Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6531680 | Cube corner laser beam retroreflector apparatus for a laser equipped machine tool A cube corner laser beam retroreflector apparatus for a beam path external to a laser reduces the effect of small deviations in flatness of optical carriage mounting elements and/or linear ways that pitch, yaw and roll the carried retroreflector apparatus... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6528762 | Laser beam position control apparatus for a CNC laser equipped machine tool A laser beam position control apparatus for a CNC laser equipped machine tool, that will automatically maintain precise alignment of the beam path, though the machine may be operating in a non-uniform temperature environment. The apparatus compensates for... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6462301 | Heavy-duty plate laser with linear motors for X and Y position control A heavy-duty laser plate cutting machine capable of cutting heavy plate but which can also operate on lighter sheet metal at commercial production rates. The machine includes a laser source having an output power of 3 kilowatts or more. The machine is pre... | 10/08/2002 |
| 6437286 | Slag collection and removal system for a heavy duty laser-equipped machine tool An insulated slag collection bed and scrap removal system for a high powered laser-equipped machine tool. The slag collection bed serves as a shield to absorb remnant laser energy which would otherwise strike the machine base. The shield is thermally insu... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6420674 | Heavy-duty laser plate cutting machine A heavy-duty laser plate cutting machine capable of cutting heavy plate at production rates. The machine includes a laser source having an output power of 4 kilowatts or more. The machine is preferably of the flying optic configuration, and an automatic b... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6392192 | Real time control of laser beam characteristics in a laser-equipped machine tool A method and apparatus for real time control of laser beam characteristics in a high power laser-equipped machine tool. A beam path input signal is produced related to changes in the length of the laser beam path as the processing head of the machine tool... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6246025 | Insulated slag collection bed for a laser-equipped machine tool An insulated slag collection bed for a laser-equipped machine tool. The bed substantially insulates the machine tool base from thermal damage due to the laser beam of the machine tool. Typically the laser beam in a machine tool will have significant energ... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6229112 | Air handling system for a laser-equipped machine tool An air handling system for a laser-equipped machine tool. The machine base is specially configured to include and form part of the duct work which extracts fumes produced during the cutting operation. An elongated collection duct is provided in portions o... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6127648 | Laser-equipped machine tool having a retractable scrap removal system A scrap removal system for a laser-equipped machine tool. The scrap removal system has a home position in which all of its components, including a scraper assembly and a drive are out of the range of the laser beam, so that they are protected from laser d... | 10/03/2000 |
| 6128138 | Reflective laser collimator A reflective collimator for a laser, such as for use in a cutting or welding machine tool. The collimator requires no more than three mirrors, and can be configured with only two. The relative positions of a convex/concave mirror pair are adjusted to adju... | 10/03/2000 |
| 5669866 | Punch press with tool changer Method and Apparatus for economically providing an automatic tool changing capability to a numerically controlled punch press, without the addition of servo drives dedicated to the tool changer. The punch press has a back rail carrying work clamps and pos... | 09/23/1997 |
| 5468929 | Apparatus for adjusting the stand-off height of a plasma arc torch or the like The stand-off height of a plasma arc torch relative to an underlying workpiece is adjusted by rotating a collar on an adaptor to which the torch is affixed. When the collar is rotated, a camming action occurs to effect upward or downward movement of the t... | 11/21/1995 |
| 5382102 | Indexable marking tool for use with a punch press A marking tool assembly includes a plurality of marking punches for stamping alpha/numeric indicia into a workpiece. The punches are adapted to be indexed selectively to an active punching position beneath a striker which causes one of the punches to stam... | 01/17/1995 |
