Patents by Inventor Wallace C. Bullwinkle

Wallace C. Bullwinkle 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: 7310918
    Abstract: A wall spine assembly for a modular office system comprises a plurality of individual panel assemblies. Each of the panel assemblies includes a vertical support structure and mechanically affixed lower panels in a rigid box-beam structure. Facing panels are removably attached to support brackets mounted on the vertical supports. A cavity exists between the facing panels and vertical supports to permit the lay-in of cabling through the office system. A crown member is provided on the top of the vertical support and is adapted to receive brackets for the mounting of accessories above a desk or other work surface attached to the panel. The panels, and especially the crown, permit the mounting of office components such as shelves, storage cabinets, lighting fixtures and the like anywhere along the horizontal length of the wall. A horizontally telescoping vertical end post is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Charles P. Rozier, Jr., Wallace C. Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 6389773
    Abstract: A stackable panel system having a versatile corner supporting arrangement for addition onto existing wall systems for a modular office system. The corners of the stackable panel include a sliding engagement scheme, wherein a mast assembly is secured to a top portion of the wall system by a mast base and slidably engages a central open area of a corner support on the stackable panel by means of a vertically oriented mast upright. Additional panels can be added to the stackable panels by means of intermediate connectors. On the upper portion of the top panel, a corner trim piece covers over the central open area of the top corners. A top connector helps to rigidly secure adjacent stackable panels, either with a T-shaped, L-shaped or X-shaped connection. A perimeter framing system utilizing the corner support arrangement for the stackable panels is also provided. Each of the frame members includes a semi-circular section and a flat section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Wallace C. Bullwinkle, Ronald A. Snyder
  • Patent number: 6367213
    Abstract: A wall spine assembly for a modular office system comprises a plurality of individual panel assemblies. Each of the panel assemblies includes a vertical support structure and mechanically affixed lower panels in a rigid box-beam structure. Facing panels are removably attached to support brackets mounted on the vertical supports. A cavity exists between the facing panels and vertical supports to permit the lay-in of cabling through the office system. A crown member is provided on the top of the vertical support and is adapted to receive brackets for the mounting of accessories above a desk or other work surface attached to the panel. The panels, and especially the crown, permit the mounting of office components such as shelves, storage cabinets, lighting fixtures and the like anywhere along the horizontal length of the wall. A horizontally telescoping vertical end post is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Charles P. Rozier, Jr., Wallace C. Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 6167664
    Abstract: A wall spine assembly for a modular office system comprises a plurality of individual panel assemblies. Each of the panel assemblies includes a vertical support structure and mechanically affixed lower panels in a rigid box-beam structure. Facing panels are removably attached to support brackets mounted on the vertical supports. A cavity exists between the facing panels and vertical supports to permit the lay-in of cabling through the office system. A crown member is provided on the top of the vertical support and is adapted to receive brackets for the mounting of accessories above a desk or other work surface attached to the panel. The panels, and especially the crown, permit the mounting of office components such as shelves, storage cabinets, lighting fixtures and the like anywhere along the horizontal length of the wall. A horizontally telescoping vertical end post is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Charles P. Rozier, Jr., Wallace C. Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 6021613
    Abstract: A wall spine assembly for a modular office system comprises a plurality of individual panel assemblies. Each of the panel assemblies includes a vertical support structure and mechanically affixed lower panels in a rigid box-beam structure. Facing panels are removably attached to support brackets mounted on the vertical supports. A cavity exists between the facing panels and vertical supports to permit the lay-in of cabling through the office system. A crown member is provided on the top of the vertical support and is adapted to receive brackets for the mounting of accessories above a desk or other work surface attached to the panel. The panels, and especially the crown, permit the mounting of office components such as shelves, storage cabinets, lighting fixtures and the like anywhere along the horizontal length of the wall. A horizontally telescoping vertical end post is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Charles P. Rozier, Jr., Wallace C. Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 5918433
    Abstract: A network of electrical raceways primarily for carrying telephone and data cable wires extends in vertical and horizontal directions through a modular partition system and enables vertical and horizontal lines such as signal wires to be inserted and removed from the surface of horizontal and vertical channel members. Vertical raceways are provided by a vertical spine attached between adjacent panels. The vertical raceways have resilient elongated tubes with a longitudinal slit forming a seam, with resilience and stiffness sufficient to retain any enclosed wires. The tube is deflectable to permit manual, forcible insertion and removal of the wires into and out from the vertical wireway. Splicing fixtures continue the raceways around vertical to horizontal diversions, also being accessible from the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Wallace C. Bullwinkle, R. Douglas Reuter
  • Patent number: 5901512
    Abstract: An office partition panel is electrically attached to an adjacent panel and/or a power source line. The panel has a body to be mounted upright on a lower edge having an elongated weldment forming a channel opening upwardly. Frame elements engage between the body and the weldment, spacing the channel from the body and from a lowermost channel forming the lower edge of the panel. The weldment provides lateral access to the channel for laying in wiring. An electrical fixture such as an outlet receptacle is mounted along the channel, and the channel supports the electrical wiring terminating at the electrical fixture. The wiring path leads from the channel in one panel to an adjacent panel and a bridge channel element attaches to the weldment to extend the channel across a gap between the adjacent panels. A cover strip removably mountable on the lower edge covers the channel laterally for enclosing the electrical wiring, and a bridge cover strip covers the bridge channel element across the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventor: Wallace C. Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 5685113
