Coil springs
Sep 20, 2007 7:28 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
I finally got bored enough that I decided to spend some time boning up on coil springs / innerspring mattresses.

Time to learn about Bonnell springs, coil counts, wire gauge, and whatever else is important in the world of innerspring mattresses...
This message was modified Sep 20, 2007 by haysdb
Re: Coil springs
Reply #5 Sep 20, 2007 10:01 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Bed Express

There are 4 types of innerspring units used in today's mattresses:
  • Individual Pocket Coil - Considered the most conforming coil. Gives a mattress a very "quiet" feel. This coil produces the least amount of motion when someone else sits or lies on the bed. Coil counts range from 580 to 704.
  • Continuous Coil - Each row of coils is made up of one continuous wire, rather than each coil being a seperate wire. Considered a firm, yet individually conforming coil. The firmest coils Leggett & Platt makes are constructed this way. Coil counts range from 442 to 755.
  • Offset Coil - Each coil is oval in shape lapped over the coil in the next row. Considered a firm, yet individually conforming coil. Coil counts range from 368 to 680.
  • Bonnell Coil - Classic "hour glass" shaped coil found in most basic bedding. Coil counts range from 210 to 364

Innerspring units are named by the number of coils in a full (or double) size bed. To compare coils, you must know the number of coils in a full size, regardless of the size bed you are actually buying.
Leggett & Platt
Reply #6 Sep 20, 2007 10:08 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Leggett & Platt (Wikipedia entry)

The 124-year-old firm comprises 28 business units, 33,000 employee-partners, and more than 300 facilities located in over 20 countries.

2004: Revenues exceed $5 billion.

Company History

In 1883 in Carthage, Missouri, far removed from any major metropolitan or urban areas, a historical partnership began. J.P. Leggett, an inventor, initiated the partnership because he had developed an innovative bedspring. Mr. Leggett’s bedspring consisted of single cone spring wire coils, formed and interlaced in a unique manner, then mounted on a wood slat base. The bedspring could then be used as a resilient, durable base for the then-popular cotton, feather or horsehair mattresses. Needing expertise in manufacturing and production, he recruited his brother-in-law, C.B. Platt, whose father owned and operated Platt Plow Works, into the partnership. Together, they perfected the equipment necessary to produce the components of their Leggett & Platt bedspring, which was patented in 1885.


Bedspring vs. Innerspring

At the time of their invention, bedsprings referred to cone-shaped wire coiled springs, attached to a wooden slat foundation, used to support then-popular mattresses. These mattresses were typically made of horse hair, corn husks, cotton, feathers, or another soft material. Early bedsprings functioned similarly to today's box springs in their support of a mattress. However, box springs are rather rigid in structure, while bedsprings provide a more flexible surface.

Innersprings, by contrast, refer to the core system of wire springs that, along with various types of foam and other padding materials, comprise the insides of today's mattress. The mattress is usually coupled with a box spring to create a sleep set. Innersprings can be coiled springs laced together, continuous coil springs, or individually pocketed springs, that support a person sleeping on the mattress.
Re: Coil springs
Reply #7 Sep 20, 2007 10:14 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605

Mattresses (Wikipedia entry)


Types of coils

There are four different types of mattress coils:

  • Bonnell coils are the oldest and most common. First adapted from buggy seat springs of the 19th century, they are still prevalent in less expensive mattresses. Bonnell coils are hourglass-shaped, and the ends of the wire are knotted or wrapped around the top and bottom circular portion of the coil and self-tied.
  • Marshall coils, also called "pocketed coils," are each wrapped in a fabric encasement and usually are tempered, or in the case of the Simmons Beautyrest carbon magnesium is added. Some manufacturers pre-compress these coils, which makes the mattress firmer and allows for motion separation between the sides of the bed.
  • Offset coils are designed to hinge, thus conforming to body shape. They are very sturdy, stable innersprings that provide great support.
  • Continuous coils Or Mira-coils, Work by a hinging effect, similar to that of offset coils. In a basic sense a continuous coil is simply that, one continuous coil in and up and down fashion forming one row (usually from head to toe) of what appear to be invidiual coils. The advantages of how firm a support the continuous coil provides is somewhat tempered with the 'noise' associated from a typical mira coil unit.

www.sleepdex.org

Offset coils are more expensive than Bonnell or Marshall coil springs but they are designed to hinge for more support and comfort in a mattress. Offset coils conform better to body shape than Bonnell or Marshall coils. Continuous coils are thought to provide the maximum coil strength by working together and gathering strength off of the next coil. Continuous coils work similar to offset coils in that they conform and distribute body weight efficiently and limit the transfer of motion; two qualities that are highly prized in today’s modern mattress.


