"If you build a better mousetrap, you will catch better mice."
George Gobel
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 |
| 7337800 | Automatic flushing system and method for a potable water station An automatic flushing system for a potable water station includes a conduit having a first end connected to a potable water supply source and a second end having a nozzle coupling. It also includes an air gap assembly having a coupling operable for coupling with the... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7319921 | Water treatment control system A water filter system comprising a control system, communication means, piping, actuators, sensors and valves. The control system utilizes a communication bus for controlling and monitoring water flow through the piping via control of the actuators and valves. The c... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7257465 | Open architecture modularity for irrigation controllers An irrigation controller includes a base unit with a removable and programmable control panel and backplane circuitry for communicating with a plurality of removable modules capable of performing a variety of irrigation and non-irrigation functions. A base module ha... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7243513 | Patterned textile product A textile substrate is patterned by the selective application of various dyes to the substrate surface in a way that provides desirable, visually apparent enhancements in the area of pattern detail, definition, and color range, through the use of a novel patterning ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7245991 | Distributed architecture irrigation controller A processor is connected by a bus to a plurality of station modules, each station module being connected to a corresponding valve and having a micro-controller. The processor executes a stored watering program and controls the station modules in accordance with the ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7163192 | Actuator for valve An actuator for a valve serving to transfer turning power from a motor to an output shaft through an inner gearing planet gear speed reducing mechanism that is imposed in a casing and adapted to effect speed reduction of the turning power, and utilize rotation of th... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7080832 | Sheet material feeder A sheet material feeder includes a sheet material holder for holding a pile of sheet material; a sucker bar device having at least one sucker for contacting the sheet material, the sucker bar device having a pivot axis, and an actuator for pivoting the sucker bar de... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7001505 | Slurry monitoring system A slurry monitoring system is provided. A filter encompasses a filter chamber containing a purge piston. During a monitor operation, the purge piston is retracted, and slurry enters the filter chamber through the filter, then passes into an outlet pipe, where a char... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6935142 | Washing machine water control Water temperature selection in a washing machine is accomplished by utilizing a single selector that is in communication with an associated processor. The single selector is preferably on the same board as the processor thereby defining a water temperature selection... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6634426 | Determination of plunger location and well performance parameters in a borehole plunger lift system Plunger lift operations are difficult to optimize due to lack of knowledge of tubing pressure, casing pressure, bottom-hole pressure, liquid accumulation in the tubing and location of the plunger. Monitoring the plunger position in the tubing helps the op... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6478040 | Gas supplying apparatus and gas substitution method Gas supplying apparatus and gas substitution method where machinery and parts constituting the gas system are not damaged, and where gas substitution in the gas system is carried out in a short time with good efficiency. The gas substitution, method for s... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6460563 | Irrigation system apparatus, and related method An improved apparatus and method are provided for irrigation systems such as automated sprinkler systems. A pre-assembled housing or valve box includes an inlet for receiving water and one or more outlets for distribution of water to other components in t... | 10/08/2002 |
| 6443173 | Automatic drain for a fire protection sprinkler system An automatic auxiliary condensate drain for an automatic dry-pipe type fire protection sprinkler system, wherein condensation which forms within the sprinkler system due to changes in temperature is drained from the condensate reservoir at the direction o... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6371162 | Electric actuator for fluid control valves An electro-mechanical actuator for operating a fluid control valve and controlling the operation of one or more field instruments, including other valve actuators. An electro-mechanical actuator has a drive unit and an electric motor driving the drive uni... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6314979 | Liquid injection apparatus and method for horticultural watering systems An inventive apparatus and method is disclosed for the automatic injection of a liquid additive (e.g., liquid fertilizer, liquid herbicide, liquid pesticide, liquid fungicide, a wetting agent solution or a mixture thereof) into a horticultural liquid disp... | 11/13/2001 |
| 6286765 | Pop-up spray head irrigation system uniformity enhancement apparatus and method A method and apparatus provides a controlled, continuous up-and-down motion of a pop-up sprinkler head device during an irrigation period to approximate a modified sine wave output from the pop-up sprinkler device assuring uniform coverage of an area to b... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6206042 | Modular control apparatus for water treatment system A modular modular control apparatus for a water treatment system which periodically undergoes a regeneration cycle including a backwash phase and a replenishment phase. The modular control apparatus has a modular design which includes interchangeable time... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6138928 | Center pivot suspension distribution system A liquid suspension distribution system is provided which is essentially a conventional center pivot irrigation system, but which has the innermost sprinkler guns sequenced by way of a programmable logic control. The innermost sprinkler guns are sequenced... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6098898 | Master control system for conserving water by sprinkler systems within a geographical region A master control system for conserving water used by sprinkler systems within a predetermined geographical region includes a plurality of sprinkler systems each of which is assigned an identifying indicia. A transmitting station is arranged for transmitti... | 08/08/2000 |
