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 |
| 7438119 | System for heat treating castings and reclaiming sand A system for reclaiming sand from a casting process includes a chamber having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of baffles defining a circuitous path for the sand therebetween, a heating element for providing heat to the chamber, and a fluidizing distributor for ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7338629 | Integrated metal processing facility A system and method for forming and heat treating a metal casting are provided. ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7331374 | Method and apparatus for assisting removal of sand moldings from castings Disclosed is a method for dislodging a mold from a casting formed within the mold. The mold may be removed from the casting by scoring the mold and applying a force sufficient to cause the mold to fracture and break into pieces. Additionally, the mold may be fractur... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7290583 | Methods and apparatus for heat treatment and sand removal for castings A system and method for heat treating castings and removing sand cores therefrom. The castings are initially located in indexed positions with their x, y, and z coordinates known. The castings are passed through a heat treatment station typically having a series of ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7284593 | Method and device for evacuating drainage water in the inner arc of beam blank casting machines The invention relates to a method for collecting and evacuating run-off water from the inner arc of the strand guide (8) of a beam blank casting machine, according to which the cast strand (2) is solidified and the required dissipation of heat is achie... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7285287 | Carbon dioxide-assisted methods of providing biocompatible intraluminal prostheses Methods of producing biocompatible intraluminal prostheses are provided and include immersing polymeric material of an intraluminal prosthesis in a densified carbon dioxide composition under controlled conditions such that toxic materials are absorbed by the densifi... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7275582 | Methods and apparatus for heat treatment and sand removal for castings A system and method for heat treating castings and removing sand cores therefrom. The castings are initially located in indexed positions with their x, y, and z coordinates known. The castings are passed through a heat treatment station typically having a series of ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7258755 | Integrated metal processing facility An integrated metal processing facility in which molten metal is poured into a series of molds at a pouring station to form metal castings, which are then transferred to a heat treatment line. Prior to introduction of the castings into a heat treatment station of th... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7252134 | Method and apparatus for removal of flashing and blockages from a casting Various systems and apparatuses for processing a metal casting are provided. ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7211774 | Induction heating system The invention is an induction heating system comprising a first article having a metallic mesh lining; and a second article having a coil for receiving an alternating electrical current; wherein the coil induces a current in the metallic mesh lining when the second ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7198747 | Fabrication of ceramic microstructures The invention provides ceramic molded solid articles and methods for making these articles on the micron scale. Articles are molded from ceramic precursors, optionally using molds including at least one portion that is elastomeric. ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7147034 | Reclamation treatment of bonded particulates Apparatus for use in reclaiming particulate material from bonded particulate material comprises an outer compartment arranged substantially concentrically about an inner compartment, means in one compartment for breaking up the bonded particulate material and means ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7140418 | Method and device for the evacuation of casting wastes A continuous metallic strip casting plant comprising an ingot mould, a device for the evacuation of casting wastes formed by a trolley which can host two chests. The trolley is located below the ingot mould and on the trolley is deposited the full chest in the free ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7073557 | Method of drying a sand mold using a vacuum A method of drying a sand mold mixture containing moisture includes restraining the sand mold mixture and exposing the sand mold mixture to a vacuum. The vacuum flashes off the moisture within the sand mold mixture thereby drying the sand mold mixture to create a so... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7060137 | Method for applying cleaning liquid to a bowling lane using a reciprocating dispensing head A lane maintenance machine has a cleaning system that includes at least one cleaning liquid dispensing head which reciprocates back and forth transversely of the lane as the machine travels along the length of the lane. In a preferred embodiment the dispensing head ... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7013948 | Disintegrative core for use in die casting of metallic components A disintegrative member, such as a salt core, is provided with a vent opening extending through its thickness from an outer surface to an inner surface in order to allow gases to pass radially inwardly through the body of the salt core and away from a region proxima... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7011133 | Molten aluminum filtration A filter material for molten aluminum, the material subsequently dissolvable in molten aluminum to recover aluminum captured therein. ... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6932930 | Intraluminal prostheses having polymeric material with selectively modified crystallinity and methods of making same Methods of manufacturing polymeric intraluminal prostheses include annealing the polymeric material to selectively modify the crystallinity thereof. Annealing may be utilized to selectively modify various properties of the polymeric material of an intraluminal prost... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6929670 | Sand separating apparatus for a thermal sand removal oven An apparatus for the separation of sand from an air stream in a thermal sand removal oven is disclosed. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises a plurality of members comprising two planar members joined to form “V” shaped members. The vertex of the ... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6926063 | Method for conditioning foundry moulding sand and a device therefor A method for conditioning cooled used moulding sand retaining moulding sand binder in a mixer (1), wherein the cooled used moulding sand is heated to at least a minimum temperature, moisturized by providing water or water vapor through holes in an agitator an... