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 |
| 7572084 | Precast arch structure with skewed ends A skewed end assembly for connection to an arch culvert structure is provided. The assembly may generally include an arch-shaped inner skewed panel and a wedge member having a partially arch-shaped profile adapted for engagement with the inner skewed panel. The inne... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7556451 | Precast concrete bridge and headwall assembly and method of production A precast steel reinforced concrete bridge unit has an arcuate top wall integrally connecting opposite side walls, and a series of precast reinforced concrete counterforts are releasably connected to the top wall of the bridge unit at laterally spaced intervals. The... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7530764 | Easy clean culvert system An easy clean culvert system being formed of concrete, wherein the culvert system includes a plurality of culvert sections, each section having a cover that is removably coupled to a base portion of the culvert section. The cover may be removed and replaced in order... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7441990 | Process for the construction of a segment of an open-air work by prefabricated structural members, and prefabricated structural member related thereto A process for the construction of a segment of an open-air work by prefabricated structural members of reinforcing concrete, includes the steps of arranging first and second prefabricated structural members (18, 19) including an upright portion (22) an... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7344335 | Methods and modules for an underground assembly for storm water retention or detention Methods and modules for use in a modular assembly are disclosed for retaining or detaining storm water beneath a ground surface. A module comprises a substantially horizontally disposed deck portion and at least one substantially vertically disposed side portion ext... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7305798 | Composite overfilled arch system An overfilled arch bridge system includes a composite arch which has a precast layer and a cast-in-place layer. The system further includes means for reducing bending moments within the overfilled arch. The means include customizing the arch end geometry and prestre... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7160058 | Methods and module for an underground assembly for storm water retention or detention Methods and modules for use in a modular assembly are disclosed for retaining or detaining storm water beneath a ground surface. A module comprises a substantially horizontally disposed deck portion and at least one substantially vertically disposed side portion ext... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7137756 | Fluid-tight bell-and-spigot-joint for box culverts A box culvert and gasket assembly is provided that enables fluid-tight bell-and spigot joints to be formed between abutting ends of box culverts. The joints according to the assembly of the present invention can remain fluid-tight up to at least 13 psi of water pres... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7134808 | Drain sealing Plastic liner sections define a drainage channel when placed end to end. Each end has a stiff, double walled flange at each side of the end adapted to butt up to a similar flange at the adjacent end of the next sections. The double walled construction of the flanges... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7118306 | Stormwater management system Disclosed is a fluid, namely stormwater, management system employing a chamber having an overall substantially constant curve cross-sectional geometry, with an a-semicircular constant curve cross-sectional geometry preferred. This chamber, which preferably follows b... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7080956 | Open bottom box culvert This invention relates to a novel design of an open bottom box culvert which can be used to enable roads, highways and other infrastructure to cross streams without infringing on the wetted perimeter of a stream or interrupting the stream gradient. More particularly... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7056064 | Block unit for repairing flow passage facilities and method of repairing flow passage facilities A block unit for repairing flow passage facilities is provided for permitting a desired repair operation. A method of repairing flow passage facilities using the block unit is also provided. The block unit includes an inner plate defining an inner surface, an outer ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7052209 | Corrugated stormwater chamber An arch shape cross section chamber for receiving and dispersing stormwater when buried beneath the surface of the earth is corrugated and has a cross section geometry which is a continuous curve. Preferably, the curve is a truncated semi-ellipse. A chamber also has... | 05/30/2006 |
| 6991402 | Methods and modules for an underground assembly for storm water retention or detention Methods and modules for use in a modular assembly are disclosed for retaining or detaining storm water beneath a ground surface. A module comprises a substantially horizontally disposed deck portion and at least one substantially vertically disposed side portion ext... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6948281 | Storm shelter The storm shelter is a portable above ground shelter that is aerodynamically stable and can be dimensioned to fit under a standard sized mobile home. The shelter provides an enclosure formed by an arch shaped rigid sheet that is permanently attached to a rectangular... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6945002 | Reinforcement for prefabricated concrete panels with improved bonding to concrete A reinforcement for prefabricated concrete panels with improved bonding with concrete, which comprises profiles to be embedded in a concrete body of a panel. At least some of the profiles have perforations and undulations which are suitable to increase the bonding b... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6874974 | Reinforced soil arch This invention relates to a novel design of reinforced soil arch which can be used to construct bridges, overpasses, snowsheds, landslide or rock fall protection structures, and the like. More particularly, this invention pertains to an innovative use of mineral soi... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6769662 | Form and method for casting a monolithic precast safety end A precast safety end for use with culverts on highway, driveway, and road drainage crossings has a base having a depending flange at its outer end and an upright wall at its inner end, and opening in the wall to register with the opening in an abutting pipe culvert.... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6595722 | Composite concrete metal encased stiffeners for metal plate arch-type structures A composite concrete reinforced corrugated metal arch-type structure comprises: i) a first set of shaped corrugated metal plates interconnected in a manner to define a base arch structure with the corrugations extending transversely of the longitudinal le... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6474907 | Environmentally compatible archway for road building A floating link archway system which is useful for building access roads, such as logging roads and secondary roads in wilderness areas that include waterways such as streams and creeks, without causing significant adverse impact to sensitive environment.... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6394700 | Highway underdrain plastic apron endwall with anti-floatation wings A plastic apron endwall is connected to a drain which extends under a highway. The apron endwall is in the form of an upwardly opening trough having a general wedge shape and incorporates lateral wings which extend outwardly from the sides of the apron en... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6254307 | Bi-partite sluiceway apparatus with silt removal tray components A bi-partite sluiceway apparatus with silt removal tray components consisting of a pair of elongated three-sided bottom containment trays with triangularly shaped soffet units affixed to outer walling of lateral sides of each and with each having opposite... | 07/03/2001 |
