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 |
| 6231341 | Dental Matrix tensioner A lingual dental matrix tensioner comprising two posts maintained parallel by two parallel rods through the posts at a right angle to the post axes One rod is threaded and has an end knob for adjusting the spacing between the posts, the other rod is a gui... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6213359 | Non-slip trousers hanger A non-slip trousers hanger is formed from a conventional plastic clothes hanger by cementing a layer of polyurethane around the entire surface of the horizontal bar. This is easily and quickly done by slitting a polyurethane tubing having an I.D. equal to... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6163896 | Auxiliary stall shower strainer An auxiliary strainer that covers the large openings of a stall shower drain strainer that will protect against the loss of earrings and small valuables in the shower as well as protect against broken toes and fingers of curious children. The strainer wit... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6131976 | Lock and lift tool A tool for quickly coupling a crane hook to a dovetailed socket attached to a load consists of a heavy frame with a plate that pivots out on bushings near the lower end of the frame. Both the frame and pivoting plate have outward slanting surfaces at the ... | 10/17/2000 |
| 6126049 | Non-slip clothes hangers A conventional plastic clothes hanger has a horizontal bar covered with plastic foam such as polyurethane foam to give it a non-slip surface for hanging trousers and other garments. Several auxiliary clamps are described for cooperating with the foam cove... | 10/03/2000 |
| 6116600 | Slidable block puzzle A slidable block puzzle game played by maneuvering rectangular blocks in a smooth surfaced box with low walls is hinged to a lid of the same size that contains partitions that enclose each of the rectangular blocks in their initial game-starting position ... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6102549 | Battery power pack and table lamp therefor A portable lighting system comprised of a plug-in lamp and a rechargeable power pack having a single phone jack and two parallel circuits to the battery. When upright, a discharge circuit containing a mercury switch connects the battery to the lamp. When ... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6069293 | Healing pack and applicator and method A healing pack for applying an epsom salts soak to body parts normally inaccessible to soaking includes a pliable, saucer shaped, foam cup containing a water soluble gel mixture of epsom salts and glycerin. When applied to sprains and contusions it functi... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6039679 | Electronic dumbbell An exercising dumbbell comprising a tubular body with attached "U" shaped handle for use with two hands. The body contains a D.C. motor which is geared to a stationary central shaft and which may rotate around the shaft to generate strong vibrations. Batt... | 03/21/2000 |
| 6003892 | Boat trailer tongue lowering jack Small boats being trailer launched from steep ramps are in danger of spilling water over the transom if the bow is held high by the trailer. The invention is for a two component jack screw mechanism that can lower the trailer tongue below the trailer hitc... | 12/21/1999 |
| 6000688 | Machinists' production V-block A production V-block including four or more individually vertically adjustable V-blocks on a single ferromagnetic base for magnetically securing to a machine tool table, all of the V-blocks are ground to identical depths for simultaneous identical operati... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5984757 | Battery operated articulated figure A wall mounted figure that has swinging legs and arms and a swaying head that continuously moves in dancing movements is constructed with two pendulums with permanent magnets influenced by electromagnetic fields generated by two current-carrying coils. Th... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5975394 | Portable bag dispenser A portable hard cover dispenser for a small roll of interconnected plastic bags has a dispensing slot for removing a bag, a brake for holding the roll of bags while a bag is torn from the roll, a bag rewinder, and is equipped with a belt hook for convenie... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5947803 | Sander having a planar surface convertible to a right angular surface A hand operateable sander having a flat sanding block for sanding flat surfaces and which automatically pivots into a "V" shape for sanding outside corners and bullnose surfaces.... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5938137 | Cellular phone leash A leash attached to the cell phone case and including a spring retractable leash cord in a housing pivotally attached to the belt will prevent dropping and damage to a cell phone in a case clipped to the belt. The leash housing is pivotally attached to a ... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5915320 | Method of forming a golf bag insert A method for constructing a soft fabric insert for golf bags with partitions for golf clubs. The method includes stitching a center section having an "X" cross section and four wider sheets formed with a cross section resembling the letter "M" with By sti... | 06/29/1999 |
| 5909954 | Reflective shade for electric table lamp A reflective shade for an electric table lamp includes a conventional frustrum shape but with removeable translucent plastic disks spanning the top opening for reflecting the light back down toward the table top and for transmitting colored light for crea... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5902112 | Speech assisted learning A braille teaching tool that audibly pronounces each braille character as it is touched by the student is comprised of a touch pad having a rectangular matrix of touch sensitive areas each connected to a processor with memory for identifying each sensitiv... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5893571 | Wheeled automobile jack A vehicle jack and dolly for quickly and easily raising the vehicle includes a support which is slipped around the bottom of the tire from the side of the vehicle, pivot bars and axles that are parallel to, spaced from and rotatable around the pivot bar. ... | 04/13/1999 |
