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 |
| 7431632 | Control system and method for processing jewelry and the like A control system for controlling processing of workpieces such as jewelry has gantry and gimbal units having x, y, z translational and x, y, z rotational degrees of freedom, the units carrying a gripper for holding a piece of jewelry. Drive motors are associated wit... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7323156 | High pressure/high temperature production of colorless and fancy-colored diamonds The present invention is directed to a method for changing the color of colored natural diamonds. The method includes placing a discolored natural diamond in a pressure-transmitting medium which is consolidated into a pill. Next, the pill is placed into a high press... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7300333 | Control system and method for processing jewelry and the like A control system for controlling processing of workpieces such as jewelry has gantry and gimbal units having x, y, z translational and x, y, z rotational degrees of freedom, the units carrying a gripper for holding a piece of jewelry. Drive motors are associated wit... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7265316 | Laser marking system A laser energy microinscribing system, comprising a semiconductor excited Q-switched solid state laser energy source; a cut gemstone mounting system, allowing optical access to a mounted workpiece; an optical system for focusing laser energy from the laser energy so... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7249471 | Cut design of diamonds providing plenty of visual-perceptible reflection for ornamental use and observation method thereof A cut design of an ornamental diamond and an observation method of the diamond which an observer can perceive a more beauty, are disclosed. The cut design is a round brilliant cut comprising a girdle, a crown above the girdle and a pavilion below the girdle. A girdl... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7241200 | Control system and method for processing jewelry and the like A control system for controlling processing of workpieces such as jewelry has gantry and gimbal units having x, y, z translational and x, y, z rotational degrees of freedom, the units carrying a gripper for holding a piece of jewelry. Drive motors are associated wit... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234383 | Chip holder A rotating shaft (23) is inserted through an axial center of a cutter wheel tip for scribing a brittle object. The rotating shaft (23) is integrally provided with the cutter wheel tip. The rotating shaft (23) is inserted into supporting holes ( | 06/26/2007 |
| 7228856 | Diamond cutting method and diamond provided by the method Ten of pavilion main facets are formed with reference to the previously formed five of first pavilion main facets in which an initial first main facet is formed in a position centered on a line shifted approximately fifteen degrees from the ridge of the raw diamond ... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7192337 | Method for cutting diamond To provide a diamond rendering reflective light off a table goldenly brilliant by making a proportion thereof symmetrical at any place viewed from an upper face, a side face or a bottom face, a first reference line, a second reference line crossing the first referen... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7146827 | Mixed cut gemstone A mixed cut gemstone comprising a girdle, a crown above the girdle and a pavilion below the girdle. The crown has a girdle break, a table break and a table. The table break is cut with triangular shaped facets and the girdle break is cut with triangular and quadrila... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7032586 | Single point engraving cutter tip An improved single point engraving burin tip, for use in hand engraving and stone setting in the hand engraving and jewelry fields. More specifically, the invention provides a single point engraving tip with a secondary relieving area to the primary cutting edge. | 04/25/2006 |
| 7025110 | Method and apparatus for setting odd-shaped precious stones A piece of jewelry such a pendant is first cast in wax to provide a wax replica thereof. A gemstone is heated above the melting temperature of the wax replica and is pressed therein. Alternatively, the gemstone is positioned on the surface of the wax replica and pre... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7010938 | Microinscribed gemstone A microinscribed gemstone such as a diamond is inscribed by a laser beam to graphitize a surface portion of the gemstone without damaging a bulk portion. ... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7004158 | Block splitting assembly and method A masonry block that is produced from a workpiece that is split in a block splitting assembly which uses engagement surfaces that are enhanced with, for example, alternating ridges and valleys, preferably in combination with workpiece-engaging projections, to supple... | 02/28/2006 |
| 7000607 | Gemstone and corresponding method of cutting A gemstone having a crown, a girdle and a pavilion, wherein the girdle is shaped such that, when viewed in plan view, it is primarily bounded by four pairs of parallel straight edges. Three of the four pairs of edges are spaced by roughly equal spacing D1... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6918715 | Block splitting assembly and method A masonry block that is produced from a workpiece that is split in a block splitting assembly which uses any of a variety of projections to supplement or replace the action of the splitting blade in splitting and dressing the workpiece. The resulting masonry block h... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6915663 | Diamond cutting method, enneahedral-cut diamonds and assembly of enneahedral-cut diamonds Disclosed is a diamond cutting method comprising the steps of: forming a square or rectangular table in a piece of gemstone; and forming a pavilion continuous to the table by cutting vertically from each side of the square or rectangular table to define the four low... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6913009 | Diamond cutting method, enneahedral-cut diamonds and assembly of enneahedral-cut diamonds Disclosed is a diamond cutting method comprising the steps of: forming a square or rectangular table in a piece of gemstone; and forming a pavilion continuous to the table by cutting vertically from each side of the square or rectangular table to define the four low... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6892720 | Method for cutting natural and/or man-made diamonds A method for producing a diamond includes forming a table lying in a table plane; forming crown facets that are oriented at an angle of between 26° and 35° relative to the table plane; forming upper pavilion (UP) facets below the crown facets at an angle of betwee... | 05/17/2005 |
