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 |
| 4003502 | Adjustable sweeping apparatus for feed grinders and the like Materials to be fed through an aperture in a container are urged towards the aperture by rotary motion of the sidewalls of the container. The feeding of the materials is augmented by selectably positionable blades attached to move with the sidewalls but e... | 01/18/1977 |
| 3986428 | Lock ring for shackle pins and the like A releasable locking ring has a full circular portion defined by a split, coiled ring having a free, tapered overlapping end and an opposite end bent into a generally semi-circular bail portion curving substantially in a plane normal, or slightly less tha... | 10/19/1976 |
| 3982499 | Conversion of animal waste Dry and liquid feed supplements are recovered from treating animal wastes collected from a confinement feeding area for livestock and the like by a closed loop type of collection system including a primary liquid storage tank. Solids and liquids are separ... | 09/28/1976 |
| 3979784 | Adaptor An adaptor pad is devised for use with sleeping bags, particularly those commonly referred to as mummy bags, in which the mummy bag can be unfolded and the zipper edges wrapped or folded over the opposite side edges of the adaptor pad and removably secure... | 09/14/1976 |
| 3978996 | Tailgate unloader Objects or materials are moved across the flat bed area of a storage container. A flexible belt is extended across the flat bed area and the objects or materials placed on the belt. One end of the belt is attached to a roller to which rotary power is appl... | 09/07/1976 |
| 3977545 | Snowmobile loading apparatus A loading apparatus for pickup trucks and the like is characterized by elongated interchangeable ramp sections releasably secured to the rear end of a special platform on the bed of the pickup truck so that the ramp sections are releasably attachable for ... | 08/31/1976 |
| 3975723 | Door alert system and magnetic switch therefor A circuit for energizing an annunciator or warning device is actuated whenever a door or the like is in any position other than in proximity to preselected locations such as the two ends of intended travel. Proximity detectors arranged in conformity with ... | 08/17/1976 |
| 3975142 | Heat shield composition A stable, heat-protective aqueous composition formed by admixing boric acid, asbestos and glycerol, with water added to provide the desired consistency, the composition being particularly suitable to absorb and disperse heat at elevated temperatures while... | 08/17/1976 |
| 3972462 | Shingle laying machine and process A movable framework retains an edge guide apparatus preferably in the form of a slanted rotary member or members, for determining a reference position relative to the edge of a previous tier of roofing shingles. The framework has a chute attached thereto ... | 08/03/1976 |
| 3969588 | Audio pan generator The apparent source of sound from a plurality of transducers arrayed around a listening area is automatically controlled by a prestored pattern sequencer and a series of variable voltage levels. The prestored patterns reflect switch connections to the tra... | 07/13/1976 |
| 3967665 | Adjustable routing template A routing template assembly has been devised which is specifically adaptable for routing out slots of different widths in panels, boards and the like, such as for example, in forming slots in side wall supports for insertion of shelf sections. The templat... | 07/06/1976 |
| 3967377 | Precision positioning device for tool blades and the like Rotary motion is converted to linear motion by multiple thread sets which cooperate to provide precise control of the amount of rotary motion thus converted. As applied to a precision positioning device for a tool, blade or other object, the thread sets a... | 07/06/1976 |
| 3967342 | Suspended swivel wheel arrangement for baby carriages and the like Tandem wheels mounted on a common axle are connected to a movable vehicle such as a baby carriage, stroller, wheelchair or the like in a configuration which permits maximum stability and freedom of motion. The axis of the wheels is pivotally attached and ... | 07/06/1976 |
| 3967525 | Spring action expansion bolt A masonry expansion bolt employs one or more resilient wires as the expansible wedging member which is positioned in annular grooves along the external surface portion of the bolt shank, the wedging member being selectively expansible in an outward radial... | 07/06/1976 |
| 3959823 | Flexible disc receiver using a tray which is withdrawn from a cartridge Cartridges containing a tray retained flexible disc with the tray locked to the cartridge housing are accepted so that the tray is unlocked and withdrawn from the cartridge housing into an operating position internal to a receiver. The cartridge housing i... | 05/25/1976 |
| 3950859 | Angular displacement measuring apparatus Angular displacements are measured relative to either an external magnetic field as in a compass or relative to a vertical reference as in inclinometers or the like by selective orientation of the device. A bistable weight balancing apparatus and a dual b... | 04/20/1976 |
| 3951264 | Flexible disc cartridge A flexible or "floppy" disc such as is used for data storage is retained within an enclosure that substantially protects it from contaminants or damage from handling while not in use but still permits ready access to the disc by a machine. A hub nests the... | 04/20/1976 |
| 3949692 | Container lid and method of manufacture A container lid for beverage containers and the like has a tear strip formed as a unitary part of the closure which can be at least partially separated from the closure by pressing it downwardly to displace it into the container about a hinge point in suc... | 04/13/1976 |
| 3949503 | Emergency warning device An emergency warning device for a motor vehicle is made up of a long, brightly colored plastic sheet with a warning message which is stored on a roller and adapted to be mounted on the inside surface of the trunk lid of the vehicle. In order to warn other... | 04/13/1976 |
| 3950685 | DC motor position controller A system enables selective control of instantaneous motor armature position and, thus, the corresponding position of one or more elements driven by the motor. As utilized in a high speed printer, the system governs positioning of a printhead, enabling hig... | 04/13/1976 |
| 3947886 | Flexible disc recording apparatus In electromagnetically reading or writing information on a flexible recording medium, commonly referred to as a "floppy" disc, a read/write head is permanently secured for translational movement with respect to each of a succession of discs which are brou... | 03/30/1976 |
| 3939827 | Erection aid for a penis The ventral surface of a penis between the base and the glans is supported by a semi-cylindrical splint or frame of a firm but bendable material, and the front end of the split is shaped to conform to and to lie directly behind the coronal ridge of the gl... | 02/24/1976 |
| 3938701 | Toothpick dispenser An apparatus for dispensing toothpicks or the like comprises a receptacle having a lower surface that slopes downwardly from the rear wall of the receptacle toward the front wall and is spaced slightly from the front wall to define a discharge opening thr... | 02/17/1976 |
