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!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8097151 | Water harvesting device The device disclosed is an improved water harvesting device providing the capability of diverting debris away from a water entry area and reducing potential for clogging of the water entry area. The water harvesting device comprises a tank portion for containment of... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8075765 | Rain water collection system components and method of fabrication Non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein include components of a rain water collection system and methods of fabricating the components. The disclosed components include a down spout interface bladder and a rain water holding device. Also disclosed are a method of ... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8034236 | Storm water filter system having a floating skimmer apparatus A floatable skimmer apparatus is movably attached in a storm water filter box with a pair of tracks attached in the housing chamber of the filter box. A floatable skimmer has a skimmer panel having floatation members attached to the inlet side of the storm water fil... | 10/11/2011 |
| 7981283 | Adjustable filter basket for a storm water drain system A nutrient separating filter basket apparatus for a storm water drain system has an adjustable filter basket installed in a storm water drain pipe system to receive storm water runoff therethrough. The filter basket collects organic materials, such as grass clipping... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7857966 | Storm water inlet apparatus An apparatus for reducing pollution in wastewater that collects in a catch basin is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hood affixed to an interior wall of a catch basin over an outlet, and a skirted boom adjacent to at least a portion of said hood and fixed relativ... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7758747 | Modular filter system for pollution removal structure A modular filter system for use within a pollution removal structure. The system includes a plurality of modular filters that can be nested together forming a common passageway that passes through all of the nested filters. With normal runoff, the water passes later... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7740755 | Foam insert for rain gutter A foam insert for a rain gutter for a residential dwelling is provided. The foam insert prevents debris such as leaves, pine needles, gravel, and dirt from entering the rain gutter and permits water to pass through the foam and into the gutter. The foam insert has a... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7722763 | Purification and separation system for a fluid flow stream The present invention relates generally to purification and separation of a fluid flow stream, and more particularly, to a separation system including a device for dispersing the fluid flow and separating pollutants there from. The device includes a vertical screen ... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7550077 | Downpipe filter The housing G of a downpipe filter A, which housing is to be mounted between downpipe ends 1, 2, has an exteriorly oriented outlet 6, an inner sieve device 32 and a collecting trough 27 communicating with the outlet 6, upper and lo... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7544288 | Gutter filtering device A filter sphere for preventing debris from entering a downspout of a rain gutter. The filter sphere is a hollow, perforated sphere with a diameter slightly less than the width of a normal rain gutter. ... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7540953 | Integrated below-ground vault with a filtered catch basin The invention relates to an integrated belowground vault with filter catch basin, that allows the runoff water to enter into a belowground two-part vault passing through a commercially available replaceable filter before being transferred out to the sewer, Rood cont... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7465391 | Apparatus for separating solids from flowing liquids An apparatus for separating solid matter from a liquid stream, where the apparatus includes a generally cylindrical separation panel surrounding an interior space, which is oriented so as to have a substantially vertical longitudinal axis. The separation panel has a... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7364652 | Screening apparatus Screening apparatus (101,901) for use at an overflow weir (301, 902) in a sewerage system. The apparatus comprises a continuous moving screen band (201, 902) and a band cleaning mechanism (608). A first portion (801) of the screen ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7357861 | Curb inlet filter A curb inlet filter for filtering out sediments and the like flowing into a curb inlet, includes a filter body, including a water permeable, substantially rigid, elongated frame having an upstream side and a downstream side thereof, and an elongated filter cover for... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7347027 | Rain gutter guard and method A guard and associated method for rain gutters includes a cap or deflector extending over a gutter of the type having a trough-shaped interior, a rear wall extending along a roof fascia, and a front lip with a channel and an end flange. A mounting bracket has a rear... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7338607 | Filter canister, system containing filter canister, and their use A filter canister including a frame; a sheet of flexible fabric material that allows the flow of water therethrough, the sheet of flexible fabric material being connected to the frame in a manner defining an internal zone whereby substantially all fluid entering the... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7314131 | Elevating conveyor An elevating conveyor for flowable material comprises an inlet (14) and an outlet (20) at opposite ends of a tubular barrel (1) surrounding a helical elevating member (2). Elevating member (2) is restrained against rotation about a... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7310912 | Rain gutter debris preclusion device A barrier is provided to preclude debris from passing into a rain gutter. The barrier includes a screen supported upon a channel. The channel includes a tab positionable between a roof and shingles upon the roof, and with a lip opposite the tab resting upon a portio... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7303687 | Gutter lining method and insert apparatus incorporating porous non-woven fiber matting An insert apparatus for placement in a rain gutter includes a porous insert body including a plurality of randomly arranged filaments attached to one another to form a mat. The insert apparatus is shaped to fit within an inside channel of a rain gutter. Optionally, ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7300590 | Method and apparatus for separating oil and debris from water run-off A drainage system for separating oil and debris from water run-off wherein a chamber in the path of flow of the run-off includes a downwardly inclined screen and a debris-collecting fence beneath the screen to maintain separation between the debris and water; and an... