...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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 |
| 5120921 | Circuit breaker including improved handle indication of contact position A circuit breaker including a contact operating mechanism configured to prevent the switch handle of the circuit breaker from being placed in an OFF position when the contacts are not separable. In addition to the switch handle, the mechanism is operable ... | 06/09/1992 |
| 5081560 | Load center enclosure A load center enclosure according to the invention has a unitary plastic frame of uniform cross-section, including a central base pan portion having projections, slots, and the like suitable for mounting bus bars, circuit breakers and neutral bars thereon... | 01/14/1992 |
| 5053637 | Computer facility power system Power is supplied to a computer facility by a plurality of electrical plug-in busways fed by a power distribution unit. The power distribution unit includes circuit breakers for the busways served. Powered equipment is connected by its own power cable to ... | 10/01/1991 |
| 4939437 | Motor controller An apparatus for starting and controlling a motor. The apparatus includes means for monitoring the load current values in each phase of a motor. These means can include an apparatus such as a current transformer. The apparatus utilizes a circuit for model... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4914549 | Circuit breaker movement mechanism A mechanism for moving and supporting a circuit breaker relative to a bus bar arrangement such that the circuit breaker can be engaged and disengaged from the bus bar arrangement. The mechanism functions to engage and disengage the circuit breaker while a... | 04/03/1990 |
| 4899022 | Stored energy operating mechanism charging handle and cover assembly A charging handle assembly for charging the closing springs of a stored energy mechanism which closes the contacts of a circuit breaker. The charging handle has a generally U-shape and is pivotally attached to the circuit breaker cover. The handle is adap... | 02/06/1990 |
| 4899253 | Molded case circuit breaker housing reinforcement A member for reinforcing the juction between the molded half portions of the housing for a molded case circuit breaker. The member is interposed between the portions and extends along the sidewalls of the portions and rest in a channel in each portion ada... | 02/06/1990 |
| 4897515 | Securing device for the switch handle of a circuit breaker An apparatus for locking the switch handle of a circuit breaker in the ON or OFF position. The apparatus includes a blocking member mountable on the handle with two screws, a pivoting member pivotable about the screws and a lock for locking the blocking m... | 01/30/1990 |
| 4876417 | Combined high voltage connecting and grounding switch A combined disconnecting and grounding switch for high voltage use. A space-saving arrangement providing for automatic grounding when the switch is in an open circuit position. The disconnecting and grounding switch including a connection contact connecta... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4876424 | Barrier with a venting scheme for a circuit breaker A barrier for isolating the electrical contacts of a circuit breaker from the operating mechanism for the contacts. The barrier includes openings to allow the operating mechanism to pass through the barrier, and venting channels for venting gas from withi... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4876521 | Tripping coil with flux shifting coil and booster coil A tripping coil for a circuit breaker, wherein the circuit breaker is designed to carry high load currents. The tripping coil includes a coil having a first winding and a second winding, a permanent magnet, a return spring, an armature and an actuator rod... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4875750 | Optoelectronic coupling element and method for its manufacture An optoelectronic coupling element and method for manufacturing the coupling element. The coupling element includes a light wave guide, a microlens, a first carrier chip and a light emitting and/or light detecting semiconductor element. The microlens is p... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4875131 | Circuit configuration for monitoring a semiconductor structural element and providing a signal when the temperature exceeds a predetermined level A circuit for monitoring the temperature of a semiconductor structural component. The circuit includes a bipolar transistor (1) in thermal contact with a semiconductor structural element to be monitored, and a MOSFET (11) connected in series with a curren... | 10/17/1989 |
| 4871889 | Arcing contact assembly for a circuit breaker An assembly adapted to commutate arcs from between the main contacts of a circuit breaker to an arcing contact such that a single arc at the arcing contact can be extinguished and dispersed within an arc chute. The assembly is adapted to be pivotally atta... | 10/03/1989 |
| 4869681 | Front plug system with lagging end contact arrangement A front plug system with a lagging end contact arrangement. The front plug system for flat components includes a front element (1) with front plug connector (20) which can be plugged on by a swinging motion. If the front plug connector is plugged on until... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4868437 | Temperature activated cooling fan assembly A temperature activated fan assembly preferably for an electric motor. The assembly includes a fan, a torque transfer means engagable with the fan for transferring torque to the fan and a first member which expands in response to a temperature increase. T... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4868529 | Circuit breaker armature latch with control leg An improved magnetic armature for magnetically activated circuit breakers. The armature being configured to provide a consistent engagement length between the armature and the contact operating mechanism of a circuit breaker. The armature also being confi... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4866225 | Insulated light weight metallic crossbar in polyphase circuit breaker assemblies for inhibiting arcing A crossbar spanning the poles of a multiple pole circuit breaker. The crossbar is formed from a structural member such as beam having an I-shaped cross-section, wherein an insulating material such as plastic is molded to the beam. The shape of the structu... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4855104 | Method for the production of sintered electrical contact material for low voltage power switching Contact materials based on AgSnO2 and having Bi2 O3 and CuO as further metal oxide additives were previously disclosed. In these materials the total content of all metal oxides was supposed to be between 10 and 25% by volu... | 08/08/1989 |
