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Sir William Preece, chief engineer, British Post Office ; 1878
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7579564 | Shear resistant bin level indicator A device for indicating a level of a bulk material in a bin. A motor imparts a swinging motion to a paddle located inside the bin. When the paddle engages the material, drag on the paddle causes a counteracting force on the motor, indicating a presence of material a... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7550689 | Reservoir assembly A reservoir assembly is disclosed including a one-piece integrally formed fluid level switch housing and outlet wherein the switch housing can be rotated 360 degrees about its longitudinal axis to locate the outlet at any desired position. A conventional fitting may... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7473856 | Stored material detecting switch A stored material detecting switch includes: a hollow case; stored material detecting device, accommodated in the case, for outputting a detection signal when the case is inclined at an angle equal to or more than a predetermined angle; and a suspension member for s... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7350369 | Ice maker for refrigerator An ice maker for a refrigerator/freezer having a control module for more reliably driving a rotatable ice ejector for removing ice bodies from a mold of the ice maker and for refilling mold cavities with water. The control module has an ice ejector drive with a driv... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7315250 | Electrical fluid activated switch An electrical field activated switch system includes a fluid container 14 having an aperture formed in a sidewall thereof. The floor of the primary tray 22 is positioned entirely beneath the fluid container and a secondary tray is positioned entirely w... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7273990 | Ice storage detection switch The present invention provides an ice storage detection switch for detecting an ice level in an ice storage chamber of an ice making machine including: a magnet lever rotatably fitted to the switch lever, for holding the magnet so that the magnet is located in a vic... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7162922 | Non-invasive method for detecting and measuring filling material in vessels A non-invasive method for measuring the level of filling material in a vessel and for detecting the presence of the filling material in the vessel at a predetermined set point level is based on monitoring the oscillation of the vessel's outside wall that follows an ... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7116236 | Oil tank sight glass monitor An oil tank sight glass monitor comprising a housing having an opening therein sized to receive the sight glass of an oil tank; an emitter for emitting a beam of light, the emitter being mounted to the housing on one side of the opening so that the beam of light is ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7112752 | System and method to delay activation of a powered device A system and method for delaying the activation of a powered device, such as a battery powered device. The activation of the device is triggered by contact with a particular environmental characteristic encountered by the device. For example, the system can be confi... | 09/26/2006 |
| 6696966 | Automatic salt level monitor for a water softening device The present invention provides an automatic monitor for use in a tank with a water soluble softening agent. The monitor includes a signal emitter that produces a signal capable of being detected by an array of signal-detecting sensors. The sensors are dis... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6610952 | Vacuum cleaner actuator switch A switch assembly for a wet/dry vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The switch assembly includes a switch having a movable arm to connect first and second conductive terminals with a rocker arm pivotally attached to the switch. The rocker arm is operable by an a... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6480113 | Water level alarm An alarm system comprising a housing, a float, a battery compartment, a speaker and an alarm where the housing can be connected to the side wall of any container by a suction device fixedly engaged to the housing. The float rises with the water and create... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6461114 | Switch for pedestal sump pump A pedestal sump pump includes a motor with a housing and a water-level-response system attached to the motor. The water-level-response system includes a connecting rod with upper and lower limit stops, a float, and a switch assembly mounted partially with... | 10/08/2002 |
| 6362742 | Safety float device for air conditioning units A safety float device for air conditioning units for providing easy and convenient installation of a switch to air conditioning systems. The safety float device for air conditioning units includes a switch assembly having a housing, a switch disposed in t... | 03/26/2002 |
| 6239394 | Waterproof switch device A waterproof switch device is for use with an elongated actuator in a water containing chamber, and includes a top cover wall spaced apart from the chamber and having a bore for movement of the actuator in response to a reach of a predetermined water leve... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6160482 | Tub alarm apparatus An alarm apparatus is provided for a bathtub and includes a suction cup for attaching to a wall of the bathtub. An alarm housing is attached to a top portion of the suction cup. An alarm system is housed within the alarm housing. A float assembly is suppo... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6124794 | Empty product detector The alarm mechanism of the invention signals the absence of a liquid from a source of aqueous liquid. The alarm mechanism comprises an alarm body having an inlet port and an outlet port; the inlet port in liquid communication with a source of liquid, the ... | 09/26/2000 |
| 6111211 | Fill level sensor for granular material A sensor switch for controlling the fill level of granular material filled into a container in which the sensor may either be mounted adjacent a fill path of the container or at a separate location. The sensor includes an elongated arm pivotally attached ... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6008728 | Water level alarm system A water level detecting and alarm system for informing a user when a water level within a bathtub has risen to or above a desired level. The system includes a housing having an opening at one end forming a lower lumen and a closed end opposite thereof. A ... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5986554 | Empty product detector The alarm mechanism of the invention signals the absence of a liquid from a source of aqueous liquid. The alarm mechanism comprises an alarm body having an inlet port and an outlet port; the inlet port in liquid communication with a source of liquid, the ... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5596182 | Icemaker An improved icemaker having a number of features, including: a dual-activated feeler bar switch which combines the motion of two cams to operate a single switch; an adjustable-duration water fill switch which is closed by rotating a connector between two ... | 01/21/1997 |
