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 |
| 7328659 | Rail road freight car with resilient suspension An auto rack rail road freight car is provided for carrying low density, relatively high value, relatively fragile lading. The car has a relatively soft suspension and an empty vertical bounce natural frequency of less than 2.0 Hz. The car also has additional ballas... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7096795 | Linear steering truck The present invention relates generally to a linear steering truck apparatus comprising a bolster member having two ends, the bolster being located along the transverse axis extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, generally located between and pa... | 08/29/2006 |
| 6371033 | High capacity integrated railway car truck A three piece stabilized railway car truck is provided with dimensions corresponding generally with an AAR nominal 100 ton size truck and a load carrying capability satisfactory for use with railway cars having a 315,000 pound gross weight on rail rating.... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6289821 | Rail vehicle, especially for local traffic The rail vehicle, especially for a streetcar or metropolitan transit car for local traffic, includes a car body (1) and an undercarriage (2) nonrotatably connected with each other by respective guide rods (3) each extending in a longitudinal direction. Th... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6220177 | Bogie for railway vehicle and process for manufacturing same A bogie for a railway vehicle which is supported on wheels mounted on at least two axles wherein the bogie includes a chassis which includes at least one housing in the form of a tubular beam which receives a side member which connects the at least two ax... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6213027 | Railway vehicle bogie made of composite material and process for manufacturing such a bogie A railway vehicle bogie made of composite material which includes at least one elongated rigid support secured in a chassis made of composite material. The support is adapted to removably receive fasteners for mounting functional elements of the bogie at ... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6186075 | Side frame-bolster interface for railcar truck assembly A three-piece railcar truck assembly is disclosed. The truck assembly has two side frames and a bolster extending between the side frames. Each side frame has spaced columns defining an opening which receives one end of the bolster. Each side frame also h... | 02/13/2001 |
| 5992330 | Railway vehicle suspension aligned truck A railway vehicle truck assembly comprises the following, in part: wheel sets having longitudinally spaced, transversely extending axles, and wheels mounted to the axles; transversely spaced longitudinally extending side frames mounted to the axles; and a... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5967053 | Sideframes for railway trucks Improvements in cast metal sideframes for railway trucks are disclosed, along with improvements in the processes of casting such products and the cores used in the casting process. A radial draft is provided on the casting surrounding a bolt hole at a cor... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5662046 | Method and apparatus for controlling railway truck hunting and a railway car body supported thereby A method and apparatus for controlling relative movement such as rotary movement between a railway truck and a car body supported thereby to control truck hunting through application of reaction forces resisting such rotary movement which are effective pr... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5327837 | Bolster of a railroad car truck with varying cross-sectional shape to provide less torsional rigidity at ends A bolster for a railroad car truck is described as having a generally hollow, box-like construction between its opposing ends which are transformed into I-shaped sections which are rigidly secured to the sideframes. The box-like frame provides the stiffne... | 07/12/1994 |
| 5109776 | Gondola type railway car with snug fitting center plate arrangement A railway car comprising a body and supporting truck the body having a rigid pin extending into a close-fitting socket in the truck bolster and the car body and truck bolster having close contact side bearings so that the car body and truck bolster sway e... | 05/05/1992 |
| 4742780 | Load distribution system for railway truck A bolster for a railway truck is supported at opposite ends on side frames. The side frames are themselves supported at spaced longitudinal points on wheelsets that are steerable to attain a radial position relative to the curve of a track. The side frame... | 05/10/1988 |
