...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6470503 | Foot operated device for lifting a seat of a toilet A foot operated device for lifting a toilet seat that includes a base, a foot pedal, a pair of arms, and a pedal lock. The base includes a pair of fulcrums. The foot pedal includes a pair of levers that are pivotally mounted to the pair of fulcrums, respe... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6413144 | Hand-held toy for lighting when spun A hand-held toy that lights when spun, and which includes a rod, a head attached to, and spins with, the rod, a light source illuminates with movement of, the head, and apparatus associated with the light source, and which is grasped by the hands of a use... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6261196 | Releasable/break-away sports goal A sports goal for minimizing injury to a player striking thereupon that includes a frame and a net that extends across the frame. The frame is tubular and includes four posts that extend vertically upwardly from a surface, at four corners of an imaginary ... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6250653 | Carriage for seating multiple children A carriage for seating multiple children that includes a frame, a seating assembly disposed on the frame, and a wheel assembly rotatably mounted to the frame. The seat assembly comprises a pair of guard rails, a plurality of cross member rails that form a... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6209165 | Hand-held device for scrubbing a part therewith and for capturing a washing article therein A hand-held device for scrubbing a body part therewith and for capturing a washing article, such as, but not limited to, a bar of soap, a wash cloth, or even both, therein. The device includes a body that is slender, elongated, generally rectangular-paral... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6183041 | Air deflector having multiple tandem airfoils An air deflector that includes a frame, multiple airfoils, and apparatus for adjusting the angle of attack of the air deflector. The frame includes a pair of side fences. The multiple airfoils include three airfoils, each which has a negative chamber for ... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6125998 | Whistle case A whistle case that is adapted to house and keep clean and quiet a whistle that has a mouthpiece portion and a remaining portion with a slot and a loop that extends therefrom and a ball that is movably contained therein. The whistle case includes a case s... | 10/03/2000 |
| 6122830 | Self-powered device for wearing on the back and for cutting foliage A self-powered device for cutting foliage that includes a backpack portion, a foliage cutting portion, and a coupling portion. The backpack portion includes a frame, a gas engine, and a flexible shaft. The coupling portion includes a power portion and a t... | 09/26/2000 |
| 6102159 | Portable system for removing oil from an oil containing device A portable system for removing oil from an oil containing device. The system includes a pump, fluid conduit apparatus, and power conduit apparatus. The pump pumps the oil out of the oil containing device. The fluid conduit apparatus is in fluid communicat... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6091326 | Device for reminding a driver of a vehicle of dates specific to the vehicle A device for reminding a driver of a vehicle of the expiration date of the associated inspection sticker. The device includes a housing, a microprocessor, a LCD, a calendar chip for generating a date, a clock chip for generating a time, an alarm chip the ... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6079049 | Combination pair of gloves with housing accessories for replaceably attaching to a garment A pair of gloves for replaceably attaching to a garment. The pair of gloves include a first glove for covering one hand of a user, a second glove for covering the other hand of the user, and accessories disposed on at least one of the first glove and the ... | 06/27/2000 |
| 6070409 | Engine for powering by water An engine for powering by water that includes a stator, a rotor rotatably mounted in the stator, and a plurality of blades movably mounted in the rotor. The stator has a throughchamber. The rotor is rotatably mounted in the throughchamber. By virtue of a ... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6069317 | Junction box for facilitating the installation of electrical cable therein An improved junction box for perpendicularly conducting stiff electrical cable and of a type having an elongated housing with an open top, a base, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls extending upwardly from the base of the elongated housing, a co... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6067938 | Modularly stackable centrally ventilated bird house A modularly stackable centrally ventilated bird house that includes a main portion, a ventilation system, and a base. The main portion includes a lowermost floor, corner posts, lower peripheral perches, a pair of lower internal perches, an uppermost floor... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6052914 | Error proof measuring tape rule An error proof measuring tape rule for eliminating snagging on a work piece. The rule includes a tape rule, a hook affixed to the tape rule, and a one-piece spoon affixed to the tape rule. The upper surface of the body portion of the one-piece spoon is po... | 04/25/2000 |
| 6050580 | Tow bar for towing a trailing bicycle by a leading bicycle A tow bar for towing a trailing bicycle by a leading bicycle. The tow bar includes a leading portion for extending rearwardly from the leading bicycle, a trailing portion for extending forwardly from the trailing bicycle, and first apparatus for connectin... | 04/18/2000 |
| 6041768 | Oven having an electric timing system for saving and controlling gas An improved oven of a type having an on/off pilot and gas valve for receiving gas, with the on/off pilot and gas valve being purely mechanical and having inner workings and a manually operated push button knob, a pilot in communication with the on/off pil... | 03/28/2000 |
| 6015357 | Broadhead for use as both an expandable blade head and a fixed blade head A broadhead for use as both an expandable blade head and a fixed blade head. The broadhead includes a shaft, a blade assembly, and locking apparatus. The locking apparatus operatively connected to the blade assembly comprises a disk having three slots, wh... | 01/18/2000 |
| 6003596 | Cover for a steam radiator and for circulating air therepast A cover for a steam radiator and for circulating air passing therepast. The cover includes a cover and blower apparatus. The cover covers the steam radiator. The blower apparatus is connected to the cover and circulates the air passing past the steam radi... | 12/21/1999 |
