3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8182212 | Pump housing coupling An assembly is disclosed for forming a fluid-tight seal between a pump housing and a seal plate. The housing includes a first flange with a first plurality of apertures formed therein, and the seal plate includes a second flange with a second plurality of apertures ... | 05/22/2012 |
| 7971603 | Header for a heat exchanger Disclosed herein is a header for a heat exchanger that has an inflow side, an outflow side, a bypass port therebetween, and a pressure-sensitive flapper valve proximal the bypass port. As pressure increases at the inflow side of the header, the flapper valve opens p... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7931447 | Drain safety and pump control device A drain protection device and pump controller for pools, spas, fountains and other fluid containment and circulation systems has a vacuum sensor for sensing a level of vacuum present in the suction conduit leading to the pump(s). The vacuum level is monitored by a c... | 04/26/2011 |
| D630809 | Pool cleaner | 01/11/2011 |
| D630808 | Pool cleaner | 01/11/2011 |
| 7774870 | Elongated suction outlet assembly with intrinsically safe sump An elongated suction outlet assembly is provided for use in swimming pools, hot tubs and the like. The suction outlet assembly includes an elongated sump having at least one longitudinal, raised island extending upwardly from inside the sump, and an elongated cover ... | 08/17/2010 |
| D613829 | Circular suction outlet assembly cover | 04/13/2010 |
| 7677268 | Fluid distribution system for a swimming pool cleaning apparatus A fluid distribution system for controlling the operation of a swimming pool cleaning device includes a housing having an inlet for receiving a supply of pressurized fluid, a plurality of outlet openings and a valve chamber between the inlet and outlet openings. The... | 03/16/2010 |
| D598168 | Pool cleaner | 08/11/2009 |
| D593508 | Portable controller for swimming pool or spa equipment | 06/02/2009 |
| 7531092 | Pump Disclosed herein is a liquid pump for use with a fluid circulation system for a recreational water body. The liquid pump includes a strainer housing, a pump housing assembly secured to the strainer housing, and a lock ring fastened to the pump housing assembly. The ... | 05/12/2009 |
| D590842 | Pump | 04/21/2009 |
| D588159 | Combined pump housing and pump cap | 03/10/2009 |
| D574938 | Heat exchanger | 08/12/2008 |
| 5271561 | Rotary jet hydrotherapy device and method An outlet assembly for a water receptacle, such as a swimming pool, spa or the like, includes a pair of interchangeable discharge nozzles, one being a rotary discharge nozzle and the other being a linear discharge nozzle. A user may selectively interchang... | 12/21/1993 |
| 5115974 | Apparatus for providing a waterfall or a fountain A device for creating a waterfall effect and a fountain effect in an adjacent swimming pool spa or the like, has a tubular manifold with spray orifices which produce streams of water. The manifold is positionable so that the streams of water can be aimed ... | 05/26/1992 |
| 5068033 | Underdrain assembly with pivotally-mounted and lockable laterals An underdrain assembly contained within a swimming pool filter has a plurality of laterals, each of which is pivotable between a non-operating position and an operating position. Each of the laterals is threadedly attached to the underdrain assembly so th... | 11/26/1991 |
| 4985943 | Two-stage adjustable hydrotherapeutic jet and method A hydrotherapeutic jet for a hydrotherapeutic receptacle employs three nozzels and two separate mixing chambers. A primary stream of water flows through the first nozzel to create a low pressure condition which sucks air into the first mixing chamber, cau... | 01/22/1991 |
| 4982460 | Flow enhancing jet fitting A jet fitting for a hydrotherapeutic receptacle includes an internal chamber which functions as a mixing chamber as well as a suction chamber. A primary stream of water is supplied to the mixing chamber in such a manner that a low pressure condition is cr... | 01/08/1991 |
| 4941217 | Flow enhancing jet fitting A jet fitting for a hydrotherapeutic receptacle includes an internal chamber which functions as a mixing chamber as well as a suction chamber. More particularly, a primary stream of water is supplied to the mixing chamber in such a manner that a low press... | 07/17/1990 |
| 4818389 | Skimmer with flow enhancer A skimmer for skimming water from a swimming pool or spa is provided with entraining means for entraining additional water from the pool or spa to thereby increase the flow of water into and out of the skimmer. The entraining means includes two nozzle mem... | 04/04/1989 |
| 4798670 | Skimmer vacuum filter apparatus A filter includes a housing which removably receives a filter cartridge adapted to remove fine and coarse debris from water flowing therethrough. The filter is removably mounted in a skimmer well of a swimming pool in place of a conventional strainer bask... | 01/17/1989 |
| 4629557 | Pump test ring, cover and strainer and method of providing a pressure-testable pump A test ring for a pump strainer is threadedly attached to both a housing and a cover of the strainer in such a manner that the cover can withstand relatively high internal pressure. When the test ring is detached from the cover, the cover is adapted for q... | 12/16/1986 |
| 4593420 | Self-draining hydromassage fitting A hydromassage fitting employs a directional nozzle to inject an aerated jet of water into the interior of a water receptacle, such as a bathtub, spa, therapy tank or swimming pool. The directional nozzle is mounted in the fitting so as permit water to dr... | 06/10/1986 |
| 4523740 | Rotatable unitary ball valve A rotatable unitary ball valve is provided, comprising, in combination: (1) a unitary valve housing of plastic material defining a ball valve chamber, intercommunicating first and second fluid ports and first and second fluid passages, and a threaded end conne... | 06/18/1985 |