel cross support members extending between two opposed side rails of a bed frame, a center support member extending between the cross support members and at least one leg assembly pivotally secured to one of the support members. The leg assembly may comprise a first leg pivotally secured to a vertical web of one of the support members, a plastic insert and a foot member. Alternatively, the leg assembly may comprise a first leg nestably secured to a second leg in order to increase the length of the leg assembly. A threaded foot is adapted to engage a bracket integrally formed in the bottom of either the first leg or the second leg further increasing the vertical adjustability of the length of the leg assembly.

Abstract: A notching apparatus to be used in a tube cutting machine comprising a notching arm having a notching blade holder at the end thereof, a clamping plate and a notching blade having an irregularly shaped peripheral edge comprising three recesses and a cutting edge on the inside of each recess. The notching blade holder has two pins extending outwardly thereof for insertion through two of the three recesses of the notching blade in order to hold the notching blade firmly in place. A plurality of fasteners secure the clamping plate to the notching blade holder with the notching blade resting in a cutout portion of the clamping plate and held securely against rotation by the two pins.

Abstract: A combination ottoman, table or desk and a foldable sleeper bed comprises upper and lower wooden frame sections, the lower frame section being configured as an open top box, atop which the upper frame section is located. The two frame sections are interconnected by a pair of opposed four-bar linkages which permit the upper frame section to be moved between a first position in which it rests atop and encloses the lower frame section, and a second raised position in which it is spaced upwardly and rearwardly from the lower frame section. Contained within the enclosure defined by the upper and lower frame sections, there is a foldable sleeper bed having pivotally interconnected head, body, intermediate and foot sections, which sections are extendable forwardly from the lower frame section when the upper frame section is in the second raised position to form a bed and foldable to fit and be contained within the enclosure when the bed is collapsed and stored.

Abstract: A collated stack of U-shaped sheet metal clips, each of which has an arcuate crown portion and first and second parallel leg portions depending from the crown portion. The first leg portion of each clip is juxtaposed immediately adjacent the second leg portion of the adjacent U-shaped clip. Each clip has two spaced apertures through the arcuate crown portion and at least one upstanding tab adjacent the edge of each aperture into which a non-metal elongate flexible connector is inserted and secured by folding the tab or tabs downwardly over the top of the aperture. Alternative embodiments of sheet metal clips and methods of collating an array of such clips are disclosed.

Abstract: A spring forming machine is provided with closed-loop feedback from sensors which monitor dimensions of the coils and heads of the spring being formed, servo motors which control wire feed speed, coil radius and pitch forming elements, and coiling direction. Video cameras form pictorial images of the spring being formed. The images are digitized and fed to a central computer, along with images from similar machines forming similar springs, which compares the signals, such as photometric images, from the different machines, which represent actual spring dimensions, with a single stored image relating to the desired dimensions, such as head shape, coil diameter, and the positions and angles of bends. Discrepancies are correlated with causation data, such as feed roll slippage or material hardness variations, and adjustment signals are sent to the machines. Machines producing errors are interrogated more frequently by the computer. Large errors or failures to respond to adjustments triggers an alarm.

Abstract: A quilting machine is provided having a quilting station and a printing station located upstream of the quilting station, with a conveyor extending through each of the stations to convey a web of quilting material through the machine. At the printing station a top layer is printed with a multi-colored design under the control of a programmed controller, which may vary the design from section to section of the web so that individual or small quantities of panel sections of the web may be decorated with a different pattern. The conveyor maintains precise longitudinal position information of the location of the printed pattern and conveys the top patterned layer web through a drying station. Then, after combining the top layer web with webs of filler and backing material, it conveys the multi-layered web to the quilting station where a quilted pattern is caused by the controller to be sewn on the printed pattern bearing material in registration with the printed pattern.

Abstract: An automatic tie system for a baler for tying a bale of compressible material comprises a reciprocating ram for pushing the bale along a path. A continuous strand of baling wire extends generally transverse to the path and engages the bale front end and wraps around the bale as it moves along the path. A reciprocating inserter arm engages the continuous wire strand to form a partial loop at the bale back end having an apex and an upstream wire section and a downstream wire section. A first gripper arm grips the upstream loop section when the loop is cut and moves the upstream loop section generally parallel to an incoming section of wire from a baling wire supply roll to create a supply wire overlap. A second gripper arm grips the downstream loop section and moves it adjacent to the bale and generally parallel to wire from a baling wire supply roll to form a bale wire overlap.

Abstract: An automated method for the manufacture of a coil spring assembly including inserting coil springs having predetermined multiple spring rates into respective individual pockets of a continuous pocket strip in a predetermined order. The predetermined multiple spring rates of at least one coil spring may differ from that of the other coil springs, and each of the multi-rate coils has at least two different spring rates. One or more wires having a substantially uniform thickness are coiled to form the multiple rate coil springs before insertion into the continuous pocket strip. The wire is preferably coiled to produce a coil spring having at least two different diameters and at least two different pitches. The method also includes cutting the spring-filled strip into one or more desired lengths, placing at least two spring-filled lengths adjacent to each other; and attaching adjacent lengths together. A coil spring assembly may thus be provided with one or more firmness zones.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for securing a top panel cover of a mattress to an innerspring core include a plurality of clips attached to an upper border wire of the core. Each clip has one or more barbs that project inwardly with respect to the core. The cover is attached to the core by stretching and wrapping the edges of the cover over and around the border wire and pushing the edges against the barbs so that the barbs pierce the edges and hold the edges in a taut position at least partially wrapped around the border wire.