| 5890297 | Door-set device A small expendable device for accurately and very quickly adjusting the verticality of door jambs without shingles or other shims. The device includes a body member which is attached to the rough wall opening and a carriage member which is attached to the... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5860535 | Shelf restraint A shelf restraint for holding books and other objects on a shelf in the event of an earthquake comprises a pair of identical bookends on the shelf, each with a deep central slot into which a rod is pivoted to form a gate spanning the space between the boo... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5816398 | Partitioned insert for golf bags A full length insert for golf bags is partitioned into two groups of five compartments along the interior sidewall and four central compartments between the groups. Each of the five groups is fabricated with a single sheet of fabric. The invention may be ... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5815999 | Method and apparatus for strengthening frame buildings A method and apparatus for strengthening a frame building with extension rebars clamped to the foundation rebar and extending between the studs and through the double plate between the rafters, includes a clamp that automatically corrects for building shr... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5794809 | Trash container with automatic liner bag feed A small trash container using plastic liner bags which are interconnected perforations and are supplied in a roll which is stored on an exterior wall of the container. The bags are fed into the container through a slot in the lower wall and are manually p... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5779727 | Hydraulically operated surgical scissors A highly maneuverable surgical scissors at the end of an 8 mm. diameter flexible arm 45 cm. in length and controlable by a scissors handle at the opposite end is designed for modern thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery through a "button-hole" access por... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5778461 | Bedpan with integral urinal A conventional bedpan having sidewalls topped by an outwardly curved seat contains, in the forward end, a cabinet with a wall opening into the bedpan and containing a large extendible tube which may be withdrawn to function as a urinal for male patients.... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5758452 | Floral arranging aid A floral arranging aid for holding flowers in a vase comprises a vase top cover of plastic or cardboard having a plurality of partially scored apertures that are opened by a flower stem. The apertures are arranged in rows and columns that are coded so tha... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5705128 | Sample exchange system An exchange system whereby a sample to be tested in a chamber, such as a vacuum chamber, may be entered and withdrawn with a minimum of loss of vacuum. The sample is mounted on a circular platen having six wedge shaped ramps in the periphery. A sample for... | 01/06/1998 |
| 5695515 | Mitral valve dilator A hydraulically operated surgical tool operated with video assistance through a small incision in a patient's chest for entering and expanding the mitral heart valve, The mitral valve dilator is a catheter-like element 4.5 cm, long and 8 mm, in diameter w... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5681016 | Automatic support stand for golf bag An automatic support stand for golf bags includes two legs in a pivotal mount high on the bag which form a tripod with a flat bottomed pedal that is flush with the bottom surface of the bag but doesn't contact the bag. The pedal is hinged to a "L" shaped ... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5664389 | Method and apparatus for building construction A frame structure is strengthned against earthquake shock and disastrous winds by extending some of the foundation rebars above the foundation walls and clamping on extension lengths of rebar and securing them to the ceiling joists. Special clamps are use... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5665108 | Surgical dressing strap A dressing strap for securing a dressing to a patient's skin comprises a pad of plastic topped gelatin-like hydrocolloid with an overlay flap which covers a surgical dressing and which supports a plurality of resilient plastic hooks that may be quickly la... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5662058 | Method for partitioning a golf bag A method for partitioning a golf bag to provide fourteen separate, symmetrical club partitions includes stitching together strips of cloth starting with the center and working outward in a prescribed pattern, and finally stitching the cloth together into ... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5655266 | Paper clip A paper clip formed of a single resilient wire that can torsionally grasp a thick sheaf of papers without deforming and can be used either along the straight sides of the paper or at a corner.... | 08/12/1997 |
| 5640751 | Vacuum flange A high vacuum sealing flange is formed of an outer housing with an insert which has, around its periphery, a blade formed on a inward-upward slant that cooperates with the inner wall of the housing to plastically deform a soft metal gasket when it is clam... | 06/24/1997 |
| 5634616 | Removable automatic tripod legs for golf bags A tripod assembly for attachment to a golf bag includes two legs in a pivotal mount high on the bag which pivot out to form a tripod using the bag as one leg. The legs are controlled by a shoe attached to the ends of long spring rods coupled to the legs a... | 06/03/1997 |
| 5618270 | Transthoracic aortic sleeve For patients requiring intra-aortic balloon (IAB) therapy but cannot take it through the usual femoral artery, it is necessary to open the chest to directly insert the IAB directly to the artery. A new process includes a transthoracic aortic sleeve of tef... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5588460 | Fire hydrant valve guide with locking sleeve and wrench therefor A hydrant protector for preventing unauthorized use of the hydrant includes an internally threaded tubular shleld around the valve stem. To prevent a collection of trash in the shield and to provide more security for the hydrant a threaded plug fits compl... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5564606 | Precision dispensing pump for viscous materials A viscous fluid dispensing pump such as used on the mechanical arms of computer controlled dispensing systems introduces the fluid into the center of a vertical bore having a dispensing tube at the bottom and a variable pitch thread feed screw in the bore... | 10/15/1996 |
| 5554073 | Flexible shaft A flexible shaft in which the interior rotating cable is formed of links having first and second loops formed of wires or bands that have a maximum diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the outer non-rotating shell. The second loop of one lin... | 09/10/1996 |