| 4590864 | Single axle truck suspension for railway flat car A railway flat car is supported on an underframe which includes suspension support frames provided with single axle suspensions. The frames include longitudinally spaced bolsters including horizontal frame structures on which leaf springs are supported wh... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4429637 | Railway vehicle truck A radial axle railway truck has separate depressed center beam-type side frames mounted at their ends on journal bearing assemblies by means of elastomeric pad devices between downwardly facing surfaces on the side frames and upwardly facing surfaces on t... | 02/07/1984 |
| 4411202 | Rail vehicle The rail vehicle has two bogies each connected to the vehicle body by way of a single rod adapted to transmit traction and braking forces. The rods are disposed in the longitudinal center-plane of the body and are articulated to the body at one end and to... | 10/25/1983 |
| 4408541 | Bogie truck car body support system A bogie truck car body support system wherein a car body is directly supported on a truck frame by bolster springs, the system including a link arranged longitudinally of the car body and connected at one end to a link support which is fixed to the car bo... | 10/11/1983 |
| 4245564 | Center bearing socket construction A bearing socket for the pin connection of trucks to the body of rail vehicles comprises an upwardly opening cup-shaped lower part having a pivot pin receiving bore for the path of the pivot pin. An upwardly opening cup-shaped insert of resilient material... | 01/20/1981 |
| 4233910 | Railway car hydraulically dampened traction rods A rail vehicle, especially self-propelled vehicle, in which pulling and braking forces are transmitted between pivotless bogies and the main frame of the rail vehicle, and in which on both vehicle sides, symmetrically with regard to the longitudinal centr... | 11/18/1980 |
| 4224876 | Cup-shaped bolster bearing A bolster bearing having a flat bottom wall and an annular sidewall is disposed in the bolster bowl of a truck bolster, a radially extending annular flange on the bearing sidewall overlying an upper surface of the upstanding rim of the truck bolster defin... | 09/30/1980 |
| 4221172 | Articulated railway truck A railway truck assembly adapted to produce steering of the wheel axles radially to a curve independently of mere lateral motions of the car body to reduce wear and noise and also featuring a pivot connection between the bolster and the truck frame elemen... | 09/09/1980 |
| 4196671 | Railway car low friction side bearings A bolster for carrying a car body rests transversely on a pair of side frames of a truck. A side bearer and wear plate assembly are disposed between the ends of the bolster and the side frames to permit the bolster to be rotated relatively about small ang... | 04/08/1980 |
| 4192239 | Series pneumatic and coil spring railway car suspension A pair of mechanical springs are disposed on an air spring on each side of a truck carrying a car body. A wide plank disposed between the pairs of mechanical springs and each of the air springs is pivoted to permit vertical movements without tilting of th... | 03/11/1980 |
| 4173933 | High speed bogie A bogie with a torsion-soft corner-stiff frame for high speed rail vehicles with a wear-resistant means interconnecting the central areas of the longitudinal beams of the bogie together with one wear-resistant means each interconnecting the longitudinal b... | 11/13/1979 |
| 4161913 | Railway truck frames A rigid type truck or bogie frame in which the cross-member or bolster is secured at its end portions to a laterally extending central portion of each side member includes a cylindrical portion registering with the main body of the cross-member or bolster... | 07/24/1979 |
| 4144819 | Truck bolster Railway rolling-stock truck bolster or cross-member provided with a bearing for receiving the vertical pintle of the vehicle, wherein at least one of a first pair of front and rear sectors of the upper edge of the bearing, facing the front and rear end of... | 03/20/1979 |
| 4015541 | Bogie draft links A rail vehicle arrangement in which a load supporting bridge boom has a pair of trucks in spaced relation therebeneath and springs supporting the booms on the trucks. The trucks have no bogie pin connection with the bridge boom and the transmission of pul... | 04/05/1977 |
| 3991889 | Railway transportating system and apparatus therefor A railway transportation system for express delivery of cargo anywhere in the system employs standard unit trains operating throughout the system, with the individual cars in the train carrying freight in containerized units which are automatically loaded... | 11/16/1976 |
| 3961584 | Railway car truck A truck is provided with a torsionally compliant transverse member connecting to transversely spaced side frames. The side frames are suspended on the axles by a spring suspension system of generally cylindrical elastomer elements and a combined damping s... | 06/08/1976 |
| 3939776 | Railway truck magnetic suspension An improved railway truck for providing non-contact active support between the unsprung and the sprung elements as well as lateral stability and banking of vehicles used in surface supported transportation systems having unsprung surface contacting elemen... | 02/24/1976 |