| 6004063 | Adjustable 3-way scaffold fasteners Adjustable 3-way scaffolding fasteners for holding together four corners of a scaffold with four upright members, two first cross members with extremes, and two second cross members with extremes. The fasteners include a pair of right fasteners and a pair... | 12/21/1999 |
| 6000820 | Low voltage light novelty decorations A low voltage light novelty decoration that includes a substantially hollow and decorative main portion, a generally circular-shaped base portion, and adjusting apparatus. The substantially hollow and decorative main portion has a shape that identifies a ... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5997060 | Chute shovel A chute shovel that facilitates manual pushing of garbage down a garbage chute in a wall, and which is replaceably mounted to the wall adjacent the garbage chute in the wall. The chute shovel includes a handle and a push plate affixed to the handle. The p... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5987840 | Self-aligning block A self-aligning block that includes a body that has at least one mortise therein, and at least one tenon that extends from the body. A respective tenon of one self-aligning block is received in a respective mortise in the bottom surface of the body of a n... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5989178 | Magnetic ring A magnetic ring adapted to be worn on the little finger of the hand. The magnetic ring includes a ring and a pair of permanent magnets that extend from the ring. When the magnetic ring is worn on the little finger of the right hand, the pair of permanent ... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5979007 | Towel mitt for washing A towel mitt for washing that includes a first layer of material and a second layer of material juxtaposed on the second layer of material and forms therewith a hand receiving pocket for receiving a hand of a user. The first and second layers of material ... | 11/09/1999 |
| 5952925 | Collar for a cat for warning a bird of the presence of the cat A collar for wearing by a cat and for warning a bird of the presence of the cat that includes a strap for wearing around the neck of the cat, and an electric device disposed on the strap. An electronic circuit of the electric device includes first, second... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5946762 | Squeegee with ergonomic handle and non-loosening pivotable blade A squeegee with ergonomic handle and non-loosening pivotable blade. The squeegee includes a handle for one of attaching to a pole and holding in a hand of a user, a blade portion pivotally mounted to the handle for side to side pivotal movement relative t... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5938546 | Apparatus for rebounding balls An apparatus for rebounding balls that includes a frame and a net structure within the frame, and has an upright position, a rear down position, and a front down position so as to allow the apparatus to be used in a variety of positions. The frame is unit... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5928262 | Head covering for at least lifting the face of a wearer A head covering for at least lifting the face that includes a head covering for covering the entire head and neck and apparatus for simulating the muscles of the head and neck. The head covering has an inner ply for directly overlying the entire head and ... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5911469 | Folding adirondack chair A folding adirondack chair that has a collapsed position and an in-use position. The chair includes a combined seat bottom and rear leg assembly that is pivotally mounted to the combined seat bottom and rear leg assembly, a front leg assembly that is pivo... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5909843 | Steam radiator exhaust valve An exhaust valve for threading into a street elbow threaded into an exhaust port of a conventional steam radiator that includes a base portion, a cap portion supported by the base portion, and a bimetallic arm contained in the cap portion. The base portio... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5903524 | Personal menstrual cycle clock A personal menstrual cycle clock that indicates a safe time to indulge in sexual intercourse. The clock includes a housing, a plurality of bulbs, and illuminating apparatus. The housing has a top with a transparent ring therearound that is divided into 28... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5901206 | Portable telephone with flashlight A portable telephone with flashlight that includes a portable telephone that is powered by a battery and has a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces, and a flashlight disposed on the portable telephone. The flashligh... | 05/04/1999 |
| 5893797 | Hand-held multi-function electronic lottery device A hand-held multi-function electronic lottery device that is holdable in a hand of a user and has a user lottery ticket with a user lottery ticket number thereon insertable therethrough. The hand-held multi-function electronic lottery device includes a ho... | 04/13/1999 |
| 5890404 | Ratcheting adjustable wrench A ratcheting adjustable wrench that provides continuous clamping on a nut when rotated in a clockwise direction, while providing ratcheting when rotated in an opposite counterclockwise without having to repeatedly remove it from the nut. The wrench includ... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5875964 | Reusable business envelope A reusable business envelope having an initial mailing modality where it is initially used and a return mailing modality where it is again used. The envelope includes a front panel, a pair of side panels, a rear panel, a first detachable strip, a return f... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5860554 | Lockable lid support A lockable lid support that includes a mounting bracket, an arm, pivoting apparatus, and sliding and locking apparatus. The mounting bracket is removably mounted to a lid of a box that is pivotally mounted to a lower portion of the box. The arm is pivotal... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5860430 | Combination comb and ice scraper A combination comb and ice scraper that is adaptable to comb hair of a user and to be utilized by the user to scrape ice off a windshield. The combination includes a comb and an ice scraper. The comb combs the hair of the user. And, the ice scraper is ass... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5853091 | Display frame/interlocking storage rack component A display frame/interlocking storage rack component adaptable to receive and display a box and being stackable. The component includes a top with a throughopening for viewing a decorative top of the box. A back wall extends downwardly from the top. A pair... | 12/29/1998 |
| 5845419 | Spring overshoe A spring shoe that includes a foot engaging portion, an upper platform, an intermediate platform, a first specifically configured spring, a lower platform, and a second specifically configured spring. The foot engaging portion engages the foot of the user... | 12/08/1998 |