The Do-Not-Remove Tag

All mattresses and pillows come adorned with the anxiety producing do-not-remove-under-penalty-of-law tag. This innocuous piece of reinforced paper strikes fear into the hearts of millions of consumers who would love to cut the annoying tag off of their product. Well, consumers unite! Go right on ahead and rip off that tag! There are no pillow police or mattress monitors that will show up at your door, cuffs in hand, ready to cart you off to the tag remover reformatory. The tag was intended to provide important consumer information regarding the compliance of the construction materials with federal use and flammability regulations, the content of the product, as well as to give consumers product care instructions and wearability info. If the tag is removed by the seller, it is certainly a violation of federal law. However, the consumer is welcome to remove the tag at will.


The Better Sleep Council - Don't be fooled by their name or their nonprofit status, the Better Sleep Council is the mattress industry and they attempt to get people to buy mattresses. Their website encourages people to throw out old mattresses after 5 to 7 years or even when you find you've had a better night's sleep in another bed. This is probably overkill, although it is a good idea to not continue to sleep on an old dilapidated mattress.


Disposing of old mattresses

The Salvation Army will take donations of mattresses, but they prefer items that are in decent condition. Don't call them if your old mattress is too dilapidated. The good thing about the Salvation Army is that they will come pick up the mattress, and sometimes you can even leave the mattress outside if you aren't going to be home. Call your local Salvation Army (they are in the phone book) to confirm that they will take mattresses and to schedule a pick up.
This message was modified Sep 20, 2007 by haysdb
Leggett & Platt patents
Reply #8 Sep 20, 2007 10:41 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Leggett & Platt patents

A few of their 189 patents

This message was modified Sep 20, 2007 by haysdb
Re: Coil springs
Reply #9 Sep 20, 2007 10:48 PM
Joined: Sep 10, 2007
Points: 690
This website from L&amp;P bedding (Legget &amp; Platt) really explains their products well. You can click on each one of their innerspring systems to see details, including illustrations.&nbsp; I have the LuraFlex open offset coil. Supportive, but conforming.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><A href="http://www.beddingcomponents.com/innersprings.asp"><SPAN style="COLOR: #810081">Leggett &amp; Platt - Bedding Group</SPAN></A>
Re: Coil springs
Reply #10 Sep 20, 2007 11:03 PM
Joined: Sep 10, 2007
Points: 690
<BR><BR>Go to Leggett &amp; Platt---Bedding Group<BR><BR><BR>http://www.beddingcomponents.com/innersprings.asp<BR><BR><BR>You will find detailed information on all of their innersprings and boxpsprings. A great site!<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> haysdb wrote:
I finally got bored enough that I decided to spend some time boning up on coil springs / innerspring mattresses.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Time to learn about Bonnell springs, coil counts, wire gauge, and whatever else is important in the world of innerspring mattresses...
Re: Coil springs
Reply #11 Sep 20, 2007 11:14 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Here is a picture of a continue coil system NOT made by Leggett & Platt

WicklineBedding.com

Superlastic is the trade name for the continuous coil system found in Sleep Wickline Mattresses... its was developed in Sweden in cooperation with Rolls Royce. Conventional spring support was not enough for this ultra premium car, so engineers develoed a continuous wire product for greater support and durability. The same quality and support features holds true for the Wickline Innnerspring System.

Re: Coil springs
Reply #12 Sep 20, 2007 11:22 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Thanks for a great link BeddyBye

Leggett & Platt Innersprings

Descriptions of each of Leggett & Platt's innerspring products.

LURA-FLEX™      
Lura-Flex™ is perhaps the best Offset design spring system available. Each coil flexes independently for more sensitivity to body contours, and more durability with less friction.

LuraFlex.pdf
   
This message was modified Sep 20, 2007 by haysdb
Re: Coil springs
Reply #13 Sep 21, 2007 2:49 AM
Joined: Sep 10, 2007
Points: 690
How did you get that link into your post??? I tried!&nbsp; I notice L&amp;P has a new coil called Verti-Coil. I wonder how that is compared to the LuraFlex. I love researching this kind of stuff!
This message was modified Sep 27, 2007 by a moderator
Re: Coil springs
Reply #14 Aug 30, 2010 12:42 PM
Location: NE Ohio / NW Pennsylvania
Joined: Aug 26, 2010
Points: 62
"Remember: Once you're asleep, every mattress feels the same."

LOL!   This thread is a good short primer. 

Here's another guide and it also discusses foundations a little:  http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HI_08.pdf

Here's another, more global, perspective:    http://www.mattressinside.com/orthopedic.html

This message was modified Aug 30, 2010 by TC2334

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