| 6070610 | Fluid operated timer for a plurality of reservoirs A fluid operated timer includes an input for the fluid, a reservoir receiving fluid from the input, an actuator responsive to the fluid pressure in the reservoir reaching a threshold value, wherein the reservoir includes a plurality of separate reservoirs... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6047719 | Method and device for production of high-precision, continuous streams of mixed gas In a gas mixing system for producing high-precision, continuous streams of mixed gas consisting of a plurality of individually metered gas components, with an individual gas line including a pressure reducing element and, if desired, a precision pressure ... | 04/11/2000 |
| 5910244 | Adaptable control valve for fluid treatment system A control valve for a fluid treatment system, such as a water softener or a water filter, includes a manifold which mounts a pair of open-ended, cylindrical valve bodies having ports in fluid communication with passages in the manifold. Interchangeable si... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5908157 | Portable control system for use with conventional sprinklers A portable control system for use with conventional sprinklers including a portable housing. Further included is a plurality of interconnections positioned within the housing for allowing interconnection between an inflow hose and a plurality of outflow h... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5873388 | System for stabilization of pressure perturbations from oxidation systems for treatment of process gases from semiconductor manufacturing operations A pressure damping system for damping pressure perturbations incident to switching of switchable flow control means in a fluid flow circuit. The pressure surge damping system comprises a throttle valve in the circuit, with the throttle valve and switchabl... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5791168 | Apparatus for diverting a flow of water in a washing machine An automatic washing machine includes a wash tub and a dispenser compartment which is connected to the wash tub. The washing machine further includes a valve assembly having a housing and a rotatable valve member, the housing having (1) a water inlet port... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5785244 | Method and system for automatically controlling an automotive HVAC unit A method and system for automatically controlling a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit of a vehicle includes multiple electric motors for actuating multiple respective doors directing air flow through the HVAC unit and temperature of t... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5647388 | Misting and watering system controller with light sensistive detector System and method for supplying water to plants. A photodetector detects light adjacent the plants and a threshold circuit generates a first signal representative of a first state when the level of illumination of the detected light is less than a thresho... | 07/15/1997 |
| 5551598 | Water run-on timer An apparatus for measuring and displaying a time interval between a valve closure and subsequent termination of a flow at a spigot is provided. The apparatus has magnetic sensors coupled to a flow regulating valve for providing a signal indicative of a so... | 09/03/1996 |
| 5479338 | Programmable controller apparatus for irrigation systems A programmable controller apparatus and method for irrigation systems including at least one removable control module interfacing with internal circuitry of the programmable controller for activating and operating a plurality of watering valves. A housing... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5473309 | Apparatus for testing an irrigation system controller and method of testing irrigation systems An apparatus for testing the operation of an irrigation system is disclosed. The apparatus pinpoints defects in the irrigation system controller by simulating control signals and processing the control signals through controller output chips. Visual indic... | 12/05/1995 |
| 5458048 | Electro-pneumatic control device This is an electro-pneumatic control device which includes a valve station (2) designed similar to a subassembly. The valve station (2) is provided with a fluid conductor (4) which is equipped with a plurality of valves (12) and a central electronic contr... | 10/17/1995 |
| 5444611 | Lawn and garden irrigation controller An improved irrigation controller is provided for selectively turning ON and OFF each of a plurality of sprinkler valve stations around a lawn or garden. The controller permits direct entry on a station-by-station level of the run time, number of cycles, ... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5363290 | Irrigation controller An improved irrigation controller of solid state design utilizes a microcomputer which retains and executes a watering schedule input by a user through data input means. One of the parameters of system operation is the times of day in which irrigation wil... | 11/08/1994 |
| 5318065 | Color valve multiplexer A coating material dispensing system comprises a hazardous area and a non-hazardous area. Multiple coating material type controls have coating material input ports, coating material output ports, and control ports for controlling the passage of a type of ... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5309942 | Timer unit for controlling valves An inexpensive timer unit which can operate stably in the event of a power failure. The timer unit acts to switch the operation times of two valve mechanisms for opening and closing fluid passages. The unit comprises a rotatable windup shaft, a torsion co... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5293554 | Program controlled irrigation system A program controlled irrigation system (10) operates with two programs. Program A and Program B, for irrigating a plurality of zones. Selected zones are dedicated to the irrigation of grass, for example, under Program A while other zones are dedicated to ... | 03/08/1994 |
| 5287888 | Irrigation controller A device for expanding the number of stations controlled by an existing irrigation controller or the like, or which can be operated as a stand-alone irrigation controller. The device (10) includes a control processor (12) which sequentially activates one ... | 02/22/1994 |
| 5261794 | Fluid pressure feeding apparatus A fluid pressure feeding apparatus for feeding cold water for cooling a mining pit into the pit and pumping water and muddy water heated within the mining pit onto the ground. A controller for switching a number of the operative chambers is provided to th... | 11/16/1993 |
| 5207354 | Metered fluid valve with switchable outlets A valve suitable for lawn and garden irrigation with a fluid inlet and two fluid outlets and a means for switching the flow of water from one outlet to the other based upon a predetermined flow of water. A plurality of valves may connected in series to ir... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5154349 | Maintenance control apparatus for lawn watering system A maintenance control apparatus for a lawn watering system includes an accessible electrical receptacle and a portable switching unit. The unit includes a plug for detachably coupling into the receptacle and a selection switch for selectively supplying po... | 10/13/1992 |