Did You Know...
...that the first rickshaw was invented in 1869 by an American Baptist minister, the Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie, to transport his invalid wife around the streets of Yokohama?
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7805779 | Apparatus and methods relating to a pool net The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and a method for tensioning a safety net on a swimming pool. In one aspect, a tension apparatus for use with a pool net is provided. The apparatus includes a housing and a selectively engagable gear arrangement... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7496976 | Locking rope reel A reel locking system includes a reel arranged to collect a cord from an enclosure system. A ratchet drum has teeth and is positioned proximate to the reel. A pawl assembly is pivotally attached to the reel. The pawl assembly has a pawl arranged to move between an e... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7464416 | Passive tensioning mechanism for underwater buoyant-slat automatic pool cover systems Invented techniques and associated mechanisms are described for passively assuring that the spiraling layers of wound-up layers of a buoyant pool cover are, and will remain tightly wound around a rotatable cover drum completely submerged in a pool bottom tough. ... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7409732 | Providing unidirectional hinge, increased buoyancy and passive tensioning for buoyant-slat automatic pool cover systems Invented techniques and associated mechanisms are described for eliminating bi-directional flexure properties of coupled buoyant-slats forming a pool cover while simultaneously increasing the buoyancy of a leading or front portion of the cover and for assuring that ... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7325543 | Covering material for solar thermal power generating system and solar thermal power generating system formed by spreading the covering material A covering material for solar thermal power generation system, characterized in that it is made of a film which has a tensile yield strength of at least 10 N/mm2 according to JIS K7127, a solar radiation transmittance of at least 85% according to JIS R310... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7325259 | Apparatus for extending and retracting a pool cover Apparatus for extending and retracting a cover for a swimming pool includes a motor for selectively rotating a clutch in one direction or the other direction. A first pawl, extending within the clutch, drives a first cam to cause rotation of a set of pulleys for win... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7318243 | Lid support and forming system for pool cover box A system is provided herein for supporting a lid for a pool cover box that includes (a) an elongated mounting element extending along substantially at least one wall of the pool cover box, and (b) a plurality of bracket assemblies, each adapted for connecting to the... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7316368 | Direct current powered hose rewinding apparatus The present invention relates to portable hose carts for handling and storage of flexible hoses, such as garden or air hoses. The cart is primarily constructed of plastic components having a centrally rotatable spool for winding of the flexible hose, an enclosure fo... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7234391 | Bread maker A bread maker including an oven compartment, parallel kneading drums inside the oven compartment that alternate between winding and unwinding rotations, and a drum driving part rotating the kneading drums. Each kneading drum includes a rotation shaft rotating accord... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7218235 | Motion responsive swimming pool safety device A motion responsive swimming pool safety device that has a control panel. A perimeter laser electrically is connected to the control panel. The perimeter laser is located peripheral to the swimming pool and generates a perimeter laser beam. A perimeter sensor is ele... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7204291 | Modular lid and actuator for underwater pool cover drum enclosure The present invention is a modular lid system for an underwater swimming pool cover or other underwater enclosure. The modular lid has a rigid lid portion which has an overall buoyancy such that the lid portion closes the enclosure underwater by force of gravity. Th... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7182024 | Flexible rail section A flexible rail section on which a carriage can be transported may include a longitudinal slot that is essentially parallel to a direction of carriage travel, wherein the flexible rail section can connect two misaligned rails. The flexible rail section may include t... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7171703 | Pool cover tracking system A track assembly for flexible pool covers. The track assembly includes track members, and securing pieces for being secured to the pool deck and for splicing the track members together in an end-to-end series. The securing pieces are designed to reside beneath, and ... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7155910 | Dual, coupled check valve for direct drive, reversible power sources for hydraulic systems An invented dual, coupled check valve mechanism is described for a direct drive, reversible hydraulic power source for hydraulic circuits that includes a manifold hydraulically coupled to the respective input/output ports and a reservoir of the hydraulic power sourc... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7155756 | Hot tub cover lifter This invention encompasses an automated mechanism to remove a heavy and bulky insulating cover from an above-floor hot tub (or spa), and to provide a storage location for the cover when the tub is in use. The cover lifter can be fully automatic or semi automatic, an... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7152254 | Mounting apparatus for pool cover assembly Mounting apparatus is provided for a pool cover assembly having a plurality of pool cover components disposed in a pool cover box and used to operate a pool cover for a swimming pool. The mounting apparatus comprises an elongated member adapted to be attached to the... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7132954 | Self monitoring pool cover system System and method for monitoring a working status of a swimming pool cover assembly. The system comprises a pool cover assembly operably connected to an alarm apparatus; both may be operably connected to a plurality of sensors capable of detecting a working status o... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7093784 | Universal shift apparatus and method for swimming pool cover assembly A universal shift apparatus and method for a swimming pool cover motor has a rotatable drive shaft and a rope attached to the end of the swimming pool cover. A reel element collects the rope, and a roll-up element collects the swimming pool cover. A gear drive assem... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7086445 | Cover for an elongate opening Waste materials are composted in an elongate pit which is maintained covered to retain odors. The pit includes two rails each arranged along a respective side of the opening for receiving operating machines and a carriage for supplying a covering sheet. Each side ed... