Did You Know...
...that the x-ray was discovered purely by accident? When German physicist Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen was experimenting with cathode rays in 1895, he put an activated Crookes tube in a book and went out to lunch. When he returned, he discovered that a key that had also been placed in the book showed up as an image on the developed film!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7140476 | Hand brake lever A hand brake lever, especially for a motor vehicle, includes at least two tubes (2, 3) telescopically inserted into each other for actuating a locking device (5) of a parking brake. The tubes (2, 3) automatically lock in any pulled-out position ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7105763 | Switch assembly A switch assembly includes an actuator assembly having a slidably supported pushbutton and a switch mechanism switchable between alternate positions. The pushbutton is biased by a return spring between the pushbutton and a retainer. A pin is received within the retu... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7083541 | Axle drive block with a differential lock An axle drive block for a motor vehicle, comprising a first and a second differential in a driven housing. Both of the differentials are coaxially aligned planetary spur gears, the sun wheels of which are drivably connected to the semiaxes of the first driven axle. ... | 08/01/2006 |
| 6976402 | Parking brake lever The present invention relates to a parking brake lever that is operated by a hand. The parking brake lever has a supporting member fixed to a vehicle frame and which is provided with ratchet portion, and an oscillating member, which oscillates with respect to the su... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6487927 | Automatic neutral finder for a motorcycle transmission Automatic neutral finder apparatus for a motorcycle transmission, for automatically locating and positively engaging the transmission's neutral position. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes a shifter cam rotatable about an axis through predet... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6044718 | Continuously variable transmission utilizing oscillating torque and one way drives A transmission utilizes oscillating torque to vary the mechanical power transmitted to a load. An arm assembly is rotatably coupled to a frame. At the ends of the arms are eccentric masses, rotatably coupled thereto. An input shaft rotates the masses abou... | 04/04/2000 |
| 6041990 | Forging machine feeding mechanism with a reciprocating sector driving gear, sector driven gears which are connected to the feed rollers through a shaft, and a circumferential brake on the feed rollers A feeding mechanism for a forging machine includes a roller unit consisting of a pair of feeding rollers. Two rotating shafts are connected respectively and fixedly to the feeding rollers at an end portion, and to outer and inner driven gears at the other... | 03/28/2000 |
| 5957002 | Dual lever type derailleur gear unit for a bicycle A derailleur gear unit includes a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted around a pivot base and formed with a plurality of teeth. A retaining disk is fixedly mounted around the pivot base, and a shank extends from an outer periphery of the retaining disk and is... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5918714 | Ratchet mechanism for driving adjustment devices for vehicle seats For a ratchet mechanism for driving adjustment devices for vehicle seats, in particular motor vehicle seats, with a control lever (4) that can be swivelled back and forth and a ratchet (6) movable by this, which cooperates with a gear ring (3) of a driven... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5806372 | Control device for a bicycle derailleur comprising spring means opposing the derailleur spring A control device for a bicycle derailleur includes a rotor for winding a flexible cable for controlling the derailleur, and springs means interposed between the rotor and a support body of the device and able to oppose the return action of the spring of t... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5799542 | Bicycle shift control device A bicycle shift control device for controlling a gear shifter via a gear shift cable includes a winding member supported for rotation around an axis for winding the gear shift cable, a first control member for rotating the winding member in a first direct... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5791195 | Change control device for a bicycle, particularly a mountain-bike or the like A speed change control device for a bicycle, particularly a "mountain-bike" comprises two actuating levers, respectively for controlling down-shifting of the bicycle chain on rear sprockets or front gears of smaller diameter and up-shifting of the chain o... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5784924 | Gearshift adjusting device A gearshift adjusting device has a first hollow sleeve, a second hollow sleeve coupling with the first hollow sleeve, and a retaining ring disposed in an upper portion of the first hollow sleeve. The first hollow sleeve has an inner pipe and a hollow disk... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5732593 | Bicycle speed changing apparatus A bicycle speed changing apparatus comprises a support means, a cable winding means, a fixation plate, a high gear shifting means, a retaining mechanism, a low gear shifting means, and a transmission mechanism. The support means is fastened with the handl... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5682794 | Bicycle shifting control unit A bicycle shifting control unit includes a control member operable by a user, and a rotating body for rotating in one direction to wind a shifting cable and for rotating in another direction to unwind the shifting cable. A first transmission transmits mov... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5617761 | Shifting apparatus for a bicycle A first speed change lever is coupled to a take-up mechanism for causing the take-up mechanism to pivot for changing gears of the bicycle transmission in response to movement of the first speed change lever from a first position to a second position in th... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5481934 | Bicycle speed change operation assembly There is disclosed a bicycle speed change operation assembly wherein the speed change operation can be performed during the braking operation, and the speed change can be made in an optimum way in relation to various running situations. The present invent... | 01/09/1996 |
| 5443342 | Device for positioning cargo A device for positioning cargo includes a rack slidably engaged in a tube and outstretched from the tube so as to force against the cargo in order to position the cargo within a container, a base is secured to the tube, a ratchet gear is rotatably support... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5316266 | Strap extender and tensioning system A strap extending and tensioning system includes a strap winding mechanism to wind a predetermined length of strap on itself. A clevis slip hook is included for coupling to a rear end of a tow truck or the like. A strap tightener allowing the strap to be ... | 05/31/1994 |
