Celebrity Inventors
Magician Harry Houdini patented a "Diver's Suit" enabling the wearer to "quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water."
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 |
| 7372355 | Remote controlled wall switch actuator A device to actuate a switch. The switch has a switch toggle movable between a first position and a second position. The device includes a switch yoke movable between the first position and the second position adapted to engage the switch toggle and move therewith. ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7311130 | Controlled drive for a garage door panel for the like The invention relates to a system to control the motor drive of a garage door panel which is reciprocatingly movable and guided along a predetermined track between two end positions, and possibly, one or more intermediate stop positions, said garage door panel inclu... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7005589 | Timer A cam-operated timer for a household appliance. The timer includes a rotatable cam-carrying member having cam surfaces, a drive mechanism to rotate the cam-carrying member, a plurality of cam-actuated switches each mounted for engagement with a cam surface, and a te... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6918243 | Bi-propellant injector with flame-holding zone igniter A bi-propellant injector (66) includes a first injector element (68) and a second injector element (70) injecting a first propellant (69) and a second propellant (71), respectively, into a combustion chamber (53). A flame-ho... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6188030 | Adjustment apparatus for a cam An apparatus for rotationally adjusting a cam, that includes an adjustment pinion having a number of missing teeth that couple to an integral gear formed on a rotatable cam. The adjustment pinion is used to manually adjust the angular position of the rota... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6018290 | Apparatus for permitting quiet manual setting of an appliance timer having a bell chime assembly associated therewith A timer for controlling an appliance includes a bell chime assembly having a striker, a torsion spring, and a bell. The striker is secured to the torsion spring. The timer further includes a cam follower operatively coupled to the torsion spring. The cam ... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5812499 | Time setting control mechanism for a mechanical timer A time setting control mechanism mounted in a mechanical timer and driven to automatically start or stop a machine at a given time, including, a hollow time counting wheel, a dial mounted in the time counting wheel, the dial having a center through hole, ... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5745441 | Mechanical timer including cam operated clapper and chimes A timer mechanism for an appliance such as a clothes dryer includes a pulser cam and a timer cam. The timer cam has a notch along its perimeter while the pulser cam has a step formed in its perimeter. The cams rotate in opposite directions with a cam foll... | 04/28/1998 |
| 4889964 | Rotating retractable cam limit switch The rotating cam limit switch includes a hub, a position screw arm, a position screw, a position wheel, a retractable cam, a dwell wheel, a dwell screw, a dwell screw arm, a spring wave washer and a locking ring. The hub is to be mounted on a rotating sha... | 12/26/1989 |
| 4885437 | Rotating cam limit switch The rotating cam limit switch includes a hub, a position screw area, a position screw, a position wheel, a retractable cam, a dwell wheel, a dwell screw, a dwell screw arm, a spring wave washer and a locking ring. The hub is to be mounted on a rotating sh... | 12/05/1989 |
| 4616549 | Music playing device A music playing device, having a music composition member provided with parallel lines and apertures, and pins capable of being selectively and removably inserted in the apertures so as to resemble music notes, and a sound producing unit arranged to be op... | 10/14/1986 |
| 4588304 | Program carrier for switching chronometer systems In a program carrier for switching chronometer means comprising a motor-driven drum which comprises a plurality of switch elements at its circumference that can be displaced between an active and an inactive position and which interact with a sampler in t... | 05/13/1986 |
| 4551589 | Variable power control device A variable power control device for varying the operating duty cycle to an electrical load such as an electrical heating unit, for example, an electrical cooking range, heating pad and the like. The control device can be used to adjust the on time of the ... | 11/05/1985 |
| 4525609 | Timer apparatus A time switch driven by an electric clock motor is disclosed. The time switch has a base plate above which a time dial with on and off-trippers are rotatably mounted. Disposed below the base plate are other components including input and output terminals,... | 06/25/1985 |
| 4507526 | Module unit time switch disk assembly Time switch is arranged on a plug-in unit for a system housing containing various side-by-side unit components. The time switch includes a rotatable timing disk disposed for rotation about a lateral axis longitudinal of the housing and having a circumfere... | 03/26/1985 |
| 4504154 | Indexing element for switching a chronometer An indexing unit in the form of a disc or an endless tape for switching chronometers has a number of programmable switch tabs disposed at an edge of the element forming a unitary structure, the switch tabs being depressable against the influence of a rest... | 03/12/1985 |
| 4490589 | Timing mechanism The invention is a timing mechanism comprising a motor drive having an output member including at least one leg, a shaft including a circular hub portion having a circular recess therein, a spring tightly and frictionally held within and against an inner ... | 12/25/1984 |
| 4363943 | Interval timer An interval timer has a cross-shaped cam with elongated arms and is interposed between a slot moving disc and a micro-switch. Adjustable pins are disposed on the outer extremities of the disc and engage the inner ends of the cross-shaped cam arms. The out... | 12/14/1982 |
| 4351200 | Removable snap-on actuators for program timer dial Actuators for a program timer are removably attached to the timer dial in a snap-on manner to enable simple and easy removal or installing of the actuators to effect changing the schedule of operation of the timer.... | 09/28/1982 |
