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...During the Civil War, the Confederacy established its own Patent Office which issued 266 patents, a third of which concerned implements of war.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6351872 | Agitator motor projection system for vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner includes a housing incorporating a handle assembly and a nozzle assembly, a suction fan and cooperating suction fan drive motor carried on the housing, a rotary agitator held in the nozzle assembly, an agitator drive motor carried on the ... | 03/05/2002 |
| 6101736 | Apparatus for drying and processing raw food material A combined spray and rotary drying apparatus includes a spray dryer having a housing defining a spray drying chamber, an annular inlet and an outlet. A burner and atomizer sprayer are provided in the spray drying chamber. The outlet of the spray drying ch... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6080330 | Anti-freezing and deicing composition and method A composition is proposed for use in preventing the formation of ice or snow on outdoor surfaces, such as roadways or aggregate stockpiles, and also for deicing surfaces upon which snow or ice has formed. The composition is formed from a waste product of ... | 06/27/2000 |
| 6056066 | Soil regeneration apparatus and method An apparatus for regenerating compacted soil in reclaim surface mining lands is provided. The apparatus includes an auger rotatably mounted above and forward of the blade of an earthmover, such as a bulldozer. The auger is longer than the blade and is mou... | 05/02/2000 |
| 6041917 | Modular link conveyor with interdigitating grid and open apex A modular link conveyor including a plurality of modular link assemblies made up of links of an improved design assembled to create a closely interdigitating conveying surface is disclosed. The improved links eliminate undesirable gaps or openings in the ... | 03/28/2000 |
| 6035915 | Tab dispensing apparatus and related method An apparatus for dispensing an adhesive tab ready for placement on the an edge of a substantially flat article, such as a folded mailer or the like. Adhesive tabs are disposed on a roll formed of a reverse-wound backing strip housed in the base of the app... | 03/14/2000 |
| 6035997 | Conveyor pan coupling assembly An improved coupler assembly for pans in a longwall mining conveyor system for handling coal or the like is provided. The assembly includes a dog-bone coupler having notched ends. A first end of the coupler is received and secured in place by a stop in a ... | 03/14/2000 |
| 6030465 | Extractor with twin, counterrotating agitators An extractor is provided for cleaning carpet or a like surface or material. The extractor includes a housing, a handle, a cleaning liquid delivery system and a cleaning liquid recovery system. The cleaning liquid delivery system includes a cleaning liquid... | 02/29/2000 |
| 6013896 | Method of gas metal arc welding An improved method of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) utilizing relatively low current levels. The method includes providing a variable current to form and detach a droplet from a consumable wire electrode. During the welding process, the current is sufficie... | 01/11/2000 |
| 6012780 | Brake controller for trailer brakes A system and method are provided for controlling brakes on a trailer being towed by a towing vehicle. The system includes an accelerometer for sensing inclination and a rate of deceleration of the towing vehicle and providing inclination and rate of decel... | 01/11/2000 |
| 6012593 | Universal lid holder A portable holder for lids of cooking vessels includes upstanding supports on a base with intermediate retainers. At least one face of the lid contacts the support. Spaces between the support and retainer are spanned by the lower edge of the lid. A lid of... | 01/11/2000 |
| 6010142 | Cast ductile iron hitch bar A hitch bar includes an integral post and mounting rack cast from ductile iron. A midline channel in the mounting rack and face cavities in the post significantly reduce the overall mass of the hitch bar. The physical properties of the cast ductile iron m... | 01/04/2000 |
| 6008752 | Doppler-based traffic radar system A Doppler-based radar system used to determine the speed of a selected moving target includes an array of selectable filters and related method for determining the speed of the selected moving target traveling in the same lane as a moving patrol vehicle s... | 12/28/1999 |
| 6008470 | Method and system for gas metal arc welding An improved method of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is disclosed. The method includes utilizing a pulsed current having a variable waveform to ensure the detachment of one-droplet-per-pulse of current. During the welding process, the current is sufficient ... | 12/28/1999 |
| 6000527 | Product lane forming conveyor system and related method Multiple receiving conveyors receive randomly spaced product from a feeder conveyor and form discrete lanes for further processing. Upstanding wheels positioned between the receiving conveyors extend partially above the conveying surfaces. The outer perip... | 12/14/1999 |
| 6000529 | Underguard assembly for modular conveyors An underguard assembly is provided for use with a modular conveyor of a conveyor system. The underguard is formed of a flexible web that hangs beneath the conveyor to catch debris falling from the sides of or through the conveying surface. To support the ... | 12/14/1999 |
| 6003150 | Method for testing field programmable gate arrays A method of testing field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) includes the step of configuring programmable logic blocks of the FPGAs for completing a built-in self-test. This is followed by the steps of initiating the built-in self-test, generating test pat... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5996134 | Cover, spacer and plumbing installation assembly A plumbing installation assembly includes a closet flange and a cooperating spacer and cover. The spacer holds the closet flange above the floor a selected height to allow the pouring of lightweight concrete. The cover fully covers the face and slotted mo... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5992916 | Retainer for trailer tailgate A relatively inexpensive and reliable latching mechanism for locking or otherwise securing a tailgate to the cargo area of a vehicle or trailer is provided comprised of a latch plate of unitary construction and a locking pin. The latch plate is further co... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5993117 | Ice transportation system and method A system for transporting ice pieces or the like from a primary bin to one or more satellite bins is disclosed. A dispenser forms a charge of ice pieces in a precharge chamber, which is then transferred by air assist to a delivery tube. A driver member is... