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 |
| 7975613 | Blasting system and method The invention provides a blasting system which includes a plurality of electronic detonators which are configured in a blast array which has at least one row and a plurality of detonators in the row, each detonator including a memory in which is stored at least a re... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7971531 | Method for detecting an unknown or unmarked slave device such as in an electronic blasting system A system, for example an electronic blasting system, in which a detection command is issued by a master device to all slave devices connected to the system, causing all slave devices that have not been identified to the master device to respond. ... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7946227 | Detonator system A detonator system which includes an array of a plurality of discrete time delay relays (16) connected in series to one another, and a plurality of detonators (28) which are respectively connected to the array at spaced intervals (22). ... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7694627 | Blast sequence control A marker for use in a blasting system which includes a harness, the marker including a control unit, a memory in which information is stored and a connector for connection to a selected location on the harness whereby, upon receipt of an enabling signal via the harn... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7578237 | Method for controlling initiation of a detonator A method for controlling the initiation of an electronic detonator when located in surrounding ground, the method comprising the steps of: measuring the actual spatial position of the said detonator in relation to one or more adjacent detonators; and calculating the... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7437996 | Kinetic energy penetrator and method of using same A kinetic energy penetrator includes a plurality of penetrator segments, a penetrator segment sleeve for storing the plurality of penetrator segments, and means for moving the plurality of penetrator segments from the penetrator segment sleeve to locations substanti... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7373884 | Rapid-fire weapon A rapid-fire weapon has a barrel with a projectile insertable into the barrel, which comprises several sub-projectiles disposed one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the barrel and supporting each other. A propellant charge and an ignition means are ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7370583 | Detonator system and method in connection with the same A method for wirelessly transmitting data to a control unit, such as a blasting machine, selected from a plurality of control units from an operating device selected from a plurality of operating devices, and a system intended for the method. The control unit is con... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7370513 | System and method for monitoring features of a blast A method of monitoring a feature of a blast such as velocity of detonation (VOD) comprises the steps of providing a detonator 16.1 at a blast site 12. Prior to the blast, a blast control signal path 20, 18.1 is utilized to communicate blast cont... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7363860 | Non-explosive two component initiator Methods and apparatus for detonating explosives or igniting flammables are disclosed. According to some embodiments of the invention, initiators include an initiating component holding an exploding bridgewire (EBW) or an exploding foil initiator (EFI) and a flammabl... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7357082 | Modified shotgun and modified shotgun shell ammunition A shotgun which allows its operator to fire modified ammunition rounds as either slug rounds or rounds of shot. The shotgun is modified by the addition of components creating an electric circuit in the shotgun. The modified ammunition rounds contain a modified slug ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7350448 | Perforating apparatus, firing assembly, and method A firing assembly for activating a perforating device comprising a module having a first chamber and a second chamber. The firing assembly comprises a firing head for transferring ballistic energy to the perforating device, said firing head having a detonator and a ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347145 | Dynamic baselining in current modulation-based communication Dynamic baselining of current modulation-based talkback from a slave device to a master device in a system such as an electronic blasting system, wherein the dynamic baselining enhances communication integrity under conditions of environmental noise and the like. Wi... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7343859 | Squib A squib for bus connection includes a communication and ignition unit which is connected via a pin to a bus line and is received within an inner cap, along with a quantity of a first explosive which does not emit corrosive gas. Furthermore, between this inner cap an... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7337723 | Detonator arming A detonator which, once armed, is automatically disarmed after a predetermined time period in the absence of at least one defined signal during such time period. ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7327550 | Frequency diversity remote controlled initiation system A blasting system includes a wireless link between a blast controller and a plurality of electronic detonators. Each detonator includes a respective electronic initiator and an explosive charge. Charge storage devices of the initiators are chargeable by a carrier of... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7322294 | Integrated thin film explosive micro-detonator A method of making a thin film explosive detonator includes forming a substrate layer; depositing a metal layer in situ on the substrate layer; and reacting the metal layer to form a primary explosive layer. The method and apparatus formed thereby integrates fabrica... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7322293 | Device and system for identifying an unknow or unmarked slave device such as in an electronic blasting system A system such as an electronic blasting system, and a slave device for use in the system, in which a command is issued by a master device to all slave devices connected to the system, causing all slave devices that have not been identified to the master device to re... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7314005 | Fireworks ignition system for 1.4 fireworks An ignition system for 1.4 g or consumer fireworks includes a base to which the fireworks are secured to prevent tipping thereof during shooting. The base is secured to the ground or other surface for stability. Preferably, the base is part of a container which encl... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7301750 | Electronic switching system for a detonation device, method of operation and explosive device including the same An apparatus for electronically switching a detonation device is configured to arm an energy source upon receiving a first signal and discharge the energy source to the detonation device upon receiving and validating a second signal. An explosive device comprising a... