Bizarre Patents
Pet Toilet-Like Water Disk and Food Storage
One pet-friendly inventor patented "a device for watering pets, e.g., a dog or cat." The device, he helpfully noted, "has the general shape of a toilet."
PatentStorm News
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 |
| 5191315 | Deactivatable electronic article surveillance markers using short semi-hard magnetic wires A deactivatable electronic article surveillance marker is produced by placing elongated magnetically soft elements on a support and aligning short sections of magnetically semi-hard wires parallel to one another in bands with the bands being perpendicular... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5146439 | Records management system having dictation/transcription capability An integrated records management system having the capability to record and transcribe dictation. The system is particularly useful for the prompt and efficient management of patient's medical records. The system includes a digital dictation sub-system wi... | 09/08/1992 |
| 5142482 | Mailing system with information feedback A system for processing mail pieces such as letter mail wherein the mail and the mail data are certified during such processing is provided. Information relative to the anticipated weight and thickness of each mail piece is supplied to a processor from a ... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5132170 | Rechargeable inking member A rechargeable ink pad having particular use with solution ink. The ink pad has a bottom layer of porous polychloroprene latex foam with pore sizes of 200μ to 500μ and a top layer of polyethylene foam with pore sizes of 10μ to 20μ. The two layers are ... | 07/21/1992 |
| 5126543 | Integrated hand microphone with barcode reader and dictation controls A combined microphone bar code sensor includes a hand-held housing and a microphone input mechanism provided in the housing for receiving voice signals and for generating electrical audio signals in response thereto. The microphone bar code sensor also in... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5121106 | Electronic article surveillance markers with diagonal deactivation elements A deactivable electronic article surveillance marker having elongated magnetically soft elements on a support in a criss-cross pattern with a plurality of magnetically semi-hard chips parallel to one another in rows with the rows being diagonally aligned ... | 06/09/1992 |
| 5119306 | Mail piece weight quality control system and method This invention relates to a system for certifying the accuracy of postage payments based on the weights of mail pieces. The expected weight of each mail piece is determined and a mail processing unit receives data relative to the contents to be inserted i... | 06/02/1992 |
| 5114478 | Homogenous ink composition A homogeneous ink for use in postage meter inking systems. The homogeneous ink is formulated by dissolving a coloring material composed of fluorescent toner in a non-volatile solution blend consisting of low molecular weight, low viscosity, non ionic surf... | 05/19/1992 |
| 5109937 | Transport mechanism for a weighing scale A removable transport mechanism for a vibrating tray scale for conveying flats on off of the platform of the tray. The removable drive mechanism has belts trained about rollers that can be readily replaced after they become worn. The transport mechanism h... | 05/05/1992 |
| 5104908 | Method of shaping and felting open cell polychloroprene latex foam A method of felting partially cured open cell polychloroprene latex foam to obtain desired foam member properties with intricate geometric shapes. Such felting renders the finished foam suitable for controlled ink flow required for printing purposes. The ... | 04/14/1992 |
| 5104681 | Method and apparatus for marking letter mail This invention relates to methods and apparatus for marking letter mail or mail pieces to provide a fast and convenient way of determining zip code breaks in a stack of letter mail. The mail pieces have marks printed on the edges thereof indicative of the... | 04/14/1992 |
| 5094306 | Apparatus for controlling the transport mechanism of a weighing scale A control for a transport mechanism vibrating tray scale that conveys flats on and off of the platform of the tray. The scale supports a follower plate that has ramps which contact with the rollers of the transport mechanism. The follower plate is also in... | 03/10/1992 |
| 5091006 | Solution fluorescent inks A homogeneous fluorescent ink has been conceived that has particular use in devices such as inking components of postage meters. The inks are in the form of solutions, and contain a soluble fluorescent toner that is dissolved within a polar organic solven... | 02/25/1992 |
| 5084205 | Ink solution comprising red flourescent materials with a non red visual color Solution inks have been discovered that have an acceptable red fluorescent signal for machine detection while emitting a different visual color in white light. The formulation is based on a combination of a fluorescent dyes and a non red dye belonging to ... | 01/28/1992 |
| 5079714 | Mail deliverability by mail and database processing A system and process for improving mail deliverability by pre-processing and subjecting mail batches to one or more parameter tests involving addressing and content. A report is generated categorizing the mail in accordance with its deliverability and the... | 01/07/1992 |
| 5072401 | Optimizing mail delivery systems by logistics planning A system and method for optimizing mail delivery of batch mail. A network is established interconnecting plural batch mailers, a data center, and the Postal Service. Mail data on the mail batches is transmitted to the data center. This enables the data ce... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5072400 | Mail delivery system with package integrity monitoring A system for monitoring the integrity of mail pieces passing through multiple stages of a mail delivery system. A database is created when the mail piece enters the system that includes its initial weight and destination address. The mail piece is tracked... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5068797 | Optimizing mail delivery systems by routing A system and method for optimizing mail delivery of batch mail. A network is established interconnecting plural batch mailers, a data center, and the Postal Service. Mail data on the mail batches is transmitted to the data center. This enables the data ce... | 11/26/1991 |