| 6243994 | Joint for pre-cast concrete twin-leaf arch sections A joint for pre-cast concrete twin-leaf arch sections is self-aligning when the two arch sections are initially brought into abutting contact with each other. The joint provides a rigid connection between the twin units and is achieved on site by means of... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6205605 | Method of construction of a vault, bearing piece and half-shell for construction of the vault Method of construction of a vault, in which at least two half-shells (1-8; 60) are brought to bear against one another by means of at least two bearing pieces (30, 50; 70) which are mated and, each half-shell (1-8; 60) comprising an upper edge (21; 61) an... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6161342 | Prefabricated concrete element for building a civil engineering structure having an arched wall A civil engineering structure having an arched wall including a plurality of curve shaped elements. Each element bears against one or more other similar elements and has a recess arranged in an outer face for casting a concrete assembly capping piece and ... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6129484 | Prefabricated structure for the construction of overhead or underground works A prefabricated structure for the construction of open air structures, particularly motorway flyovers, underpasses, bridges, tunnels, underground carparks and the like, includes a plurality of prefabricated elements of reinforced concrete. These elements ... | 10/10/2000 |
| 6092962 | Prefabricated pre-cast culvert provided with couplings A prefabricated pre-cast culvert including a box-shaped culvert body, which is open at both longitudinal ends thereof to have opposite end surfaces, a pair of mortar grooves each formed on an associated one of the end surfaces in such a fashion that it ex... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6050746 | Underground reinforced soil/metal structures A method for controlling deformation of an erected structural metal plate culvert or underpass during backfilling of the erected structure comprises: building progressively a reinforced earth retaining system on each side of the erected structure by alter... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5915880 | Drainage apparatus A cylindrical structure suitable for use as a drainage culvert made from the side walls of discarded motor vehicle tire casings. The side wall sections are stacked and bonded in axial alignment so that the concave face of each of the next adjacent side wa... | 06/29/1999 |
| 5833394 | Composite concrete metal encased stiffeners for metal plate arch-type structures A composite concrete reinforced corrugated metal arch-type structure comprises a first set of shaped corrugated metal plates interconnected in a manner to define a base arch structure with the corrugations extending transversely of the longitudinal length... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5720577 | Box culvert A box culvert formed from a plurality of corrugated sections. Reinforcing ribs are secured to the outside surface of the culvert. A universal receiving channel is provided for each lower edge of the culvert and may be used to secure lower edge portions ex... | 02/24/1998 |
| 5489163 | Drainage channel The invention provides a drainage channel preferably formed from a sheet material, such as stainless steel. The channel has a flat bottom and upwardly extending sidewalls that form an acute angle with the bottom. A pair of shoulders extend outwardly from ... | 02/06/1996 |
| 5375943 | Short radius culvert sections Soil/metal supporting structures commonly include panel sections having a short radius of curvature in the range of 750 mm to 2,500 mm. In such soil metal supporting structures the panels are of heavy gauge in the range of 2 mm to 10 mm thickness. Usually... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5326191 | Reinforced metal box culvert A reinforced metal box culvert is provided which has the standard crown, opposing sides and opposite curved haunches. The culvert is characterized in having continuous corrugated metal sheet reinforcement secured to at least the crown of the culvert and e... | 07/05/1994 |
| 5252002 | Natural bottom culvert and method for installation A natural bottom culvert and installation method that preserves the in-stream environment for fish to spawn, forage and migrate, while being able to withstand high-water levels. The culvert has an arch-shaped member that is placed over the stream in conne... | 10/12/1993 |
| 4940359 | Chemical safety conduit or trench An elongate safety conduit or trench for receiving chemical liquids, having first and second preassembled conduit elements, the first located and retained within the second. A space is between the two at the bottom for collecting liquid that may leak thro... | 07/10/1990 |
| 4869294 | Buried large cross-section conduit A buried conduit consisting, in transverse cross-section, of a lower component (2) and a covering upper component (1) which bears on the upper part of the side walls (22) of the lower component (2) by means of lengthwise bearing members (3). According to ... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4854775 | Precast concrete culvert system A precast concrete culvert system includes a series of open bottom culvert sections each having parallel spaced vertical side walls integrally connected to an arcuate top wall having a curved inner surface with a radius of curvature at least twice the ris... | 08/08/1989 |
| 4815895 | Construction of tunnels or pipes for use in civil engineering works A tunnel or pipe section which includes a plurality of panels which are connected together to form a closed tunnel or pipe section. Each panel includes a plurality of tubular connectors which are anchored within the panel, preferably to the reinforcing me... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4693635 | Method of producing hollow structures and hollow structures A method for producing cylindrical hollow bodies bearing on the ground along one generatrice, of large cross sectional area, by assembling on site previously prepared longitudinal components. The method consists in determining by calculation the optimum c... | 09/15/1987 |