| 5294035 | Ratchet device having a stopper member for preventing excessive rotation of ratchet wheel, and tape feeding apparatus using the ratchet device A ratchet device is disclosed which includes a body, a ratchet wheel rotatably supported by the body, a feed pawl having an engaging portion engageable with teeth of the ratchet wheel, a support member for holding the feed pawl, a member for biasing the f... | 03/15/1994 |
| 5213005 | Speed control device for bicycle derailleur A control device for a bicycle derailleur that includes a fixing member, control structure for effecting a change speed, a reciprocating member reciprocatably supported by the fixing member and operatively connected to the derailleur to be movable between... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5203213 | Bicycle speed control apparatus A speed control apparatus for a bicycle includes a support shaft fixed to a bracket mounted on a handlebar; a first control lever pivotable about the support shaft and retainable in position after pulling a change speed wire to effect a change speed opera... | 04/20/1993 |
| 5082302 | Hand crank bicycle drive A dual drive bicycle having a steerable front wheel and a rear wheel that is driven. A foot-powered drive system includes a first rotatable shaft extending transversely to the bicycle. A rotatable drive sprocket is operatively connected to a second shaft ... | 01/21/1992 |
| 5055644 | Snap locking mechanism for rotary electrical switches In a snap locking mechanism for rotary switches an operating shaft (4) operable by a switch handle can be rotated against the force of an energy-storage mechanism and each lock-in position is occupied with at least partial release of the energy-storage me... | 10/08/1991 |
| 5044213 | Speed control apparatus for a bicycle A bicycle speed control apparatus according to this invention comprises a take-up element for winding up a speed control cable, the take-up element being urged in a cable unwinding direction, a wind-up control member for rotating the take-up element in a ... | 09/03/1991 |
| 5020815 | Self-propelled, steerable wheelchair A retrofitable attachment for easily and quickly converting most conventional wheelchairs into self-propelled, steerable wheelchairs. The invention includes a drive arrangement easily attachable to one of the rear wheels of the wheelchair, an elongated ar... | 06/04/1991 |
| 5012692 | Change-speed lever apparatus for use in bicycle A speed change lever apparatus for use in a bicycle. The apparatus has a winding member for winding up a speed change control cable and a cable-pulling lever operable to pull the cable by causing the winding member to pivot only in a cable winding directi... | 05/07/1991 |
| 4999979 | Machine for continuously packing in particular food or pharmaceutical products in plastic material containers A machine is provided for continuously packing food or pharmaceutical products in thermoformed plastic material containers, comprising a station for receiving and unwinding reels of plastic material film, heating stations, a thermoforming station, a dosin... | 03/19/1991 |
| 4975151 | Two-speed single lever stepper actuator A two-speed stepper actuator (10) for rotationally driving a power nut (24) to adjust a slice lip spindle (20) linearly. A clamp for power nut (24) includes a bushing plate (32) driven by drive solenoid (D) which is mounted for rotation relative to power ... | 12/04/1990 |
| 4893737 | Dispensing apparatus A dispenser for goods such as coffee has a container with a discharge opening in its bottom, a rotor which covers the bottom of the container and is provided with vanes which define a plurality of dispensing compartments, and a wiper which covers the roto... | 01/16/1990 |
| 4892623 | Two-speed stepper actuator A two-speed stepper actuator unit for use in paper machine headbox slice lip control has a spindle 16 driven by a power nut 24. A lever clamp 32 has legs 34 and 36 selectively clamped together around nut 24 by means of a cam action locking plate 40 driven... | 01/09/1990 |
| 4869490 | Incremental motion mechanism An incremental motion mechanism which utilizes first and second one-way clutches attached to the output shaft of the mechanism. The first one-way clutch is used to prevent back up of the output member, while the second one-way clutch is used to incrementa... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4864885 | Speed control device for a bicycle A speed control device is provided for operating a bicycle derailleur via a control wire. The device includes a fixing member, an operating member supported rotatably relative to the fixing member and including a plurality of engaging portions and a passi... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4865344 | Wheelchair hand propulsion apparatus An apparatus or attachment to a wheelchair to allow a patient to move the chair in a forward, reverse, right or left direction. The apparatus comprises a push rod, spring mounted, actuating at a first end a pawl capable of engaging a ratchet axially mount... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4793199 | Electromagnetic precision rotary drive An electromagnetic precision rotary drive for a disk-shaped rotor. Along a peripheral annular zone of the rotor an armature band with a periodical pattern is disposed, which, within each period, varies continuously between the inner and the outer edge of ... | 12/27/1988 |
| 4788874 | Differential clutch A differential clutch comprises a driving member having a plurality of inner circumferentially disposed clutch teeth cooperating with a lesser number of sprags resiliently urged outwardly on an intermediate member. A second set of sprags on the intermedia... | 12/06/1988 |
| 4762332 | Wheel chair A wheelchair having a propulsion and speed change mechanism, the mechanism has a clutch with a cam clutch (21) and a cylindrical fly wheel (23) installed on a hub (24) of the shaft (25) of the main wheel of the chair. The clutch includes roller bearings (... | 08/09/1988 |
| 4678408 | Solenoid drive apparatus for an external infusion pump A solenoid drive apparatus for driving a lead screw of an External Infusion Pump (1) having a housing (302), solenoid winding (356) within the housing (302), a solenoid armature (358) which is driven by the field of the solenoid winding (356), push rod (3... | 07/07/1987 |
| 4658993 | Metering dispenser for viscous compositions A dispensing device includes a hollow cylindrical body from which a high viscosity composition is discharged in precisely metered doses by means of a plunger rod longitudinally movable within the body. The plunger rod includes a series of thread segments ... | 04/21/1987 |
| 4643637 | Remote operated turning gear engager A remote operated turning gear engager for rotating a turbomachine rotor is disclosed. Pressurized oil is selectively supplied to displace a piston to engage the turning gear with the rotor. Electrical sensing means are utilized to verify that the turning... | 02/17/1987 |
