Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6019644 | Electrical step connector assembly and method for manufacture A step connector assembly for establishing electrical connections between electrical components located at different levels, and a method for manufacturing the step connector assembly. The connector assembly is stepped such that the ends of the connector ... | 02/01/2000 |
| 6016039 | Control processes for linear voice coil actuator A controller for a voice coil actuator includes sensors that are connected with the actuator probe to monitor both the linear and angular position of the probe, as well as the axial and rotational forces on the probe. Using predetermined instructions, the... | 01/18/2000 |
| 6013039 | Patella displacement tester A device for evaluating the patellafemoral joint is provided herein. The device measures movement of the patella in response to a lateral test force applied against the patella by a displacer, when the leg is supported in a flexed, relaxed position. The t... | 01/11/2000 |
| 6014203 | Digital electron lithography with field emission array (FEA) A digital electron lithography system includes a plurality of cathodes oriented in a plane and positioned substantially parallel to a substrate surface in a vacuum chamber. The substrate surface is coated with a layer of an electron resist material and, i... | 01/11/2000 |
| 6002315 | Inner cold-warm support structure for superconducting magnets A superconductor device which including a magnet coil assembly and support structures. The magnet coil assembly consists of superconducting wire which is encased in a composite structure along with an integral thermal interface. This combination forms the... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5999131 | Wireless geolocation system A wireless system for locating a signal emitter includes at least three base stations for receiving the emitter signal, and a central processing site for converting information from the received signals into range estimates. Specifically, an antenna array... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5999838 | Spread spectrum MRI A method for acquiring data from voxels in a contour of tissue includes positioning the tissue in a magnetic field. For the present method, a z-gradient is imposed on the contour tissue to spread the spectrum of all of the voxels over a same range of Larm... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5993438 | Intrastromal photorefractive keratectomy A method for performing intrastromal photorefractive keratectomy in the cornea of an eye, using a pulsed, laser beam to photodisrupt a portion of the cornea, includes the initial step of focusing the beam to a focal spot at a selected starting point in th... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5993678 | Device and method for processing a plasma to alter the surface of a substrate A device, and a method for using the device, for altering the surface of a substrate with a plasma includes a vessel having a chamber, a magnet and a plasma generator. Both the generator and the magnet are positioned outside the vessel while the substrate... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5987896 | System and method for regulating the flow of a fluid refrigerant to a cooling element A system for providing a fluid refrigerant to a cooling element is provided herein. The system includes a vessel which holds the fluid refrigerant, a heat source evaporating a portion of the fluid in the vessel, and a heat exchanger condensing a portion o... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5971310 | Positive engagement buckle for a tape drive and cartridge A tape drive and cartridge are provided herein. The tape drive and cartridge include an improved buckle which securely couples a take-up leader of the tape drive to a cartridge leader of the cartridge. As provided herein, the buckle includes a first buckl... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5967797 | High density multi-pin connector with solder points A land grid array (LGA) includes a base having a first surface and a second surface which is substantially parallel thereto. The base is formed with a plurality of apertures which open through the base, and a plurality of electrical connectors are mounted... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5968607 | Device and method for etch and emboss process printing In order to achieve deposit of very complex embossed designs which require thick layers of inks or paints in sharply defined patterns on flexible sheet substrate material suitable for packaging and high-volume production, a new combination of production s... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5955682 | Portable sensor manifold for air conditioning diagnostics An air sampling system includes a chamber that is formed with an exhaust port and a plurality of intake ports. A plurality of air collector arms are each attached in fluid communication with a respective intake port of the chamber. Further, each collector... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5952589 | Soft landing method for probe assembly A method and device for moving a probe assembly into soft contact with a work surface includes initially placing the probe into an approach position. Advancement of the probe along a substantially perpendicular path toward the work surface is then control... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5951568 | Over the wire single operator catheter with wire stabilizer An over-the-wire catheter includes a catheter that is formed with a lumen for receiving a guidewire therethrough. A slit, which is formed along the guidewire lumen to provide external access into the lumen, extends at least part way along the length of th... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5951604 | Distal radioulnar joint prosthesis A prosthesis for the distal radioulnar joint of a patient includes an elongated rod which is formed with a pin at one end, and which has a body portion that can be attached to the ulna of the patient. Also included is a ball which is formed with a channel... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5946773 | Food product handle A device for holding a frozen food product includes a handle which is formed with a gripper. The gripper is formed with at least one irregularity which conforms with the frozen food product to hold the frozen food product on the handle. Specifically for a... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5945747 | Apparatus for moving a tool A thin film field effect transistor includes: a) a thin film channel region; b) a pair of opposing electrically conductive first and second source/drain regions adjacent the thin film channel region; c) a gate insulator and a gate positioned adjacent the ... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5939029 | Nuclear waste separator A method and system for separating radioactive waste containing volatiles, into light ions and heavy ions, includes a loader/transporter for transferring the waste into a high vacuum environment in the chamber of a plasma processor. During this transfer, ... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5935065 | MRI system with peripheral access and inhomogeneous field An MRI apparatus for imaging an object includes a base, a pair of magnets, and a transceiver unit. The magnets are mounted on the base with the North pole face of one magnet facing the South pole face of the other magnet. The North pole face and the South... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5924936 | Individually matched set of club shafts and a method for manufacturing an individually matched set of club shafts A method for manufacturing a plurality of club shafts for an individually matched set of golf clubs is provided herein. The method includes using a specifically designed and separate mandrel for each club shaft of the matched set. Further, the method incl... | 07/20/1999 |
