Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5007178 | Measuring tape device A measuring tape device which includes a casing having an aperture through which a coilable measuring tape can be extracted and retracted. A coilable measuring tape is disposed in the casing with a distal end projecting from the aperture. A first brake me... | 04/16/1991 |
| 4860455 | Single hand operation can opener An automatic can opener is described which is operable using a single hand to complete the opening of a can merely by positioning the can in an opening position. Particularly, the can opener senses when a can has been placed in a position to be opened, an... | 08/29/1989 |
| 4773533 | Foldable garment container A foldable garment container formed of sheet material comprising a single blank. The container is defined by a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a top wall and is of a size and configuration to hold at least one garment disposed ... | 09/27/1988 |
| 4696213 | Tool fine adjustment mechanism A tool having a laterally slidable adjustment structure including a corresponding track and guide slidable thereon. The tool also includes a mechanism for releasably securing the guide on the track in a selected position of adjustment. Additionally, the t... | 09/29/1987 |
| 4678454 | Inertia controlled loading system An inertia controlled loading system for an exercise apparatus or the like. The system includes a rotatable member mounted on a frame together with a mechanism for rotating the rotatable member through a drive pulley operatively associated with the rotati... | 07/07/1987 |
| 4659194 | Binocular focusing mechanism A binocular focusing mechanism for a binocular having a pair of telescopes disposed in parallel relation. The binocular has optical elements in each of the telescopes for magnifying an object image. The optical elements are focused by movement generated b... | 04/21/1987 |
| 4602780 | Multipurpose exercise apparatus A multipurpose exercise apparatus has a pair of interchangeable lever arm assemblies which can be moved to provide a plurality of exercise positions. The apparatus has a frame with a seat on the frame and the lever arm assemblies are interchangeably mount... | 07/29/1986 |
| 4598177 | Hearing aid with self-contained battery compartment and volume control A hearing aid of the self-contained type. The hearing aid includes a unitary housing shaped for insertion into an ear of a wearer. The housing has a face plate adapted to face outwardly of the ear of the wearer. A first opening is provided in the face pla... | 07/01/1986 |
| 4585367 | Releasable locking device A releasable locking device for frictionally engaging a bar member. The device includes a cam sleeve adapted to be adjustably positioned in selected locations along the bar member. The cam sleeve has an internal surface generally conforming in shape to th... | 04/29/1986 |
| 4579397 | Sewing machine head lift device A lift device for a sewing machine head of the type having a free arm to alternately provide flat bed, free arm and storage positions in a cabinet having a tabletop with a cutout for the sewing machine head and a pivoting lift mechanism disposed beneath t... | 04/01/1986 |
| 4563000 | Rowing apparatus An improved rowing apparatus has a back bearing surface coupled to the oar arms of the apparatus to maximize the rowing exercise. The bearing surface can be fixed to a seat back of a seat movably mounted on the frame of the apparatus. The seat back can be... | 01/07/1986 |
| 4558861 | Drive system for exercise apparatus or the like A drive system for an exercise apparatus or the like. The system includes a rotatable member mounted on a frame together with a mechanism for rotating the rotatable member through a drive pulley operatively associated with the rotating mechanism and a dri... | 12/17/1985 |
| 4548250 | Apparatus for operating a line driven device An apparatus for operating a line driven device such as a traverse rod. The apparatus includes a frame member adapted to be mounted on or near the device, a reaction arm mounted on the frame member for pivotal movement, a motor mounted on the reaction arm... | 10/22/1985 |
| 4531688 | Coilable device A coilable member, such as a measuring tape, is replaceably supported within a device for extension and recoiling. A separable casing defines an aperture through which a coilable member can be extracted and retracted, and has an interior portion defining ... | 07/30/1985 |
| 4492485 | Error correcting typewriter for simplified word obliteration Mechanisms are disclosed for modifying conventional single element and typebar typewriters, having character-for-character correction systems, with automatic backspacing or non-backspacing, and non-forward spacing, after obliteration, to provide an additi... | 01/08/1985 |
| 4437572 | Shelf retainer A retainer for a shelf including a barrier member. The barrier member is adapted to be supported by the shelf and releasably secured to the shelf in at least two positions of adjustment including an article retaining position and an article access positio... | 03/20/1984 |
