Patents by Inventor Walter Mersmann

Walter Mersmann 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).

  • Method of making chair base
    Patent number: 6704990
    Abstract: A chair base includes a rigid base member having a plurality of elongate tubular leg members disposed angularly around and radiating outwardly from a central hub. Each leg member adjacent an outer free end thereof has a hub structure defining a through vertical bore for retaining the pintle of a caster. The hub structure includes coaxially aligned upper and lower sleevelike hub parts which are monolithically and integrally joined to and extruded transversely into the interior of the leg member from the respective top and bottom walls thereof. The pintle-retaining hub structure is formed by a pierce-and-extrude process whereby small pilot openings are initially formed through the respective walls, and the annular wall portion surrounding the respective pilot opening is thereafter transversely extruded to effect forming of the respective hub part. The pierce-and-extrude process for each hub part is, in a preferred process, carried out by a single forming tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Manfred Kleinikel, Helmut Berkenkoetter, Walter Mersmann
  • Chair base
    Publication number: 20030189143
    Abstract: A chair base includes a rigid base member having a plurality of elongate tubular leg members disposed angularly around and radiating outwardly from a central hub. Each leg member adjacent an outer free end thereof has a hub structure defining a through vertical bore for retaining the pintle of a caster. The hub structure includes coaxially aligned upper and lower sleevelike hub parts which are monolithically and integrally joined to and extruded transversely into the interior of the leg member from the respective top and bottom walls thereof. The pintle-retaining hub structure is formed by a pierce-and-extrude process whereby small pilot openings are initially formed through the respective walls, and the annular wall portion surrounding the respective pilot opening is thereafter transversely extruded to effect forming of the respective hub part. The pierce-and-extrude process for each hub part is, in a preferred process, carried out by a single forming tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Manfred Kleinikel, Helmut Berkenkoetter, Walter Mersmann
  • Chair base
    Patent number: 6626404
    Abstract: A chair base includes a rigid base member having a plurality of elongate tubular leg members disposed angularly around and radiating outwardly from a central hub. Each leg member adjacent an outer free end thereof has a hub structure defining a through vertical bore for retaining the pintle of a caster. The hub structure includes coaxially aligned upper and lower sleevelike hub parts which are monolithically and integrally joined to and extruded transversely into the interior of the leg member from the respective top and bottom walls thereof. The pintle-retaining hub structure is formed by a pierce-and-extrude process whereby small pilot openings are initially formed through the respective walls, and the annular wall portion surrounding the respective pilot opening is thereafter transversely extruded to effect forming of the respective hub part. The pierce-and-extrude process for each hub part is, in a preferred process, carried out by a single forming tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Manfred Kleinikel, Helmut Berkenkoetter, Walter Mersmann
  • Chair base
    Publication number: 20030010879
    Abstract: A chair base includes a rigid base member having a plurality of elongate tubular leg members disposed angularly around and radiating outwardly from a central hub. Each leg member adjacent an outer free end thereof has a hub structure defining a through vertical bore for retaining the pintle of a caster. The hub structure includes coaxially aligned upper and lower sleevelike hub parts which are monolithically and integrally joined to and extruded transversely into the interior of the leg member from the respective top and bottom walls thereof. The pintle-retaining hub structure is formed by a pierce-and-extrude process whereby small pilot openings are initially formed through the respective walls, and the annular wall portion surrounding the respective pilot opening is thereafter transversely extruded to effect forming of the respective hub part. The pierce-and-extrude process for each hub part is, in a preferred process, carried out by a single forming tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Manfred Kleinikel, Helmut Berkenkoetter, Walter Mersmann