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 |
| 8439596 | Textured tile system and installation method A detectable warning tile is a molded sheet having generally planar top and bottom surfaces, the top surface having a plurality of spaced apart truncated domes in relief thereon, the bottom surface having a grid pattern of depressions therein. Partitions rising from... | 05/14/2013 |
| D682461 | Fighting fist lamp | 05/14/2013 |
| 8435037 | Child testing apparatus, information system and method of use A learning system for testing aspects of how a child learns includes a toy-like electro-mechanical chassis having upstanding pegs. The child is encouraged to place donut shaped hand pieces onto the pegs. The hand pieces test the ability of the child to discriminate ... | 05/07/2013 |
| 8430445 | Impact protector for vehicle windshields An impact resistant cover for protecting a vehicle windshield is made up of a plurality of spaced apart rectangular panels, the panels having a flexible, puncture resistant, covering, the covering enclosing a resilient material having a thickness of between 0.5 and ... | 04/30/2013 |
| D679173 | Shim with frangible portions | 04/02/2013 |
| 8403070 | Automated exterior fire protective system A cover system and method of automated deployment for protecting structures from fire dangers uses water pressure to force fire resistant rolls and folded arrangements of materials to deploy when a water valve is triggered by high heat. Water then is forced through ... | 03/26/2013 |
| 8402772 | Apparatus for heating and cooling by surface contact A thermal treatment apparatus is built around an enclosure having pairs of separate compartments with each pair separated by a portal gate. The enclosure has a means for securing it in intimate contact with a skin surface. A chemically activatable substance is enclo... | 03/26/2013 |
| 8381449 | Modular roof structural units and use thereof A building structure has a generally horizontally disposed modular roof made-up of a plurality of side-by-side roof units which are mutually joined. Each roof unit is constructed as a pair of spaced apart rigid skins shaped in such manner as to eliminate additional ... | 02/26/2013 |
| 8357293 | Biological waste digester An aerobic bacteria waste digester uses a rocking paddle to mix a waste fluid. A pair of spaced-apart inflatables engaged with the paddle and alternately inflated provide buoyancy forces to drive the rocking action. The paddle has two decks and a peripheral skirt. T... | 01/22/2013 |
| 8312990 | Accessory display and storage system A jewelry and accessory display and storage system includes a foldable base material having arranged pairs of connecting elements spaced at intervals to create a display area with different sections. The connecting elements may be one of snaps, magnets, hook-and-loo... | 11/20/2012 |
| 8302780 | Industrial separator and dewatering plant An industrial separator and dewatering plant has a filtering portion using an inclined conveyor belt for carrying away a watery cake from an aqueous mixture containing solid matter. The filtering portion further has a wash water spray nozzle directed at the conveyor... | 11/06/2012 |
| 8299362 | Cable adapter and adapted system An electrical adapter enables the conductors of a flexible cable to be extended into an armored conduit with electrical ground continuity and a rigid structural attachment. The adapter is cylindrical and has removable cover over an oblique aperture providing a highl... | 10/30/2012 |
| 8273040 | Attitude adjustable arm sling An arm sling provides elastic elongation to accommodate arms of differing lengths. Wedge shaped blocks are engagable with the sides of the sling to provide abduction of the sling. The sling is made predominantly of a net material so as to provide air circulation aro... | 09/25/2012 |
| D667902 | Unbalanced barbell weight | 09/25/2012 |
| 8267608 | Ramming tool for filling surface voids A hand tool apparatus for filling voids in a surface includes a cylindrical ram housing having an interior ram space. A ram rod is axially mounted within the ram space. A handle is collinearly engaged with the ram rod and extends outwardly from one end of the ram ho... | 09/18/2012 |
| D666128 | Advanced high camber vehicle | 08/28/2012 |
| 8248314 | Inductively coupled signal booster for a wireless communication device and in combination therewith A passively re-radiating cell phone sleeve assembly capable of conforming to and nesting with a cell phone provides a partial enclosure capable of fitting over at least a portion of the cell phone. A multi-layer radio frequency (RF) coupling probe is fully embedded ... | 08/21/2012 |
| 8240283 | Method for preparing and using an engine valves adjustment guide strip Described is a method of making and using an adherent guide strip on a damper wheel of a piston engine to adjust engine valves. The method includes cutting the strip to a length sufficient to exactly encircle the damper wheel; placing midpoint marks onto a visible o... | 08/14/2012 |
| 8232695 | Electromagnetic machine with independent removable coils, modular parts and self sustained passive magnetic bearing A rotating electromagnetic machine has a tubular axle with mounting rings, a common ring, a coil input ring, and at least one bearing set mounted on it. A fitting is secured at a distal end of the tubular axle, and a commutator is secured at the proximal end. A hous... | 07/31/2012 |
| 8226412 | Matrix wedge restorative dental apparatus and method of use A hand tool engages a pair of opposing matrix wedges that are able to mutually nest when pressed into an interproximal space between adjacent teeth. The hand tool draws a floss tightly thereby causing the wedges mounted on it to move convergently. The wedge elements... | 07/24/2012 |
| 8216266 | Gastric bariatric apparatus with selective inflation and safety features A gastric bariatric balloon includes an upper balloon chamber for sealing against the fundus, a lower balloon chamber for sealing against the antrum and occupying the body of the stomach, and a supplementary chamber for filling at least a portion of the fundus. A tu... | 07/10/2012 |
| 8216103 | Bidirectional drive for producing unidirectional vehicle movement A mechanical drive uses two rotational clutches mounted in spaced apart positions on a common axle. Two sun gears are engaged respectively with the rotational clutches. A set of planet gears is engaged, with at least one of the planet gears meshed with each one of t... | 07/10/2012 |
