Did You Know...
...that Thomas Edison's patent application on his phonograph was approved by the Patent Office in just seven weeks? In contrast, it took Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, 30 years to obtain his patent -- finally awarded in 1988!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5988559 | Fire hose winding apparatus A fire hose winding apparatus. The apparatus includes an elongated, horizontal frame, or extension arm, having an inner end detachably coupled to a fire truck, or other available support. A horizontal spindle extends transversely from an outer end of the ... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5975479 | Fishing rod holder A gunwale mounted fishing rod holder comprising an inboard arm to support the butt end of a rod and an outboard arm to support the reel portion thereof. The improvement involves the addition of a latching structure which securely encloses the butt end of ... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5950975 | Adjustable fender bracket A bracket for supporting a fender on a frame including an arm and a plate. The arm is bent to form two parallel, but displaced portions. The plate is attached to the outer portion using a clamp. The clamp can be loosened to allow the plate to rotate about... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5927226 | Combined towing and docking hitch for watercraft A combined towing and docking hitch for watercraft. The hitch includes an elongated frame with a cable winch, a rearward yoke subframe, and a forward coupler. The coupler is adapted for mating with a complementary receptacle or receiver, mounted either on... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5909862 | Combined iron, iron holder and ironing board An ironing system for guests of the hospitality industry that is not only compact in size, for storage in a guest room closet, but is also convenient and safe to use when the guest needs to press garments or other articles of wearing apparel. By combining... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5894898 | Solar-electric motor scooter An electric, three-wheeled motor scooter is described which can derive its motive energy either from a solar-electric array on the vehicle or an independent source of electric power. The vehicle has a unique suspension which permits limited lateral rotati... | 04/20/1999 |
| 5891066 | Combined biohazard barrier and splinting device A bag-like container of flexible plastic material snugly confines the ischial padding and body of an emergency traction splint for an injured leg while allowing access to the traction-inducing components thereof. Additional biohazard shielding is afforded... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5839152 | Apparatus for cleaning trowel blades An apparatus for removing adhesive or other contaminants from a hand trowel. Two embodiments are disclosed, each including a body having a slot extending through at least a portion thereof, and through which the trowel blade is drawn for cleaning. A pair ... | 11/24/1998 |
| 5832860 | Trim enhancing device for a power boat In order to improve the trim of a power boat ready to accelerate toward "on plane" speed, a deflector plate is deployed by gravity from a substantially horizontal attitude toward a rearward-downward inclination, the deployed plate being located so that a ... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5812214 | Apparatus and method for compositing video images An apparatus and method effecting a linear color transformation between foreground video and insert video, in a chroma key video image. A determination is made whether a particular pel, or pixel in the foreground video image is either a full foreground pe... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5713240 | Method and apparatus for automatic remote testing of backflow preventers An apparatus and method for automatic and remote testing of check valves and backflow preventers. Pressure sensors have ports in communication with chambers upstream and downstream from a check valve to be tested. The sensors may be pressure transducers o... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5669405 | Apparatus and method for automatically disabling pressure relief valve of backflow preventer An apparatus and method for automatic disablement of a pressure relief valve used in connection with a backflow preventer in a fire line. A normally open solenoid valve is included in a pressure sampling line, extending from an inlet, or upstream chamber ... | 09/23/1997 |
| 5647583 | Apparatus and method for singulating sheets and inserting same into envelopes An apparatus and method for singulating sheets from a stack of sheets and transporting individual ones of them to a conveyor. A picker arm is mounted at its upper end to a rotatable shaft, for reciprocating movement between first and second positions. A l... | 07/15/1997 |
| 5645720 | Mounting head with by-pass valve for use with cartridge filters A mounting head with an internal by-pass valve for use with disposable cartridge filters, for purifying gases or liquids. In preparation for changing a spent filter, the valve mechanism is translated from a first, lowered position to a second, raised posi... | 07/08/1997 |
| 5645009 | Power boat trim augmentation device Disclosed is a construction applicable to stern drive and outboard types of power boat propulsion units for enhancing the performance normally provided by the customary trim/tilt capabilities designed into the units. At a critical juncture in the trim/til... | 07/08/1997 |
| 5584315 | Check valve assembly and method for mounting and installing check valves within a housing A check valve assembly, including a check valve and an associated check valve mounting flange. Additionally, a backflow preventer is shown, which uses a pair of check valve assemblies transversely positioned within a tubular housing. Also disclosed is a m... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5531312 | Apparatus and method for singulating articles An apparatus and method for singulating individual articles from a group of articles. A rotary vacuum wheel includes a plurality of article pockets in its outer edge periphery. Apertures within each pocket are in communication with a vacuum pump. An artic... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5519985 | Machine for producing straw-filled tubes of flexible netting material Apparatus and method of filling tubes of flexible, large mesh, netting material with compacted rice straw, or the like. The finished straw tubes are on the order of nine inches in diameter, twenty five feet in length and thirty pounds in weight; and thus ... | 05/28/1996 |
| 5516170 | Apparatus and method for installing carpet and vinyl floor covering An apparatus and method for installing floor covering. The present invention provides a floor-engaging roller to the rear portion of a "kicker", used in the trade to install floor covering. The roller vertically spaces the rear, knee-butting portion of th... | 05/14/1996 |
