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 |
| 5898257 | Combustion initiators employing reduced work function stainless steel electrodes The electron emitting cathode of an initiator (spark plug or ignitor) comprises a small button of high temperature, preferably austenitic, stainless steel powder welded to a support conductor. The stainless steel powder has distributed through it a dopant... | 04/27/1999 |
| 5694814 | Clamps providing a geometrical lock A locking arrangement suitable for use in precision optical instruments comprising first and second mountings (56, 58) defining respective opposing first and second concave surfaces (60, 62) and a member (64) for location between the mountings and definin... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5608518 | Multiple internal reflection analyzers not requiring external optics Multiple internal reflection, MIR, rods or internal reflection elements, IRE, use the principal of frustrated total internal reflection, FTIR, (also known as attenuated total reflection, ATR,) in infrared spectroscopy, spectrometers, and spectrophotometer... | 03/04/1997 |
| 5560519 | Dispensers and dispenser arrays for displaying and dispensing bulk goods Each dispenser, which may be used for candy, is identical except for a identically sized top rectangular panel. The back, bottom, front, and a baffle are formed of one piece of thermoplastic material. A right angle bent is adhered to the top of the baffle... | 10/01/1996 |
| 5486000 | Weighted golf iron club head For weight distribution in a golf iron club head, the use of construction material from a location thereon never used in play, namely centrally along a top edge of the ball-striking face, advantageously relocated to the toe, sole, heel or combinations the... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5479273 | Hologram construction The method involves directing first and second separate illuminating beams towards a photosensitive film from separate fixed apparent beam source positions respectively in such a manner that the beams are caused to overlap at the point of incidence at the... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5448593 | Frequency hopping time-diversity communications systems and transceivers for local area networks A system utilizing adaptive frequency-hopped spread spectrum modulation to communicate over AC power lines and other noisy communications channels is described. The system employs a modulation structure in which individual packets of data are transmitted ... | 09/05/1995 |
| 5441261 | Magnetic globe puzzle having plural puzzle layers and globe stand therefor The globe is rotationally molded of iron particles and a plastisol of polyvinyl chloride and has embossed therein, from the mold, lines of longitude and latitude. Two or more layers of magnetized puzzle pieces are formed by printing their indicia on flat,... | 08/15/1995 |
| 5430776 | Fuel pellets for thermonuclear reactions Fuel pellets for use as targets in a device employing thermonuclear fusion by inertial confinement (Laser fusion) are manufactured from high polymer hydrocarbons in which bound hydrogen has been replaced with tritium. The required polymer is prepared by p... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5408957 | Continuous combustible gas injection into conventionally fueled internal combustion engines Liquefied petroleum gas (propane), natural gas, hydrogen gas, or the like, is continuously injected at substantially constant pressure into the air intake manifold, or air induction system, of a conventional internal combustion engine, the engine being el... | 04/25/1995 |
| 5396349 | Lateral and longitudinal chromatic dispersion correction in display systems employing non-conformal reflection holograms An optical system for a display having a combiner (1) with a non-conformal reflection hologram and in which an intermediate image (II) of a display source is formed at a location in the light path to and spaced from the combiner (1), the system comprising... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5393178 | Engraving quill holders A cut or slit is provided in the holder generally perpendicular to the actual opening through the holder in which the shaft of an engraving quill is held. The cut or slit completely intersects the opening and divides the cut portion into two sections of u... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5351830 | Package having a vacuum actuated conformal packing nest A sealed bag of a pliable multi-layered barrier film substantially impervious to air is partially filled with generally spherically closed cell foam plastic particles deformable under a pressure of less than about 0.2 atmospheres. A bag for use in a typic... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5257290 | Transmission line termination of guide-communications wire for guided vehicles A system for digital communication over a wire lain along the path of guided vehicles to a modem and a loop driver, the modem providing high frequency signals and the loop driver providing low frequency control signals. Instead, the modem and the loop dri... | 10/26/1993 |
| 5249081 | Optical apparatus for superimposing displayed visual information This invention is concerned with display apparatus of the Head-Up-Display (H.U.D.) type which finds utility in e.g. fighter aircraft. The invention is concerned with providing an H.U.D. which has a profile depth which is substantially and preferably much ... | 09/28/1993 |
| 5247349 | Passivation and insulation of III-V devices with pnictides, particularly amorphous pnictides having a layer-like structure Pnictide thin films, particularly phosphorus, grown on III-V semiconductors, particularly InP, GaP, and GaAs, are amorphous and have a novel layer-like, puckered sheet-like local order. The thin films are typically 400 Angstroms thick and grown preferably... | 09/21/1993 |
| 5245335 | Transceiver system for communication over wire laid along the path of guided/vehicles The system comprises transceivers employing identical modems, one located at a fixed position and connected to the wire and one on a vehicle guided along the wire. The transceiver's specialized modems may be connected to a central host which may be a comp... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5208123 | Hologram construction The method involves directing first and second separate illuminating beams towards a photosensitive film from separate fixed apparent beam source positions respectively in such a manner that the beams are caused to overlap at the point of incidence at the... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5201519 | Croquet set, particularly, for miniature croquet game A plurality of wickets are assembled into a unitary structure each wicket having a plurality of marker receiving means. Individually visibly identifiable direction markers are adapted to engage said marker receiving means in two positions so as to indicat... | 04/13/1993 |
| 5194164 | Inclined-plane oil skimmers A tranverse body is positioned underwater forward of the bow for reducing the surface wave caused by the bow and for increasing the fluid velocity at the forward surface of the bow. The body may be a cylinder, or a lifting body foil, the axis of which is ... | 03/16/1993 |
