The Upjohn Co.

Joseph F Sanson

Kurt Moser

Apparatus is disclosed for manufacturing a resilient cushion of foamed plastics material with an integrated cover cloth. The apparatus includes means for accepting a piece of cover cloth between frames to dispose the cloth across the mouth of a vacuum mould and control the peripheral contraction of the cloth as it is drawn into the mould by vacuum, prior to casting the foamable plastics mix into the mould. The apparatus limits the amount of peripheral contraction permitted in the cloth to avoid wrinkles or plaits in the surface of the finished cushion.

Apparatus for the manufacture of cushions

A method and apparatus are disclosed for preshaping a sheet material, more particularly a textile and/or a plastic sheet, under differential pressure in a molding die, whereby to form a sack-like structure which becomes integrally incorporated as the cover of a foamed plastic cushion, vehicle seat, protective padding element or similar article, by the introduction of a self-foaming elastomeric material into the sack while it is being held in the molding die.

Method of making a foam plastic cushion having a peripheral frame and an

An integrated cushion structure, such as automobile or aircraft seat or seat back, an office chair, or the like and the method of making it, are disclosed. The cushion structure is comprised of fabric or other pliable cover sheet material forming an envelope constituting the exposed surface as well as defining the shape or configuration of the cushion structure. The structure includes at least one internal pliable sheet material partitioning member disposed parallel to and co-extensive area-wise with the active seat or back-forming area of the finished product. The envelope is thus divided interiorily by the partitioning member into several compartments into which a foam mix is introduced. The method of manufacture involves first peripherally bonding together an assemblage of congruent cover and internal partitioning sheets, together with one or more similarly configured annular profile strips, to form a peripherally closed envelope. The envelope is provided with an access opening which permits the envelope to be inverted on itself (i.e., turned inside-out) upon completion of the seaming operation, preliminary to introduction of plastic foam mix. Such access opening may also serve to allow introduction of reinforcing grids, attachment fittings, etc., before introducing the plastic foam mix.

Cushion or seat structure of plastic foam with integrated cover and

A method is disclosed of reshaping a sheet of resiliently deformable material impervious to fluid by conforming it to the cavity of a female mold and casting a flexible plastic foam into contact with said sheet material, whereby said material is integrated with the foam and forms a cover sheet therefor. A perforated elastic diaphragm is interposed, during the reshaping and foam casting process, between the cover sheet and surface of the mold cavity so that the cover sheet is in superimposed direct contact with the diaphragm throughout its area. The two are clamped to the periphery of the mold to form a seal thereat, and a differential pressure is applied across the cover sheet and diaphragm. The sheet is therefore deformed against the walls of the mold simultaneously with the diaphragm and is stretched evenly with the diaphragm in order to produce uniform thickness. If the cavity of the mold has a complicated configuration a diaphragm of varying thickness is used in order to ensure uniform stretching of the sheet. In simple molds, the diaphragm can be made to slide against the walls of the mold by using a lubricant which does not come in contact with the sheet being molded. The sheet and diaphragm together stretch uniformly because the diaphragm can slide against the walls of the cavity.

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Beaugency, France

Joseph F Sanson