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 |
| 7488914 | Plunger switch A switch is disclosed having a switch housing defining a housing interior and an access opening that extends through a wall of the housing to the housing exterior. An actuator assembly including a shaft constrained by said housing moves along a path from a normal po... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7323646 | Hand and foot switch A hand operable switch includes an operating knob that is movable longitudinally or rotationally about a longitudinal axis of the hand operable switch. The operating knob is accessible from any circumferential location of the hand operable switch. A housing includes... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7309840 | Emergency stopping safety device of paper shredder An emergency stopping safety device includes an emergency switch and an emergency light. When children accidentally put their fingers into a paper feeder of a paper shredder, the paper shredder can be temporarily disabled by pressing a button of the emergency switch... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7302758 | Manufacturing and mounting method of electrical contacts for control members of small dimensions, in particular for the horological field There is disclosed a method for manufacturing and mounting electric contacts for control members of small dimensions, particularly for control members used in the horological field. This method includes the following steps: a) stamping and pre-shaping a plate of ele... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7302322 | Vehicular interface including armrest control assembly A user control assembly is provided for use on a vehicle equipped with a processor, an armrest, and a plurality of vehicular systems each having at least one adjustable feature associated therewith that may be controlled by the processor. The user control assembly c... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7230516 | Circuit breaker A circuit breaker includes a body having a neck member integrally connected thereto. A flange extends from an inner periphery of the neck member and a recess is defined in an inner periphery of the flange. Two terminals are connected to the body and a bi-metallic pl... | 06/12/2007 |
| 6998557 | Power driven food machine and related multi-action switch assembly A power driven machine such as a food product slicer, band saw apparatus or food mixer, includes a multi-action switch assembly with first and second switch units and a switch actuator for selectively actuating the first and second switch units in a manner to trigge... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6972388 | Power circuit breaker A power circuit breaker includes a switching pole enclosure for accommodating at least one switching pole, whose switching contacts, when closed, rest against one another on a predetermined contact plane. It further includes a switching shaft for transferring drive ... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6900405 | Sealed circuit breaker with push-pull actuation A circuit breaker has a threaded collar fixed on a breaker housing and an approximately cylindrical actuating element displaceably guided in a bore of the threaded collar and partially protruding from the breaker housing for manual push-pull actuation in an advantag... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6737598 | Electrical switch with limited contact arcing An electrical switch is provided that includes a housing having at least one contact retention chamber formed therein. The housing includes an opening in one wall of the contact retention chamber through which an actuator is extended. A contact assembly is movably m... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6483062 | Push-pull switch A push-pull switch includes an actuating mechanism whose actuating tappet is engaged in a thread in the handle. By this arrangement, a pulling movement on the handle is converted into a rotational movement of the actuating tappet. As such, balls mounted a... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6444932 | Safety switch Operating means for the operating of a switch (2) in an electric current circuit, comprising an inner cylinder (6) connected to the switch, with a push rod (7) axially displaceable in the inner cylinder between an outer resting position and an inner opera... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6268577 | Push-pull switch operator A push-pull switch operator includes a housing. A rotary drive is rotationally mounted in the housing and has a circumferential cam track. An actuator is operatively coupled to the rotary drive for converting linear movement of the actuator to rotary move... | 07/31/2001 |
| 5939989 | Electronic switch utilized in, for example, a drowsiness warning device An electronic switch includes a rigid base, a circuit board supported by the base which includes an aperture therethrough defined, at least in part, by spaced apart conductive terminals of an electrically conductive circuit, a resiliently flexible casing ... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5911316 | Device for manually turning-on circuit-breakers A device for manually turning-on at least one circuit-breaker from the front panel of a cabinet includes at least one sleeve having a front end and a rear end. The sleeve extends through an aperture in the front panel and is movable between a backward pos... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5725088 | Switch for use in electronic devices A stationary terminal 12 and a common terminal 13 are provided on a bottom of an insulating case 11. A pivot 14a is provided on an upper end of common terminal 13. A change-over plate 14 is rotatable about and brought into contact with the pivot 14a. A pr... | 03/10/1998 |
| 5667060 | Diaphragm seal for a high voltage switch environment A diaphragm for the contact insulating housing of a mechanically operated high voltage switch. The diaphragm has a central portion through which the shaft from the mechanical operating mechanism to the movable contact passes. The walls of the diaphragm ab... | 09/16/1997 |
| 5605225 | Push-pull type latching control button, in particular for actuating an electrical component In a push-pull type latching control button, in particular a button for operating an electrical component, a main plunger of the control button is associated with an auxiliary plunger through which a shank of a control member can actuate the main plunger.... | 02/25/1997 |
