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!
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 |
| 7971616 | Apparatus for producing non-woven fabric An apparatus for applying weft yarns in a cross direction to warp yarns having an adhesive scrim thereon includes the warp yarns on a beam which are fed downstream of the apparatus by first laying the warp yarns onto a transfer belt to reduce the tension in the yarn... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7905266 | Wire-gathering device, apparatus and method of winding tape utilizing same A wire-gathering device to position a plurality of electrical wires without swing to the center of a rotating drum regardless of size of outer diameters of a bundle of the electrical wires by means of a simple configuration. The wire-gathering device includes the ro... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7322542 | Automatic web winding system An automatic web winding system for creating a registered perforated web stock roll, from a perforated web, that includes a web leader, a web trailer, and a die assembly that creates the web leader of a first web stock roll and the web trailer of a second web stock ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7243697 | Apparatus and method for coating pipes Apparatus for coating pipes includes means for applying a sheet material 32,33,34, to a pipe 2 and means for heating 23,31 the sheet material and/or pipe. The means for heating may be operative to heat the sheet material during its application t... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7238250 | Energy absorbing systems and processes, and processes for the production of energy absorbing structural elements An energy absorbing system is provided. The system comprises a fitting having a crack inducing surface extending radially outward in relation to an axis. An energy absorbing structural element formed by a hollow body extends along the axis and has a first end adapte... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7234410 | Buoyancy control systems for tubes A buoyancy control system for controlling the buoyancy of a tube may includes generally tubular length of buoyancy control material having a selected buoyancy characteristic. The length of buoyancy control material may be attached to a section of the length of the t... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7225654 | Canasta for forming tubes of different diameters In one embodiment, the subject invention includes a frame 10 comprising a front plate, a rear plate, a generally circular passage which extends through the frame, and rollers arranged, circumferentially positioned about the passage. The rollers are suspended ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7204286 | Apparatus for continuously forming FRP square pipe An apparatus 1 for continuously forming an FRP square pipe comprises a long core 10 for laminating prepreg sheets, and to this core 10 are fed prepreg sheets from prepreg laminating devices 20, 30, 40 and 50 with a release film int... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7152632 | Systems and methods for pipeline rehabilitation The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for pipeline rehabilitation. The methods and systems disclosed herein permit the rehabilitation of long lengths of previously installed pipe and minimize the need for creating multiple access points to the pi... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7124797 | Filament winding apparatus and methods of winding filament The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for winding filament to create a structure. In one embodiment, the invention includes the application of filament to a rotating mandrel to create a desired shape. The invention includes the filament winding of b... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7096814 | Variable buoyancy device The method of constructing a hull for ocean profiling or gliding vehicles which reduce the energy required to make vertical excursions. Composite materials are used in constructing the hull, specifically a fiber reinforced matrix, wherein the choice of the fiber mat... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7083698 | Automated composite lay-up to an internal fuselage mandrel An aircraft part manufacturing device for automated composite lay up includes a mandrel tool having a an interior mandrel surface that conforms to an outside mold line (OML) of a part: to be manufactured. One or more circular rings surround the mandrel and are attac... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7029356 | Buoyancy control systems for tubes Buoyancy control methods for tubes are described. In one embodiment, a buoyancy control method can include a composite tube and a buoyancy control material for controlling the buoyancy of the composite tube. The composite tube can include an internal liner an extern... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6978804 | Systems and methods for pipeline rehabilitation The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for pipeline rehabilitation. The methods and systems disclosed herein permit the rehabilitation of long lengths of previously installed pipe and minimize the need for creating multiple access points to the pi... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6959747 | Machine for applying fiberglass reinforcements in disposable column forms A pair of rollers (2), constituting the seat and the traction means for the formwork (3) to be reinforced, are established on a bench (1). A pair of upper pressure rollers (12) act, at the same time, on the formwork. On the same bench ( | 11/01/2005 |
| 6939424 | Method of making a spirally-wound tube This invention concerns a method and an apparatus for making a spirally-wound tube from a hollow thermoplastic profile (1) having a substantially rectangular cross-section, which method comprises the steps of: winding the thermoplastic profile (1) arou... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6926055 | Non-woven composite fabric and method and apparatus for manufacturing same An apparatus for fabricating a unique non-woven fabric which has the appearance of a woven fabric includes a supply station for adhesive coated parallel warp yarns, a support structure for orienting the parallel warp yarns into a cylindrical orientation with the adh... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6901985 | Taping device A manually-powered taping tool for taping an elongated object with tape, which consists of a radial bearing ring (5) provided with a cutout (7) of sufficient size so that the object can pass into the cutout (7); an inner part (6) rotatabl... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6869493 | Apparatus for manufacturing wire The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing wire having an inverted cone-shaped cylinder within a spool, wherein the diameter of the top end of the cylinder is larger than the lower end thereof enabling a tape wound thereon unwound from the spool... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6701762 | Canasta for forming tubes of different diameters In one embodiment, the subject invention includes a frame 10 comprising a front plate, a rear plate, a generally circular passage which extends through the frame, and rollers arranged, circumferentially positioned about the passage. The rollers are suspen... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6689238 | Labelling system An applicator 16 is used to apply a label 10 to a shaped CD ROM (not shown). The applicator 16 comprises a central projection 18 and peripheral locator pins 20a and 20b, as well as a well 22 in which to receive a shaped CD ROM. A label is secured to a CD ... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6615892 | Method and apparatus for seaming wide panels of EPDM membrane to form a composite EPDM roofing membrane A method and apparatus for continuously seaming cured EPDM membrane to form a composite sheet of predetermined width and indefinite length. The method includes the steps of providing at least two rolls of cured EPDM membrane having longitudinal marginal e... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6494980 | Device for incorporating individual reinforcing threads into an unfinished tube and process for manufacturing a thread-reinforced unfinished tube with the aid of this device A device is disclosed for applying individual reinforcing threads onto a tubular layer. The device contains a positioning ring with equidistant holes that lie on a circumferential line, with the positioning ring surrounding and concentric with a rotationa... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6394145 | Flexible conduit, such as pipe for medical or surgical use Disclosed is a process for obtaining a flexible conduit comprising a tube and a helical structure. The process comprises extruding a crosslinkable plastic material in a malleable or formable state, so as to form a profiled strip having, as one piece, a we... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6306235 | Spiral formed products and method of manufacture In the present invention, hollow thermoplastic foam tubes of any desired diameter are easily achieved as well as large sheets or planks of thermoplastic foam material in any width and thickness desired by spirally wrapping and fusing a thermoplastic foam ... | 10/23/2001 |
| 6263937 | Apparatus for making resin-impregnated fiber substrates A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming a resin-impregnated fiber web that is particularly suitable for use in reinforced plastic composites and printed circuit board applications. The method includes the steps of drawing machine direction yarns ... | 07/24/2001 |
| 6209607 | Conduit-making apparatus with a multiple diameter winding drum An apparatus is disclosed for making a conduit or pipe. An extruder is provided for producing a strip of continuous thermoplastic. A winding drum receives the strip and helically winds the strip around the drum's perimeter to form a conduit having an inne... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6059001 | Apparatus for manufacturing microtubes with axially variable geometries The present invention is a technique for manufacturing microtube devices which have circumferential geometries repeated either uniformly or nonuniformly along the tube or device axis with sub-micron precision. The preferred manufacturing process involves ... | 05/09/2000 |
| 5807451 | Pile weatherstripping having internal and external fins Pile weatherstripping having rows of pile and longitudinal fins both within and external to the rows of pile. The heights of the fins with respect to the height of the pile may be independently varied and controlled. A travelling endless band receives a p... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5798013 | Method and apparatus for producing a tubular lining hose The present invention refers to a method of producing a tubular lining ho in particular for use in sewer reconstruction work, comprising the steps of forming at least one fibrous strip into a curable, resin-impreganted hose. The inner side of the resulta... | 08/25/1998 |
| 5741384 | Process for making glass fiber-reinforced composite material To prepare a glass fiber-reinforced composite material, a glass fiber strand is drawn through an agitated aqueous powder dispersion of a coupling agent over a deflection body, the water is removed, the powder is melted onto the glass fiber strand and the ... | 04/21/1998 |
| 5710853 | Coil form A coil support and a winding arranged thereon, especially one including a fiber-optic waveguide, whose turns are mutually fixed by a binding agent. The binding agent drys while a volatile solvent diffuses off. The coil support is permeable to solvent and ... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5680739 | Apparatus and method for reinforcing a stationary vertical column An apparatus for reinforcing an external surface of a stationary vertical column with a reinforcing material includes a supply of a reinforcing material and a guide that directs the reinforcing material from the supply onto the stationary vertical column.... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5672232 | Apparatus for producing tubular products from nonwoven fibers A system produces segmented tubular products such as filters from nonwoven fibers and includes a die assembly, a collector assembly including a rotating mandrel, a withdrawer assembly, and a post-treatment assembly. The withdrawer assembly utilizes at lea... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5662764 | Apparatus for producing corrugated tube An apparatus for producing a corrugated tube contains a roller assembly composed of plural rollers having plural convexed rings, respective convexed rings forming a helix as a whole so as to substantially form a single rotating shaft body, and a synthetic... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5593535 | Apparatus for producing corrugated tube An apparatus for producing a corrugated tube contains a roller assembly composed of plural rollers having plural convexed rings, respective convexed rings forming a helix as a whole so as to substantially form a single rotating shaft body, and a synthetic... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5589019 | Method for applying covering material to an elongate substrate Wrapped covering material, e.g. tape is applied around an elongate substrate, such as a pipe, using an apparatus comprising a hollow frame mounted on rollers that is rotatable about the substrate, a delivery device for holding the covering material, mount... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5468322 | Loop machine for helically winding strip The invention relates to apparatus for helically winding pipes from tube forming plastics strip comprising a single fixed rigid loop formed from a length of metal band, wherein the inner surface of the loop forms a spiral path along which the strip is dir... | 11/21/1995 |
| 5468207 | Method and apparatus of manufacturing a paint roller A paint roller having a tubular core formed of thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material being in the form of a multiplicity of spirally wound plies. The multiplicity of plies comprising an outer ply surrounding and in continuous contact with an ... | 11/21/1995 |
| 5447586 | Control of thermoplastic tow placement A control architecture involves two control loops, one for controlling heat input to a moving composite structure and the other controlling the speed of the structure to control quality of the product being formed. Since velocity and heat input affect the... | 09/05/1995 |
