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 |
| 4323329 | Hydraulic-driven electro-lifting device An improved mobile magnetic lifting assembly for providing magnetic pickup and release in response to hydraulic control. A hydraulic drive motor and electric generator are disposed within a housing which includes an electromagnet attached thereto. The mot... | 04/06/1982 |
| 4314219 | Permanent magnet type lifting device A permanent magnet-type lifting device for lifting heavy steel articles or the like in which a magnetic assembly of ferrite magnets stacked to form a single unit between pole pieces of a magnetically permeable material is rotatably disposed between plural... | 02/02/1982 |
| 4272042 | Airship and associated apparatus and method for anchoring same An airship and a magnetically operated anchoring assembly adapted to provide rotation of the airship with respect to the ground, includes a gondola mounted to an envelope structure adapted to house lighter-than-air gas as well as any enclosures which may ... | 06/09/1981 |
| 4262949 | Lift adaptor for an electromagnet for hydraulic or excavator crane A lift crane adaptor for fastening an electromagnet to a lift crane boom including a metal plate to one face of which three magnet mounting brackets are attached, each containing fastening means for fastening to an electromagnet, and to the opposite face ... | 04/21/1981 |
| 4253697 | Remote retriever with interchangeable head The invention comprises a retrieving instrument featuring a snap-lock handle connected to one end of a flexible cable, the other end of which has a releasible gripping head which may be mechanically or electromagnetically operated, there being an actuatio... | 03/03/1981 |
| 4250478 | Manually controlled magnetic lifting device The lifting device consists of an outer magnetic yoke and internal pole pieces forming an anchoring or working surface, with secondary permanent magnetic elements located between the yoke and the aforementioned pole pieces. There is also a reversible perm... | 02/10/1981 |
| 4238095 | Method of and apparatus for anchoring airships and propulsion means for airships A method of and apparatus for anchoring an airship containing lighter-than-air gas includes positioning one or more magnets, flush with the edges of a support member attached to the airship for enabling the magnet to contact a magnetically attractive anch... | 12/09/1980 |
| 4237455 | Safety device for lifting magnets A safety device for lifting magnet has sensor means responsive to flux produced by the device in the magnetic circuit including the body to be lifted, a transducer responsive to the lifting tension produced by the device together with a signal translation... | 12/02/1980 |
| 4225171 | Electromagnet tool for retrieving magnetic objects from an earth cavern The electromagnet tool described herein is useful for retrieving magnetic objects lost in earth caverns. The tool includes a magnet face that combines at least one flat surface with another surface that conforms to the general shape of the lost object. Fo... | 09/30/1980 |
| 4193349 | Tie down chain link universal connector fitting A connector fitting for securing vehicles on transporters is provided by the present invention, including outwardly extending projections or ears which receive a bolt for carrying the end links of a pair of tensioning chains in a manner greatly reducing t... | 03/18/1980 |
| 4185261 | Electromagnetic lifting device An electromagnetic lifting device comprising a plurality of electromagnets having a variety of individual magnetic pole face areas and an inverted generally U- or W-shape connected with each other and further rigidly connected to a suspension member, and ... | 01/22/1980 |
| 4181340 | Lifting device for jar lid assemblies A magnetic device for use by those engaged in home canning and useable for lifting of canning lids from boiling water in which the lids and rings have been sterilized. A heat resistant handle protects the user from injury.... | 01/01/1980 |
| 4178029 | Ferrous object retriever An elongated handle is provided including an endwise outwardly projecting elongated permanent magnet embedded in and projecting lengthwise outwardly from one end of the handle. A hollow cap is provided and is removably telescopingly engageable over the en... | 12/11/1979 |
| 4172597 | Magnetic pick-up device and marker An improved magnetic pick-up device and marker for use in games includes a rectangular ferromagnetic member having a length substantially greater than width. The ferromagnetic member is fixedly received in a rectangular socket affixed to an elongated hand... | 10/30/1979 |
| 4166649 | Device for removing workpieces from a container A device for removing a plurality of ferromagnetic, stacked or dumped, workpieces from a container incorporates a switchable magnetic holder which can be moved up and down by means of a hoisting apparatus and, moreover, can be shifted in an approximately ... | 09/04/1979 |
| 4162471 | Electromagnet lifting device An electromagnetic lifting device is provided with a pole piece of tapered or conical configuration extending outwardly from the load contacting surface of the magnet body. The tapered or conical configuration of the pole piece extends the effective magne... | 07/24/1979 |
| 4136789 | Conveying, storage and sorting system for large metal sheets, particularly for use in shipbuilding A handling and storage system for large metal sheets in which a magnet vehicle equipped with magnetic grippers and a sheet collector conveys sheets to and from storage locations in passages between pairs of rails. A transfer vehicle that travels along a p... | 01/30/1979 |
| 4125167 | Big hole bit A large diameter drill bit having a plurality of rolling cutters is provided with permanent magnets mounted on flexible flaps to collect magnetic debris on the bottom of a drill hole. A flap carrying a permanent magnet is mounted adjacent each cutter, or ... | 11/14/1978 |
| 4121865 | Pickup method and apparatus A multipurpose lifting device with variable holding power to both electromagnet and vacuum cup pickup structure to eliminate any physical damage either external or internal to the workpiece by distortion, with a permanent magnet feature to be used as a st... | 10/24/1978 |
| 4105239 | Magnetic tool A magnetic tool for releaseably securing thereto metallic members which are magnetically attractable. The magnetic tool includes a magnetic element securely fastened to a first handle section. The first handle section is removably mounted to a telescoping... | 08/08/1978 |