| 5473312 | Full container recognition system Disclosed is a full container recognition system (5) for determining when a container (16) having an upwardly facing opening is filled with articles (18) to a predetermined level. The system includes at least one deflectable feeler arm (10) mounted to a s... | 12/05/1995 |
| 5444200 | Ice detection device An ice detection device for detecting ice pieces supplied into and stored in an ice storage bin, which includes a removable lid formed with a cylindrical guide portion and coupled over an upper opening end of the storage bin, a hollow piston mounted for v... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5440455 | Device for fastening a housing The innovation pertains to a device for fastening the housing of a data sensing element which encloses electronic circuits and connecting elements. Data sensing elements of this type are fastened in the wall which encloses the medium to be measured by mea... | 08/08/1995 |
| 5403449 | Methods and apparatus for electrically coupling electrical conductors with a conductive alloy having a low melting point Methods and apparatus are provided for coupling two similar or different types of bus bar conductors, where a conductor strap of each bus bar is submersed in a low melting point conductive alloy contained in a chamber. One of the conductor straps may be f... | 04/04/1995 |
| 5390504 | Protective device for auger type ice making machine A protective device for an auger type ice making machine having an auger type ice making mechanism the refrigeration housing of which is located adjacent an ice storage bin and provided thereon with an ice discharge casing forming a lateral discharge pass... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5303921 | Jammed shuffle detector The present invention provides a floating jammed shuffle detector for use in a card shuffling machine. The detector has a body with a card contacting portion and a sensor interactive portion. A detector housing and a photosensor are provided. The sensor i... | 04/19/1994 |
| 5256279 | Liquid storage system with unpressurized reservoir engagable with level sensors A liquid storage system comprising a flexible, closed and freely expandable reservoir for storing liquid medium-containing material. A supply conduit conducts liquid, for example, from a reverse osmosis module, to the reservoir to expand the reservoir. A ... | 10/26/1993 |
| 5161518 | Float assembly for steam cooking device A float assembly for use in a steam cooking device and means for spraying a fluid toward the float assembly to keep mineral deposits and other scale from forming on the float assembly.... | 11/10/1992 |
| 5131234 | Ice stock level detecting apparatus for ice making machines An ice stock detecting apparatus includes a thermostat having a temperature sensor element and a holder for holding the sensor element in a spaced relationship with an ice stocker inner wall. The holder includes a pair of holding member fixedly mounted on... | 07/21/1992 |
| 4993232 | Auger type ice making machine An auger type ice making machine comprises an ice storage level detecting apparatus (5) including an ice storage level sensing plate (5a) disposed within an ice guide barrel (3) at a position opposing to an ice discharge port (2). A pair of guide plates (... | 02/19/1991 |
| 4976850 | Suction apparatus In a suction apparatus (1) for sucking up wet and/or dry suction material there is a single suction chamber (6) having an approximately constant inside diameter over its entire height forming in the bottom region a preseparating chamber (9) for heavier pa... | 12/11/1990 |
| 4877049 | Pneumatic, water leakage safety device for washing machines A pneumatic safety device designed to prevent water leakage caused by failure of any washing machine component. Said device comprises one or two pneumatically-actuated valves positioned downstream from the machine's water supply faucet. When said machine ... | 10/31/1989 |
| 4800372 | Flood alarm A mercury activated float switch is selectively positioned within a slot formed along an axial length of a perforated pipe. The pipe is vertically mounted to a weighted base, and the switch may be slid along the slot to adjust its operable height. The flo... | 01/24/1989 |
| 4780705 | Overfill sensing system An overfill sensing system uses a capacitive sensor (12) on the interior of a tank for sensing the presence of a liquid to cease the filling process. The capacitive sensor (12) includes a sensing capacitor (16) and a reference capacitor (18) on separate a... | 10/25/1988 |
| 4719762 | Stored ice detecting device in ice making apparatus An automatic ice making apparatus for freezing ice making water into ice having the shape of a cube or the like and storing the ice in an ice bank, in which the quantity of the ice stored in the ice bank is detected by a stored ice detecting device, and w... | 01/19/1988 |
| 4712382 | Dehumidifier having low profile receptacle A dehumidifier is provided comprising a removable low profile receptacle for accumulating condensate generated by the dehumidifier, the receptacle defining a chamber for collecting the condensate and at least one opening for allowing condensate to enter t... | 12/15/1987 |
| 4572934 | Mercury switch The present invention relates to a mercury switch (10) including an outer metal housing (12) having a closed end and an open end. A baffle member (14) is positioned in the housing (12) immediate of the closed and open ends. The baffle member (14) defines ... | 02/25/1986 |
| 4566286 | Automatic ice hopper An ice-making machine includes a hopper (10) which is provided with means for automatically switching the machine off when the ice collected in the hopper rises to a predetermined level. The hopper comprises a cup-shaped bowl (14) covered with a flanged c... | 01/28/1986 |
| 4546346 | Sewer line backup detection, alarm and detention apparatus A sewer line backup detection device and alarm are provided which can be installed in place of the cleanout access cap in a conventional sewer line. The device comprises a housing having male connecting threads adapted to fit standard female receptacles w... | 10/08/1985 |