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6923239 | Casting method and apparatus The use of green sand is eliminated by replacing green sand molds with all core sand assemblies that provide, during casting, both the internal and external surfaces of a casting, such as a cylinder head or engine block. In the process, a mold is formed from the sam... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6920911 | Foundry sand with oxidation promoter Sand mold for shaping molten metal cast into the mold. The mold includes sand, a thermally oxidizable polymer amongst the grains of the sand, and a catalyst coating on the gains for promoting the thermal oxidation and breakdown of the polymer in the course of removi... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6910522 | Methods and apparatus for heat treatment and sand removal for castings A system and method for heat treating castings and removing sand cores therefrom. The castings are initially located in indexed positions with their x, y, and z coordinates known. The castings are passed through a heat treatment station typically having a series of ... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6901990 | Method and system for processing castings A method and system of processing castings is provided in which one or more castings are deposited into a mobile furnace and moved from one station to another of a multi-station casting processing system. The interior of the mobile furnace is heated so as to maintai... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6860313 | Method and device for the preparation of foundry sand A device for preparing moulding sand. The device includes a mixer configured to operate under at least a partial vacuum and at least one feeder to introduce components to be mixed. An inlet in the mixer is of sufficient size to allow rapid introduction of the compon... | 03/01/2005 |
| 6834706 | Process for recovering sand and bentonite clay used in a foundry Sand, bentonite clay and organics recovered as foundry waste from a green sand mold foundry are reclaimed for reuse in making new green sand molds and mold cores by a multi-step process involving both hydraulic and mechanical separation steps. ... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6725899 | Apparatus for and method of reclaiming molding sand Disclosed are an apparatus for and a method of reclaiming molding sand capable of increasing a recycling efficiency of used molding sand and of highly enhancing the purity of a reclaimed molding sand. By crushing a lump of molding sand segregated from a molding box,... | 04/27/2004 |
| 6712119 | Collected sand processing method A method and apparatus are provided to process collected sand. This method and apparatus allow the moisture content to be adjusted and the addition of a binder to be facilitated to renew the collected sand as casting sand for future use. Also, defective castings are... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6691765 | Products for the manufacture of molds and cores used in metal casting and a method for their manufacture and recycle from crushed rock A system and method for producing foundry quality sand from non-conventional starting materials through the combination of oolitization and classification. Incoming particulate matter is first directed into a controlled energy attrition unit where the par... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6672367 | Methods and apparatus for heat treatment and sand removal for castings A system and method for heat treating castings and removing sand cores therefrom. The castings are initially located in indexed positions with their x, y, and z coordinates known. The castings are passed through a heat treatment station typically having a... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6651819 | Debris removal from fluidized sand bed Apparatus for removing debris from a fluidized sand bed. One or more troughs extend radially from a vertical shaft. Associated with each trough is a perforated chute. The apparatus is placed into the fluidized bed of sand, and rotated. As the apparatus ro... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6644381 | Casting method and apparatus The use of green sand is eliminated by replacing green sand molds with all core sand assemblies that provide, during casting, both the internal and external surfaces of a casting, such as a cylinder head or engine block. In the process, a mold is formed f... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6595267 | Liner lock key for tumbler liner segments A tumbling unit such as a casting shake-out unit, rotary media drum, sand reclaimer or the like, is provided. The tumbling unit includes a cylindrical outer shell and a cylindrical inner shell. The inner liner is formed of a series of interfitting segment... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6591891 | Method for making sand covered with bentonite, the sand, and a method for recycling molding sand for a mold using the sand covered by bentonite Given green sand is obtained by a mixing operation that is carried out for a short period of time. Discarded sand is supplied as supplementary sand to a sand processing line, so that molding sand can be recycled. Green sand for a molding is used for facin... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6554050 | Iron alloy casting method and apparatus Irregularly shaped mold-core assemblies are retained for casting within a thin-wall container by solid particulate material. In the process, the mold and core elements are formed from the core sand. After the mold and core elements, both of which are form... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6554049 | Process for recovering sand and bentonite clay used in a foundry Sand, bentonite clay and organics recovered as foundry waste from a green sand mold foundry are reclaimed for reuse in making new green sand molds and mold cores by a multi-step process involving both hydraulic and mechanical separation steps.... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6523597 | Recovery method of compact disc A recovery method of a compact disc includes the steps of: crushing a compact disc; b) placing the crushed compact disc into a stripping solution, so that the metallic layer is separated from the plastic base plates of the crushed compact disc; c) filteri... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6516863 | Foundry sand Apparatus and methods for preparing foundry sand mixes, using a pre-mix tank to pre-mix water and particulate bond material to make a water/bond slurry, then feeding the slurry to a mullor or other foundry sand mixer. The slurry is received in the mullor/... | 02/11/2003 |
| 6505670 | Method for injection molding metallic materials A method for injection molding a metallic material is disclosed in which an injecting material comprised of a half-solidified metallic material and a molten metallic material is injected into a cavity of a die from an injection cylinder through a gate the... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6467529 | Apparatus for removal of sand from metal castings The removal of bonded sand, either core sand or mold sand, from a metal casting comprises placing the metal casting in a furnace chamber and subjecting the metal casting to the action of a high velocity heated gas stream (preferably above 3000 ft/minute) ... | 10/22/2002 |
