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Most pieces of modern furniture are put together with
screws, nuts, bolts or other fasteners that loosen with age. At
Green Design Furniture, a method of manufacturing furniture was
developed using the inherent strength of the wood itself to hold
the furniture together. It is a system of interlocking joinery that
allows the parts to slide and lock into each other, using full-length
dovetailed connections. This innovative system, developed and patented
by Douglas Green, virtually eliminates the use of screws, nuts,
bolts, and other fasteners. Each component is machined with exacting
precisionin increments of 5/1000th of an inchuntil the
full-length dovetails slide into place. Our self-locking joinery
also allows for the seasonal movement of the wood without warping,
distorting the shape, or loosening the structure. Dispensing with
fasteners allows our furniture to have a simple, elegant form.
Great thought and care is also planned into the delivery
of the furniture. Items are shipped by FedEx in a compact and efficient
process that eliminates dealing with crates that normally accompany
furniture deliveries. Assembling a new piece of our furniture is
a logical, step-by-step process. Each new component secures the
piece inserted before, and the final piece locks it all into a unified
structure. The assembly of our furniture can usually be completed
in minutes (see assembly video). Pictured below is the assembly of the Truss
Dining Table that arrives in four components. As you can see,
the assembly of the Truss Dining Table is a logical, step-by-step
process. Most components can be carried by one person through the
narrowest of passages. Recently our standing desk was installed
in a loft accessed only by an 18" wide spiral staircase! Through
the assembly process, our customers experience a deep appreciation
for the ingenuity of our designs and the quality of our craftsmanship.
We provide detailed instructions for the assembly of each piece
(see a sample of assembly instructions).
Granted in 1995, Dougs patent (no.5,454,331)
has 29 claims for unique furniture constructions without fasteners.
The patent is for creating various structures using a sequence of
self-locking parts. Each claim describes a different type of construction
(drawer, table, chair, etc.) in which components slide together
in a sequence, concealing the joinery as it locks into place. Though
we presently use a sliding dovetail for a self-locking joint, the
patent includes any type of self-lcoking joint. You can see our
patent at United
States Government Patent website.
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