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.
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 |
| 7441374 | Door module plate with handle A motor vehicle door module assembly in a motor vehicle door structure, the assembly including a module plate, a bracket, and a door handle pivotally mounted on the bracket. Coacting mounting structures are provided on the module plate and on the bracket which are o... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7273242 | Knob assembly for a door A knob assembly (22) for a door (20) includes a spindle (30) and a latch (108) in communication with the spindle (30) and extendable from an edge (132) of the door (20). An inner knob portion (36) is secured to... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7237411 | Operating device for a motor vehicle door lock An operating device for a motor vehicle lock having a door lock actuator includes a grip plate and a grip with one bearing arm that extends through the grip plate and is swivellably linked to a rear side of the grip plate via a bearing block by way of a plug-type sh... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7219394 | Door push bar structure A door push bar structure includes a mounting mechanism having a locking element with a stopper, a sleeve screwed at an end to the locking element, and a locating element, the stopper and an end of the locking element screwed to the sleeve being located in a through... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7201406 | Adjustable handle assembly A device for operating a lock assembly for a door or window assembly has a first configuration when mounted in a right hand door and a second sonfiguration when mounted in a left hand door. The device has a handle having a first position and a second position. A mem... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7178373 | Mortise lock A mortise lock includes a chassis, a handle assembly mounted to a side of the chassis, a sleeve, and a trim for returning the handle assembly. The handle assembly includes a spindle and a handle. An end of the sleeve is securely mounted around an end of the spindle ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7158044 | Handle on doors, hoods or the like, especially for vehicles A handle on doors, hoods, or the like especially for vehicles, with a stationary handle part, which can be mounted in a recess in the outer skin of the door, with a gripping element, which acts as a movable handle part and is supported on the stationary handle part,... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7156432 | Operator catch cartridge assembly for a door handle set A handle set includes an operator having a retention slot. A chassis is provided for mounting the operator. The chassis includes a sleeve having a bore, and an opening extending through the sleeve to the bore. An operator catch cartridge assembly is configured for m... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7143477 | Tubular knob catch assembly A handle catch retainer is preferably for a door handle assembly including a support member coupled with the door and a handle disposed about the support member, the catch being configured to couple the handle and support member. The retainer includes a tubular base... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7082794 | Mortise lock A mortise lock includes a chassis mounted in a mounting hole of a door and an outside handle assembly mounted to a side of the chassis. The outside handle assembly includes an outside spindle having a first end partially received in the chassis and operably connecte... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7073829 | Restoring structure of a lock A restoring structure of a lock comprises: a sleeve disk, having a first wall and a second wall, the first wall interconnecting a first face and a second face, and the second wall interconnecting the second face and a third face, the first face and the second face d... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7000958 | Assist device for a door handle and latch assembly An assist device for a door handle comprises an elongated bar which has one end pivoting about a pivot pin and another end receiving a pivot piece therein. The parts interact to produce a tight looking, attractive, easy-to-assemble, and sturdy device with no sharp p... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6979029 | Lock with increased torque-resisting capacity A lock includes a main body having an outside seat and an inside seat around which an inside rose liner is mounted. A peripheral wall delimiting a central hole of the inside rose liner includes at least one pair of notches. A reinforcing ring is mounted round the in... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6948748 | Door handle spring assembly A door handle spring assembly for biasing a catch releasably coupling a door handle to a sleeve. The spring assembly includes a first arm engaged with the catch, a second arm extending outwardly from the sleeve, and a loop portion formed between the first and second... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6929294 | Vehicle having a luminous unlocking handle and method of making said handle A vehicle particularly a passenger car, has an unlocking handle arranged in the vehicle interior for the opening operation of a lock of a closing element, such as a door, a flap, a hood, a lid, or the like, this unlocking handle having a luminous construction. In or... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6923481 | Flush exterior door handle A handle for a vehicle door is mounted on a frame by a pivot assembly for swinging movement from a door latching position to a door unlatching position. The frame is secured in an interior space of the door in a position such that when the handle is in the latching ... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6908126 | Enhanced security catch assembly for retaining a handle on a spindle A catch assembly that locks a handle onto the spindle of a lock mechanism has enhanced resistance to attempts to remove the handle by forcibly driving the catch assembly inwards. The catch assembly includes a base mounted on the spindle having a threaded opening tha... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6802193 | Removable steering wheel device A removable steering wheel device for permitting removal of the steering wheel to make the vehicle undriveable and thus undesirable to a potential thief. The removable steering wheel device includes a steering wheel having a boss engageable with an upper end of a st... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6749236 | Door handle device for a vehicle A vehicle door handle device includes a frame secured to the inside of the outer panel of a vehicle door and having a supporting portion and insertion holes, a link rotatably mounted on the frame and urged by an elastic member in one direction, and an outer handle m... | 06/15/2004 |
