US 7,703,727 · Granted 2010-04-27
The Wedge Assembly That Adjusts With a Twist
This patent describes a clever mechanical system where two angled wedges slide past each other to change the height between two surfaces. You rotate a threaded rod, and it pulls the wedges closer or farther apart, making the gap between them bigger or smaller — kind of like how a scissor jack works, but with wedges instead of crossed arms.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a spacer system made of two wedges with slanted faces that face each other. As a threaded rod rotates, collar members attached to the rod move along the rod's length, pushing the wedges to slide against each other and change the vertical distance between the top and bottom surfaces. What's protected here is the specific mechanical arrangement where wedge motion is controlled by rotating a threaded rod, allowing smooth, adjustable height changes without direct twisting of the wedges themselves.
Why it matters
This patent creates a compact, mechanical way to adjust spacing or height in furniture and fixtures without requiring separate hydraulic systems or complex electronics. The design is simple enough to manufacture at low cost while providing smooth, predictable adjustment — a useful feature for furniture makers who need customer-adjustable components, modular shelving systems, or leveling mechanisms that must remain reliable over many adjustment cycles.
Real-world use
If you've ever used an adjustable furniture foot or a desk riser with a hand knob that smoothly changes height, you may have encountered this wedge-and-rod mechanism working quietly underneath.
Original USPTO abstract
In a universal, adjustable spacer assembly, first and second opposed wedges have faces that are inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis. As the wedges translate along the longitudinal axis with respect to one another, vertical distance between an upper face and a lower face of the first and second wedges respectively changes. Longitudinally displaced portions of a rotatable member such as a threaded rod are received in a first and a second collar member pivotally mounted with respect to the first and second wedges respectively. As the rod rotates, longitudinal distance between the collar members changes, and the wedges slide against each other, the collar members rotate within each wedge. In a further form, opposing track members may be fixed to inclined surfaces of the first and second wedges respectively.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,703,727
- Filing date
- 2005-07-21
- Grant date
- 2010-04-27
- Assignee
- Selness Jerry N
- Inventor(s)
- SELNESS JERRY N.
- CPC class
- A47B91/028
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