| 6881128 | Ceramics base plate and method for producing the same A method of producing ceramics base plates is disclosed, comprising forming a continuous flaw on at least one surface of a ceramics sintered base plate from end to end using a flawing tool and dividing the ceramics sintered base plate along the flaw by applying an e... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6874494 | Block splitting assembly and method A masonry block that is produced from a workpiece that is split in a block splitting assembly which uses engagement surfaces that are enhanced with, for example, alternating ridges and valleys, preferably in combination with workpiece-engaging projections, to supple... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6827075 | Apparatus for burning stone An automated stone burning apparatus, which precisely adjusts the burning operation and improves the throughput. The apparatus consists of a torch assembly that is mounted in proximity to a stone slab lying upon a roller bed. The torch assembly is movable both trans... | 12/07/2004 |
| 6772748 | Method of forming stone inlays in wood and article of manufacture A method of forming a stone inlay in an abrasion-sensitive substrate, such as wood, by forming a depression in the substrate, mounting stone on a damping material capable of absorbing the abrasive energy applied to the stone in reducing the dimensions of the stone t... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6591827 | Method for preparing a diamond A method for preparing a diamond having a six-pointed-star shaped girdle comprising: (1) providing a round diamond; and (2) grooving six equally spaced, equally-sized triangularly-shaped 120° angled grooves in the girdle of the round diamond. Also disclo... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6397832 | Diamond cutting method and new-cut diamond shape Disclosed are a new diamond cutting method and a diamond shape or proportion giving an increased brightness and different brilliant colors to the cut jewel. A piece of diamond having a crown or bezel and a pavilion converging up and down from its girdle i... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6321740 | Block splitter assembly The invention is a block splitting machine which uses an assortment of protrusions to supplement or replace the action of the splitting blade in splitting and dressing masonry block.... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6244262 | Method for cutting concrete into predetermined shapes A method of forming a decorative shape from a concrete block by cutting the block into a predetermined shaped piece, polishing all flat surfaces and then applying a coating of clear material to the surface of said piece.... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6199545 | Engraving apparatus and method Arrangements are taught for decoratively engraving a surface, such as hardened concrete or stone, particularly by engraving stencil-defined swaths into the surface with a tool of the type commonly called a needle scaler. The arrangements include methods o... | 03/13/2001 |
| 6132291 | Specific heat treating process that significantly alters lythic and related materials A method of treating stone that produces dramatic natural changes by the use of heat only, the dramatic changes being, deeper more brilliant colors, smoother texture, richer luster, and easier workability. This method first includes; Providing stone mater... | 10/17/2000 |
| 6058922 | Grinding blade for trowel machine The present invention is directed towards an attachment to a trowel machine. The trowel machine attachment converts the trowel machine blade to a grinding blade and allows the trowel machine to become a grinding machine in order to smooth the concrete sur... | 05/09/2000 |
| 5762061 | Splitting apparatus Apparatus for splitting blocks, the apparatus comprising a base (1) which supports a blade (2) with its splitting edge protruding a distance no greater than 5 mm above the base surface, guide ways (4) upstanding from the base (1) and positioned one to eac... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5732690 | Apparatus for cutting a stone member so as to have a curved surface An apparatus for cutting a stone member (90) so as to have a curved surface including a cutting device (10) having a base member (12) which is movable in horizontal direction by an electric motor (23) and an endless wire saw (17) disposed on the base memb... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5711698 | Method of synthetic diamond ablation with an oxygen plasma and synthetic diamonds etched accordingly A method for ablating a synthetic diamond having a pitted surface includes applying a colloidal graphite to the surface of the diamond and subjecting it to an oxygen plasma so that preferably approximately 50 microns are removed from the surface of the sy... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5623916 | Method and apparatus for cutting grooves into diamonds and precious stones A device for holding and positioning stones that are being prepared for invisible set jewelry. The device includes an automatically cooled blade and a holding member for holding the stone wherein the position of the stone may be adjusted linearly and angu... | 04/29/1997 |
| 5462474 | Method of facetting a gem A method, and product from the method, of faceting a gemstone in which the facets, when combined with the polishing/non-polishing of the facet form an image such as the Star-of-David. The image is visible when viewed through the table of the gem. On one e... | 10/31/1995 |
| 5454747 | Faceting machine A machine is disclosed for forming facets on the surfaces of a plurality of workpieces. The machine is characterized by the presence of a plurality of pin members for holding the workpieces to be faceted against an abrading surface of a lap or a grinding ... | 10/03/1995 |
| 5423714 | Process for the manufacture of diamond jewellery The process serves for the manufacture of diamond jewellery. In order to be able to offer diamonds of individually varying outward appearance and the everlasting advantage of scratch-resistant surfaces it is provided according to the invention to burn dep... | 06/13/1995 |
| 5388484 | Method of manufacturing diamond-impregnated drilling crowns A method of manufacturing drilling crowns for cylindrical diamond drilling tool bits affords a waste-free fabrication of the drilling crowns impregnated with diamond particles. In a first step an annular axially extending middle or intermediate zone impre... | 02/14/1995 |
| 5293858 | Apparatus and method for cone shaping the crown and pavilion of gemstones Apparatus and methods for simultaneously cone cutting of crown portions and pavilions of gemstones are provided by the present invention. Each of the gemstones to be simultaneously cut are individually mounted in a motor rotating collet which is mounted o... | 03/15/1994 |
| 5190024 | Diamond sawing process A diamond sawing process, in which guidelines on the outer surface of a rough diamond are used for the sawing of up to six pyramid shapes (340) as fragments from a particular piece of tetrahedron shaped (sawable) diamond, whereby the maximum weight of a p... | 03/02/1993 |
