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 |
| 8088427 | System for gluten replacement in food products The present invention is a system for replacing gluten in food products. Preferably, the gluten replacement system of the present invention utilizes gluten-free ingredients that mimic the functions of gluten in a dough and in a final product made from the dough. The... | 01/03/2012 |
| 7615246 | Pellet systems for preparing beverages Methods, compositions, and articles of manufacture for preparing frozen beverages are described. The methods and articles generally include first and/or second frozen pellets. Upon mixing the frozen pellets with an appropriate liquid for a sufficient time, a frozen ... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7615245 | Pellet systems for preparing beverages Methods, compositions, and articles of manufacture for preparing frozen beverages are described. The methods and articles generally include first and/or second frozen pellets. Upon mixing the frozen pellets with an appropriate liquid for a sufficient time, a frozen ... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7279338 | Methods for determining cellular response to stimuli The present invention provides a method for determining cellular response to stimuli. The cells to be tested, for example, may be contained in a section of taste-bud containing lingual epithelium. ... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7201934 | Dispersible cocoa products An improved method for increasing the dispersibility of cocoa powder which has been treated with liquid solvent extraction procedures to reduce fat content. A dispersing agent such as lecithin is added to wet cocoa mass comprising remaining cocoa butter and remainin... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7153531 | Food composition Food components including a triacylglycerol component and a bulking agent are provided. The triacylglycerol component typically has a melting point of about 100 to 120° F. and constitutes about 20 to 35 wt. % of the food components. The food component can be formed... | 12/26/2006 |
| 6761275 | Domed liner disc for closure A liner disc for a bottle cap for sealingly closing a bottle includes an annular rim portion and a downwardly domed portion depending from the annular rim portion. The domed portion is convex toward the contents of the bottle. A seal layer is provided on the domed p... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6672368 | Continuous casting of aluminum A method of continuous casting aluminum alloys between a pair of rolls. Molten aluminum alloy is delivered to a roll bite between the rolls and passes into the roll nip in a semi-molten state. A solid strip of cast aluminum alloy exits the nip at speeds o... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6623797 | Method for coating metal strip In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is an apparatus and a method for coating both surfaces of a continuous processing aluminum strip by extruding thin polymeric film onto the aluminum strip. Generally, the aluminum strip is uncoiled, passed t... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6391127 | Method of manufacturing aluminum alloy sheet A method for manufacturing aluminum sheet stock which includes hot rolling an aluminum alloy sheet stock, quenching and coiling the feedstock. Then, in a second sequence, the feedstock is uncoiled, annealed and quenched to a temperature for cold rolling.... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6375029 | Easy-open misting container An improved can end, and method for making a can end, for pressurized beverage containers with a stay on tab. The tab incorporates a raised region with a hole. The raised region is positioned to receive the vapor vented from the can upon initial lifting o... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6003221 | Metal matrix composites containing electrical insulators A method of fabricating a metal matrix composite containing electrically isolated areas and the MMC formed from the method. The method comprises: (a) providing a liquid pool of unreinforced aluminum alloy; (b) infiltrating the unreinforced aluminum alloy ... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5879202 | Battery terminal connector A battery terminal connector for connection to a battery post, particularly useful in automotive application. The connector includes a plate having an aperture which is shaped and sized to fit about the battery post. A slot extends from the aperture to on... | 03/09/1999 |
| 4859546 | Battery explosion attenuation material and method A porous compressible plastic material is inserted into the head space above the cells in a storage battery to attenuate the explosion of combustible gases accumulating therein. The attenuation material is distributed to create a unique bimodal por distri... | 08/22/1989 |
| 4850530 | Gas valve using modular construction A gas valve for controlling the flow of a combustible, gaseous fuel to a burner employs a modular construction and is configurable to be fast or slow opening, to be step opening or to provide two firing rates in accordance with external signals applied th... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4804009 | Pneumatic interface apparatus for control of process systems The incremental interface system of the present invention includes a pneumatic input means for providing a first pressure to be regulated. A pressure repeater means includes a volume relay having a first chamber coupled to the intermediate bus of the inpu... | 02/14/1989 |
| 4770200 | Pneumatic interface apparatus The interface apparatus of the present invention includes a pneumatic flow control means for controlling the number of moles of a gas confined within a substantially constant volume of gas at a first pressure. A volume relay has a first chamber coupled to... | 09/13/1988 |
| 4750274 | Sludge processing Methods for continuous drying of sludges. Large scouring particles are added to a sludge to be dried to create a mixture which is passed through a rotary screw type indirect heat exchanger. The scouring particles are large relative to the particulates of ... | 06/14/1988 |
| 4648794 | Pump with high speed expeller Pumps for pumping liquids including a gear train for rotating an expeller at a speed greater than the speed of the pump primary impeller.... | 03/10/1987 |