| 5512120 | Apparatus and method for applying a label to a container An apparatus and method for applying a heat shrinkable film to a container having a right-circular, cylindrical sidewall section and at least one inwardly directed end section. A film segment is transported by a rotary vacuum drum past an adhesive station... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5503553 | Oral hygiene device In order to take care of the oral hygiene needs of aged or infirm patients in health care facilities, or the like, a relatively small, compact, self-contained device can be carried by a lay operator from room to room. Fresh water in one container carried ... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5470602 | Broccoli head trimming apparatus and method Broccoli fleurettes are rapidly trimmed from broccoli heads by positioning the heads accurately so that the axes of the head stalks intersect the axes of rotation of special U-shaped guillotine blades shaped and dimensioned to trim fleurettes of substanti... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5465614 | Apparatus and method for non-intrusive testing of a motor vehicle canister purge system An apparatus and method for non-intrusive testing of the rate and total amount of vapor flow through the canister purge line in a motor vehicle. The apparatus includes a clamping structure, adapted for temporary attachment to the purge line leading from t... | 11/14/1995 |
| 5425266 | Apparatus and method for non-intrusive testing of motor vehicle evaporative fuel systems An apparatus and method for the non-intrusive testing of evaporative fuel vapor systems of motor vehicles. A portable pressure control and monitoring unit is inserted into the fuel filler neck of a vehicle. The vapor vent line, leading from the fuel tank ... | 06/20/1995 |
| 5417290 | Sonic drilling method and apparatus In combination with resonant sonic earth drilling components, and for particular use in retrieving a core sample in a core barrel seated against an internal shoulder in a sonically driven drill bit, a resilient axial loading device not only urges the bott... | 05/23/1995 |
| 5413606 | Intraoperative method of restoring the surface smoothness of total knee replacement components An intraoperative method is provided for the restoration of the bearing surface smoothness of an otherwise well-fixed and well-aligned femoral knee component. This method is an alternative, in appropriate circumstances, to total component replacement. Pol... | 05/09/1995 |
| 5414626 | Apparatus and method for capturing, storing, retrieving, and displaying the identification and location of motor vehicle emission control systems A computer system, including a relational database, especially for use by an inspector at a Motor Vehicle Inspection facility, for capturing, storing, retrieving, and displaying visual images disclosing the identification and location of vehicle Emission ... | 05/09/1995 |
| 5340184 | Aerodynamically improved tailgate construction for pickup truck A pickup truck tailgate construction is provided which enables the tailgate to be used either (1) in customary manner, with the bottom of the tailgate in hinged relation with the after end of the bed so that the tailgate can be pivoted between vertical cl... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5313707 | Watermelon seed remover A suitably dimensioned, hollow, crescent-shaped die with an upstanding handle provides a culinary tool for conveniently and quickly removing all the seeds from a watermelon. Upright side walls on the perimeter of the die engage each of the seed-bearing, c... | 05/24/1994 |
| 5230512 | Golf training device In order to help a golfer to develop "muscle memory" for consistently executing an ideal swing, there is provided a grid plate on which is defined a ball contact zone. Enabling the golfer to see the head of the club as it is swung through the contact zone... | 07/27/1993 |
| 5215403 | Machine for transferring paving material A three-wheeled machine carries a hopper positioned to receive paving material from a dump truck immediately in front of the machine, the hopper being emptied by a conveyor oriented transversely to the path of the machine. A left front wheel, a left rear ... | 06/01/1993 |
| 5188504 | Envelope opener and load separator Numbers of similar, loaded envelopes having side edge folds and end edge folds joining two rectangular panels are arranged in a stack in a drawer-like portable holder having a side opening. The drawer is installed with the envelopes disposed as a vertical... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5152647 | Dunnage device A unitary dunnage device for use with a "singled out" pallet unit being transported within a van, trailer or container. The device includes a pair of void fillers, each being dimensioned and configured to fit within a respective lateral void, existing bet... | 10/06/1992 |
| 5139842 | Dunnage device A dunnage device expandable from a compact flat stack into a vertically extending cellular slab. A plurality of elongated strips is stacked and assembled in co-extensive relation. Each strip has a median portion, opposing end portions, and opposing outer ... | 08/18/1992 |
| 5096360 | Envelope opener and load separator Numbers of similar, loaded envelopes having side edge folds and end edge folds joining two rectangular panels are arranged in a stack in a drawer-like portable holder having a side opening. The drawer is installed with the envelopes disposed as a vertical... | 03/17/1992 |
| 5085076 | Integrated water strainer, meter, and crossover check valve A water strainer, water meter, and crossover check valve structurally and functionally integrated within a single housing having a single access port. A water strainer, including a screened portion and a solid floor, diverts debris from the water flow pat... | 02/04/1992 |
| 5064488 | Apparatus and method for splicing film An apparatus and method for effecting a splice between a pair of feed rolls for successively supplying film material to a film utilization device, such as a labeling machine. Downstream from the rolls, a splicing station includes a pair of parallel, space... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5061146 | Envelope opener and load separator Numbers of similar, loaded envelopes having side edge folds and end edge folds joining two rectangular panels are arranged in a stack in drawer-like portable holder having a side opening. The drawer is installed with the envelopes disposed as a vertical s... | 10/29/1991 |
| 5060681 | Dental flossing device An elongated handle with an internal supply of fresh dental floss and a flossing head including a fork provides oral hygiene. A fresh section of floss is advanced by a one-touch arrangement which concurrently relegates spent floss to a separate take-up re... | 10/29/1991 |
| 5058724 | Apparatus and method for orienting articles and containers A method and apparatus for orienting rotationally symmetrical articles and containers having an orientation reference index thereon. An infeed mechanism successively delivers containers to a rotary starwheel, preferably having a plurality of container poc... | 10/22/1991 |