| 5266775 | Cutter for removing dross produced by a plasma arc torch Molten metal created during cutting of a workpiece by a plasma-arc torch is discharged downwardly into a tubular collector duct. A power-rotated cutter is located adjacent the upper end of the duct and shaves dross from the underside of the workpiece as t... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5079403 | Nozzle for plasma arc torch The nozzle includes an axially extending discharge passage of circular cross-section and having a convergent entrance portion, a constricted throat which is axially and circumferentially convex, and an enlarged diameter exit portion which is concave in th... | 01/07/1992 |
| 5069099 | Shear with storable squaring arm A storable squaring arm for use with a shear and comprising a forward section and a rear section which extend substantially parallel to the rails of the work-piece-supporting stand of the shear. The rear end of the forward section is pivotally attached to... | 12/03/1991 |
| 5065654 | Machine for punching and shearing angle iron and flat stock Elongated metal stock is advanced intermittently past punch presses which form holes in the stock when the stock dwells. A shear cuts off successive leading end portions of the stock and forms the stock into short pieces. The same machine is capable of ru... | 11/19/1991 |
| 4860428 | Lifting hand for a punch press tool changer Cartridges each containing a different punch, stripper and die are moved automatically by a robot-like transfer mechanism between a punch press and a tool rack for storing several of the cartridges. The transfer mechamism is characterized by a hook-like h... | 08/29/1989 |
| 4649622 | Tool changing apparatus for a punch press Cartridges each containing a different punch, stripper and die are moved automatically by a robot-like transfer mechanism between a punch press and a tool rack for storing several of the cartridges. The transfer mechanism includes two hook-like hands each... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4623089 | Punching machine with selectively actuatable punches A punch holder is detachably connected to the lower end of a vertically reciprocable ram and carries a plurality of differently shaped punches which are supported to slide upwardly and downwardly in the holder. Individual actuators are operably associated... | 11/18/1986 |
| 4550241 | Metal melting tool with improved stand-off means A pneumatic bearing encircles the cutting tip of a laser cutting tool and causes the tool to float vertically relative to an underlying worksheet on a pressurized cushion of air so as to maintain a substantially constant stand-off distance between the cut... | 10/29/1985 |
| 4523749 | Hole forming machine with adjustable work clamps The work clamps of a punch press are mounted in laterally spaced relation on a carriage which may be shifted to cause the clamps to re-position a workpiece relative to the punch. To enable automatic adjustment of the lateral position of the clamps on the ... | 06/18/1985 |
| 4486941 | Punch press with automatic tool changer The punch, stripper and die holders of a punch press are moved bodily toward an indexable turret and automatically pick up a punch, a stripper and a die from the turret preparatory to being shifted bodily away from the turret to perform a punching operati... | 12/11/1984 |
| 4485549 | Apparatus for changing the tools of a punch press The punch, stripper and die of a punch press are formed with laterally projecting tongues adapted to telescope releasably into three vertically spaced sockets formed in a hand-held cartridge for supporting the tools and for facilitating insertion of the t... | 12/04/1984 |
| 4423546 | Punch press with automatic tool changer The punch, stripper and die holders of a punch press are moved bodily toward an indexable turret and automatically pick up a punch, a stripper and a die from the turret preparatory to being shifted bodily away from the turret to perform a punching operati... | 01/03/1984 |
| 4338507 | Water-quenched collection system for use with a plasma-arc torch Molten metal, slag and fumes created during the operation of a plasma-arc torch are discharged downwardly into a duct whose lower end is immersed in a tank of water. A stream of water is directed down the entire inner periphery of the duct and serves to c... | 07/06/1982 |
| 4165667 | Punch press with workpiece supporting means A workpiece is shifted forwardly and rearwardly beneath a punch and a transversely spaced cutting torch by a work table formed with a comparatively wide fore-and-aft extending throat for accommodating a die and a duct which underlie the punch and the torc... | 08/28/1979 |
| 4129460 | Method for coping I-beams Part of the upper flange at the end portion of an I-beam is removed therefrom by cutting through the flange with a plasma-arc torch, the torch also forming a vertical cut through the lower flange of the beam. Thereafter, a shearing punch shears through th... | 12/12/1978 |
| 4106183 | Combined punch press and cutting torch with workpiece supporting means A workpiece is shifted forwardly and rearwardly beneath a punch and a transversely spaced cutting torch by a work table formed with a comparatively wide fore-and-aft extending throat for accommodating a die and a duct which underlie the punch and the torc... | 08/15/1978 |
