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 |
| 7513269 | Hydraulic control system for automatic transmission In a hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission, a valve element of an accumulator closes communication between a pressure switch circuit and a detection circuit when a hydraulic pressure applied to the detection circuit is lower than a predetermined hyd... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7419069 | Valve for a drinking receptacle This invention concerns a valve for an underpressure-activated outflow mechanism for a drinking receptacle (2). The valve includes a valve head (34) and a valve seat (44), in which the valve seat (44) is arranged in force-transmitting con... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7317402 | Alarm in a device for dispensing volatile anesthetics An alarm is associated with a device for dispensing volatile anesthetics. The alarm and device is designed such that an alarm is triggered whenever the operating voltage is interrupted and an assembly unit that determines the dispensing of at least one anesthetic is... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7279134 | Microfluidic devices with porous membranes for molecular sieving, metering, and separations Microfluidic devices with porous membranes for molecular sieving, metering, and separation of analyte fluids. In one aspect, a microfluidic device includes a substrate having input and output microfluidic channel sections separated by a porous membrane formed integr... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7182171 | Muffler with variable acoustic properties A muffler with variable acoustic properties. A pressure cell with a diaphragm, a spring, a piston, a piston rod, a closing element on the piston rod, and a pressure connection line are integrated into a housing. The diaphragm is thermally insulated against the pisto... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7150299 | Assembly and method for containing, receiving and storing fluids and for dispensing gas from a fluid control and gas delivery assembly having an integrated fluid flow restrictor A fluid control and gas delivery assembly and method for containing, receiving and storing hazardous fluids and for dispensing gas comprising a container, a fluid fill path, a gas dispensing path, a first shut-off valve, a pressure reducer, a fluid flow restrictor, ... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7150825 | Sealing apparatus of fuel filter A fuel filter sealing apparatus to improve a connector for connecting a fuel input pipe and a fuel return pipe to a fuel filter in order to prevent fuel leakage during a preliminary testing stage of an engine and backflow of fuel during engine operation. An oil cham... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7124774 | Control valve A control valve for regulating flow of fluids passing through the valve. The control valve includes a body with an inlet, an outlet and a passageway through which the fluid passes from the inlet to the outlet. The control valve also includes a displaceable column pr... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7114404 | System and method for detecting flow in a mass flow controller Systems and methods are provided for detecting flow in a mass flow controller (MFC). The position of a gate in the MFC is sensed or otherwise determined to monitor flow through the MFC and to immediately or nearly immediately detect a flow failure. In one embodiment... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7093425 | Variable flow regulator for use with catalytic converters A variable flow regulator assembly includes a first stationary exhaust pipe, a second stationary exhaust pipe concentrically disposed within the first stationary exhaust pipe, and a movable exhaust pipe concentrically disposed between the first and second stationary... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7013916 | Sub-atmospheric gas delivery method and apparatus An apparatus for containing and delivering hazardous gases at sub-atmospheric pressure from a pressurized container is provided which includes a valve body in sealed communication with an outlet orifice of the pressurized container. The outlet orifice of the pressur... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6729145 | Process plant A process plant (1) for handling combustibles fluids, for example an oil production plant in which gaseous hydrocarbons are separated from oil and in which surplus gases or residual gases from uncontrolled build-ups of gas pressure in the process escape throu... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6681762 | Method and an apparatus for providing a constant medicine dose for an inhalic application at low inhalic flow A device for flow rate limitation at low differential pressures, particularly for limiting the volumetric inhalation flow during inhalation of therapeutic aerosols, consists of a housing 11 including an aspiration orifice 14, an inhalation orifice 15 and ... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6446456 | Heat pump and method for controlling operation thereof Heat pump and a method for controlling a cooling/heating capability thereof, in which a capacity varying device is improved for adjusting a cooling/heating capability, the heat pump including a compressor having an inlet for drawing, and compressing low t... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6280159 | Valve arrangement and pump for a gear system The invention relates to a valve arrangement with a pressure limiting valve and a flow regulator valve, which comprises a flow regulator piston, having at least one first hydraulic resistor, distinguished in that the flow regulator valve's (5) flow regula... | 08/28/2001 |
| 6110325 | Apparatus and method for processing a feed An apparatus and method are provided in which a vaporizer vaporizes a liquid feed for introduction to a feed conversion unit such as a steam active reformer. A condenser condenses vaporized feed from the vaporizer when introduction of feed to the feed con... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6103079 | Anti-leakage apparatus An anti-microleakage apparatus is used in a sputtering deposition equipment. A metallic object, such as a wafer, is put in a process chamber. A cryo-pump is used to vacuumed the process chamber. A heater to heat up the process chamber to allow a thermal r... | 08/15/2000 |
| 5699664 | Shut-off valve unit for a circuit for injecting air in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine A shut-off valve unit for a circuit for injecting air into an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine has a casing (9, 29) with a first chamber (10), a second chamber (24) and a third chamber (27). The valve rod (18) forms a passage (43) for commu... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5630935 | Pressure relief valve with sample removal port A water pressure relief device includes a sample removal port to permit samples of water to be removed from the device. The device has an insert placed in a central chamber disposed generally above the sample removal port. The user inserts an implement su... | 05/20/1997 |
| 5178324 | Method of regulating a central or district heating plant by means of a differential pressure valve, and unit for working method A central heating plant (either single pipe or double pipe) supplies heat carrying fluid to several rooms, each having a radiator (5) provided with a thermostat valve (6). The plant has a differential pressure valve (11, 111) placed downstream of the radi... | 01/12/1993 |
| 5070899 | Check valve The disclosure describes a check valve comprising a structure for channeling a flow of a first fluid and first and second porous elements for permitting flow of the first fluid and substantially preventing flow of a second fluid. The first and second poro... | 12/10/1991 |
| 4609003 | Method and apparatus for generation of a pneumatic feedback trigger signal An entirely pneumatic feedback signal can be generated within a gas delivery system by diverting the portion of the gas from the main supply line to a cryostat. The gas is cooled in the cryostat and flows within a restricted passageway defined by the cryo... | 09/02/1986 |
| 4408943 | Ship-to-ship fluid transfer system A system for transferring fluid between two marine tankers, including a first articulated loading arm mounted on the first tanker and a second loading arm or other suitable receiver mounted on the second tanker. The first loading arm is guided into operat... | 10/11/1983 |
| 4406938 | Discharge machining apparatus A discharge machining apparatus wherein the workpiece is supported over an aperture in the work support plate on top of a tank at the machining station for cooperation with an electrode movable toward and away from the workpiece in alignment with the aper... | 09/27/1983 |
| 3982558 | Fluid pressure control valve A fluid pressure operated control apparatus comprising a casing having an inlet and outlet for the flow of fluid under pressure, a diaphragm mounted in the casing having opposite sides thereof responsive respectively to outlet fluid pressure and a regulat... | 09/28/1976 |
| 3982559 | High temperature fluid pressure control valve A fluid pressure operated control apparatus comprising a casing having an inlet and outlet for the flow of fluid under pressure, a diaphragm mounted in the casing having opposite sides thereof responsive respectively to outlet fluid pressure and a regulat... | 09/28/1976 |
| 3958724 | Pressure regulator for spray systems A regulator in a system for delivering a liquid under pressure to a sprayer maintains a substantially constant pressure in the system and a continuous flow back to the source with the volume of the circulating liquid inverse to the volume utilized by the ... | 05/25/1976 |
