Seat assembly work station and method of operation of same

A work station which is confrontable and operable by a seat assembly worker for the purpose of applying trim components to a previously partially assembled seating unit having a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion including a backrest cushion, said work station comprising:

• a pedestal for receiving a partly assembled seating unit in an inverted position with the seat bottom portion positioned on the pedestal and the seat back portion extending downwardly from the pedestal;
• means selectively operable by the worker confronting the pedestal to secure the seat bottom portion to the pedestal;
• means operative with the seat bottom portion secured to the pedestal to compress at least a portion of the backrest cushion;
• and
• control means for selectively operating the means to compress.

A work station which is confrontable and operable by a worker for the purpose of applying trim components to a previously partially assembled seating unit having a seat frame and bottom and backrest cushions, said work station comprising:

• a pedestal confronting the worker for receiving the seating unit in an inverted position with the bottom cushion positioned on the pedestal and the backrest cushion extending downwardly from the pedestal;
• means for releasably securing the bottom cushion to the pedestal;
• power-assist stretcher means engageable with a bottom edge of a backrest cover on the backrest cushion for stretching the cover toward the bottom cushion, thereby to the assist the worker in finalizing securement of the backrest cover to the seat frame;
• and
• control means selectively operable by the operator for extending and retracting the stretcher means.

A method assembling trim components to a previously partially assembled seating unit having a seat frame, a bottom cushion and a backrest cushion comprising the steps of:

• a) applying a backrest cushion cover and a bottom cushion cover to the partially assembled unit;
• b) placing the plurality assembled unit with the backrest and bottom cushion covers on a rotatable pedestal in an inverted orientation and a first angular position;
• c) activating a first power means thereby compressing the bottom cushion against the pedestal and, simultaneously, securing the seating unit to the pedestal;
• d) mechanically securing the bottom cushion cover to the seat frame;
• e) rotating the pedestal with the seating unit secured thereto about a vertical axis to a second angular position;
• f) compressing at least a portion of the backrest cushion while in the second position;
• and
• g) thereafter mechanically securing bottom edges of the backrest cushion cover to the seat frame.