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7284489 | Casing conveyed well perforating apparatus and method Disclosed is a device and method for externally perforating a well-bore casing. The perforating apparatus is attached to the outside of the casing itself and is conveyed along with the casing when it is inserted into the well bore. The perforation is accomplished us... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7284601 | Casing conveyed well perforating apparatus and method Disclosed is a device and method for externally perforating a well-bore casing. The perforating apparatus is attached to the outside of the casing itself and is conveyed along with the casing when it is inserted into the well bore. The perforation is accomplished us... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7261028 | Ordnance system with common bus, method of operation and aerospace vehicle including same An ordnance system and method for controlling an ordnance system is provided. The system and method utilizes an addressable common, or shared, bus configured to transmit and receive data thereon. The addressable bus has further coupled thereto an ordnance controller... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7236345 | Compact monolithic capacitive discharge unit A compact monolithic capacitive discharge unit (CDU) is disclosed in which a thyristor switch and a flyback charging circuit are both sandwiched about a ceramic energy storage capacitor. The result is a compact rugged assembly which provides a low-inductance current... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7228433 | Electronic identification system and method with source authenticity An RF electronic identification system (10) is disclosed and claimed. The system includes at least one transponder encoder (14.1) for writing data into a memory arrangement (52) of a selected transponder (1.1) of a plurality of transponde... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7225740 | Electromagnetic pulse transmitting system and method A plasma antenna generator includes an ionizable material, an explosive charge capable of projecting the ionizable material upon detonation, and a detonator coupled with the explosive charge. An electromagnetic pulse transmitting system includes an electromagnetic p... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7219589 | Bomb fuze event instrumentation An assembly for indicating when a transient electronic event has occurred on a mobile platform is provided. The assembly includes a housing and a flash-producing device that communicates with the mobile platform and produces a flash approximately when the event occu... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7210412 | Sleeved projectiles Projectile (10) is for use with barrel assemblies of the type having a plurality of axially disposed projectiles within a bore and wherein discrete propellant charges are provided for propelling respective projectiles sequentially from the bore. Projectile ( | 05/01/2007 |
| 7207256 | Weapons platform construction A vehicular weapons platform (30) including a plurality of barrel assemblies (10), wherein each barrel assembly includes a barrel (11), a plurality of projectiles (14) axially disposed within the barrel for operative sealing engagement wi... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7194943 | Ignition arrangement for stacked projectiles An ignition arrangement for a barrel assembly (10) including a barrel (11) having a plurality of projectiles (15a, 15b, 15c) axially stacked within the barrel (11) together with respective propellant cha... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7194945 | Projectile firing apparatus A barrel assembly with a barrel is provided. The barrel comprises a plurality of external chambers containing respective propellant charges, a plurality of projectiles stacked nose to tail within the barrel and comprising respective expansion spaces for propellant g... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7194959 | Precision pyrotechnic display system and method having increased safety and timing accuracy A system and method are disclosed for controlling the launch and burst of pyrotechnic projectiles in a pyrotechnic, or “fireworks”, display. ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7191706 | Optically triggered fire set/detonator system The present invention is directed to a system having a plurality of capacitor discharge units (CDUs) that includes electrical bridge type detonators operatively coupled to respective explosives. A pulse charging circuit is adapted to provide a voltage for each respe... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188265 | Method of recognizing a card using a select signal during a determination mode and switching from low to high resistance after the determination A memory card is provided in which power consumption is reduced by the pull-up resistor of an input terminal and a misoperation induced by the pull-down resistor of a host apparatus is prevented. The memory card has a select terminal connected to the pull-up resisto... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7156049 | Release mechanism to interact with biota, in particular fauna that may outgrow available habitat A device for interacting with biota either on a pre-specified schedule or via actuation by remote signal. Preferably, the biota are fauna and more particularly fish. In selected embodiments, it comprises frangible packaging enclosing means for timing interaction, at... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7156023 | Method for installing an ignition system, and ignition system When an ignition system is installed, the spatial position of an ignition device (5a to 5g) in relation to the surrounding, its geographical position, is as yet not determined. The user is required to exercise extreme caution in order to ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7146912 | Flexible detonator system An electronic detonator system includes a control unit, a plurality of electronic detonators and a bus which connects the detonators to the control unit. Each electronic detonator includes a number of flags which may assume either of two possible values, each flag i... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7145482 | Method, system, and apparatus for remote data calibration of a RFID tag population A method, system, and apparatus for remotely calibrating data symbols received by a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag population are described. Tags are interrogated by a reader, which may be located in a network of readers. The reader transmits data symbols... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7140301 | Forming temporary airborne images A temporary airborne image is formed by the steps of arranging a plurality of projectiles in each of one or more barrel assemblies wherein the projectiles include image forming matter; firing a predetermined number of the plurality of projectiles from selected barre... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7120550 | Radio-frequency identification circuit oscillator calibration According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of calibrating an oscillator within a radio-frequency identification (RFID) circuit for use in an RFID tag. A plurality of calibration values is stored within a memory structure associated ... | 10/10/2006 |
