...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 |
| 7354080 | Lock mechanism for electronic device A lock mechanism configured to be disposed in an electronic device is provided, including a first lock element, a recovering element, a balancing element, and a second lock element. The first lock element has a lock portion and is disposed in a first body of the ele... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7334439 | Accessory lock assembly An accessory lock assembly includes a latch assembly, an outer knob assembly mounted on one side of a door panel to connect with the latch assembly, an inner knob assembly mounted on another side of the door panel to connect with the latch assembly, and a lock reinf... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7313937 | Latch A latch is disclosed that can be applied to doors in a variety of orientations and/or with keepers in a variety of orientations without any modifications to the latch being necessary. The latch includes a first module that carries a handle and an actuating member, a... | 01/01/2008 |
| 5974842 | Locking slide latch A locking slide latch comprises components that are easily assembled without the need for separate fasteners or adhesives. A presently preferred latch comprises a housing, a pawl received within the housing and an actuating member associated with and slid... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5897147 | Locking slide latch A locking slide latch comprises components that are easily assembled without the need for separate fasteners or adhesives. A preferred latch comprises a gripable base member having a spring member mounted thereon, a locking member rotatably mounted on the... | 04/27/1999 |
| 4731944 | Motor driven sign with sliding panels Image bearing panels with interleaved strips are slidably carried by a sign base. A motor drives a crank and reciprocating arm with the arm end sequentially engageable with an abutment on each panel to shift the panel and expose the panel image. An obstru... | 03/22/1988 |
| 4590777 | Doorlock A key operated doorlock, which may incorporate a deadbolt, has a bolt housing that is mounted on the exterior of the door and is held there by being fastened to a spacer disposed within the door and a mounting plate at the interior side of the door. The m... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4312203 | Flush-mountable lock with actuator disconnect feature A door lock has a flush-mountable body. A forwardly facing recess is defined by the body. A push-button actuator for operating the lock is carried by the body and is movable between normal and operating positions. A bolt is carried on the back of the body... | 01/26/1982 |