| 5586646 | Vehicle locking systems Actuator for an electrically operated vehicle door lock has an actuator plunger which is shiftable between first and second positions to lock and unlock the related door latch. The actuator plunger carries a resilient electrical contact element which coac... | 12/24/1996 |
| 5576525 | Push button detent or retaining mechanism for push button switch A push button is provided with a steel ball pressed by a spring. A separate retaining spring retains the steel ball in a gap between coils of the retaining spring. The push button thus is retained at prescribed pressed down positions.... | 11/19/1996 |
| 5408061 | Emergency stop switch In the subject emergency stop switch the closing ring penetrates through a face plate, surrounds a pushbutton, and on its rear side is in communication with a control element that is provided for the guidance of a cam, preloaded via a first spring. A firs... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5389756 | Pushrod switch, especially a brake light switch, with sliding member and switch resetting means A pushrod switch having a plastic switch housing, a pushrod with a plurality of peripheral teeth arranged in the switch housing, a movable sliding member contained within the switch housing and provided with opposing teeth engagable with the pushrod perip... | 02/14/1995 |
| 5345050 | Switch actuating assembly A switch actuating assembly supports and actuates a limit switch of the ball and roller type. The assembly includes a housing, a plunger movably positioned within the housing, and an end cap which closes off one end of the housing. The assembly is adapted... | 09/06/1994 |
| 5306884 | Impact resistant switch knob The present invention is a knob which attaches to the switch post of a push/pull switch. The knob selectively disengages from the switch post as the knob is inadvertently impacted, thereby isolating the push/pull switch from the impacting force. The knob ... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5228560 | Electrical contact unit, particularly an electrical switch An electrical contact device has a first connector (1) having a surrounded base portion (3). Radially disposed within the base portion is a plurality of contact members (5) with at least a surface portion of the contact members being in electrical contact... | 07/20/1993 |
| 5005923 | Limit switch assembly for mobile storage apparatus A limit switch assembly for mounting on mobile storage units has first and second limit switches secured in spaced relationship. A switch operating rod is spring biased to extend from the assembly by a predetermined amount into an open aisle or where ther... | 04/09/1991 |
| 4939329 | Roller activated switch A roller activated switch with an unlimited number of triggering points, a preferred embodiment featuring linear activation by a rod upon the roller. The switch unit receives a moveable member upon the roller in its housing. The moveable member rolls a sp... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4922225 | Automobile warning light improvement An improved system for lighting an automobile central rear window warning, or "third" red light, employs an unlimited linear motion switch coupled to the accelerator-carburetor linkage and a logic unit coupled to the switch and the electric lines for the ... | 05/01/1990 |
| 4902865 | Push-pull actuator for key switches The invention relates to a push-pull actuator for key switches with a mushroom knob (1) which is loaded by a restoring force and is supported longitudinally movable. This mushroom knob (1) is separated from the actuating plunger. This actuating plunger is... | 02/20/1990 |
| 4746778 | Circuit breaker with an actuating device and an energy accumulator An energy accumulator for a circuit breaker comprises a cross piece which can be inserted between side walls of the support mechanism of the circuit breaker, which has a substantially U-shaped cross section and against the center part of which coil compre... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4678877 | Operating mechanism for a circuit-breaker, and a circuit-breaker fitted with the mechanism A mechanism for operating a circuit-breaker and suitable for causing a circuit-breaker to perform a rapid opening-closing-re-opening cycle, said circuit-breaker including a set of fixed contacts and a set moving contacts, said operating mechanism includin... | 07/07/1987 |
| 4500877 | Changeable circuit controlling switch assembly A switch assembly controls a plurality of circuits through contact carrying walls of a switch housing disposed in angular relation to each other about a guide post slidably mounting actuator elements that are displaceable to pivot contactors into engageme... | 02/19/1985 |
| 4489297 | Magnetic switch A magnetic switch has a fixed contact, a movable contact, and a flat, flexible blade supporting the movable contact, and movable between first and second positions in which the contacts are respectively engaged and disengaged. A blade magnet is affixed to... | 12/18/1984 |
| 4413549 | Limit switch actuator for fluid cylinders An actuator mechanism for detecting the presence of the piston or other movable element of a fluid cylinder for reversing switch purposes and the like is disposed in the end cap of the cylinder and is engaged by the cushion spear on the piston to provide ... | 11/08/1983 |
| 4255633 | Push-pull switch operator A push-pull switch operator characterized by separable contacts, a contact operating member, an actuating structure movable longitudinally to move said member, a guide adjacent the actuator for guiding the structure through longitudinal movement, the guid... | 03/10/1981 |
| 4204100 | Anti-theft switch for vehicles An anti-theft device for a vehicle that is movably mounted on wheel carriers, for securing the vehicle against theft of wheels and against unauthorized towing, which comprises an alarm switch and an actuating member, one of which is mounted in a fixed pos... | 05/20/1980 |
| 4031343 | Bicycle brake light switch and stop light system being activated by hand brake lever and cable A bicycle stop light is energized by the contraction of the hand operated caliper brakes and includes a first contact member mounted on and insulated from the flexible brake actuating cable extending between the proximal ends of the brake caliper levers a... | 06/21/1977 |
| 3984797 | Switch operator A switch operator is provided which has an elongated element magnetically attracted to yieldably assume predetermined static or neutral position within an elongated passage formed in a stationary base. The element is adapted to be manually moved longitudi... | 10/05/1976 |