| 8205769 | Compartmented dispensing container A container for storing and dispensing consumable products. Modular construction is utilized wherein there is one base container and at least one subcontainer mounted above the base container. The base container has a floor, a peripheral wall, and a cover panel. Eac... | 06/26/2012 |
| 8202286 | Anatomically correct tongue scraping tool and method of use An anatomically correct tongue scraping tool has a blade holder mounted at one end of an elongated handle and a replaceable blade selectively and rigidly engaged within the blade holder. A scraping portion of the blade extends outwardly from the blade holder and ter... | 06/19/2012 |
| 8178998 | Magnetically integrated current reactor A system and method for delivering electrical power-on-demand to at least one load circuit wherein the system operates primarily with reactive power. The method includes inductively coupling power from a source in a primary circuit to one or more load circuits. The ... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8177618 | Apparatus in support of a wagering card game and method of play The present invention provides a system and method for playing wagering card games. The method provides for distribution of a pot based on a calculated value of the cards (equity) held by game's players so that the pot is distributed more equitably then is the case ... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8161690 | Interlocking portable rollout attic flooring with overlapping planks An interlocking portable rollout attic flooring having a plurality of planks laid in a mutual abutting relationship of side edges of the planks, to define a common longitudinally extensive top and bottom surfaces, the common bottom surface having longitudinally dire... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8159104 | DC induction electric motor-generator with magnetic gap self commutating laminated ferromagnetic rotating core A motor-generator apparatus has a stator and a rotor in a cylindrical arrangement about a central longitudinal axis. The stator has a static circular magnetic surface spaced apart from, a static circular electromagnetic surface. The rotor has a cylindrical arrangeme... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8133386 | Biological waste digester and method of operation A method of mixing liquid waste material in a digester tank by extending a supporting beam between opposing walls of the tank, securing a paddle to the supporting beam, fixturing the paddle for rotation about the supporting beam, securing a pair of inflatable air sa... | 03/13/2012 |
| D655496 | Arm or leg band with a semi-transparent exterior pocket | 03/13/2012 |
| 8120347 | Sample and hold circuit and method for maintaining unity power factor An AC electrical system has a source voltage and current interconnected through an energy storage device with a load. A unity power factor control circuit maintains unity power factor incorporating the steps of producing a sample and hold voltage related to the inpu... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8118719 | Exercise method for the arms An exercise routine includes holding an elastic band in clenched fists and rotating the fists against the elastic restraining force of the elastic band while obtaining leverage through the contact of both hands. In one approach the right arm is rotated in the clockw... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8117676 | Hardhat with vent strip and lighting configuration A hardhat provides ventilation and controlled lighting. A crown of a modified semi-spherical shape terminates downwardly with a generally oval peripheral edge in a horizontal plane, the crown having a plurality of apertures therein arranged in spaced apart sequence,... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8091397 | Compact roll grooving apparatus with adjustable mounting and extended backup roller shaft A roll grooving apparatus has a back-up roller, a grooving roller positioned vertically below the back-up roller, and a linear actuator positioned below the grooving roller. The linear actuator drives the grooving roller linearly toward the backup roller. A drive is... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8087342 | Multi-purpose armored vehicle A multi-purpose armored vehicle is configured for a wide range of purposes by military and police units and in both defensive and offensive postures. A protective canopy covers an entrance to a cockpit capable of accommodating at least one person. The vehicle is suf... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8081649 | Network of intelligent devices communicating via powerline and radio frequency Low-cost intelligent control and communication devices are arranged to communicate with one another over one or more shared physical media, such as a powerline or a radio frequency band. No network controller is needed, because any device can act as a master, slave,... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8074922 | Discoidal flying craft A flying craft has an aerodynamic aircraft fuselage structure preferably disc shaped. A pair of coaxial electrokinetic motor-generators are mounted concentrically, and preferably centered within the disc shaped structure of the craft. Each of the motors is toroidal ... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8074579 | Magnetically levitated transport system A magnetically levitated transport system moves a suspended cargo such as passengers and freight. A linear motor uses a track stator about which a “rotor” moves linearly. Stator and rotor circuits interact electromagnetically to maintain a gap between the moving... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8071870 | Light beam shaping in an optical pick up for a musical instrument An optical pickup transducer senses vibrations of string instruments transducing the vibrations into an electrical signal with fidelity, high signal-to-noise ratio and with exclusion of extraneous effects such as noise. The transducer includes a housing with an uppe... | 12/06/2011 |
| 7997770 | LED tube reusable end cap A replacement for the standard fluorescent lamp tube has a plurality of LED devices mounted on a circuit board. The enclosure within which the circuit board is held has a clear or frosted lens mounted on a heat sink. The lens and heat sink each are arcuately shaped ... | 08/16/2011 |