| 5191352 | Radio frequency apparatus A quadrifilar radio frequency antenna intended primarily for receiving signals from an earth orbiting satellite for navigation has four helical wire elements shaped and arranged so as to define a cylindrical envelope. The elements are co-extensive in the ... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5190254 | Amplifier stand The collapsible amplifier stand comprises a pair of U-shaped portions preferably formed out of tubular steel, one of which fits within the other. They are joined at their leg portions by axles having a common axis. Straps are connected between the leg por... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5189532 | Edge-illuminated narrow bandwidth holographic filter This invention concerns a method and apparatus of using the relatively thin holographic material of a transmission holographic optical element in such a manner whereby a narrow spectral bandwidth may be achieved. The interference fringe planes oriented th... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5184502 | Helicopter installable, self-powered, modular, remote, telemetry package The instrumentation package is transportable to remote sites solely by a light helicopter. Accordingly, three skids are provided, each of which weighs less than 1,200 pounds. An instrument skid comprises a generally, horizontally disposed frame having jac... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5185640 | Multifaceted probes for optical analysis Multiple internal reflection, MIR, probes or internal reflection elements, IRE, use the principal of frustrated total internal reflection, FTIR, (also known as attenuated total reflection, ATR,) in infrared spectroscopy, spectrometers, and spectrophotomet... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5177935 | Packing machine A packing machine for wrapping compressed insulation products in heat sealable plastic film, including a forming tube having product feed means to move or hold the product within it, a former to reconfigure a web of heat sealable plastic film into a longi... | 01/12/1993 |
| 5168510 | Spread spectrum-time diversity communications systems and transceivers for multidrop area networks Messages are transmitted on pairs of frequencies that are orthogonal, that is the frequencies have no least common denominator (are prime to each other). A message is transmitted on the first of the pair of frequencies and, simultaneously, its complement ... | 12/01/1992 |
| 5126554 | Imaging device using multiple area sensors An imaging device for processing an optical image in the visible and/or infra-red wavelength bands. An optical image receiving area is divided into four segments and each segment is associated with an optical sensing means in the form of a semiconductor c... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5125742 | Long path gas absorption cell The multi-pass, multi-reflection (MIR) cell used for spectrographic analysis, in a spectrophotometer, for example, is a right circular cylinder having flat end plates perpendicular to its axis. The interior of the cylinder is appropriately coated to refle... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5100218 | Thermal imaging optical system This invention is concerned with a thermal imaging optical system finding utility as an individual weapon sight. The system comprises an infra-red objective lens including a chopper blade together with front and back elements with an adjustable element th... | 03/31/1992 |
| 5032472 | Films of catenated phosphorus materials, their preparation and use, and semiconductor and other devices employing them High phosphorus polyphosphides, namely MPx, where M is an alkali metal (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) or metals mimicking the bonding behavior of an alkali metal, and x=7 to 15 or very much greater than 15 (new forms of phosphorus) are useful semicond... | 07/16/1991 |
| 5005356 | Torque converter utilizing streamwise vorticity A novel torque converter is disclosed which utilizes streamwise vorticity as well as a mean flow within the passageways of the machine to transfer energy efficiency over an extended utility ratio. This is accomplished with novel blade structures utilizing... | 04/09/1991 |
| 4923138 | Turntable for motorized delivery of coiled stock The flat undersurface of the turntable is supported on three idler casters. The disc is driven on the periphery by a gear motor which has a drive wheel attached. The direction of rotation of the turntable can be reversed by changing the direction of the m... | 05/08/1990 |
| 4895424 | Optical fibre adapter means for coupling optical signals A two-part optical fibre adapter means suitable for coupling optical signals in electronic shelf assemblies incorporating plug-in circuit boards for high density racked optical systems. One part of the adapter means is mounted in an aperture in a support ... | 01/23/1990 |
| 4872756 | Dual path interferometer with varying difference in path length An interferometer is provided for producing an interference pattern from light such as laser light which travels along first and second optical paths and at the end of each such path there is a respective fixed mirror for directing light to a common optic... | 10/10/1989 |
| 4867952 | Cracking traps for process gas components having a condensed phase Effluent process gases, particularly those employed in the production and processing of solid state electronic components, are cracked to form products having a condensed phase, which may be separated from the flowing process gas. A plasma trap comprises ... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4834472 | Optical beam expanders with materials chosen to effect athermalization An optical substantially afocal beam expander has a negative lens element spaced from a positive lens element. The lens elements are of different materials with respective coefficients of refractive index change with respect to temperature such that the e... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4832448 | Interference filter An interference filter, also referred to as a notch filter, of the type which reflects a certain wavelength range while letting pass over wavelengths bands of a range is disclosed. The filter is designed for operation in the visual and infra-red regions o... | 05/23/1989 |
| 4825154 | Current probe A current probe is provided which comprises a handle and a ring of magnetisable material for positioning around an electrical conductor, the ring being split into two portions one being fixed relative to the handle and the other being slidable therewithin... | 04/25/1989 |
| 4822581 | Catenated phosphorus materials and their preparation High phosphorus polyphosphides, namely MPx, where M is an alkali metal (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) or metals mimicking the bonding behavior of an alkali metal, and x=7 to 15 or very much greater than 15 (new forms of phosphorus) are useful semicond... | 04/18/1989 |