| 4648292 | Tong assembly A tong assembly for makeup and break out of tool joints including a power tong and a backup tong which is rotatable through a limited rotation with respect to the power tong. During a torquing operation a single, self energizing free jaw and die grips the... | 03/10/1987 |
| 4596286 | Rotary processor A rotary processor useful in mixing, conveying, and heating or cooling a fluid material. Interchangeable subassemblies each comprise a helical coil permanently affixed at each end to a terminal block. The terminal blocks of each subassembly are removably ... | 06/24/1986 |
| 4589981 | Fluidized bed classifier Fluidized bed systems for segregating cleaning or classifying particulate matter of differing physical properties such as particle density or size. Multiple stage beds preferably operate in a partially fluidized state and the classification structure prov... | 05/20/1986 |
| 4571330 | Flue gas desulfurization Systems for desulfurization of a flue gas containing fly ash including formation of a dry powder in a spray dryer absorber resulting from reaction of an alkaline aqueous feed and the flue gas. The dry powder is collected and a specifically selected fracti... | 02/18/1986 |
| 4535326 | Liner deterioration warning for fluid movers Method and apparatus for detecting deterioration of a replaceable liner in a pump transporting an electrically conductive fluid medium. A conductive component is isolated, during normal operation, from the conductive fluid medium by the electrically insul... | 08/13/1985 |
| 4519715 | Propeller Propellers including blades affixed to a hub which provide generally axial flow of a fluid medium through the blade area. The blades are formed from cylindrical segments and include a generally straight leading edge and a generally convex trailing edge.... | 05/28/1985 |
| 4514195 | Discharge electrode Discharge electrodes for use in electrostatic precipitators. In preferred form a discharge electrode is formed of a pair of body elements arranged in a partially overlapping relationship. The overlapping structure is such that a longitudinally extending s... | 04/30/1985 |
| 4511168 | Slip mechanism Slip mechanisms for selectively gripping and releasing conduit in a well drilling operation, particularly useable as elevators or spiders. Three slips are positioned within a tapered bore of the slip mechanism having a split front opening, and are articul... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4482253 | Rotary material processor Rotary processors for fluid material conveyance and heat transfer including a plurality of commonly configured coils mounted between rotatable manifolds affixed to a central shaft.... | 11/13/1984 |
| 4469446 | Fluid handling Systems for mixing gaseous medium streams at different temperatures are for changing the direction of flow of a stream which alleviate the effect of pressure losses. A plurality of hollow airfoil shaped vanes are positioned within a first gaseous stream, ... | 09/04/1984 |
| 4437363 | Dual camming action jaw assembly and power tong A rotary tong for use in well drilling operations to make up and break out drill strings or similar axially elongated objects which has a secondary camming action provided by the jaw assembly. By use of the inventive jaw assembly a secondary camming actio... | 03/20/1984 |
| 4430588 | MHD Electrode and wall constructions Electrode and wall constructions for the walls of a channel transmitting the hot plasma in a magnetohydrodynamic generator. The electrodes and walls are made of a plurality of similar modules which are spaced from one another along the channel. The electr... | 02/07/1984 |
| 4389377 | Apparatus for growing a dendritic web A melt system including a susceptor-crucible assembly having improved gradient control when melt replenishment is used during dendritic web growth. The improvement lies in the formation of a thermal barrier in the base of the receptor which is in the form... | 06/21/1983 |
| 4326922 | Composite nuclear fuel assembly An open lattice elongated nuclear fuel assembly including small diameter fuel rods disposed in an array spaced a selected distance above an array of larger diameter fuel rods for use in a nuclear reactor having liquid coolant flowing in an upward directio... | 04/27/1982 |
| 4297191 | Isotopic separation Method and apparatus for separating isotopes in an isotopic mixture. Photo-excitation of selected isotopic species is utilized in conjunction with various processes including reaction of the excited species with positive ions of predetermined ionization e... | 10/27/1981 |
| 4292379 | Variable area fuel cell process channels A fuel cell arrangement having a non-uniform distribution of fuel and oxidant flow paths, on opposite sides of an electrolyte matrix, sized and positioned to provide approximately uniform fuel and oxidant utilization rates, and cell conditions, across the... | 09/29/1981 |
| 4291233 | Wind turbine-generator A wind-turbine generator system which transforms the rotational energy of a wind driven turbine blade into rotation in opposite directions of a rotor and a stator of a dynamoelectric machine to generate electrical power. A bevel gear rotating with the tur... | 09/22/1981 |
| 4284952 | Neutral beam monitoring Method and apparatus for monitoring characteristics of a high energy neutral beam. A neutral beam is generated by passing accelerated ions through a walled cell containing a low energy neutral gas, such that charge exchange neutralizes the high energy ion... | 08/18/1981 |
| 4281841 | O-Ring sealing arrangements for ultra-high vacuum systems An all metal reusable O-ring sealing arrangement for sealing two concentric tubes in an ultra-high vacuum system. An O-ring of a heat recoverable alloy such as Nitinol is concentrically positioned between protruding sealing rings of the concentric tubes. ... | 08/04/1981 |
| 4282010 | Fluidized bed injection assembly for coal gasification A coaxial feed system for fluidized bed coal gasification processes including an inner tube for injecting particulate combustibles into a transport gas, an inner annulus about the inner tube for injecting an oxidizing gas, and an outer annulus about the i... | 08/04/1981 |
| 4279293 | High temperature heat exchanger having porous tube sheet portions A high temperature tube and shell vertically positioned heat exchanger including a plurality of tube sheets dividing the interior of the shell into three consecutive chambers. Ceramic tubes are vertically hung from hemispherical seats in an upper tube she... | 07/21/1981 |
