Did You Know...
...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.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7340800 | Three-piece barrel hinge A barrel hinge having a female barrel portion and two male barrel portions. The female barrel portion has a sidewall with an aperture formed therein, a length, two ends, and an outside surface, and an axial bore, with an interior wall surface and a diameter, which e... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7334297 | Hinge assembly for foldable electronic device A hinge assembly (100) for a foldable electronic device includes a shaft (1), a housing (5) defining a guiding groove (56) therein, a spring (2), and a pin (7). A first end of the spring is coupled to the shaft, and an oppos... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7275286 | Pivot device A pivot device has a pivot axle fastened on a cover of a lap top computer, a seat fastened on a chassis of the computer, and a first ring and a second ring respectively mounted around the pivot axle. The second ring and an elastic device are respectively mounted on ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7275283 | Appliance hinge The present invention is a hinge assembly for engaging an appliance door to an appliance, such that rotational forces generated by the door as a function of the door position are balanced against a rotation force exerted about an axis of rotation for the door. The h... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7264284 | Door catch A door catch includes a back plate having two laterally symmetric sleeves formed on a front face thereof. An elastic check member is mounted in a rear end of each sleeve to replace a conventional screw to confine a steel ball and a spring in the sleeve, so that the ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7257863 | Hinge device The hinge device comprises a rotating shaft, a cylinder and a liner tube. The cylinder contains a cylindrical body having a passage therein, a fixing member and a positioning groove. The liner tube includes at least two pieces of liner portion with a hole therein, o... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7258386 | Fuel door assembly There is described an improved fuel door assembly. In one preferred embodiment, the fuel door comprises a housing that defines an axis of rotation and has a biasing element that is at least partially surrounded by a second interface that forms a cavity that narrows ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7240974 | Folding cover A folding lid for a cabinet. The folding lid or cover (8) can be displaced between an opened position and a closed position. The folding cover includes a first cover element (9) which can be fastened to a cupboard cover (2) in a manner that perm... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7228597 | Partition apparatus and hinge apparatus A partition apparatus or system having one or more panels each releasably fixed with respect to a hinge element. The hinge element has at least one hinge leaf, each with an outer edge. Each hinge leaf has at least one opening, preferably multiple openings, extending... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7225506 | Hinge structure for mounting a cover onto an electronic device A scanner uses a hinge to connect the cover and the scanner body. The scanner further comprises a brake apparatus and a force-dispersing mechanism. The brake apparatus interferes the lifting cover at a predetermined interfering angle for avoiding the cover to thump ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7219608 | Food preparation table A food preparation table of the present invention includes a pan holder for accommodating pans; an insulated wall surrounding the pan holder; even number n of brackets fixed on the insulated wall; n/2 covers, each having a pair of first hinge axles and a pair of sec... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7192104 | Refrigerator and freezer A refrigerator and/or freezer with an appliance body and a door for closing an opening of the appliance body, wherein a pivot bearing pivotably supports the door relative to the appliance body about a pivot axis. The door relative to the pivot axis and/or the pivot ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7185398 | Mechanical door closer A mechanical door closer (10) that includes a spring (20) mounted in a track (13) to urge the door (11) to a closed position. A brake assembly (24) controls that rate at which the door (11) closes. The brake assembly (24 | 03/06/2007 |
| 7182388 | Cabriolet vehicle with a hood compartment which receives the cabriolet hood A convertible vehicle has a carbody and a top connected to the carbody. A top compartment is provided for receiving the top when the top is open. A top compartment lid for closing the top compartment is pivotably supported on the carbody by a hinge device. The hinge... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7178198 | Mounting arrangement for glass doors A mounting arrangement for glass doors includes an upper mounting having a mounting body with a clamping device for the glass leaf and a displaceable bearing pin for engaging in a counterbearing at a transom and a lower mounting with a mounting body with a clamping ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7143995 | Motorized cam actuator A motorized cam actuator for linear actuation of an apparatus. An actuating motor shaft is fitted with a bushing having first and second opposed flats and a threaded portion at an outer end thereof. With the motor mounted to a pedestal, the bushing is rotated on the... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7114219 | Automobile hinges A hinge for pivotably mounting a panel to a vehicle body includes a panel attachment plate securable to the panel, a body attachment plate securable to the vehicle body, and an intermediate member pivotably attached between the body and panel attachment plates. The ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7103938 | Motor vehicle door hinge The invention relates to a motor vehicle door hinge comprised of a first hinge part (2), a second hinge part (3), a shaft section (4), which joins a hinge eye (10) of the first hinge part (2) and a hinge eye (17) of the seco... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7101209 | Test socket A test device for testing integrated circuits includes a lid and a base joined at a hinge and secured together with a latch. Within the base is some form of socket body that electrically connects the integrated circuit under test to the item the socket is mounted to... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7096538 | Vehicle door hinge system A door hinge system for supporting a vehicle door on a vehicle body is provided that allows the door to moved between (a) a fully closed position wherein the door is positioned in covering relation with respect to a door opening in the vehicle body, (b) a fully open... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7076836 | Integrated hinge and temporary door checker An integrated hinge system that provides for temporary checking of a vehicle door is provided, the system including a hinge pin, a door hinge bracket, a pillar hinge bracket, and a contact body that is affixed to the hinge pin. A latching device is affixed to the do... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7051404 | Self-locking hinge The self-locking hinge (24) includes a first plate (28) hingedly connected to a second plate (30). Fasteners (24) are provided on the plates to secure them to a member, such as a easel strut hinge (24) of picture frame back (20 | 05/30/2006 |
