...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.
| Application No. | Application Title | Issue Date |
| 20110067739 | Multi-functional foldable frame A multi-functional foldable frame is revealed. The multi-functional foldable frame includes two C-shaped frames, two H-shaped frames, and a flat rack. By the H-shaped frame pivoted to and located with each vertical segment of the two C-shaped frames and a demountable ho... | 03/24/2011 |
| 20100133207 | Outboard Motor Transportation, Storage and Maintenance System A cart for an outboard motor allows the motor to be installed on the cart, raised into a vertical position, and transported with relative ease. A storage, transportation and maintenance rack is also provided. The outboard motor cart fits into the storage, transportation... | 06/03/2010 |
| 20080308508 | Dual purpose rack and divider assembly The dual purpose rack and divider assembly of this invention has a base, wings, base slats, and cross slats which can be assemble in either a rack or a divider configuration. A mortise on the base and tenons on the wings and base slats provide an interlocking mechanism ... | 12/18/2008 |
| 20060213807 | Configurable display container A container for transporting articles and displaying articles includes a set of joined walls capable of forming an enclosed configuration where an interior volume is enclosed by the joined walls with each of the joined walls in their respective closed positions. The con... | 09/28/2006 |