| 4339962 | Switching device for variable speed gears in machine tools A switching device for variable speed gears in machine tools having an assembly which includes a plurality of axially disposed, rotatably-driven cam discs, each of which is associated with an electric microswitch. Non-rotatable spacers serve to position t... | 07/20/1982 |
| 4311886 | Timing apparatus for lamps and appliances Timing apparatus for controlling the ON-OFF operation of a lamp or appliance. The timing apparatus is plugged into an electric wall receptacle to energize an internal synchronous motor that turns a time dial with setting pins thereon. The pins control the... | 01/19/1982 |
| 4307303 | Cyclic electric time switch means Cyclic electric time switch means has a housing with an electrical clock therein and trip contact means comprising a toothed gear wheel coupled to a drive gear of the clock and mounting gear wheel. The disc mounts an electrical switch having contact termi... | 12/22/1981 |
| 4302639 | Timer device, assembly, and method of operating A timer device has a pair of switches, a pair of cam means adapted for rotation so as to respectively actuate the switches in a first preselected sequence, and means for driving the cam means to effect the respective rotation thereof. Means for driven ass... | 11/24/1981 |
| 4291238 | Power switch module A power switch module for use in controlled-sequence devices such as a domestic laundry appliance has switches arranged in a pattern about a central portion of the module selectively closeable to connect circuitry associated with each switch to a source o... | 09/22/1981 |
| 4241245 | Programmed switching device A programmed switching device for setting angular positions of shafts of mechanisms and machines comprises a shaft, a cam-and-lever mechanism for operating those particular switching devices which correspond to the angular position of the shaft being set,... | 12/23/1980 |
| 4238654 | Switchgear Switchgear has switches 14 actuated by cam discs 16, 18 mounted on a shaft 12. The angular position of the cams can be adjusted, and they are then held in position by regions of a deformable material 52 which are bent into recesses 38 on a part fixed to t... | 12/09/1980 |
| 4206337 | Microwave oven having improved defrost cycle timer means A microwave oven having an electrical switch construction provided with an electrical switch that in one operating condition thereof operates the power unit of the oven and that in another operating condition thereof turns off the power unit. A timer is o... | 06/03/1980 |
| 4203014 | Adjustable interval cycle timer A stop start fixed cycle sequence timer is started at variable intervals by an adjustable automatic reset timer. This reset timer includes a clutch and resets when the clutch is disengaged. The cycling timer includes a clutch cam and cam follower which di... | 05/13/1980 |
| 4153824 | Appliance control timer drive means The rotary control timer for an automatic appliance, e.g., a washing machine, is driven by connecting a saddle pawl through a cable or equivalent connector to an element in the appliance that continually oscillates or makes other repeated cycles of moveme... | 05/08/1979 |
| 4109119 | Program control device A program control device is described having a rotatably driven program control body and a plurality of stationary actuatable programming members. These members are positioned adjacent a periphery of the body at different locations transverse to the direc... | 08/22/1978 |
| 4079636 | Cam setting means for a cam assembly A washer is adjustably connected to a driving member of a cam assembly and is coupled to a cam means of the cam assembly.... | 03/21/1978 |
| 4045626 | Cam-operated motor control switch assembly with improved auxiliary actuator for motor control microswitch An electric motor assembly for driving a helical feed screw for use in a vending machine. The helical feed screw is intermittently operated through cycles of similar duration and must be accurately positioned at the end of each cycle. Operation of the mot... | 08/30/1977 |
| 4035752 | Energy saving control A device for heating a room or building thermostat by radiant means or a combination of conduction, convection and radiation in such a manner as to cause localized thermal energy in the vicinity of the thermostat. The temperature of the area controlled by... | 07/12/1977 |
| 4031339 | Modular time sequence controller A modular time sequence controller having multiple timing cams and switches. Modules of switches and cams may be added and removed without disturbing other modules. Clip means for retaining a switch in a module facilitates easy insertion and removal witho... | 06/21/1977 |
| 4006649 | Single shaft programming control for machine tools A drilling machine capable of rapid change over for drilling different parts, and which has stations for simultaneously, or sequentially, drilling holes in a particular part. The unit includes means for positively positioning the part, and gripping the pa... | 02/08/1977 |
| 4004497 | Automatic systems programmer A programmer includes an intermittently rotating drum, having thereon a series of actuators arranged in a pre-selected manner, for actuating in a predetermined order, a plurality of devices, such as fluid valves, each of which, when actuated, causes an op... | 01/25/1977 |
| 4002292 | Timing device for thermostatic-control units A timing device in combination with a thermostatic control whereby heating units of the type used for heating structures such as buildings can be automatically turned off during predetermined periods, as when such buildings are unoccupied, the device comp... | 01/11/1977 |
| 3988553 | Lighting control A remote lighting control for box mounted lamps which permits one or more wall switch controlled lamps to be operated on a selected time basis by creating a circuit across the normally opened wall mounted switches.... | 10/26/1976 |
| 3958463 | Adjustable cam actuated switch mechanism Adjustable cam actuated switch mechanism of the type in which the switch is operated by a rotating cam means on a timing shaft. The cam means includes a cam plate that is rotatable relative to the timing shaft and the cam plate is adjustably connected to ... | 05/25/1976 |
| 3951007 | Cams A set of removable combination cams has an assembly of identical rotary components mounted on a common rotary shaft and carrying removable cams for operation of switches. The rotary components are coupled together in such a manner that they can move relat... | 04/20/1976 |
