Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8038119 | Metering device A metering device has an actuating unit within a housing in which an actuator is inserted and a hydraulic compensating element. The hydraulic compensating element is connected to the actuator and can be filled with a fluid when subjected to pressure. A first end of ... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7918434 | Solenoid actuated valve with a damping device The invention provides a solenoid actuated valve with a plunger which moves in a sleeve under influence of a magnetic field from the solenoid and further comprising a damping device for reducing noise and wear caused by the plunger when it bounces against a top part... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7694935 | Automatically shut off water faucet A water faucet includes a receptacle engaged into a housing and having a passage communicating with a water outlet of the housing, a valve stem slidably engaged through the passage of the receptacle and having a valve member for controlling the water to flow from th... | 04/13/2010 |
| RE40562 | Retractable telescoping fire sprinkler A retracting telescoping automatic fire sprinkler is disclosed. In a dry system, the sprinkler extends to its operating position under system pressure that is applied in response to a preaction signal. When system pressure is removed, as in after a test is completed... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7434780 | Pilot-type two-port valve A pilot-type two-port valve is disclosed having a water hammer preventing mechanism, operative to prevent a water hammer during valve-closing operation, which includes a valve member operative to open or close a valve and a piston driven by pilot fluid for operating... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7392972 | Ceramic valve structure with slow-descending device The ceramic valve structure has a slow-descending device between the valve stick and the valve shaft base. The slow-descending device mentioned herein includes a piston, a piston slot and sealer, and the piston slot is placed on one side of the valve shaft base. A v... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7325781 | Automatic bathroom flushers with modular design A bathroom flusher includes a flusher body, a valve assembly, an electronic control system, and a flusher cover. The flusher body includes an inlet and an outlet, and is designed to accommodate the valve assembly that controls water flow between the inlet and the ou... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7314026 | Electronic valve actuator having hydraulic displacement amplifier An electronically controlled valve actuator having a hydraulic lever in the form of a fluid filled chamber, is used to amplify the motion of a magnetic armature and thereby achieve a desired valve displacement with reduced effective travel of the armature, reduced t... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7311117 | Reset relief valve A reset relief valve with a body having an inlet port, an outlet port, and an interior wall partially defining an enclosed chamber, a piston disposed in the body and moveable between a first position at which the piston is disposed in fluid flow-blocking relationshi... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7278625 | Metering valve A valve device for metering a fluid for metering a urea-water solution for the aftertreatment of exhaust gases from internal combustion engines, which contains elements that flex or are compressed under high pressure so that the volume of the working chamber can cha... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7249748 | Electric motor actuated stop and self-closing check valve An electric motor actuated stop/check valve for industrial use such as liquid pumping systems which has a controlled opening and closing rate when liquid flow is in a forward direction but closes quickly upon reverse flow of liquid with no action from the electric m... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7231971 | Downhole safety valve assembly having sensing capabilities An apparatus that is usable with a subterranean well includes a safety valve assembly and a pressure/temperature sensor. The safety valve assembly is controllable to selectively isolate a formation of a well from the surface of the well. The pressure/temperature sen... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7194990 | Electro-hydraulic engine valve actuation Hydraulic actuator as an element of a system for controlling an engine valve is presented. The actuator includes a fluidic actuation chamber, defined by an actuation piston that increases chamber volume as the actuation piston is urged away from a neutral. Chamber i... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7192033 | Trailing arm suspension and height control system with motorized valve therefor A trailing arm suspension for a vehicle. The trailing arm suspension having a height control system for controlling the ride height of the suspension relative to the vehicle. The height control system preferably comprises a motor driven height control valve. ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188822 | Enclosures for automatic bathroom flushers A bathroom flusher includes a flusher body, a valve assembly, an electronic control system, and a flusher cover. The flusher body includes an inlet and an outlet, and is designed to accommodate the valve assembly that controls water flow between the inlet and the ou... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7165529 | Method to control electromechanical valves in a DISI engine A system and method are disclosed for operating an internal combustion engine in which the intake valves are electromechanical valves and the engine has direct fuel injection. By opening the intake valves during the intake stroke when the piston is moving at its max... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7156363 | Bathroom flushers with novel sensors and controllers A bathroom flusher (10) includes a body having an inlet (12) in communication with a supply line and an outlet (16) in communication with a flush conduit, a valve assembly in the body positioned to close water flow between the inlet and the outl... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7150299 | Assembly and method for containing, receiving and storing fluids and for dispensing gas from a fluid control and gas delivery assembly having an integrated fluid flow restrictor A fluid control and gas delivery assembly and method for containing, receiving and storing hazardous fluids and for dispensing gas comprising a container, a fluid fill path, a gas dispensing path, a first shut-off valve, a pressure reducer, a fluid flow restrictor, ... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7117885 | Reset relief valve A reset relief valve with a body having an inlet port, an outlet port, and an interior wall partially defining an enclosed chamber, a piston disposed in the body and moveable between a first position at which the piston is disposed in fluid flow-blocking relationshi... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7104283 | Normally open hydraulic control valve A normally open hydraulic control valve includes: a linear solenoid unit; a spool driven by an output force of the linear solenoid unit to move forward; a valve body in which the spool is fitted; and a return spring for biasing the spool in a retreating direction. T... