Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7944100 | Generator rectifier assembly with ease of assembly features A rectifier assembly includes first and second housings surrounding a pair of electrical rings. Each of the electrical rings communicates with a pin. Bolts secure a spring to hold diodes against an inner wall of the electrical rings. The first housing includes openi... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7942427 | Air supply system for active air suspension An air suspension includes a plurality of air spring assemblies that each include a piston airbag and a primary airbag mounted over the piston airbag. The primary and piston airbags each have a variable volume that is controlled independently of the other for active... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7532988 | Virtual load monitoring system and method A method and system estimates a desired output signal waveform based on measured state parameters. A model training step generates a model by empirically obtaining measured signal waveforms corresponding to measured state parameters. Features, such as mode shapes an... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7532098 | Actuator An actuator includes an electromagnetic coil arrangement that is movable relative to a magnetic field generator between a first position and a second position of the actuator. The actuator is arranged such that when the actuator is in the first position, a pulse of ... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7528497 | Wind-turbine with load-carrying skin A horizontal axis wind-turbine includes a stationary support structure, a two-bladed rotor supported by the stationary support structure, and a hollow shaft rotationally attached to the stationary support structure through a bearing. Teeter hinges are spaced apart f... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7523622 | Aircraft galley chiller system A galley chiller system for an aircraft includes at least one condenser having a refrigerant fluid. The fluid within the condenser rejects heat to a first surrounding environment. To more efficiently use the condenser of the galley chiller system and reduce the requ... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7516939 | Dual detection sensor system for washroom device A detection system for a washroom device evaluates outputs from an active sensor and a passive sensor to determine whether to activate the device (e.g., operate a valve in a sink or a lavatory). The active sensor has a transmitter that directs a light beam to a sele... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7516822 | Simple electric parking brake actuator motor A simple parking brake includes an electric motor having an internally threaded nut. The internally threaded nut receives an externally threaded shaft. The shaft is pinned to a lever, such that it cannot rotate. The shaft thus moves linearly when the electric motor ... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7516607 | Method and apparatus for mixing substances A combustor assembly for a gas powered turbine includes a premix section to mix a first selected volume of fuel with a selected oxidizer. The premix section includes an injector plate that includes a porosity according to selected characteristics, such as pore size,... | 04/14/2009 |
| D590561 | Pail | 04/14/2009 |
| 7513188 | Force-based power steering system A power steering system includes a power cylinder, an accumulator, a reservoir, a pair of valves, and a pair of pressure transducers. The system selectively fluidly couples the accumulator and/or reservoir to the double-acting power cylinder and thereby causes the p... | 04/07/2009 |
| D589833 | Control panel | 04/07/2009 |
| 7510995 | Application of a mixed metal oxide catalyst to a metallic substrate A method for applying a mixed metal oxide catalyst to a metallic substrate for the creation of a robust, high temperature catalyst system for use in decomposing propellants, particularly hydrogen peroxide propellants, for use in propulsion systems. The method begins... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7510375 | Method of coating and a shield for a component A gas turbine engine is used for power generation or propulsion and includes vanes. Each vane includes a trailing edge having a curvature and cooling slots that cool the vane. A photochemical edge shield includes an edge and projections that project from the edge. B... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7510056 | Roof railing for an elevator car adapted to be collapsed with a handle actuating all sides at the same time The invention relates to an elevator car roof railing (1) with collapsible sides (13) hinged on a supporting frame (5) on the car roof (3), characterized in that it includes: two sides (13) that can be folded inwards as an accordio... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7509976 | Multi-port diverter valve A valve assembly includes a housing that defines a fluid inlet and three outlets. A cartridge defining a fluid chamber includes an inlet boss that is inserted within an inlet port. The cartridge includes outlet seats engagable with any one or a combination of two ou... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7509968 | Flow control for on-board inert gas generation system An on-board inert gas generating system includes a flow control valve modulated according to changes in ambient conditions to minimize changes to oxygen content within a fuel tank. The quality of the nitrogen-enriched air stream that is provided by the air separatio... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7507303 | Carbonitrided low manganese carbon steel alloy driveline component An alloy composition forms a steel having low manganese content, low silicon content, and medium carbon content. The alloy composition comprises in combination, by weight, about 0.3 to 0.5% carbon (C) and 0.15 to 0.40% manganese (Mn), with the balance being essentia... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7507031 | Optical connector component and optical connector using the same To provide a fusion-spliced optical connector capable of easily performing a fusion-splicing operation at an actual site in a short time, without need to perform additional special operations. An optical connector component is configured to attach a short-length opt... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7506860 | Temporary gate support device An example temporary gate assembly includes a support mounted within the ground and a rotation mechanism that supports rotation of cross-members about the support. The gate assembly includes a fixed support that is mounted within the ground by way of a mounting flan... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7506728 | Electrical connector device for use with elevator load bearing members A connector device (40) for making electrically conductive connections with at least one tension member (32) in an elevator load bearing member (30) includes a spacer member (42) that establishes physical spacing between portions (38 | 03/24/2009 |
