Patents Assigned to Ditto Sales, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6523795
    Abstract: A furniture leg wire management apparatus is configured for use with a furniture leg formed by opposite leg posts separated by a gap. The apparatus includes a legway defined by an elongated tubular body. The body includes a forward portion and opposite clamping arms that are resiliently deflectable toward each other. The clamping arms are deflected when the legway is pushed into the gap between the leg posts and provide an outwardly directed force to clamp the legway in this operative position. The tubular body further includes a central rib terminated in a rear flange. The central rib divides the legway into two wire/cable channels, while the rear flange cooperates with the clamping arms to define opposite elongated slots. The slots communicate with the two cable channels to provide an avenue to feed the wires/cables into a corresponding channel. The wire management apparatus further includes a decorative cover plate that is removably mounted on the legway to improve its aesthetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gutgsell, Scott Schwinghammer
  • Patent number: 6348658
    Abstract: An electrical raceway assembly for use with a structure. The assembly includes an elongated raceway and decorative plates engageable to an elongate tongue and groove along the length of the raceway. The plates include at least one elongate rib extending along the length of the plate. The rib includes a projection receivable within the groove in cooperative interlocking engagement. In a specific embodiment, a second tongue and groove is adjacent the first tongue and groove and is contiguous with the first groove to form a substantially C-shaped cross-section. In other embodiments, the rib includes a second projection extending oppositely from the first projection so that the rib has a T-shaped cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gutgsell, Scott Schwinghammer, Burton L. Siegal
  • Patent number: 6348660
    Abstract: An electrical raceway assembly for use with a structure is provided, comprising an elongated raceway engageable to the structure and having a length, a transverse base and a pair of opposite upstanding sidewalls extending along the length to define at least one channel configured for retaining electrical wires. A cover attachable to the raceway to occlude a portion of the channel is included. The cover includes an elongated face plate having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The cover is configured for snap fit engagement with the raceway. One end of the cover is rotatable, about a longitudinal axis of the raceway, between an open position in which a portion of a channel of the raceway is exposed and a closed position in which the other end of the cover is engaged to the raceway. A flange extends from one of the portions of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gutgsell, Kenneth A. Kern, Lawrence Rapier
  • Patent number: 6293506
    Abstract: A furniture leg wire management apparatus is configured for use with a furniture leg formed by opposite leg posts separated by a gap. The apparatus includes a legway defined by an elongated tubular body. The body includes a forward portion and opposite clamping arms that are resiliently deflectable toward each other. The clamping arms are deflected when the legway is pushed into the gap between the leg posts and provide an outwardly directed force to clamp the legway in this operative position. The tubular body further includes a central rib terminated in a rear flange. The central rib divides the legway into two wire/cable channels, while the rear flange cooperates with the clamping arms to define opposite elongated slots. The slots communicate with the two cable channels to provide an avenue to feed the wires/cables into a corresponding channel. The wire management apparatus further includes a decorative cover plate that is removably mounted on the legway to improve its aesthetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gutgsell, Scott Schwinghammer
  • Patent number: 6244193
    Abstract: An electrical raceway assembly for use with a structure is provided. The elongated raceway is engageable to the structure and has a length, a transverse base and a pair of opposite upstanding sidewalls extending along the length to define at least one channel configured for retaining electrical wires. A locking element secures and detachably engages the raceway to a surface of the structure. In one embodiment, the locking element includes a mounting plate, a stud, a core, and a locking lever. The stud has a threaded first end, an opposite second end, and a shoulder between the first and second end. The threaded first end is insertable through an opening defined in the mounting plate to engage a threaded hole in the surface of the structure. The core has a rounded outer surface and defines a thru-hole for receiving the second end of the stud. The locking lever includes a handle portion and a rounded camming portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gutgsell, Scott Schwinghammer, Burton L. Siegal
  • Patent number: 6137057
    Abstract: An electrical raceway assembly for use with a structure is provided, including an elongated raceway engageable to the structure and having a length, a transverse base and a pair of opposite upstanding sidewalls extending along the length to define at least one channel configured for retaining electrical wires. A cover attachable to the raceway to occlude a portion of the channel is included. The cover includes an elongated face plate having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The face plate has a first portion and an opposite second portion. The cover is configured for snap fit engagement with the raceway. One end of the cover is rotatable, about a longitudinal axis of the raceway, between an open position in which a portion of a channel of the raceway is exposed and a closed position in which the other end of the cover is engaged to the raceway. A flange extends from one of the portions of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: 6048127
    Abstract: A furniture system is which disclosed comprises a first and second structures 2, 5 each having a horizontal member 3, 6 and a number of vertical members 4, 7 that support the first horizontal member 3, 6. A releasable connection device 10 is included for each of the structures 2, 5. Each releasable connection device 10 has an attachment portion 15 configured to engage to one of the support members 4, 7 of one of the structures 2, 5. The connection device 10 further comprises an elongated connection portion 24 that projects from the attachment portion 15. A female fastener 30 is defined on a surface 29 of the connection portion 20, and a male fastener 40 projects from the surface 29 adjacent the female fastener 30. The male and female fasteners 40, 30 are snap engageable with respective female and male fastener 30, 40 of the other of the releasable connection device 10 engaged to one of the support members of the other of the structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Kern, Lawrence Rapier