| 5058030 | Optimizing mail processing by matching publisher and inserter entities A system and method is described for optimizing mail processing by applying a co-mail concept. A network is established involving a data center and plural publishers and inserters of advertising documents. Databases are established at the data center of p... | 10/15/1991 |
| 5051914 | Optimizing mail delivery systems by merging mailings A system and method for optimizing mail delivery of batch mail. A network is established interconnecting plural batch mailers, a data center, and the Postal Service. Mail data on the mail batches is transmitted to the data center. This enables the data ce... | 09/24/1991 |
| 5050078 | Mail processing and accounting system with communication among processing units and data reformatting A postal gateway system wherein information is conveyed through a gateway among a mailer, a post office, a bank, and a postal agent. With this gateway system, information can be sent virtually simultaneously to the various recipients so that each is curre... | 09/17/1991 |
| 5043908 | Mail delivery system with arrival monitoring A self-monitoring mail delivery system wherein mail is tracked as it passes through multiple delivery stages. A schedule is created of expected arrival times at each stage. Should a mail piece not arrive on time, the system is alerted to initiate a search... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5027886 | Apparatus and method for fabrication of metallic fibers having a small cross section The instant invention is concerned with the casting of metal fibers, preferably ferrous fibers, by the melt extraction technique. The metal to be cast as a fiber is in the form of a rod which is brought into contact with a spinning wheel having a tapered ... | 07/02/1991 |
| 5023598 | Digital signal processor for electronic article gates A frequency-swept electromagnetic field is generated in an interrogation zone and signals received from the interrogation zone are processed to detect the presence of a marker with a resonant tank circuit in the zone. Detection is achieved by the use of a... | 06/11/1991 |
| 5019991 | Certified weigher-short paid mail A system for certifying correctly accounted postage payment, the system includes an input for entering transactional mail run data and a data processor coupled to the input. Documents to be certified are fed along a document feed path, and certain paramet... | 05/28/1991 |
| 5017907 | Double pulse magnetic markers A ferromagnetic marker for an electronic surveillance system is magnetically biased so that the magnetic fields of two different regions thereof extend in different direction, e.g. in opposite directions.... | 05/21/1991 |
| 5015992 | Cobalt-niobium amorphous ferromagnetic alloys Amorphous ferromagnetic alloys having a niobium content in the range of 2.5 to 15 atomic percent have been conceived. These alloys are obtained directly in the amorphous state or as a mixture of amorphous and crystalline places. These alloys have superior... | 05/14/1991 |
| 5015993 | Ferromagnetic alloys with high nickel content and high permeability Nickel rich amorphous ferromagnetic alloys having a nickel content in the range of 35 to 55 atomic percent have been conceived. These alloys are in the amorphous state and exhibit high permeability relative to prior known amorphous ferromagnetic alloys. T... | 05/14/1991 |
| 5010320 | Self modulating electronic article surveillance marker A marker for an electronic surveillance system includes an element of a magnetostrictive material, and a non-magnetostrictive element of substantially the same size as said magnetostrictive element and firmly affixed thereto.... | 04/23/1991 |
| 5008827 | Central postage data communication network A communication system for processing information for distribution, including: a central data station, a plurality of user stations, each of the user stations including a plurality of components forming a secure path for the proper distribution of the inf... | 04/16/1991 |
| 5006404 | Replaceable ink pad This invention relates to a replaceable ink pad that is capable of supplying ink in excess of 5,000 printing cycles. The ink pad is made of a first layer of polyethylene foam that is attached to a bottom layer of felted melamine foam by a porous polyamide... | 04/09/1991 |
| 5005124 | Method and apparatus for categorizing and certifying mail An apparatus and method for categorizing and certifying a batch of mail uses a random statistical scheme. The mail will be categorized in terms of print quality, accuracy with the statement sheet accompanying the mail, deliverability, and the like so that... | 04/02/1991 |
| 5005001 | Field generation and reception system for electronic article surveillance An electronic surveillance system includes a signal generator for generating a magnetic field, a signal receiver within the influence of the magnetic field, and a ferromagnetic marker adapted to pass in the field for detection. The signal received include... | 04/02/1991 |
| 4999481 | Method and apparatus for sequentially numbering mail pieces A mail sender processes batches of mail each of which is accompanied by a statement summarizing the type and number of mail pieces sent and amount of postage for each batch. During processing, each mail piece is identified by a unique number for security ... | 03/12/1991 |
| 4940959 | Reversible resistant device A reversible resistant device having the property of being normally non-conductive, but being adapted to being converted to the conductive state. This change in conductive state is achieved by subjecting the device to a high voltage or high electric field... | 07/10/1990 |
| 4909374 | Flat article direction changing device A device for guiding flat articles being fed horizontally and changing the direction of movement from one direction to another wherein the change in direction may be as great as 90°. This is accomplished by providing a housing with internal rollers capab... | 03/20/1990 |
| 4903788 | Vibrating tray scale with conveying mechanism Apparatus and method of determining the mass of an article by the shift of the period of oscillation of a flexibly mounted tray. An article whose mass is to be determined is placed upon the tray which is caused to oscillate and the period of harmonic moti... | 02/27/1990 |
| 4891750 | Optical character recognition by forming and detecting matrices of geo features An alphanumeric character is recognized by optically scanning that character, detecting the occurrence of predetermined geographical features in the scanned image, comparing the detected geographical features to a store of particlar geographical features ... | 01/02/1990 |