| 6598440 | Lockset mechanism having a semi-permanent mechanical connection A lockset mechanism having a semi-permanent mechanical connection between the interior and exterior components thereof is provided. The lockset mechanism includes an exterior cylinder assembly releasably coupled to a mounting plate, an interior cylinder a... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6533336 | Trim attachment and method for knobs/levers A trim attachment and method comprises a door lever/knob which is assembled to a spindle housing of a lock assembly by sliding the door lever/knob over the spindle. A retaining mechanism within the door lever/knob automatically engages the spindle to coup... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6532629 | Dummy knob A quick install dummy doorknob or lever comprises an exterior knob sub-assembly, an interior rose liner coupled to the exterior knob assembly, a knob catch, a retainer spring, and an interior knob. The knob catch is disposed inside the interior rose liner... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6523871 | Motor vehicle opening-leaf handle including improved means for immobilizing an external element The invention proposes a motor vehicle opening-leaf handle including a handle including a handle support which is arranged in an interior space of the opening leaf, of the type in which an external element of the handle is equipped with an attachment tang... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6116066 | Electronic input and dial entry lock An electronic combination lock having a dial-shape handle with a keypad incorporated therein is disclosed. Rotation of the handle extends or retracts a bolt that closes or opens the lock. The keypad includes indicia that give the user visual cues as to th... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6102451 | Door latch push bar assembly A door latch push bar assembly for providing a push bar for unlatching a door latch such as the type found on storm doors. The door latch push bar assembly includes a mounting bracket and an elongate rod having a pair of opposite ends. A first of the ends... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6039366 | Door handle assembly and method of mounting An automotive door handle assembly includes an escutcheon sized to fit in a door aperture; a handle pivotally mounted on the escutcheon; a fastener device extending rearwardly from the escutcheon; and a clip of U-configuration having a bight portion and u... | 03/21/2000 |
| 5960517 | Fixing device for door furniture A fixing device for an item of door furniture such as a knob or handle includes a mounting plate assembly with an internal locking slide plate which engages, with a snap-action, fixing lugs carried by the knob or handle when the knob or handle is presente... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5947537 | Spring biased handle catch A knob catch for securing a knob or lever to the driving spindle of a door lock. The knob catch is constructed of a base with a centered odd shaped hole. The hole is made in such a way that the knob or lever cannot be removed when the locking device is in... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5895081 | Inside door handle assembly for vehicles An inside door handle assembly includes a handle rotatably held on a base to be secured to a vehicle's door and a knob rotatably held on the base. The base has first, second and third upright walls. The handle is disposed with respect to the first and sec... | 04/20/1999 |
| 5749612 | Oval door knob construction A door knob construction featuring a knob and cover to incorporate decorative detail. The knob construction consists of an oval knob body, a shank fastened to the knob body and a cover which fits over the shank to complete the decorative knob assembly. Th... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5077994 | Door lock having removable outside lever handle for the purpose of changing the key cylinder A transverse retaining plate in the lever handle shank fits in a circumferential groove on the inside of the handle body and holds the lever handle on the shank. A key cylinder in the body handle has a bible which fits in a longitudinal slot in the handle... | 01/07/1992 |
| 4920773 | Door lock having disengages outer lever handle when in the locked condition and means to bias the handle toward horizontal position A drive element in this lock pushes a radially directed outward finger out of its longitudinal slot in the outer tubular spindle to disengage the outer handle from the latch so that the handle free-wheels. Spring means in the outer handle rose returns the... | 05/01/1990 |
| 4834433 | Plastic door handle The support member underlying the door outer panel has coaxially aligned apertures formed in spaced apart walls thereof. First and second telescopically engaged axle members molded of plastic have integral axle spindles projecting from the ends thereof. A... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4639026 | Door knob and door knob catch arrangement The arrangement comprises a standard, door knob-operated, latch mechanism in which the cylindrical shank of the door knob is slidably engaged with the rotatable spindle of the mechanism, and the spindle has a spring-biased catch projecting therethrough wh... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4565350 | Handle assembly A handle assembly for attaching a decorative handle to a turning stem is disclosed. The handle can be placed on, as well as removed from the stem by a straight axial motion (without turning the handle). In one embodiment, the stem adapter is secured to a ... | 01/21/1986 |
| 4437695 | Knob retainer blocker mechanism A door lock mechanism in which the outside knob is seamed against knob retainer, the retainer is diametrically slidable in the knob sleeve and has a specially shaped opening which defines a thrust-receiving edge for engagement by a spring which straddles ... | 03/20/1984 |
| 4415292 | Frame connector structure One of two frame elements to be removably connected is telescoped over and removably latchably secured to the intervening connector structure. The removable latching means takes the form of a cantilever mounted spring component located internally of the c... | 11/15/1983 |
| 4342478 | Knob-connector spring A biasing spring especially for a doorknob keeper or other knob to knob-sleeve connector and the combination thereof with a knob connector of any of various types, but in particular a plate mounted for radial movement in a plane normal to the axis of a kn... | 08/03/1982 |
| 4073527 | Electrically controlled door lock A door lock for use on a door panel has bores containing a lock mechanism including a chassis on which spindles are mounted for rotation about two parallel axes. Door handles or other lock operators are disposed on opposite ends of both spindles and are i... | 02/14/1978 |
| 4052868 | Door knob construction A door knob is machined from solid stock to provide a tubular neck, an intermediate portion which is internally recessed to reduce its wall thickness, and a solid-section end portion having a large axial end opening which provides tool access for recessin... | 10/11/1977 |
