Seating spring assembly and method

Claim 1

A seating spring assembly comprising (A) a series of elongate sinuous spring wires, each of said spring wires touching each of its adjacent spring wires at frequent intervals along their lengths, (B) frangible weld means provided at substantially the middle and at spaced apart additional touching locations intermediate opposite ends of adjacent spring wires, said frangible weld means temporarily securing together the touching locations of adjacent spring wires, and (C) a sleevelike plastic coating surrounding said spring wires and said frangible weld means, said plastic coating following the sinuosity of said spring wires and joining said spring wires together where said spring wires touch so that said spring wires, said frangible weld means, and said plastic coating comprise a unitary assembly, and whereby said frangible weld means is broken when said spring assembly is occupied by a person so that said plastic coating then constitutes the sole means holding said spring wires of said assembly together and the full flexibility and comfort of said seating spring assembly is retained.

Claim 6

A method of forming a seating spring assembly comprising the steps of (A) positioning a plurality of elongate sinuous spring wires in adjacent relationship with each spring wire touching each of its adjacent spring wires at frequent intervals along their lengths, (B) forming frangible welds at substantially the middle and at spaced apart touching additional locations intermediate opposite ends of adjacent spring wires to temporarily secure together adjacent spring wires of the spring assembly, and (C) forming a sleevelike plastic coating around the spring wires and the frangible welds so that the plastic coating follows the sinuosity of the spring wires and joins the spring wires together where the spring wires touch so that the spring wires, the frangible welds, and the plastic coating form a unitary assembly, and whereby the frangible welds are broken when the spring assembly is occupied by a person so that the plastic coating then constitutes the sole means holding the spring wires of the assembly together and the full flexibility and comfort of the seating spring assembly is retained.

Claim 7

A method of forming a seating spring assembly comprising the steps of (A) positioning a plurality of elongate sinuous spring wires in adjacent relationship with each spring wire touching each of its adjacent spring wires at frequent intervals along their lengths, (B) forming frangible welds at substantially the middle and at spaced apart touching additional locations intermediate opposite ends of adjacent spring wires to temporarily secure together adjacent spring wires of the spring assembly, and (C) forming a sleevelike plastic coating around the spring wires and the frangible welds so that the plastic coating follows the sinuosity of the spring wires and joins the spring wires together where the spring wires touch so that the spring wires, the frangible welds, and the plastic coating form a unitary assembly, and whereby the frangible welds are broken when the spring assembly is occupied by a person so that the plastic coating then constitutes the sole means holding the spring wires of the assembly together and the full flexibility and comfort of the seating spring assembly is retained.