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7294256 | Storm water filter system A storm water filter system for filtering storm water being fed into an in-ground well includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, with the outlet being connected to an in-ground recharge well. A plurality of open chambers are formed in the housing. An inlet f... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7287012 | Machine-learned approach to determining document relevance for search over large electronic collections of documents The present invention relates to a system and methodology that applies automated learning procedures for determining document relevance and assisting information retrieval activities. A system is provided that facilitates a machine-learned approach to determine docu... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7282142 | Fluid strainer assembly A fluid strainer device is disclosed. The device includes a housing which defines an open chamber, the chamber having both at least one fluid input port and at least one fluid outlet port. A plurality of spaced strainer baskets are disposed within the chamber. Each ... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7276156 | Storm drain filter A storm drain filter is provided for filtering trash and debris from a stream of water passing through a storm drain. The storm drain filter comprises a panel having a multiplicity of openings formed therein and is adapted to mount adjacent to a sidewall of a storm ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7276787 | Silicon chip carrier with conductive through-vias and method for fabricating same A carrier structure and method for fabricating a carrier structure with through-vias each having a conductive structure with an effective coefficient of thermal expansion which is less than or closely matched to that of the substrate, and having an effective elastic... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7273545 | Water intake open cavity drum for ornamental and fish ponds A water intake open cavity drum for ponds, which includes a drum body with a lower portion defining a cavity and an upper portion defining a cavity in fluid communication with the lower portion cavity but having less volume than that of the lower portion. The drum i... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7270756 | Large area catch basin filter The present invention relates to an apparatus for maximizing the blockage of fluid borne solid materials from passage through a catch basin into the downstream parts of a fluid flow channel, with minimum impact on the volume and rate of fluid passing through the cha... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7270747 | Storm water drain system An in-line storm water drain system and a filter basket for a storm water drain system are provided in which the storm water drain system has a housing having an inlet and outlet thereinto and interior walls forming a plurality of chambers therein. The filter basket... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7267763 | Water intake screen with circular filter panel A water intake screen with a filter panel includes a frame adapted to be connected to the water intake and a circular filter panel disposed transversely in an opening of the frame, to which it is fastened. The panel includes a wheel extending in a substantially vert... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7258785 | Apparatus for separating oil and debris from water run-off A method and apparatus for separating oil and debris from urban water run-off, the apparatus being made up of a chamber which is mounted in a storm drain system and has an inner basin with a tilted wire wedge wire screen filter in the path of flow of the run-off, an... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7246969 | Storm drain inlet A storm drain inlet for a below-grade collection box including front, rear and side walls and a top. The inlet includes a pair of side columns, which connect to the collection box side walls. An upper crosspiece extends between the side columns and is attached to th... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7241384 | Floating strainer A floating strainer is constructed having a rectangular frame. A cylindrical drum is attached to each corner of the rectangular frame. Below the rectangular frame, a box-strainer is fixed. The distance between the box-strainer and the rectangular frame is adjustable... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234894 | Storm drain basin gate system An automatically openable and closeable gate system that will find primary use with the street curb opening to a catch basin or vault of a storm drain system, and for other similar openings, the system having a gate which during dry and low-flow water drainage situa... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7229560 | Sack-based processes for recovering oil floating on water One or more water- and oil-porous containers or sacks are made of a pair of mesh sheets affixed together and stiffened around their perimeter. The sacks can be partially filled with a multitude of tubular bodies made of an oil-entrapping polymer, which have their lo... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7208081 | Gutter foam filter The gutter foam filter elements are generally triangular, four-foot lengths of flexible plastic open-cell foam material placed in and extending the full length of a conventional âKâ type or similar roof gutter. The foam filter elements may be inserted within the... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7201843 | Framed storm drain insert sediment filter The new design has three primary features: (1) a rectangular collar having a centrally located circular cutout with sewn loops formed on the outer edges of the collar; (2) a filter bag having top edges attached to the rectangular collar along the periphery of the ci... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7201842 | Screened gravity-fed funnel A screened gravity-fed water funnel or water funnel kit may be characterized in one aspect as including a substantially conically-shaped water-permeable mesh screen, a funnel releasably mounted or mountable to, and in fluid cooperation with, the screen, and a flexib... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7200969 | Down spout guard made from non-woven material A non-woven mesh guard which can be inserted into a downspout opening in a rain gutter in order to prevent debris from entering the downspout is provided. The non-woven mesh includes a large free area to allow for the flow of water therethrough while preventing debr... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7198714 | Gutter screen assembly with water tension breaker The present invention provides a gutter screen attachment and a ridged filter assembly for minimizing water film runoff and debris collection adjacent a screened gutter. The screen attachment comprises a superior breaker edge, an inferior breaker edge, and a screen-... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7188389 | Dirt collecting system for a floor care appliance The invention is a floor care appliance such as vacuum cleaner having several embodiments of a dirt particle separating and collecting system removably inserted and sidewardly disposed into a recess in the floor care appliance's housing. One embodiment of the dirt p... | 03/13/2007 |
