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 |
| 7331255 | Method and apparatus for tensioning an emergency brake system on a vehicle An apparatus and associated method for use in tensioning a park brake cable system includes a body including a housing and an input shaft, the input shaft positioned at least partially within the housing, the housing and the input shaft being axially movable relativ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7331254 | Method and apparatus for tensioning an emergency brake system on a vehicle An apparatus and associated method for use in tensioning a park brake cable system includes a body including a housing and an input shaft, the input shaft positioned at least partially within the housing, the housing and the input shaft being axially movable relativ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7168530 | Waterproof universal drum brake hydraulic cylinder The invention discloses an improved drum brake hydraulic cylinder. In a preferred embodiment, the invention discloses an O-ring in an annular groove to seal the cylinder. One specifically disclosed embodiment shows an additional exterior seal over the piston and the... | 01/30/2007 |
| 6948596 | Dual-acting band brake A band brake for retarding the motion of an associated rotatable member. The brake acts to resist motion of the rotatable member through actuation of both of its ends by a cylindrical actuating member. The band is connected with and carried by actuator so as to allo... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6874600 | Mounting arrangement for a cable control of a parking brake of a motor vehicle A cable control which can be mounted in a simple manner in an expanding lock of a braking device for a motor vehicle, a so-called cable slack of the cable end is required in the area of the expanding lock. For eliminating this cable slack again in a simple manner, a... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6416069 | Underbeam axle lift assembly A lift assembly for an axle of the trailer of a semi-trailer or of another vehicle such as a straight truck, is mounted generally adjacent to and beneath each suspension beam of the axle/suspension systems of the trailer or other vehicle. The manner of mo... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6276500 | Brake wheel cylinders A drum brake backplate assembly including a wheel cylinder (30) having a tubular body (31) having an axially extending bore (32) within which two brake shoe operating pistons (33) are in sealed sliding contact to define a working chamber (48) therebetween... | 08/21/2001 |
| 4907678 | Air chamber mounting bracket A cam actuated drum-type brake having an improved mounting arrangement for the power unit that actuates the brake. The actuator for the brake includes a camshaft rotatably journaled within a tube that is affixed to the backing plate and to which is affixe... | 03/13/1990 |
| 4895227 | Spring brake unit and its application to a braking system Braking unit for vehicle, of the type comprising an axial actuating helical spring maintained in release position, against its elastic reaction force, through a screw-nut system rotatively driven by an electric motor, the spring acting upon the brake thro... | 01/23/1990 |
| 4809588 | Hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies A piston and cylinder assembly for a vehicle hydraulic system has a retaining device comprising an insert acting between a piston and the cylinder bore in which it works, the insert having a releasable frictional engagement in the bore and acting as an ab... | 03/07/1989 |
| 4781276 | Hydraulically actuated wheel brake with a built-in pressure control device A hydraulically actuated wheel brake with a built-in control device comprising a brake piston including two pressure surfaces each of which defines a different one of two working chambers. The pressure fluid inlet is connected directly to one of the two w... | 11/01/1988 |
| 4306639 | Disc brake caliper with molded flex piston A light weight metal caliper housing has cored holes in the cast bore. A nylon bore insert lines the bore side wall. A molded flex piston has hydraulic fittings incorporated as a part of it and the fittings extend through the cored holes. The center porti... | 12/22/1981 |
| 4227594 | Backing plate-wheel cylinder retaining clip A brake assembly includes a backing plate, a pair of brake shoes slidably mounted on the backing plate, and a wheel cylinder supported on the backing plate between contiguous ends of the shoes. A retaining clip attaches the wheel cylinder to the backing p... | 10/14/1980 |
| 4174026 | Dash pot for a hydraulic actuator for a drum brake A drum brake assembly provides a pair of brake shoes which are movable by a hydraulic actuator to a braking position. The hydraulic actuator is carried by a backing plate and the pair of brake shoes is movable relative to the backing plate. A piston is sl... | 11/13/1979 |
| 4042080 | Wheel cylinder piston construction A wheel cylinder piston made of powdered metal is provided with a through hole and a steel or powdered metal insert of hard metal received in and fills the hole. The hardened insert acts directly against a tang of the brake shoe, eliminating the need for ... | 08/16/1977 |