| 7505123 | Light delivery control system and method A method that redistributes light from a light source. The controller can redistribute light to make an irradiance profile of the light source more uniform or make the irradiance profile match a fluid flow profile. The irradiance profile may be controlled by modifyi... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7504601 | Sensor module for releasing vehicle windows and the like A release control sensor module for an openable member of a vehicle, such as a vehicle window, includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is a displacement sensor that controls the closure of an electric circuit, such as a changeover switch or a r... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7503611 | Vehicle with a tailgate A vehicle includes a body and a tailgate coupled to the body by a hinge. The tailgate is moveable between a closed position and an open position. The vehicle also includes two cylinders for exerting a force on the tailgate with respect to the body. One of the cylind... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7503400 | Two shot power nailer A nail gun includes a power coil for moving a plunger in two opposed directions. The plunger is first moved away from a nail, and force from this movement is stored in a force storage mechanism. The plunger is then driven by the coil in an opposed direction, and the... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7500829 | Two piece separable impeller and inner drive for pump A separable impeller and inner drive are constructed from different plastics. The inner drive includes a metallic drive ring that receives drive lugs extending from the impeller. A bushing directly supports the inner drive and impeller and maintains extensions from ... | 03/10/2009 |
| 7497315 | Escalator drive system failure detection and brake activation An escalator drive assembly (30) includes a sensor that facilitates detecting when the normal drive assembly operation is interrupted, such that a brake should be activated. In one example, a sensor member (40) in the form of a flange (42) is as... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7497293 | Interlock for slider locking pin handle An interlock for a slider incorporates a cover that moves between a covered position and an uncovered position. In the covered position, the cover prevents access and movement of a handle for actuating locking pins on the slider. The cover may be pivoted to an uncov... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7496860 | Engineering standard work framework method and system A method and system for managing complex projects uses a framework having workflow maps containing activity blocks that provide detailed, easily accessible information within the framework about the project. The framework links functional groups, their associated ac... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7495353 | Power interconnect block for an aircraft electrical component The power system for an aircraft includes a gear box. Multiple generators are driven by the gear box and are arranged in a circumferentially spaced manner, in one example. Each generator includes a power interconnect block providing a receptacle that receives an ele... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7494536 | Method for detecting a fault in an HVAC system A bypass factor of an evaporator is used to indicate when an air filter of an HVAC is clogged. The bypass factor represents the amount of air that is bypassed without direct contact with the evaporator. As the air filter clogs, the bypass factor decreases. The bypas... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7494132 | Roll control actuator with piston assembly A roll control actuator for a stabilizer bar includes an outer housing that is fixed to a first bar portion and a shaft that is fixed to a second bar portion. The shaft is helically connected to a piston that is received within an interior chamber formed inside the ... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7490894 | Sliding roof system for a motor vehicle A sliding roof system for a motor vehicle includes a guide rail, a cover support, a cover attached to the cover support, a front bearing block articulated to the cover support, and a carriage that is movably received in the guide rail and engages the cover support. ... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7490481 | Vapor compression system startup method A method of controlling a startup operation in a heat pump water heater system prevents inadvertent shutdowns and/or low operating efficiencies via closed loop control of the system. The method includes choosing an expansion valve opening at startup near an expected... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7490698 | Elevator traffic control An elevator traffic flow control strategy utilizes the advantages of sector assignment channeling and destination entry systems. A controller (30) monitors a handling capacity (62) of the system to determine when it is advisable to override the sector ... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7490438 | Motor vehicle door The invention relates to a motor vehicle door, consisting of an interior sheet metal and an exterior sheeting, together which form a hollow interior space of the door, having an opening in the interior sheet metal and having a carrier module that closes said opening... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7487861 | Elevator traffic control An elevator system includes a plurality of cars (22-30) that are capable of serving a plurality of floors (2-17). A controller (42) groups the floors into a plurality of sectors (S1-S4). The controller (42) ass... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7488783 | Method for the production of polyactide from a solution of lactic acid or one of the derivatives thereof A process for the production of polylactide, the stages of which for the production and purification of lactide, starting from an aqueous solution of lactic acid or of its derivatives, includes evaporation of water with formation of oligomers, depolymerization to gi... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7484634 | Container with collapsible wall A container having at least one wall moveable between an upright position and a collapsed position on the floor. A hinge connecting the wall to the base includes a first axis and a second axis offset from the first axis. The hinge is locked when the wall is in the u... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7484621 | Tray A tray includes a floor and a pair of opposed side walls, each having a cutout, one of which is larger to form the dropside. A pair of bail members are pivotably and slidably secured to opposed end walls. The bail members are supported by the end walls at a pluralit... | 02/03/2009 |
