Celebrity Inventors
Magician Harry Houdini patented a "Diver's Suit" enabling the wearer to "quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water."
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5764411 | Apparatus for displaying an image An imaging system for the generation of an apparent three-dimensional (3-D) image suspended in space for direct vieiwing includes a beamsplitter and a retroreflector. The optical property of reflecting light back along its original path enable the system ... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5619586 | Method and apparatus for producing a directly viewable image of a fingerprint A directly viewable fingerprint image is formed by illuminating a transparent planar substrate from one surface with collimated light, the substrate having pressed against the other surface a fingerprint to be imaged. Light striking the surface against wh... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5306912 | Optically addressed thermal imaging device A thermal imaging device includes detector pixels A, B, C provided by a pyroelectric layer 1 arranged between electrode structures 3 and 4. A photoconductive layer 7 is provided between the electrode structure 5 and a further electrode structure 9. The de... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5260625 | Color sequential illumination system A color sequential illumination system, such as, for example, a backlighting system for a liquid crystal display (LCD), comprises lamps for emitting blue, red and green light. The red and green light is provided by lamps including fluorescent dyes having ... | 11/09/1993 |
| 5245190 | Imaging arrangement An infrared imaging arrangement using a chopping device for periodically blocking exposure of an array of detector elements responsive to infrared energy by using a plurality of individually-mounted cells. There is a non-reciprocating rotary mechanism use... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5233338 | Display devices having color sequential illumination A color sequential liquid crystal display, such as a television display, includes a lattice of selectably settable pixel elements which are time multiplexed addressed and illuminated during addressing to produce sequential red green and blue light outputs... | 08/03/1993 |
| 5219712 | Method of forming a solid article In a method of forming a solid article of predetermined shape from a liquid which can be cured by exposure to radiation, a surface upon which the article is to be formed is provided. A predetermined region of the surface is exposed to a beam of radiation.... | 06/15/1993 |
| 5206145 | Method of measuring the concentration of a substance in a sample solution An apparatus is provided for measuring the concentration of a substance in a sample solution. The apparatus comprises first electrode means, second electrode means and an enzyme channel between the first and second electrode means. The enzyme channel cont... | 04/27/1993 |
| 5193015 | Cholesteric liquid crystal screen which reflects substantially all of the projected light A screen for use in a front projection system includes a section capable of reflecting light of certain, predetermined wavelengths more than light of other wavelengths. The screen appears black or dark gray when viewed in broadband light. The screen provi... | 03/09/1993 |
| 5189918 | "Null" flow sensor A flow sensing device includes a semiconductor substrate 31 and a pivoted beam 1. Below one half of the beam is a channel 7 running throughout the substrate 31, and below the other half of the beam is a cavity 8. During operation, a differential force exi... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5189406 | Display device The display has a video signal receiver and a store with a capacity to hold one picture of the video signal. Row-output devices enable the video information for respective rows of pixels to be taken out from picture store, and each has a bit extractor to ... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5187330 | Positional determination A system for positional determination includes an array of piezoelectric sensor electrodes connected to an array of output lines via resistors for providing a binary code in response to activation of the sensor electrodes; and an array of further output l... | 02/16/1993 |
| 5182490 | Light sources A fluorescent tube (2) is made of a plastics material containing at least one organic fluorescent dye and attached to the inner surface of this tube is a barrier layer (3) for absorbing ultraviolet radiation, and attached to the inner surface of the layer... | 01/26/1993 |
| 5177341 | Thick film electrically resistive tracks In a thick film water track, irrespective of track thickness or the material of which the track is constructed, the optimum track width is found to be in the range of from 1.2 mm to 2.1 mm. Further, for a given resistance, the track is longer and may be c... | 01/05/1993 |
| 5162658 | Thermal detection arrangement having a plurality of optical filter devices A thermal detector arrangement includes a number of channels, each including a collimator for collimating incident radiation to a respective optical filter. Each optical filter has a respective radiation passband characteristic with one having a passband ... | 11/10/1992 |
| 5143438 | Light sources A luminaire is disclosed comprising a fluorescent plastics outer sleeve having a configuration such that a high proportion of the fluorescent light generated within the sleeve is emitted as visible light. The sleeve includes a fluorescent dye, which dye i... | 09/01/1992 |
| 5132678 | Display device with time-multiplexed addressing of groups of rows of pixels A method of operating a display comprising a lattice of pixel elements, includes the step of time-multiplex addressing collections of pixel elements. This addressing step includes using a first shift register means to designate operation of a second shift... | 07/21/1992 |
| 5122791 | Display device incorporating brightness control and a method of operating such a display A display device is formed by a matrix of surface-stabilized bi-stable ferroelectric liquid crystal elements each being separately settable by a matrix driver. To provide brightness control or color in the display, all the elements of the matrix are set i... | 06/16/1992 |
