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.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7428918 | Controlled descent device Hardware that improves the safety of operating sectional doors that use torsional coil springs to facilitate door movement. A rotor assembly with centrifugally activated throw-out latches is affixed to the rotating shaft that bears the torsional coil springs. When a... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7311131 | Rolling mechanism for window blind A rolling mechanism includes a base frame fastened to a top side of a window and having a coupling flange, a roller rotatably mounted below the base frame for stationary rotation and having a locating groove on its periphery, and at least one constraint member havin... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7254868 | winding and anti-drop assembly for door counterbalance system A counterbalance system (25) for a door (D) movable between a closed position and an open position having an axle (20), a cable drum (15) attached to the axle, a winding shaft (35) interconnected with the axle by a counterbalance spring (... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7219709 | Retractable gate A retractable gate removably attached between the door frames of a dwelling having a flexible screen attached to a rotatable shaft supported within a housing. The shaft is turned by a knob to retract the screen and is locked by a spring loaded ratchet attachment. | 05/22/2007 |
| 7121314 | Patio awning lock mechanism An awning assembly is provided with a lock mechanism for maintaining the awning assembly in a desired position relative to a wall, or other suitable structure. The awning assembly includes support arms, a fabric roller tube that holds the awning fabric and a lock me... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7111658 | Locking mechanism A locking mechanism (20) for locking a roller-tube (30) in its assembly (22), such as found in awning contraptions mounted on RV and other motor vehicles (34). A shaft (42) slides to-and-fro in its bore (44) extending betwee... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7048319 | Easy-to-use safety net device The invention relates to a safety net device with a housing, in which a winding shaft is rotationally mounted. The winding shaft is pretensioned by a spring motor in the direction of winding of a safety net which is fixed to the winding shaft. The other edge of the ... | 05/23/2006 |
| 6986378 | Braking device for garage doors and the like A braking device configured for use with the counterbalancing system of a garage door. The braking device includes a support bracket, a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm, and a biasing spring. The support bracket is rigidly connected to a fixed structure and has a guiding s... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6948544 | Blind lift rod control lock A blind lift rod control lock includes a housing having an axle hole, a rotating member revolvably mounted in the axle hole of the housing, the rotating member having a non-circular through hole, which receives a lift rod for enabling the rotating member to be synch... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6938667 | Automatic wind-up screen device An automatic winding screen device has a coil spring fixed to a bracket at one end of a winding box, the other end of the coil spring being fixed to a winding shaft, and a damper for alleviating impact and collision noise. Between the damper on a shaft fixed to the ... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6655088 | Safety break for an overhead door An arrangement for monitoring a condition of a counterbalance torsion spring in an overhead door or gate and preventing the door or gate from accidentally slamming shut or dropping too rapidly when the spring fails. The arrangement includes a drum mounted... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6598921 | Protective device for securing the storage space in the interior of a vehicle A protecting device for securing a storage space in the interior of a vehicle has a winding shaft associated, both in the pullout and in the rollup direction, with a control device which determines the rotations of the winding shaft as well as a selected ... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6206078 | Ratchet type cam lock for a roller A hub provided at an end of a roller rotates with the roller. A stationary cap mounted to an axle of the roller is positioned adjacent the hub. A pawl pivots on the cap and is movable to engage gears on the hub. The pawl has two abutment surfaces mounted.... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6089306 | Ratchet type cam lock for a roller A hub provided at an end of a roller rotates with the roller. A stationary cap mounted to an axle of the roller is positioned adjacent the hub. A pawl pivots on the cap and is movable to engage gears on the hub. The pawl has two abutment surfaces mounted.... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6070641 | Failsafe automatic braking mechanism for a rolling door system An automatically braking mechanism for a rolling door system is used in connection with en elongate support shaft for selectively rolling up or lowering the rolling door formed of a series of connected slats. A driven wheel is fixed on the support shaft a... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6032718 | Adjustable sunshade for an automobile An adjustable electric sunshade for an automobile has a hollow housing; two covers respectively provided on the both sides of the housing and each having a first ratchet formed therein; a winder provided in the housing and driven by a motor; two elbows pi... | 03/07/2000 |
| 6000501 | Torsion winder A method and apparatus for adding torsion to a roller tube assembly of a retractable awning which includes a roller tube rotatable about a rod and a torsion spring between the roller tube and the rod. The model number of the roller tube assembly and the r... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5921305 | Extension limiter for awnings An extension limiter for awnings with a roller tube which co-operates with a drive, with an awning fabric and extension arms that exert a force on the awning fabric sufficient for unwinding. The extension limiter is adjustable and can be set.... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5848629 | Non-rotating awning lock A lock assembly for an awning roller adapted for having an awning rolled thereon and rotationally supported by a rod includes first and second pawls. The first pawl prevents relative rotation between the roller and the rod in one direction and the second ... | 12/15/1998 |
| 5795008 | Protective cover for motorcycles and the like A compact retractable protective covering apparatus, preferably enclosed in a housing, is designed for attachment to a motorcycle or other vehicle. A spring-actuated spool is mounted in the housing surrounding the spring, which in turn surrounds a support... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5732756 | Retractable awning with improved assembly features A retractable awning is provided with a multiple position pivot support adapted for mounting the awning in different installations. A flange of a mounting bracket fits in one of several slots in the support according to a wall and awning rail structure. A... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5690317 | Control mechanism for screen rollers A spring roller-mounted pull-out screen for use as a child safety barrier across a doorway has a control mechanism which prevents the screen from extending when impacted by a child. The roller is locked against rotation in a direction allowing the screen ... | 11/25/1997 |
| 5226467 | Wind-shield blind system A wind-shield blind system to thermally insulate the windshield of a car. The system includes a spindle tube with a spindle tube mechanism which allows the blind to extend only, preventing the blind from being accidentally rewound by locking the spindle t... | 07/13/1993 |
| 5054533 | Wind-shield blind system A wind-shield blind system for insulating heat transfer into a car comprises a roller blind carried by a roller blind mechanism having a ratcheting mechanism which allows the roller blind to extend only and prevents it from being accidentally rewound so a... | 10/08/1991 |
| 5036898 | Continuously unfurlable car window shade A continuously unfurlable car window shade includes a shaft having a first end coupled with a ratchet wheel formed with a control button, and a second end coupled with a knob. A window shade is attached to the shaft and rolled therearound. A spring having... | 08/06/1991 |
| 4770223 | Bidirectional awning roller An awning roller with a two-position, bi-directional locking mechanism. In the first position, rotation of the roller is permitted in a clockwise direction, but prevented in a counterclockwise direction. The second position allows rotation in a counterclo... | 09/13/1988 |
| 4130028 | Pawl-and-ratchet catch Pawl catch device for two reciprocally-rotating parts, for example for an awning. The first part has a spring-loaded pawl with a tongue to engage with teeth on a toothed sector provided on the second part. The second part also comprises a shaft about whic... | 12/19/1978 |
| 4112996 | Safety device for arresting unrolling of roller blinds A roller blind with a safety device for arresting accidental unrolling of the blind in which a concentric blocking shaft is affixed to the winding shaft, a gear fastened to the blocking shaft, a pivotally mounted pawl with a spring urging the pawl in cont... | 09/12/1978 |
