Patents by Inventor Joseph M. Wisniewski
Joseph M. Wisniewski has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 4918886Abstract: A modular room divider panel includes a raceway along its lower edge which contains and shields one or more multi-wire power harnesses that are protected from unauthorized access by lockable raceway cover plates. The harness comprises a pair of connector blocks, each formed with a pair outwardly endwise facing electrical connector receptacles connected to opposite ends of a bundled plurality of individual and individually insulated conductor wires. A medial web of the raceway frame has a central aperture through which an intermediate portion of the bundled conductor wires pass between opposite sides of the web and a pair of slots at opposite ends of the central aperture which seat the connector blocks such that the pair of receptacles of a connector blocks are disposed on opposite sides of the web. To accommodate a second harness, the medial web may be formed with another pair of openings spaced such that the pair of harnesses are mounted in overlapping or staggered relationship.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1989Date of Patent: April 24, 1990Assignee: HarpersInventors: Fredrick C. Benoit, Ruben Cardenas, Daniel Schmid, Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4471995Abstract: A chair wherein each cantilevered side arm terminates in a base portion positioned adjacent the rear edge of the seat. This base portion has an armlike mounting portion projecting forwardly therefrom into the interior of the seat. A U-shaped tubular frame is positioned within the interior of the seat so that the legs of the U-shaped frame project forwardly of the seat, and the bight of the U-shaped frame is positioned adjacent the rearward edge of the seat. The U-shaped frame is fixedly secured to a conventional chair-control frame as disposed interiorly of the seat. The rear portion of the U-shaped frame, including the bight and the elbows which join the bight to the legs, is inclined upwardly and rearwardly relative to the legs. The armlike mounting portions, as they project forwardly into the chair seat, are inclined downwardly at a similar angle. An upwardly opening, channel-like bracket is fixedly secured to each of the elbows.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1981Date of Patent: September 18, 1984Assignee: Haworth, Inc.Inventor: Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4440372Abstract: An extendible and contractible boot is disposed in surrounding relationship to the spindle assembly of a chair. The lower end of the boot is anchored to the pedestal associated with the chair base. The upper end of the boot is supported on the seat assembly by a retainer arrangement which prevents vertical separation between the boot and seat assembly but permits relative rotation therebetween. This retainer arrangement employs a bearing ring, preferably of a split construction, which is snugly and resiliently seated within the upper end of the boot. A retainer plate is secured relative to the spindle and is rotatably supported on the bearing ring.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1981Date of Patent: April 3, 1984Assignee: Haworth, Inc.Inventor: Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4394001Abstract: A threaded spindle as fixed to the chair seat is engaged with a nut positioned within the upper end of the base pedestal. A spring urges the nut for engagement with a clutch plate fixed to the pedestal. This clutch plate holds the nut nonrotatable so that when the chair seat is unoccupied and is rotated, the spindle threads through the nut so as to adjust the height of the chair seat. The nut and clutch plate have opposed engageable cam portions which effect automatic disengagement therebetween if the engaged nut and clutch plate are subjected to excessive torsional resistance. When the chair seat is occupied, the nut moves downwardly away from the clutch plate into engagement with a clutch washer which is seated on the pedestal but is nonrotatably keyed to the spindle, whereby the chair seat and the accompanying spindle and nut can freely rotate without causing a height adjustment to occur. A tube is positioned in surrounding relationship to the spindle and its lower end bears on the nut.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1981Date of Patent: July 19, 1983Assignee: Haworth, Inc.Inventor: Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4390210Abstract: A back structure for a chair including a cushion overlying an interior panel. The cushion has edge portions which wrap around the interior panel. A back panel is spaced from the interior panel, and the opposed edge portions of the panels clamp the edge portions of the cushion therebetween. A plurality of hidden connecting structures fixedly join the panels together. The connecting structure comprises a hub fixed to and projecting outwardly from one of the panels, and a shaft-like projection fixed to the other panel and projecting therefrom into the hub. A one-piece resilient fastener ring is positioned within the hub and has a first set of spring teeth which grippingly engage the hub and a second set of spring teeth which grippingly engage the projection for preventing the latter from being axially withdrawn from the hub.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1980Date of Patent: June 28, 1983Assignee: Haworth Mfg., Inc.Inventors: Joseph M. Wisniewski, Walter C. Mrotz, III
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Patent number: 4384742Abstract: An adjustable mechanism for use with an office chair, such as a secretarial chair, to allow vertical adjustment of the seat back. The mechanism includes a slide which is mounted on the chair back and is vertically slidably supported on an upright which projects from the seat portion of the chair. The slide has a latching lever pivotally mounted thereon and spring-urged into engagement with one of a series of notches formed along one side of an elongated slot formed in the upright. The notches, together with the latching projection formed on the lever, are defined by upper and lower edge surfaces which are individually generated about a centerpoint which is coincident with the pivot axis of the lever to maintain the chair back securely latched when either upward or downward external forces are imposed thereon.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1981Date of Patent: May 24, 1983Assignee: Haworth, Inc.Inventor: Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4327461Abstract: The specification discloses a glide within a glide, and most preferably three glides in one which enables the manufacturer to supply two or three different types of glides with one basic glide unit having common parts. The first glide member is made of hard plastic and has a rounded, bottom shoulder surrounding a downwardly opening cavity therein. A second glide member comprises a soft, plastic member seated within said cavity and projecting a short distance below said rounded shoulder, at least when the glide is unweighted. A third glide member comprises a metal cap which seats over the second glide member and against first glide member to provide a metal bottom surface type of glide.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1979Date of Patent: May 4, 1982Assignee: Steelcase Inc.Inventor: Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4265483Abstract: The specification discloses modular seating in which interchangeable arm and armless end frames include a common rear frame portion joined to each respective front frame portion in butt wise fashion to give an integrated rather than tacked on appearance. The arm and armless end frames both have arcuately inturned rear portions and the armless has a similar arcuately inturned front portion for joining to front and rear cross supports. In contrast, the upwardly extending front leg of the arm frame includes an inwardly projecting bracket for joining to the front cross support and a sleeve on the bracket compensates for the length of the inturned front portion of the armless frame. Since the front and rear cross supports are at different levels, a leveling bracket or apron having triangular shaped sides is mounted between the front and rear cross supports to levelly support a table top thereon.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1979Date of Patent: May 5, 1981Assignee: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: William B. Raftery, Ronald L. Whitwam, Joseph M. Wisniewski
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Patent number: 4183581Abstract: The specification discloses a chair control in which a generally upright back support member is pivotally mounted to a support arm extending rearwardly from beneath a seat support member, there being a releasable securing means for securing or alowing adjustment of the angle of the back support member relative to the support arm. The releasable securing means passes through adjacent bottom walls in the back support member and the support arm. The support arm includes an integrally formed safety stop detent flange which prevents the back rest from falling all the way rearwardly in the event that the releasable securing means inadvertently disengages.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1978Date of Patent: January 15, 1980Assignee: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Alexander A. Karrip, Joseph M. Wisniewski, Charles C. Pergler