| 4088232 | Apparatus with storage cells disposed adjacent vertical shafts having covers and a lift means movable thereabove A product and material storage system having blocks of cells arranged in tiers around a plurality of shafts in which a lift moves to carry a load to any selected tier or level, and a means is provided in said lift for moving the loads laterally from the s... | 05/09/1978 |
| 4088254 | Magnetic holding apparatus and methods of constructing and utilizing same A magnetic holding apparatus for holding magnetizable articles in a spaced apart relation. The apparatus employs a frame member including spaced apart support legs having permanent magnets mounted thereon to support the magnetizable articles. The apparatu... | 05/09/1978 |
| 4087879 | Shag rug brushing and object retrieving device A wheel-supported shag rug brushing and raking device, which when moved over a shag rug fluffs the long strands of the nap thereof, and concurrently retrieves magnetically attractable objects such as hairpins, bobby pins, and the like. The device is relat... | 05/09/1978 |
| 4084821 | Magnetic collection device for bingo chips and similar game parts An apparatus for collecting bingo chips or other game parts. The parts are picked-up by a magnet and deposited in a container. The permanent magnet disengages the chips for reuse in play upon contacting the container. In one embodiment the container is of... | 04/18/1978 |
| 4059155 | Junk basket and method of removing foreign material from a well An improved junk basket comprises a tool body having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough and a magnet assembly disposed in the passageway. A retainer is cooperative between the magnet assembly and the tool body to retain the magnet assembly... | 11/22/1977 |
| 4046383 | Magnetic collection device for bingo chips and similar game parts An apparatus for collecting bingo chips or other game parts. The parts are picked-up by a magnetic device and automatically released and deposited into a container when the magnetic device is partially inserted into the container. Because the apparatus em... | 09/06/1977 |
| 4044894 | Load tilting magnetic lift Apparatus for the magnetically lifting and tilting an elongate load, e.g., a steel beam, is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a plurality of electromagnets supported in a corresponding plurality of yokes in a linear array along a beam structure. On each ... | 08/30/1977 |
| 4033589 | Bingo instrument A tool for use by bingo players who play lap board bingo; the tool serving to pick up the metal chips very quickly after a game in order to be ready for the next game; the tool including a pair of levers pivotally together at the center so that one end of... | 07/05/1977 |
| 4026592 | Electromagnetic lifting and handling device A device for lifting and positioning sheet steel piling of great length which eliminates permanent distortion of the piling during lifting and handling comprising an elongated openwork rigid structural member or framework having a plurality of electromagn... | 05/31/1977 |
| 4020436 | Lifting magnet for layered pipe The lifting magnet disclosed herein is adapted for lifting layered pipe. The pipe is engaged by a pair of elongate pole pieces which extend transversely to the length of the pipe, the pole pieces being energized by at least one coil disposed therebetween.... | 04/26/1977 |
| 4017082 | Means and method for placing a golf ball position marker on a putting green and for removal thereof An elongated rod, such as a golf putter, has a permanent magnet secured at one end. A golf ball position marker of magnetic material is releasably held on the end of the putter by the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the material of the marker. ... | 04/12/1977 |
| 4017386 | Magnetic sweeper A broom or rake fitted with magnetizable tines for attracting ferrous debris, when the tines are magnetically energized. The tines extend into a tubular section of the handle of the tool in which the field of a magnetic element or electrical coil serves t... | 04/12/1977 |
| 4012813 | Anti-theft fastening device and tool for releasing same A fastening device for securing articles together, the device including releasably connected male and female components. The male component comprises a pin and the female component comprises a retaining insert positioned in a housing for releasably clampi... | 03/22/1977 |
| 4005895 | Rotational grapple A rotational grapple adapted for attachment to the boom of a construction machine possesses both lifting and downward pressure capabilities through a unique thrust bearing arrangement. A rotational sleeve component capable of carrying grapple jaws or a li... | 02/01/1977 |
| 4002141 | System for handling substrate holders for vacuum coating Mechanism for lifting a substrate holder from its carrier platform and rotating the holder during substrate coating, comprises a main assembly including a permanent magnet and concentric stripping ring, an actuating piston for lowering the assembly so tha... | 01/11/1977 |
| 3984796 | Magnetic hoists An electro-magnet or chuck for lifting scrap metallic particles, comprising a housing essentially of magnetic material. Enclosed are a plurality of spirally wound, superposed coils. Each coil has a central portion which is wound as a bimetal, that is, one... | 10/05/1976 |
| 3975813 | Magnetic tile holder A holder for setting a group of tiles on a receiving surface has a base plate provided with permanent magnets dispersed over its surface to hold an array of magnetically attractable tiles. Pusher pins slide through the plate to push tiles therefrom. In an... | 08/24/1976 |
| 3971543 | Tool and kit for electrical fishing A tool for fishing electrical wires through walls includes a magnetically attractable sensor assembly having a contactor element secured through a connecting sleeve to one end of a length of chain. The other end of the chain carries a fastener member whic... | 07/27/1976 |
| 3968887 | Article pick-up and transfer apparatus An article handling apparatus including a vertically reciprocable carriage provided with magnetic means for removing a single article from a stack of articles and delivering such article to an overhead conveyor which advances such article in a path normal... | 07/13/1976 |
| 3968986 | Electromagnetic lifting device An electromagnetic lifting device for handling a ferromagnetic material, which device has a magnetic assembly consisting of a plurality of movable magnetic pole members having relatively small pole areas, and said assembly has a given total pole area, thu... | 07/13/1976 |