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7077377 | Device for the translation of a displacement of an actuator, in particular for an injection valve A device, for the translation of a displacement of an actuator, in particular for an injection valve, essentially comprises two counter-displaceable pistons, coupled together by means of a translational chamber in a play-free manner. The translation chamber is fille... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7069941 | Electronic faucets for long-term operation An electronic faucet (10) mounted on a countertop (12) includes a housing, at least one fluid inlet line (24a, 24b) extending into the housing, a fluid outlet (46) from the housing, a solenoid (142, 143) for op... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7066399 | Fuel injector A fuel injector for fuel-injection systems of internal combustion engines having a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive actuator, includes a hydraulic coupler which actuates a valve-closure member (3) formed on a valve needle. The valve-closure member cooperates... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7040594 | Solenoid valve When a plunger moves toward a side of a valve seat, an end face of a sealing member on a space side is separated from a surface of a seal housing groove, whereby a portion between a communication passage formed on an inner peripheral side of the sealing member is co... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7028996 | Vehicle suspension system and height control valve therefor A height control valve for controlling the relative height between a vehicle frame and a trailing arm suspension. The height control valve comprises a housing defining an interior chamber and having an inlet port fluidly connecting to a source of pressurized air. An... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7025327 | Valve actuation velocity control device For use in a valve assembly including a housing having an axis and defining an interior, with fluid provided in the housing and substantially filling the housing interior, a valve stem disposed in the housing interior and a piston attached to the valve stem, wherein... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7013916 | Sub-atmospheric gas delivery method and apparatus An apparatus for containing and delivering hazardous gases at sub-atmospheric pressure from a pressurized container is provided which includes a valve body in sealed communication with an outlet orifice of the pressurized container. The outlet orifice of the pressur... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6997433 | Electronic valve actuator having vibration cancellation An electronically controlled valve actuator having an armature, a valve, and a coupler for coupling the actuator to the valve with motion of the armature in a first direction moving the second piston in a second direction. The actuator includes an electromagnet, an ... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6978799 | Emergency pressure relief valve with enhanced reset A pressure relief valve has a housing fluidly connected to a pressurized system line carrying a system fluid. The housing carries a moveable piston and a valve member that both move between closed and open positions. The piston defines an upper chamber and a lower c... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6959907 | Normally closed solenoid-operated valve A normally closed solenoid-operated valve is composed of a stationary element provided at one end of a stationary sleeve, a movable element slidably inserted in the sleeve to face the stationary element and provided at an external surface thereof with a communicatio... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6932316 | Ferromagnetic/fluid valve actuator A solenoid plunger (36) is disposed for reciprocation in a plunger pocket that is formed by the stationary parts of a solenoid-type actuator (10). A flexible diaphragm (22) closes the plunger pocket's open mouth and is deformed by movement of a ... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6929238 | Electric motor actuated stop and self-closing check valve An electric motor actuated stop/check valve for industrial use such as liquid pumping systems which has a controlled opening and closing rate when liquid flow is in a forward direction but closes quickly upon reverse flow of liquid with no action from the electric m... | 08/16/2005 |
| RE38750 | Fluid valve assembly A fluid valve assembly includes a housing, a valve, a rotatable driver received in the housing in operative communication with the valve, and an over-center linkage disposed between the driver and the housing. The housing includes an entrance to permit fluid flow in... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6823887 | Water heater shut off device with water pressure delay line A water supply shut off system includes a water pressure delay device which delays the transmission of any apparent change in water pressure between the input and the output side of the valve to the control input of the valve. This delay allows the input and output ... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6817592 | Electromagnetic valve actuator with soft-seating The electromagnetic valve actuator of the preferred embodiments include a valve head that moves between an open position, a middle position, and a closed position; a plunger coupled to the valve head; and a housing defining a cavity that surrounds the plunger and co... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6808128 | Retractable telescoping fire sprinkler A retracting telescoping automatic fire sprinkler is disclosed. In a dry system, the sprinkler extends to its operating position under system pressure that is applied in response to a preaction signal. When system pressure is removed, as in after a test is completed... | 10/26/2004 |
| 6805159 | Fuel refilling assembly A fuel refilling assembly for transferring fuel from a nozzle to a fuel tank of a motor vehicle. The fuel refilling assembly includes a fuel filler neck extending out from the fuel tank. The fuel filler neck has a tank end disposed adjacent the fuel tank and a dista... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6783107 | Hydraulic actuator with built-in pressure compensator A hydraulic actuator (20) with a built-in hydrostatic pressure compensator (111) is provided. The actuator (20) includes an actuator housing (30), a compensator cylinder portion (86), a compensator piston portion (94), a fir... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6764058 | Control valve and fuel injection valve provided with same A control valve and a fuel injection valve provided with same should be produced, in which it is possible to switch from a first operating state to a second operating state inexpensively and with short switching times, without requiring a hydraulic control line. To ... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6752371 | Valve actuator having small isolated plunger A solenoid plunger (36) is disposed for reciprocation in a plunger pocket that is formed by the stationary parts of a solenoid-type actuator (10). A flexible diaphragm (22) closes the plunger pocket's open mouth and is deformed by movement of a ... | 06/22/2004 |
