Patents by Inventor Larry Allen Wilkerson

Larry Allen Wilkerson 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).

  • Patent number: 6361110
    Abstract: A tilt control mechanism for an office chair includes a spring arrangement which permits forward and rearward tilting of the chair while also urging the chair to a normal upright position. The spring arrangement includes front and rear springs which act in combination such that the upward acting forces acting on the chair can be varied during use. The forces being applied by the front spring are adjusted by a side-actuated tension adjustment mechanism which incorporates a wedge block for adjusting the spring forces. Further, the rear springs provide a variable spring force such that the spring force is maximized when in the normal position but is decreased substantially once the chair is fully reclined. This reduction in spring force allows a user to maintain the chair in the fully reclined position with significantly less force than was required to tilt the chair rearwardly while a sufficient spring force continues to be applied by the front spring to urge the chair to the normal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Roslund, Jr., Patrick Nelson, Larry Allen Wilkerson, Troy Roark, Joel Dral, Steve Simpson, John Clark
  • Publication number: 20010000939
    Abstract: A tilt control mechanism for an office chair includes a spring arrangement which permits forward and rearward tilting of the chair while also urging the chair to a normal upright position. The spring arrangement includes front and rear springs which act in combination such that the upward acting forces acting on the chair can be varied during use. The forces being applied by the front spring are adjusted by a side-actuated tension adjustment mechanism which incorporates a wedge block for adjusting the spring forces. Further, the rear springs provide a variable spring force such that the spring force is maximized when in the normal position but is decreased substantially once the chair is fully reclined. This reduction in spring force allows a user to maintain the chair in the fully reclined position with significantly less force than was required to tilt the chair rearwardly while a sufficient spring force continues to be applied by the front spring to urge the chair to the normal position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: May 10, 2001
    Applicant: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Roslund, Patrick Nelson, Larry Allen Wilkerson, Troy Roark, Joel Dral, Steve Simpson, John Clark
  • Patent number: 6059363
    Abstract: An office-type chair which includes a seat assembly and back assembly that are pivotally supported on a chair base or pedestal to support a user thereon. To increase the comfort of the user, the seat assembly is tiltable forwardly and rearwardly by way of a tilt control mechanism while the back assembly thereof is tiltable laterally from side to side, i.e. in the leftward and rightward directions by way of a back torsion mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Roslund, Jr., Robert T. Ritt, Patrick Nelson, Larry Allen Wilkerson, Joel Dral, John Clark
  • Patent number: 6015187
    Abstract: A tilt control mechanism for an office chair includes a spring arrangement which permits forward and rearward tilting of the chair while also urging the chair to a normal upright position. The spring arrangement includes front and rear springs which act in combination such that the upward acting forces acting on the chair can be varied during use. The forces being applied by the front spring are adjusted by a side-actuated tension adjustment mechanism which incorporates a wedge block for adjusting the spring forces. Further, the rear springs provide a variable spring force such that the spring force is maximized when in the normal position but is decreased substantially once the chair is fully reclined. This reduction in spring force allows a user to maintain the chair in the fully reclined position with significantly less force than was required to tilt the chair rearwardly while a sufficient spring force continues to be applied by the front spring to urge the chair to the normal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Roslund, Jr., Patrick Nelson, Larry Allen Wilkerson, Troy Roark, Joel Dral, Steve Simpson, John Clark