| 5918832 | Wing design using a high-lift center section, augmented by all-moving wing tips and tails An air vehicle defining a plane of symmetry includes a pair of outboard panels which are rotatably mounted on the lifting body of the vehicle and respectively extend in opposite directions from the plane of symmetry. A control system collectively rotates ... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5920373 | Method and apparatus for determining optical characteristics of a cornea A system for determining the birefringent topography of a birefringent sample (e.g. cornea of an eye) includes a scanning tomopgraphy unit for establishing a plane of focus and an ellipsometer for generating a laser beam that is useable to obtain a birefr... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5917389 | Monolithic dielectric microwave window with distributed cooling A microwave window is made as a flat layer of dielectric material having opposite first and second surfaces. Between these surfaces, the window is formed with a plurality of parallel coolant channels which, in cross-section, have racetrack configurations ... | 06/29/1999 |
| 5911703 | Two-stage fluid medicament jet injector A jet injector, and a method, for injecting fluid medicament into a patient in a two-stage process. During the first stage fluid is expelled from the injector under relatively high pressure, to create a hole through the skin of the patient. During the sec... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5911695 | Shoulder tester A device for testing a shoulder of a patient includes a base with a pivot arm extending therefrom. A force indicator is located at the extended end of the arm and a movement indicator is mounted on the device at its base. In order to prepare for the opera... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5910765 | Sensor module A device, and a method for using the device, to generate discrete information about an environmental event includes an array of sensors. All sensors in the array have a determinable detection capability and, preferably, some of these detection capabilitie... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5894134 | Shipping container for radioactive material A container which is particularly useful for shipping fuel assemblies is provided herein. The portable container includes a first end, enclosed second end and a tubular wall which cooperates with the first end and the second to define a selectively sealed... | 04/13/1999 |
| 5888173 | Health saver computer break A method for providing a health break while using computers, for those aspects of health that are impacted by use of computers for sustained periods of time. These health aspects are those which cause strain and fatigue of muscles in the neck, hand and ba... | 03/30/1999 |
| 5888179 | Agility exercise apparatus An exercise apparatus for exercising and enhancing human agility and reaction time skills involving the mental and physical ability to act quickly and move rapidly in reacting to events and objects that invade the space immediately surrounding a person. T... | 03/30/1999 |
| 5876419 | Stent and method for making a stent The present invention is a stent for insertion into an artery or other vessel. The stent is formed from a series of tubular shaped bands each formed with a first end which overlaps a second end. The overlap between the first and second ends is variable an... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5872081 | Compositions for melt processing high temperature superconductor A melt processing method for bulk or thick film fabrication of RE123 superconductor material includes the steps of using Nd in the RE123 to increase the recrystallization speed of the RE123, and using a heavy rare earth in the RE123 to establish the perit... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5872902 | Method and apparatus for rendering of fractional pixel lists for anti-aliasing and transparency A system for rendering visual images that combines sophisticated anti-aliasing and pixel blending techniques with control pipelining in hardware embodiment. A highly-parallel rendering pipeline performs sophisticated polygon edge interpolation, pixel blen... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5871449 | Device and method for locating inflamed plaque in an artery A system for locating inflamed plaque in an artery of a patient includes a catheter with an expander mounted at a catheter distal end. An infrared carrier, e.g., an optical fiber is mounted on the catheter with a carrier distal end attached to the expande... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5868897 | Device and method for processing a plasma to alter the surface of a substrate using neutrals A device, and a method for using the device, for altering the surface of a substrate with a plasma includes a vessel having a chamber, a magnet and a plasma generator. Both the generator and the magnet are positioned outside the vessel while the substrate... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5857819 | Press-fit cotter pin A cotter pin which is engageable with a fastening member is formed from a wire and includes a bight with a pair of legs that extend therefrom. Specifically, the bight is formed with shoulders that will substantially conform with a surface of the fastening... | 01/12/1999 |
| 5855555 | MRI system and method for imaging skin The present invention is an MRI system for imaging small superficial volumes, such as skin samples. Structurally, the present invention includes a permanent magnet formed to establish a channel. The permanent magnet establishes a static magnetic field wit... | 01/05/1999 |
| 5829321 | Method for manufacturing a safety knife A method for manufacturing a safety/rescue knife requires the forming of four blank laminates. Each blank laminate has a handle portion and includes a base arm which is attached to the handle portion. Also, each blank laminate has an extension arm which e... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5822035 | Ellipsometer A system and method for the in-vivo measurement of optical characteristics of a cornea includes an ellipsometer which measures the phase shift in reflected light after it has passed through the cornea or been reflected from the retina. This ellipsometer h... | 10/13/1998 |