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7059376 | Roller blind device A roller blind device including a fabric, which can be wound on a rotationally drivable fabric shaft that is mounted on a frame, and including a pull rod that is placed on the free edge of the fabric. Prior art roller blind devices reduce the window surface area. Th... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7047575 | Hinge coupling three buoyant-slat pool cover sections An invented hinge for coupling three buoyant-slats pool cover sections together is described wherein three, modified, longitudinal buoyant slats are coupled for pivoting around three angularly spaced, parallel hinge axes aligned with the slats by a plurality of hing... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7010817 | Pool cover box apparatus and methods Box apparatus is provided for containing a pool cover assembly to cover a swimming pool, comprising an elongated plastic box. The box apparatus comprises a plurality of sections of substantially identical unitary molded plastic members, a plurality of coupling eleme... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6957932 | Benthic screen for controlling aquatic plant growth A benthic screen for controlling aquatic plant growth comprising a sheet of flexible material, a plurality of spaced-apart, elongated retaining members that are transversely positioned across the width of the sheet and attachment means for securing each retaining me... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6955645 | Universal modular glottiscope system having intra-wall channels for vocal fold microsurgery or orotracheal intubation An element for a phonomicrosurgical modular glottiscope system comprises a proximal end; a distal end; a pair of opposing curved sides intersecting at an apex line; a substantially planar base, and internal channels disposed within the base. The base plate is remova... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6948542 | Retractable self rolling blind awning or cover apparatus A retractable self rolling blind, awning or cover apparatus (11), is disclosed in which there are two or more sheets of fabric or other suitable material (17) affixed and wound conjointly about a keyway tube (12) which is supported between suita... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6938415 | Hydraulic/pneumatic apparatus An invented fluidic (hydraulic/pneumatic) actuation system is described wherein bidirectional, hydraulic/pneumatically driven elements of multiple components in a common hydraulic/pneumatic circuit inherently provide increases in pressure upon reaching mechanical en... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6931673 | System and method for improving the interconnection between a pool cover and a storage reel A system and method that improves the interconnection between a pool cover and a storage reel so that the pool cover can more readily be wound on the storage reel in an even manner. The system includes at least one rigid plate that is attached to an edge of the pool... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6928784 | Beam assembly in a tarpaulin handling machine A tarpaulin can be connected by clamp devices to a beam assembly for transfer of the beam through a tarpaulin handling machine. The beam assembly has a number of parallel, through beam rods and on each beam rod a number of beam tubes, which are alternatingly rigidly... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6910233 | Elongated roller shutter profile made of plastic or metal for swimming pool covers An elongated roller shutter profile of plastic or metal for swimming pool covers has a water-proof closure that closes an end of at learnt one longitudinal hollow chamber of the roller shutter profile. The closure includes a cap at least partly inserted from the end... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6886188 | Automatic pool cover box lid support bracket assemby A lid support bracket assembly for supporting a pool cover box lid includes a wall mount and a bracket angularly adjustably coupled to the wall mount. ... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6871362 | Pool cover spool The present invention 10 discloses a pair of end heads 28, 30 that are interconnected onto the inwardly disposed tube assembly 26 to form the pool cover 12 storage reel. Hand wheels 32 are rotationally attached to tube assembly ... | 03/29/2005 |
| 6862756 | Walk-on tray for concealing a pool cover operation system A walk-on tray apparatus for concealing a pool cover operation system, is disclosed. A plurality of brackets each having a load-bearing upper portion may be attached to a sidewall of an elongate recess formed at one end of a pool, such that the load-bearing upper po... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6851230 | Padding device from an above-ground pool and its associated method of installation A prefabricated pad for a pool and its associated method of installation under the liner of an above-ground pool. The prefabricated pad is interposed between the ground surface and the pool liner, wherein the prefabricated pad cushions the pool liner, reduces contac... | 02/08/2005 |
| 6769142 | Positive drive cover system A swimming pool cover fabric has beads attached to its opposite edges. Each bead is positioned to essentially abut the bead in front to form in effect a segmented rod. A drive mechanism has a sprocket to engage each bead and urge it into and out of the race or slot ... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6769141 | Automatic pool cover box equipment mounting assembly An equipment mounting assembly for mounting equipment in a pool cover box is provided, including at least one positioning feature configured to engage at least two walls of the pool cover box and at least one mounting plate, the at least one positioning feature adju... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6760930 | Below-deck solar blanket roller assembly A below-deck solar blanket roller assembly is installed below the deck of a pool. The roller assembly includes a rotatable roller shaft for rolling and unrolling a solar blanket and a non-rotatable protective casing which surrounds the roller shaft. The roller assem... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6647561 | Spool A spool for use with a swimming pool cover or with a shade cover. The spool has a roller assembly, and a cover (not shown) may be wound onto the roller assembly or unwound from the assembly. The roller assembly has a pre-tensioned rubber strip that when v... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6637160 | Telescopic enclosure The present invention 10 discloses a plurality of movable transparent arcuate sections 12 that can roll on their own designated tracks 14 to enclose or expose a sun room or pool area 18. Thus, the present invention 10 is comprised of a plurality of overla... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6622318 | Pool cover system with retracting and adjacent extending mechanisms operable by a portable power source A pool cover system including a pool cover collecting drum supported for rotation on its ends and a drive gear connected to the drum by a drive shaft. A power gear is operably connected to a portable electric drill by a power shaft, engaging the drive gea... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6618869 | Apparatus for placing and removing solar pool cover A new and improved apparatus is disclosed for rolling up and laying out a solar pool cover over a pool. The apparatus comprises a two support frames, two reel supports, and a reel shaft that is mounted atop the two support frames. The two support frames a... | 09/16/2003 |