  • Patent number: 5967820
    Abstract: An electrical system for use with interconnected or ganged furniture includes electrical receptacles for each article of furniture and a plurality of electrical cables for connecting the receptacles. The receptacles and cables have specifically coded terminal groups and connector terminal groups that prevent interconnection of more than a specific allotted number of receptacles. An initial receptacle includes a substantially permanent power cord for plugging into a conventional wall socket. A last receptacle has only an input terminal group and a blank output. Intermediate receptacles are provided so that the total electrical system is limited to twelve sockets among the first, last and intermediate receptacles. In one embodiment, five terminal groups are provided. The receptacles are configured so that the input and output terminal groups for the receptacle are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: Burton L. Siegal, Scott Schwinghammer, David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: 5957530
    Abstract: A device for ganging chairs or other articles of furniture that includes a connecting body with a pivot end and a ganging end. The pivot end includes a first clip or a recess, and the ganging end includes a second clip. The first clip or recess and the second clip releasably engage the structural frames of a first chair and a second chair. The ganging device may include protuberances for mounting the connecting body to a single chair in order to store the device under the seat. The pivot end may also be rotatably engaged to the first chair so that the device rotates from a first position in which the ganging end is releasably engaged to the second chair to a second position in which the ganging device is stored on the first chair. When in the stored position, the device is releasably engaged to the seat pan of the first chair. The connecting body may also include a middle portion for placement of a nameplate or logo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David Gutgsell
  • Patent number: 5954525
    Abstract: An extendable/retractable temporary electrical receptacle assembly 10 is provided for mounting within an opening formed in the work surface S of an article of furniture, such as a table T. The receptacle assembly 10 includes a bezel 11 that is mounted by use of resilient locking tabs within the opening and a hollow receptacle formed from an upper portion 12 joined to a lower portion 3. The upper portion 12 carries an array of electrical/data sockets 21, 22 that are accessible above the work surface S when the receptacle assembly 10 is in an extended position. In a retracted position, the upper portion 12 is wholly contained within the bezel 11 to hide the array of sockets 21, 22. A pair of compression springs 55 is disposed within spring channels 52, 53 formed in the upper and lower portions of the receptacle. The springs 55 are bottomed on tabs 38 projecting inwardly from the bezel 11 and into the spring channels 52 in the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: Burton L. Siegal, David R. Gutgsell, Scott Schwinghammer
  • Patent number: 5913272
    Abstract: A folding leg apparatus is provided to mount a leg to an article of furniture, such as a tabletop, so that the leg can be moved between extended and retracted positions. The table leg has a pair of upright bars disposed apart from each other. the apparatus includes a pair of support brackets mounted to the underside of the tabletop and straddling the upright bars of the leg. A pair of swivel brackets and a pair of brace links are pivotably mounted at opposite ends of each support bracket. A pair of pivot rods are attached to the upright bars adjacent the free end of the leg, and the swivel brackets and brace links are pivotably connected to a corresponding pivot rod. The apparatus includes a latch and release mechanism that includes a release lever having an actuator plate positioned within the envelope of the support brackets. The release lever includes a pair of lever arms that each define a locking notch for receiving one of the pivot rods therein to lock the leg in its upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gutgsell, Scott Schwinghammer
  • Patent number: 5365861
    Abstract: A latch mechanism for a folding table in which the table includes stowable legs, a modesty panel and a horizontal table top supported by the legs. The latch mechanism latches the legs of the table into an upright position. The latch mechanism includes a pin rigidly fastened to a leg of the table such that the tip of the pin projects away from the leg. A cantilever spring plate defining a bore sized to receive at least a portion of the tip of the pin therethrough is attached to the modesty panel of the table. The bore of the spring plate aligns with the pin when the table is opened to its upright position. The cantilever spring plate includes a bend which resiliently biases the spring plate away from the modesty panel. The pin is freed from the bore allowing the legs of the table to move to their stowed position when the spring plate is moved toward the modesty panel against the biasing action of the cantilever spring plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: 5182996
    Abstract: An apparatus for interconnecting table tops and table leaves comprises a number of complementary bracket assemblies and thumbscrew fasteners mounted to juxtaposed table tops or leaves. The bracket assemblies include a bracket having a pivot end, a connection end, and a first slot defining an arcuate opening between the two ends. The bracket is pivotably connected at its pivot end to a first table top. A fastener extending through the first slot and fastened to the table top limits the degree of pivoting of the bracket between a first position in which the bracket projects beyond the edge of the first table top and a second position in which the bracket is retracted completely beneath the first table top. A second slot is defined at the connection end of the bracket for engaging one of the thumbscrew fasteners in the second table top. In one embodiment, the second slot provides for linear engagement, requiring extension of the bracket and then physical movement of the table tops together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1993
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: D439772
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: D462535
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Lucci, Paolo Orlandini
  • Patent number: D477925
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Lucci, Paolo Orlandini
  • Patent number: D335983
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Ditto Sales Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: D337906
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutsell
  • Patent number: D412256
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell
  • Patent number: D435370
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Ditto Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Gutgsell