| 5113437 | Signal identification system A signal identification system, suitable for producing an identification code on a sound track recording is described. The system includes an encoder 209 effective to eliminate a variable sequence of frequency bands from an audio signal and insert a seque... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5112361 | Method of manufacturing color filters for liquid crystal cells A method of manufacturing a color filter for a liquid crystal cell comprises forming a plurality of patterns, each of a respective dye intermediate material, on a carrier element. The patterns of dye intermediate materials are then brought into contact wi... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5111319 | Drive circuit for providing at least one of the output waveforms having at least four different voltage levels A drive circuit comprises a first waveform generator and a second waveform generator. Each waveform generator is capable of generating at least two voltage states and the instantaneous voltage of the first waveform is never less than that of the second wa... | 05/05/1992 |
| 5099174 | Arc tube for a discharge lamp A sealing composition is provided for joining crystalline ceramic or cermet parts, e.g. in an arc tube for a discharge lamp. The sealing composition comprises, as starting materials, a mixture of alumina (Al2,O3), silica (SiO2 | 03/24/1992 |
| 5097457 | Optical recording system having a rotating optical element provided therein A single channel optical recording system is described, which system does not require a second rotating optical element. The system uses focus error correction components located outside the rotating drum. Light transmitted to and from the drum is at all ... | 03/17/1992 |
| 5093652 | Display device A display device has a lattice of pixel elements each selectably settable. A method of operating the display device comprises the steps of receiving a signal representing a picture for display during a display period and illuminating the lattice to produc... | 03/03/1992 |
| 5086258 | Discharge tube arrangement An electrodeless discharge tube containing a fill which comprises a metal carbonyl complex. Such a complex will be sufficiently volatile to produce a vapor pressure in a discharge tube in which a discharge can be generated. The discharge so generated emit... | 02/04/1992 |
| 5079648 | Marked recorded signals An apparatus for monitoring the marking of a recorded signal includes a data store containing marking information and a code selector for selecting any one of three orthogonal codes for marking the recorded signal and a demodulator for demodulating the ma... | 01/07/1992 |
| 5077474 | Thermal imaging device A thermal imaging device includes an array of pyroelectric detector elements, supported by an array of pillars, the pillars also being effective to enable the passage of electrical signals between the detector elements and an electrical signal processing ... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5076203 | Coating apparatus for thin plastics webs Coating apparatus for a thin plastics web comprises a coating deposition station for applying a coating to the web by vapor deposition and a support for supporting the web at the coating deposition station. The apparatus includes a device for urging gas i... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5072157 | Excitation device suitable for exciting surface waves in a discharge tube A discharge tube arrangement comprises an excitation device and a discharge tube made of a light-transmissive dielectric material and containing a fill. The excitation device is suitable, when energized with radio frequency (r.f.) power, for exciting surf... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5070278 | Discharge tube arrangement A discharge tube arrangement includes a discharge tube containing a fill and means for generating a discharge in the fill from a source of radio frequency (r.f.) power. An electrically conductive structure surrounds the discharge tube. The electrically co... | 12/03/1991 |
| 5065075 | Launcher suitable for exciting surface waves in a discharge tube A discharge tube arrangement for use as a light source includes a discharge tube made of a light-transmissive dielectric material and containing a fill. An excitation device for exciting surface waves in the discharge tube comprises an r.f. power generato... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5064618 | Sensor arrangements A disposable cartridge for use in a clinical sensing arrangement interfaces electrically with a host instrument capable of responding to electrical signals generated by detector devices incorporated in the cartridge upon exposure to calibrant fluids and/o... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5047774 | Radio frequency transmission and reception system A radio frequency transmission and reception system, for use as an active decoy, includes a receiver 10, a transmitter 12 and a signal generator 20 for providing wideband noise signals for transmission during the interpulse period of pulsed signals transm... | 09/10/1991 |
| 5042956 | Recording drum assemblies A recording drum assembly comprises a cylindrical drive shaft 1, a drum 2, and an annular disc 4 of resilient material, such as spring steel, located between the drive shaft 1 and drum 2 and substantially coaxial with the drum 2. The disc 4, by elastic de... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5040859 | Infra-red radiation modulator An infra red radiation modulator comprises a p type silicon substrate 1 having spaced n type and p type doped regions 2, 3 having respective doping concentrations of approximately 1020 and 1016 /cm3. A signal source 11 pro... | 08/20/1991 |
| 5037669 | Methods of manufacturing electromagnetic articles An electromagnetic article, such as a responder tag for detection by an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, is fabricated by forming a deposit of a relatively low coercivity high permeability magnetic material on a substrate 22 under the influen... | 08/06/1991 |
| 5028839 | Fluorescent lamp for use in aquaria A fluorescent lamp for use in aquaria, the luminescent layer in said lamp comprising a mixture of red, green and blue phosphors, the red phosphor emitting predominantly in the spectral region of from 610 nm to 620 nm, the green phosphor emitting predomina... | 07/02/1991 |
| 5028847 | Launcher suitable for exciting surface waves in a discharge tube A discharge tube arrangement includes a discharge tube of a light-transmissive dielectric material and containing a fill. An excitation device for exciting surface waves in the discharge tube comprises an r.f. power generator and a launcher. The launcher ... | 07/02/1991 |
| 5010328 | Display device A method is provided for addressing a matrix-array type liquid crystal cell with a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer having a plurality of pixels defined by areas of overlap between members of a first set of electrodes on one side of the liquid crystal l... | 04/23/1991 |
| 5010274 | Starter circuits for discharge lamps A starter circuit for a discharge lamp includes a current control circuit which initially has a low impedance so as to produce an initial cathode heating current for the lamp. The current control circuit is switched into a high impedance condition by mean... | 04/23/1991 |