    Abstract: A network of electrical raceways primarily for carrying telephone and data cable wires extends in vertical and horizontal directions through a modular partition system and enables vertical and horizontal lines such as signal wires to be inserted and removed from the surface of horizontal and vertical channel members. Vertical raceways are provided by a vertical spine attached between adjacent panels. The vertical raceways have resilient elongated tubes with a longitudinal slit forming a seam, with resilience and stiffness sufficient to retain any enclosed wires. The tube is deflectable to permit manual, forcible insertion and removal of the wires into and out from the vertical wireway. Splicing fixtures continue the raceways around vertical to horizontal diversions, also being accessible from the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Knoll, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Reuter, Wallace C. Bullwinkle, R. Douglas Reuter
  • Patent number: 5226705
    Abstract: A fully enclosed structural support stanchion for furniture is provided, having an internal cavity which may receive standard modular office furniture electrical service cabling, and which is provided with a demountable front accessory panel to which plural electrical or electronic accessories may be mounted such that a portion of the accessory extends into the stanchion and releasably connects to one end of the standard modular furniture electrical service cabling. The stanchion is constructed with rigid materials so that it can act as a support for an overhead bookshelf or other storage facility, and the stanchion is further provided with a large internal storage cavity into which small office supplies or other articles may be placed and stored behind a hinged, selectively closable door. The stanchion further includes an elongated bracket support which may receive standard shelf brackets, permitting the stanchion to act as a cantilever support for structures such as shelves secured to the shelf brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: A. Brooks Rorke, Wallace C. Bullwinkle, William I. Stephens, Robert E. Reuter, John J. Rizzi
  • Patent number: 5172969
    Abstract: A cabinet is provided with a curved, upwardly-swinging door and interior shelves. The curved shelf door is mounted on a pair of opposed arms which rotate on a horizontal axis. Each arm is provided with two opposed, circularly arcuate slots and a central ellipsoidal slot, each slot engaging a fixed stud at the side of the cabinet. The ellipsoidal slot and its corresponding stud provide a center pivot for each of the arms. The arms are mounted inside the cabinet on opposed interior side walls. Lighting can be provided in a formed recess in the bottom of the cabinet. The cabinet can also be provided with plural internal shelves supported on planar brackets. The cabinet further can be provided with a pair of side-by-side doors and a center wall. Arms are mounted on each side of the center wall and adjacent the interior side walls of the cabinet, for separately mounting the doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Robert Reuter, Wallace C. Bullwinkle, Larry L. Hoff, Robert E. Anderson, Arkady Golynsky, Al Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5160188
    Abstract: A fully enclosed structural support stanchion for furniture is provided, having an internal cavity which may receive standard modular office furniture electrical service cabling, and which is provided with a demountable front accessory panel to which plural electrical or electronic accessories may be mounted such that a portion of the accessory extends into the stanchion and releasably connects to one end of the standard modular furniture electrical service cabling. The stanchion is constructed with rigid materials so that it can act as a support for an overhead bookshelf or other storage facility, and the stanchion is further provided with a large internal storage cavity into which small office supplies or other articles may be placed and stored behind a hinged, selectively closable door. The stanchion further includes an elongated bracket support which may receive standard shelf brackets, permitting the stanchion to act as a cantilever support for structures such as shelves secured to the shelf brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: A. Brooks Rorke, Wallace C. Bullwinkle, William I. Stephens, Robert E. Reuter, John J. Rizzi
  • Patent number: 5108165
    Abstract: A combined slider and hinge structure for a vertical cabinet door is disclosed, which permits the cabinet door to be constructed with its hinged edge arranged flush with the side of the cabinet to which it is hinged. The inventive structure includes front and back columnar interior frame members, upper and lower slides secured to the frame members, an elongated anti-rack plate secured to the sliding members of the upper and lower slides, upper and lower flush-mount hinges secured to the anti-rack plate inwardly of and adjacent to the slides, and a door secured to the hinges. A false exterior panel can be placed over the frame members, slides, and anti-rack plate to conceal them. In operation, the door is rotated on the hinges to an open position, and thereafter the slides are operated by pushing the door directly toward the rear of the cabinet structure, retracting the door and concealing it behind the false exterior panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: A. Brooks Rorke, Wallace C. Bullwinkle
  • Patent number: 5088801
    Abstract: An integrated system for storing and transporting files, flat materials, and office supplies is disclosed, including a file cabinet having bottomless drawers for receiving hanging file and supply holders, a briefcase having inward-facing ledges for receiving hanging holders, and a portable, unitary file holder compatible with standard letter and legal-size hanging file drawers. The file holder includes twin handles for grasping and carrying the file holder, a hanging file rail disposed within the file holder for supporting standard letter-size files, non-slip feet for placing the unitary file holder on any suitable surface, a plurality of divider panels and a file holder bottom portion disposed to receive such panels. A briefcase is provided and is adapted to receive such file holders by hanging and supporting them using means similar to a standard hanging file drawer. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a file holder is provided which is molded of a relatively rigid thermoplastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: A. Brooks Rorke, Wallace C. Bullwinkle