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5991907 | Method for testing field programmable gate arrays A method of testing field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) includes the step of configuring programmable logic blocks of the FPGAs for completing a built-in self-test. Specifically, the FPGA under test may be configured to act as an iterative logic array ... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5990446 | Method of arc welding using dual serial opposed torches An improved method of arc welding uses a single power supply connected to opposed welding torches placed on both sides of a workpiece. Each torch is connected to a different polarity lead of the power supply and forms a separate arc with the workpiece. Wh... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5988332 | Hydraulic shock absorber The compensator is made separately from the cylinder of the shock absorber, and the two parts are prearranged for the reciprocal coupling with the possibility of articulation and pivoting around an axis, substantially perpendicular or orthogonal to the ax... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5988413 | Child resistant container and closure An improved child resistant container and closure assembly allows for ease of use by an adult, while at the same time provides the desired increased child resistance. One or more locking elements mating with recesses formed in the container serve to secur... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5984341 | Weight distributing hitch and slide bracket assembly A weight distributing and sway controlling hitch assembly for towing a trailer behind a vehicle includes a hitch bar for mounting to a vehicle. The hitch assembly also includes a ball mount head carried on the hitch bar and a hitch connector carried on th... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5986160 | Method of destroying hazardous organic compounds The present invention relates to a method of destroying hazardous vapor phase or aqueous phase organic compound(s) by providing a polymeric siloxane based solvent in a vessel and adding the hazardous organic compound(s) and ozone to the solvent. The solve... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5980048 | Vehicle safety system An apparatus for automatically adjusting the angle of a rotatable side view mirror of a vehicle having a trailer coupled thereto includes transducers attached to the vehicle for transmitting signals toward the trailer and for receiving signals reflected b... | 11/09/1999 |
| 5972253 | Preparation of monolithic carbon fiber composite material A process for preparing an activated carbon fiber composite material includes the steps of mixing carbon fibers, binder and water to form a slurry, molding the slurry to produce a green monolithic body, curing the monolithic body, carbonizing the cured mo... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5971418 | Gooseneck hitch assembly and method of installation A gooseneck hitch assembly includes a hitch ball assembly having a hitch ball and a housing and a mounting assembly for securing the hitch ball assembly to the frame of a vehicle. The hitch ball is pivotally connected to the housing and includes a conveni... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5964507 | Transmission gearcase for multiple cutting heads An apparatus is provided for mining a mineral seam. The apparatus includes a frame, a propulsion system as well as first and second cutters and a cutter motor for winning aggregate material from the mineral seam. The apparatus is characterized by the cutt... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5960740 | Splash and spill-resistant container for animal use An improved splash and spill-resistant container for holding a fluid for consumption by an animal is disclosed. The container forms a cavity with a top access aperture which defines an inverted channel. A partition divides the cavity into first and second... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5959258 | Multiple hopper weighing and transfer system A multiple hopper system for improved forming of solid, flowing product into sequential batches or charges, transferring the batches between the hoppers, combination weighing/selection and discharging to a packaging machine is provided. A computer senses ... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5951208 | Roof bolting method and related apparatus A method of roof/side wall roof bolting in-situ includes the steps of drilling a bore hole, loading a rupturable resin cartridge into a lightweight, tubular wand through the delivery end, manually placing the wand with the delivery end adjacent the mouth ... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5944875 | Triboelectric separator with mixing chamber and pre-separator A triboelectrostatic separation apparatus includes a mixing chamber having opposed first and second charging ports, a separator having a separation chamber, first and second electrodes, and a variable voltage source for applying respective positive and ne... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5941565 | Vehicle traction enhancing apparatus A vehicle traction enhancing apparatus is provided having a rectangular base designed to fit between the wheel wells of a vehicle cargo area with extensions in juxtaposition with the front and rear faces of the wheel wells. The base is constructed of four... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5941747 | Open-shoe type swimming flipper Open-shoe type swimming flipper, to be worn on a foot wearing a boot, the shoe including an element of insole and an element for holding the front of the boot. The element of insole of the flipper is provided with a number of coupling elements which fit i... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5938041 | Apparatus and method for triboelectrostatic separation A triboelectrostatic separation apparatus includes a separator with an inlet, a separation chamber, first and second electrodes, a variable voltage source for applying respective positive and negative voltage potentials to the electrodes, a pair of separa... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5921980 | Laser skin graft harvesting apparatus and related method A laser dermatome is disclosed for harvesting and meshing grafts of skin. A roller driven by a motor lifts the leading edge of a portion of skin for cutting by a beam of light generated by a laser. Adhesive tape attached to the roller aids in lifting the ... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5921180 | Label stamper with tape loading means, guide means, holding means, stamping means, and replaceable cartridge An improved label stamper which is capable of stamping prices on labels attached on a tape so as to attach the stamped labels on commodities is disclosed. A tape loading mechanism of the label stamper is constituted such that a loading case goes in and ou... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5918377 | Mouth width measuring apparatus An apparatus is provided for measuring the width of the mouth of a horse or other domesticated farm animal so as to allow one to select a bit of suitable width. The apparatus includes a crossbar having first and second ends, a first annular stop received ... | 07/06/1999 |