| 4383291 | Lamp shade assembly kit A lamp shade assembly kit includes an assembly ring formed of flexible material into a closed loop, a hoop formed of rigid material and a cover member formed of flexible material into a continuous, open-ended configuration. The assembly ring has an enlarg... | 05/10/1983 |
| 4376493 | Lockable closure for containers A lockable closure for a container having an annular lip advantageously has locking means whereby the closure can be releasably locked to the container. The closure has at least an annular portion adapted to be disposed in contact with a portion of the an... | 03/15/1983 |
| 4357042 | Bail A one-piece bail for a container having an annular shoulder has a sleeve adapted to be placed about the container and abut the shoulder, first reinforcing means integral with the sleeve for reinforcing the sleeve, second reinforcing means for retaining th... | 11/02/1982 |
| 4354222 | Knock-down lamp shade A lampshade which is shipped and/or stored in a knock-down condition can be readily erected without tools into a shade which is as structurally sound as if manufactured in preassembled condition. The shade is formed of two ring members, one having a spide... | 10/12/1982 |
| 4346749 | Motor and roller support for window shades and the like A motor and roller support includes a reversible lock clutch mechanism having a housing including an annular portion having a plurality of alternately deep and shallow recesses and a spindle axially received in the housing and having at least one flexible... | 08/31/1982 |
| 4333584 | Container closure A lockable closure for a container having a foldable annular wall advantageously has locking means whereby the closure can be releasably locked to the container. The closure has an annular bendable wall adapted to be disposed at least partially in contact... | 06/08/1982 |
| 4326732 | Foldable wheelchair A foldable wheelchair having shiftable driving wheels so arranged, that as the side frame members are folded to reduce the width of the chair, the wheels are controllably and automatically shifted to reduce the depth of the chair thereby effecting a reduc... | 04/27/1982 |
| 4261436 | Metal ladder and method of fabricating the same A metal ladder is fabricated from a pair of spaced rails in which the rails have web portions which are provided at spaced intervals with inwardly directed embossments. Each of these embossments has an opening into which one end of a tubular rung is inser... | 04/14/1981 |
| 4235553 | Material mixer A mixer for mixing flowable material in a container rotates the material continuously in one direction about a first axis and simultaneously about a second axis which is non-perpendicular to the first axis, the first axis rotating about the second axis. T... | 11/25/1980 |
| 4232411 | Combination bed and lounge assembly A combination bed and lounge assembly formed of three bed units of different heights. The bed units are adapted to be arranged so as to serve as a three tiered lounge appropriate for daytime use and to be moved apart in separated relation to serve as thre... | 11/11/1980 |
| 4212495 | Reclining chair A reclining chair adapted to be positioned in close adjacency to a wall, the chair having a frame and a body supporting unit which is movable relative to the frame between an upright sitting position and a variety of reclining positions. The frame is supp... | 07/15/1980 |
| 4205426 | Method of fabricating metal ladder A metal ladder is fabricated from a pair of spaced rails in which the rails have web portions which are provided at spaced intervals with inwardly directed embossments. Each of these embossments has an opening into which one end of a tubular rung is inser... | 06/03/1980 |
| 4203681 | Single element typewriter with error correction feature A conventional single element IBM correcting SELECTRIC typewriter having an error correction system is modified by adding to the element a universal obliterating type font and providing an error correcting key function which is independent of the other ke... | 05/20/1980 |
| 4185400 | Typewriter with instructional apparatus A typewriter and the like utilized as an instructional aid device has control means for teaching alphabetical letter recognition, the sequence of letters in forming words and the association of a word to the picture of an object. A coded card, the preferr... | 01/29/1980 |
| 4053091 | Combination rear luggage carrier and child seat for bicycle A carrier formed of welded rod or tubular metal and mountable on a conventional bicycle above the rear wheel to provide a rigid platform for supporting items of luggage and the like. A child's seat of molded plastic material includes simple means for deta... | 10/11/1977 |
| 4019171 | Safety lighting system A velocity responsive lighting system for a vehicle provides a plurality of warning light means which are periodically illuminated in sequence for a period determined by the velocity of the vehicle. The system includes a plurality of magnetically responsi... | 04/19/1977 |
| 3951385 | Tension band A tension band for retaining a chain link fence fabric tension bar to a support post for maintaining the fence fabric under tension. The tension band comprises a generally flat unitary sheet metal member having a circular opening to receive a support post... | 04/20/1976 |
