Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7231744 | Roof venting system for improved interior air quality and hot water and electricity production A roof venting system comprising a second roof layer disposed above a first roof layer with a spacer disposed therebetween to provide an air flow channel between the two roof layers. A gap is provided in the upper roof layer at or near the top end of the roof and a ... | 06/19/2007 |
| 6080927 | Solar concentrator for heat and electricity A solar concentrator for producing usable power as heat and/or electricity uses a self-steering heliostat 1502 to concentrate solar radiation 1509 onto an absorbing surface such as, or including, a solar cell array 1511 capable of absorbing power from the... | 06/27/2000 |
| 5144940 | Compost water heater and method A compost water heater includes a digester housing adapted to be filled with layers of fresh organic matter. A water tank within the housing is heated by the natural composting of the fresh organic matter. Water lines are provided for filling and drawing ... | 09/08/1992 |
| 5048507 | Endothermic building With reference to FIG. 3, the sloping roof (250) of a building (10) incorporates inner and outer juxtaposed metal panels, (15, 16) spaced from each other to define passageways (20) which serve as heat exchangers. A closed-loop water circulation system (18... | 09/17/1991 |
| 4593678 | Hot water supply system A solar energy system employing solar panels used to heat water. The system includes a boiler with the vent for the boiler being located beneath the solar panels to distribute exhaust heat thereto. A structure is defined to allow venting of the enclosed a... | 06/10/1986 |
| 4564003 | Solar/gas heater An instantaneous gas domestic hot water system incorporating a solar heating panel (80) connected to a hot water storage cylinder (81), the outlet from the hot water storage cylinder passing through a heating tube assembly (15) adapted to be heated by a g... | 01/14/1986 |
| 4543468 | Control system for water heater with external heat source A control system for an electric domestic water heater operatively associated with an external heat source, such as a heat pump, and including a water storage tank having an internal electric heater unit controlled by a tank thermostat responsive to the w... | 09/24/1985 |
| 4510891 | Liquid boiler, particularly utility-water boiler A water boiler which has a tank with a cylindrical circumferential wall, a cover and a convexly outwardly curved bottom, and at least one heat exchanger is in the tank, the heat exchanger being formed by at least one pipe coil of spiral or meandering deve... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4479487 | Apparatus for solar water heating A solar water heating system comprises a solar collector having coils consisting of several stages, some of the coils having transparent covers having different heat insulation effects increasing with the temperature in the coil stages. Water is introduce... | 10/30/1984 |
| 4479605 | Heating system A system for generating, storing and releasing heat comprises a tank surrounding a reservoir for holding a heat transfer fluid, heat releasing means in fluid communication with the reservoir for controllably releasing heat from the fluid to an object or s... | 10/30/1984 |
| 4416258 | Heat storage means In abstract, a preferred embodiment of this invention is a heat storage tank particularly adapted for use in conjunction with solar energy systems. The tank is insulated about its entire exterior with control means being mounted in a special compartment w... | 11/22/1983 |
| 4403602 | Control valve unit for solar energy system A control valve unit for controlling the flow of water through a solar energy system that includes a solar energy heated water storage tank and a conventionally heated water storage tank, the control valve unit incorporating improved valve means which may... | 09/13/1983 |
| 4398391 | Solar energy conversion apparatus provided with an automatic cut-in heat-supplying standby apparatus An improved solar energy conversion apparatus for effectively converting solar radiation thermal energy, on a high-efficiency basis, into captive stored thermal energy in a captive working medium in a closed-cycle power conversion system (usually consisti... | 08/16/1983 |
| 4385625 | Building heating system A building heat collection, storage and exchange system adapted for use with a solar collector, and featuring a specially designed heat storage tank. The closed system contains both liquid and gas, and is provided with drain reservoirs so that when heat i... | 05/31/1983 |
| 4345583 | Water heater using solar and non-solar energy An apparatus for the preparation of hot water using solar energy and non-solar auxiliary energy. Solar heated water in a reservoir is provided for utilization if it is at least at a desired temperature. If the solar heated water is not sufficiently hot, a... | 08/24/1982 |
| 4338921 | Solar liquid heating system A solar liquid heating system having a collector receiving solar energy and heating a liquid. A liquid transfer pump moves the heated liquid to a heat transfer tank which heats water. The collector has a plate assembly mounted on a frame. Heat insulated b... | 07/13/1982 |
| 4336692 | Dual source heat pump What is disclosed is a heat pump apparatus for conditioning a fluid characterized by a fluid handler and path for circulating the fluid in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerant fluid; at least two refrigerant heat exchangers, one for effecting hea... | 06/29/1982 |
| 4319561 | Solar energy collector assembly A solar energy collector assembly is provided which finds particular utility when interconnecting a plurality of tubular solar energy collectors with each other, in parallel, to form a bank of collectors, and when interconnecting a plurality of such banks... | 03/16/1982 |
| 4300536 | Auxiliary hot water boiler with solar heater and heat exchange system An auxiliary hot water boiler and heat exchange system including a solar heater and adapted for use with a conventional, domestic closed loop hot water heating system and a conventional, domestic hot water heater. A first heat exchanger connected with a s... | 11/17/1981 |
| 4299199 | Methods of and apparatus for heating fluid materials Methods of and apparatus for maintaining fluid materials at selected bulk temperatures which employ solar energy as the primary heat source. The methods and apparatus may be used to, for example, protect fluids against freezing and to keep their viscosity... | 11/10/1981 |