| 4834615 | Mounting arrangement for an axial fan A mounting arrangement for an axial fan, wherein the axial fan is used for moving air through a cabinet or enclosure for heat generating electrical components. The axial fan is housed in a cylindrical housing having a flange and air inlet at one end and a... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4823605 | Semiconductor pressure sensor with casing and method for its manufacture A semiconductor pressure sensor and method for its manufacture. Preferably, the pressure sensor is used as an absolute pressure sensor. The pressure sensor includes a pressure sensor chip of semiconductor material, the pressure sensor chip including a pie... | 04/25/1989 |
| 4810277 | Method for fastening a glass fiber to a light wave guide component A method for hermetically fastening a glass fiber within a tube, wherein the tube can be used with light wave guide components, the tube serving as a connecting part at the component. The method provides for a tube consisting of quartz, quartz glass or gl... | 03/07/1989 |
| 4801910 | Magnetic actuating mechanism A magnetic actuating or trip mechanism for use with a circuit breaker including an armature, a permanent magnet for biasing the armature to a biased position, a first magnetic member having an armature guide, a second magnet member, an electromagnetic coi... | 01/31/1989 |
| 4801916 | Vertical plug-in single-in-line circuit module A vertical plug-in single-in-line circuit module with a carrier for carrying a row of single-in-line mounted metal pins lying in the plane of the carrier along one carrier edge as outer electrical connections of one or more resistive elements such as a re... | 01/31/1989 |
| 4790579 | Sliding spring latch A two-piece spring latch assembly operable as a closure device for a load center cabinet, wherein the latch assembly is slidably engagable with the door of a load center cabinet. The latch assembly includes a sliding latch body having a top surface with a... | 12/13/1988 |
| 4788670 | Clock voltage supply A clock voltage supply for electronic control circuits such as a computer system for generating four clock signals which are synchronous as to frequency and phase. When n=4, the clock signals are generated with the help of four PLL clocks. So that the fou... | 11/29/1988 |
| 4788390 | Shunt capacitor switch with an impedance insertion element A high voltage switch for switching capacitor banks in and out of a circuit. The switch includes two sets of contacts to perform the switching function. An impedance element is connected in parallel with one set of contacts. Upon closing of the switch cur... | 11/29/1988 |
| 4785377 | Insulated neutral tie strap An insulating tie strap for supporting conductor bars in a load center including an insulating support member including a center body portion defining a center axis, and two end portions. Each end portion includes a mounting pad having an opening for acce... | 11/15/1988 |
| 4781627 | Bus bar stab and insulator assembly A bus bar stab and insulator assembly for a motor controller has a two-piece housing and a three-piece stab finger clip. The housing base has a number of partitions which define pathways for the stab fingers. The housing cover is slidably mateable with th... | 11/01/1988 |
| 4780582 | Use of a fusion material of copper and chrome as the contact material for vacuum contactors This invention relates to a new use of a fused material of copper and chrome as a contact material for use in vacuum contactors. In addition, the invention relates also to the contact material itself and to the method of its fabrication, as well as for sp... | 10/25/1988 |
| 4775848 | High-voltage valve reactor, specifically for high-voltage direct-current transmission systems A compact valve choke that is simple to manufacture, which can, however, ensure the qualities required for all operating modes, namely the needed dielectric strength and freedom from partial discharges between components that are at different voltages. Th... | 10/04/1988 |
| 4768225 | Telephone station set for table wall operations A telephone set housing (1) is disclosed having at least one cradle (2) arranged in a base component of the housing for receiving the handset. In the region of the cradle, a filler body (5) is provided which, for a desk application of the telephone set ho... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4764227 | Sintered electrical contact material for low voltage power switching Contact materials based on AgSnO2 and having Bi2 O3 and CuO as further metal oxide additives were previously disclosed. In these materials the total content of all metal oxides was supposed to be between 10 and 25% by volu... | 08/16/1988 |
| 4763225 | Heat dissipating housing for an electronic component A heat dissipating housing (1, 4, 5, 6) with a tub (1, 4) and an outer cover (5, 6) seated on the tub (1, 4)--preferably hermetically tight--for an electronic circuit component (11, 17) which in operation gives off heat to be dissipated such as a light em... | 08/09/1988 |
| 4741796 | Method for positioning and bonding a solid body to a support base A method and arrangement for the positioning and bonding of a solid body (2), in which one part of the solid body (2) together with the bonding agent (6) is to be attached to a further element (7) and bonded to a base (4) is to be capable of positioning t... | 05/03/1988 |
| 4739672 | Mechanical interlock for a vacuum contactor A mechanical interlock is provided for a vacuum contactor assembly to insure that the second contactor cannot close after the first contactor closes. The interlock includes a support bracket, a cover plate and an interlock block which was first and second... | 04/26/1988 |
| 4740865 | Extruded three-phase base pan configuration for a load center An extruded three-phase base pan for a load center has a central rail with a cross-sectional configuration in the form of a modified cross. The upper surface of each arm of the cross curves upward and away from the body of the cross. The bottom surface an... | 04/26/1988 |
| 4733150 | Device and method for compensating the gravitational effect on an element, raisable and lowerable by an electric motor, of a machine tool or of a robot For use with overhead axes of a machine tool or the axes which ride astride one another of a robot, the gravitational effect can be eliminated for controlled drives if a control variable which opposes the gravitational effect is inserted into the control ... | 03/22/1988 |
| 4725921 | Hinged labeling panel A hinge-mounted labeling panel having two final positions for use on plug-in modules in subassemblies of a mechanically modular system. According to the invention, a panel portion of the labeling panel is hinge-mounted on one end to a guide crossbar of th... | 02/16/1988 |
| 4716261 | Section insulator for electric railway contact conductors The overhead contact conductor of an electric railway has sections where one conductor ends and another begins. The ends of two contact conductors are fastened to a section insulator having two insulation strips between which are arranged two arc horns. T... | 12/29/1987 |