| 7048322 | Door lift conversion kit for existing vehicles A retrofit vehicle door lift conversion kit adapted for lifting a vehicle door vertically that fits as a conversion kit replacing factory door hinges on a variety of different types of existing vehicles. A door attaching arm is mounted to a fixed chassis plate by a ... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7043798 | Hinge device for foldable apparatus A hinge device for a foldable apparatus includes first and second hinge sleeves (20, 70) connected respectively to two parts of the foldable apparatus, a spring member (30) received in the first hinge sleeve, a first disk (50) fitted untreatably... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7017232 | Load limiting hinge The load limiting hinge provides a rigid, essentially inelastic drop down door mounting structure when normal loads are placed upon the door, but includes an easily replaceable weak link or “mechanical fuse” which breaks or opens when excessive force is applied ... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7017234 | Folding tools with locking hinges Folding tools including a tool blade and a handle are foldably connected by a lockable hinge which permits folding the assembly for compact storage but automatically locks into a rigid assembly when fully unfolded. The hinge operates by the movement of a locking bar... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7010832 | Angular adjustment arrangement of side pivot hinge A side pivot hinge includes a joint body for securely mounting a side edge portion of the glass structure, a joint seat, having a joint sleeve, for securely mounting to a border frame, and an angular adjustment arrangement which includes a joint housing securely mou... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7003852 | Adjustable stepless hinge shaft An adjustable stepless hinge shaft comprised of a male shaft tube, a female shaft tube, and an adjustment rod. The male shaft tube contains a tubular hinge shaft having a mounting section at one extremity; the tubular hinge shaft includes a flange, a tapered hole se... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6978519 | Device for adjusting and locking a strap The present invention relates to a device for adjusting and locking a strap. The device includes a base portion, the base portion including a base having a first and a second side and a front and a back. A first sidewall extends away from the first side of the base,... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6968597 | Hinge assembly having improved stop A hinge assembly for an appliance comprises a channel and a stop connected to the channel. A door mounting lever pivots relative to the channel about a pivot axis on an arc between a first operative position where the door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6951184 | Crossing control arm assembly A school bus has a front bumper equipped with a crossing control arm assembly. The assembly includes an actuator that is attached behind the bumper and a control arm that is moved by the actuator from a stored position atop the bumper to a deployed position generall... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6944913 | Hinge assembly for a folding fabric top A hinge assembly for securing a folding fabric top of an automotive vehicle between an open and closed position includes a front pivot bracket pivotally connected to a rear pivot bracket for pivotal movement between the closed position wherein the brackets are align... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6938444 | Device for linking door to case in drum type washing machine and method for assembling the same Device for linking a door to a case in a drum type washing machine including a bracket having one end to be inserted in a pass through hole formed in the vicinity of the laundry opening in a washing machine case, and the other end fixed to an outside wall of the cas... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6935245 | Railway car for transporting semi-trucks The invention is directed to a railway car for the transportation of semi-trucks. The railway car may have an interior defined by a support surface for the trucks, a pair of upstanding sidewalls, and a roof. End doors may be located at each end of the railway car fo... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6928713 | Hinge mounting system A hinge that has a first mounting base for attachment to a first hinged object. The hinge also has first and second hinge members pivotally connected together. The first hinge member and the first base are configured and dimensioned for cooperatively positioning and... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6925685 | Angular adjustment arrangement of pivot hinge A pivot hinge for pivotally mounting a glass structure to a border frame, includes a joint body having two joint walls for securely sandwiching the glass structure, a joint hub including a supporting shaft having an adjusting portion, and an angular adjustment arran... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6910373 | Apparatus and methods for repeatable door closure in a plethysmographic measurement chamber Apparatus and methods for generating repeatable closure of a volume measurement chamber are provided. More particularly, in one embodiment of the present invention, a dual articulating hinge is used to affix a chamber door to a volume measurement chamber, providing ... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6817062 | Door hinge apparatus having a door checking function The present invention provides a door hinge apparatus having a door checking function capable of gradually opening or closing a door of an automobile. The door checking apparatus includes a long groove formed on at least one side portion of a body bracket. The long ... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6766561 | Frameless glass door hinge A frameless glass door hinge has a mounting device, an internal doorstop, an angle adjustment device and a hinge assembly. The adjusting device has a setscrew, an adjustment block and a lock with a striated front surface. The internal doorstop has coil springs, two ... | 07/27/2004 |
| 6708370 | Locking structure A locking structure for a notebook computer with a main body and a monitor covering the main body. The locking structure includes a first support, a locking mechanism and a second support. The first support is set in the main body. The locking mechanism has a spring... | 03/23/2004 |