| 4290417 | Solar heat system using gravitational circulation of heated transfer medium A solar heating system in which the heating transfer medium is circulated from the heat absorbing member through the heat exchange area by means of gravitational forces which are augmented by the use of a transfer medium containing additives which change ... | 09/22/1981 |
| 4287879 | Water heating system using solar energy A water heating system includes a solar collector panel, a hot water heater tank, a serpentine tube-in-sheet heat exchanger jacket built into the water tank assembly, pumping means, fluid transfer means and means for securing the heat exchanger jacket aro... | 09/08/1981 |
| 4285333 | Solar energy collecting system In a solar energy collecting system which comprises a primary closed circuit including a solar energy collector, a heat exchanger, a carrier fluid receiver tank, and a circulating pump and a secondary closed circuit including a utilization means and engag... | 08/25/1981 |
| 4273184 | Solar heat utilized air-conditioning system A solar heat utilized air-conditioning system comprising: a solar heat collecting unit for producing warm water by heating a circulating heating medium water by solar heat obtained by collector plates disposed in parallel with each other; an absorption ty... | 06/16/1981 |
| 4273102 | Solar energy system A solar energy system employing high-pressure high velocity air as the primary heat transfer medium comprises a plurality of collector panels connected in parallel with each other in a closed loop that also includes an air compressor and a heat exchanger ... | 06/16/1981 |
| 4267826 | Solar collector for heating and cooling An improved solar collector for heating space air comprising a concentric arrangement of an inner cylindrical shell around which is coiled heat transfer tubing. Around the tubing is mounted a plurality of refractors arranged side-by-side in a plurality of... | 05/19/1981 |
| 4265219 | Solar heating (cooling) system For solar heating (with cooperating cooling) both simplification and automatic control are needed. In the present invention solar heating and air conditioning apparatus is improved in various ways. For example, the furnace for auxiliary heat is eliminated... | 05/05/1981 |
| 4211209 | Method and apparatus for collecting and domestic use of solar heat A solar heating system utilizing planar solar collector panels having a low specific heat fluid passing therethrough transfers the heat from the low specific heat fluid to water in a thermal storage unit using a finned heat exchanger embedded in a layer o... | 07/08/1980 |
| 4210125 | Water flow controller device An apparatus for directing and controlling the flow of water between the supply and return of a solar collecting device, the cold water inlet and hot water outlet of a water heater and the cold water source and hot water feed of conventional household plu... | 07/01/1980 |
| 4197446 | Energy-saving device for domestic water heaters An energy saving device for use in connection with a heat-insulated storage vessel in a domestic hot-water system is disclosed. When there is no demand for hot water, water contained in the vessel is heated in an electric through-flow heater and circulate... | 04/08/1980 |
| 4196718 | Energy conservation A solar heating system for a building in which the liquid in the solar cell is subjected both to radiation from the sun and to the heat from the exhaust chimney gases from the building furnace.... | 04/08/1980 |
| 4191329 | Single-pipe hot water solar system A hot water solar system receives water from a source and heats it in solar panels. From the solar panels it is circulated through a supplemental heater and through a domestic heating system and thus made available for domestic use in washers and baths an... | 03/04/1980 |
| 4184635 | Control units for heating systems A control unit has two inputs for connection to respective temperature sensors, and alternative primary and secondary outputs. It comprises a comparison circuit operative to sense the differential between the two input temperatures, switching means to ren... | 01/22/1980 |
| 4180209 | Solar energy operated system and method There is disclosed a solar energy operated system and method in which a quantity of liquid media is placed in solar collectors and heated to a preselected temperature therein. Upon reaching this temperature, the liquid is transferred to a first storage ve... | 12/25/1979 |
| 4165732 | Process and apparatus for obtaining hot water by use of solar energy A process and an apparatus for preparation of hot water, using solar energy is set forth. In the process, the water is made to circulate successively in two reservoirs connected in series, and the water is heated from solar energy in one reservoir while t... | 08/28/1979 |
| 4158358 | Heat and cold storage apparatus Solar heat storage apparatus, invented by Thomason, includes a tank of water surrounded by a truckload of stones in a heat storage bin in the basement, U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,702 and others. Air circulating through the bin is warmed and circulated through th... | 06/19/1979 |
| 4143705 | Storage for heat and cold Heat storage and/or cold storage are essential to effective utilization of solar energy sources, including sun and wind. Efficient auxiliary controlled heat sources are also desirable, if not essential. This invention provides a liquid heat and/or cold st... | 03/13/1979 |
| 4126122 | Solar hot water booster and exchanger for use therein A solar powered heater system which may be employed to preheat water in or prior to delivery to a conventional hot water heater. The solar powered heater system includes a heat exchanger which is formed from a tube having a contoured surface. This tubular... | 11/21/1978 |
| 4123003 | Solar energy collection panels and energy recovery systems Solar energy collection panels and energy recovery systems for recovering solar energy to reduce the power consumption in water heaters, air-conditioning systems and the like. The solar panels comprise decorative roofing panels having a second formed pane... | 10/31/1978 |
| 4119087 | Solar water heating system A solar water heating system in which piping arrangements and solenoid operated valves are combined with a water storage heater and solar heater or collectors in a manner to protect the system against over temperature and against freezing without the use ... | 10/10/1978 |
