Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Rensland

Thomas E. Rensland 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: 4135836
    Abstract: A chair back mounted on a chair back support plate is pivotally connected by a resilient arrangement to a housing slideably mounted on a vertical post. The resilient arrangement includes a member of a resilient material with ends, each end having enlarged heads with an opening extending through the heads and a pivot groove positioned between the enlarged heads. Upon application of an external force, the chair back pivots about the groove and compresses the enlarged heads thereby closing the opening through the enlarged heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1979
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Rensland, Alexander A. Karrip
  • Patent number: 4005841
    Abstract: The specification discloses an article of furniture, specifically a chair base, in which the open sockets at the ends of the base arms are capped by a cap including a cover portion and a plug portion extending into the arm socket, the plug extending over and beyond the top of the pintle socket which is inside the leg and including a barb extending downwardly behind a portion of the pintle socket, the barb being sufficiently flexible as to allow it to slide over the pintle socket and slip down behind at least a portion of it whereby insertion of the cap is facilitated but removal is not. The plug also includes inclined locking ridges which engage the interior surface of the socket to further secure the cap in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1977
    Assignee: Steelcase, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Rensland, Robert C. Clawson, Alexander A. Karrip