...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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 |
| 8127897 | Caliper brake system A caliper brake system includes a housing, a bore within the housing, and a piston slidably positioned within the bore. The brake system also includes a spring assembly, a fluid chamber defined by the bore and the piston, and a hydraulic fluid supply network. The sp... | 03/06/2012 |
| 7815020 | Wheel brake caliper A crane wheel brake having a pair of brake shoes at opposite sides of a crane wheel. Each of the brake shoes has a brake pad, a brake pad guide roller, and a spring for biasing the brake pad guide roller to project beyond the brake pad towards the wheel. The brake p... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7467693 | Disc brake pad return spring A disc brake return spring comprises a V-shaped spring having two spring members, with each member ending in an engagement leg. Each engagement leg is angled with respect to the spring legs in a fashion so that the spring applies a moment to the friction pad to coun... | 12/23/2008 |
| 7445093 | Disc brake and disc stabilizing elements The present invention refers to a disc brake and to disc brake stabilizing elements to be used in such disc brakes. The disc brake comprises a caliper receiving one or more brake pads and encircling one or more brake discs, of which at least one brake disc is receiv... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7438162 | Caliper brake with disengaged position The invention relates to a caliper brake for a brake disc, in particular for elevator drives. Said brake comprises a brake body that is mounted on a fixed bolt (7) in a floating manner (1) and a brake caliper (2) that impinges on the brake disc ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7380643 | Brake assembly, particularly for a hydraulic wheel drive A brake assembly, in particular of a hydraulic wheel drive, comprising a disk package formed of a plurality of outer disks and corresponding inner disks, and compressible a piston assembly for braking. A first hydraulic cycle acts on the piston assembly for driving ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7374026 | Parking brake assembly A parking brake assembly for an air actuated disc brake includes an operating shaft for amplifying a force supplied by an air actuator and transmitting the force to brake pads. The operating shaft is pivotable about an axis between a rest position at which a braking... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7367434 | Electric power clamping apparatus In an electric power clamping apparatus that locks a clamping arm when it is not driven by an electric motor attached with the a brake mechanism, manual operation of the clamping arm is facilitated. In an electric power clamping apparatus for transmitting an output ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7353921 | Self aligning brake kit A brake (10) for the drive shaft of a vehicle or machine includes a housing (11) having an open end (12) which is adapted to be attached to the vehicle. A shaft is received in the housing (11) and is adapted to be attached to the vehicle ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7347304 | System for control of brake actuator A vehicle brake system includes a brake actuator, a brake controller operative to control the brake actuator, and at least one position sensor which senses a current position of at least one moveable brake component and provides a current position signal indicative ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7334667 | Selective actuation device Selective actuation device (1) including an actuator (5) operating on an actuation mechanism (2). The mechanism (2) is equipped with at least one shaft (7) connected to a pusher element (8) to actuate a first operating group... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7328778 | Wheel brake caliper A crane wheel brake having a pair of brake shoes at opposite sides of a crane wheel. Each of the brake shoes has a brake pad, a brake pad guide roller and a spring for biasing the brake pad guide roller to project beyond the brake pad towards the wheel. The brake pa... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7321208 | Driving apparatus A driving apparatus for driving a functional body mounted on a vehicle comprises a power supply, an electric motor, and a driving means. The electric motor is connected to the power supply and is started by a power feed from the power supply. The driving means has a... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7308974 | Disc brake having improved pad clip and pad return spring A pad clip (12) for a disc brake includes a first part configured to engage a brake pad support bracket (2). The clip further includes a spring leg that is positioned to engage the brake pad (4) and apply a force to the brake pad that generates ... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7267208 | Retention spring for brake pressure pads A brake caliper has a retention spring to eliminate excessive movement of the pressure plates or pad pin with respect to the caliper housing. The retention spring has a pad pin contacting portion to exert a force on the pad pin. The spring includes a retention porti... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7237658 | Frictional brake mechanism A frictional brake mechanism for detaining a first body relative to a second body having a surface, comprising a brake pad coupled to the first body and disposed adjacent to the surface and movable to and from a braking condition, wherein the brake pad frictionally ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7228945 | Techniques for employing electric brakes to control movement of rotatable components A brake assembly includes a mounting plate, pressure members disposed in a substantially coplanar manner relative to the mounting plate, and electric actuators mounted to the mounting plate. The electric actuators are configured to selectively move the pressure memb... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7219772 | Disk brake with a regulating system The invention relates to a disk brake, particularly for commercial vehicles, comprising a brake caliper covering a brake disk, a tensing device arranged in a brake caliper for tensing the brake pads on both sides of the brake disk in the direction thereof, and at le... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7219773 | Disc brake for vehicle A disc brake for a vehicle has a caliper bracket fixed to a vehicle body, a pair of caliper support arms striding an outer periphery of a disc rotor in a disc axial direction, pad guide grooves formed in the caliper support arms so as to be opposed to each other, fr... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7175003 | Disk brake device for vehicle A hub-side mounting part formed with the side surface of a wheel hub is provided so that an outer diameter thereof is larger than a diameter of a mounting pitch circle of a disc rotor. A hub-side through-hole and a rotor side through-hole, which are formed therein t... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7175006 | Apparatus and method for sensing disc brake actuator position For an air-operated disc brake there is provided an internal brake actuator stroke indicator which provides an indication, readily ascertained from outside the brake caliper, of the amount of actuator stroke remaining in a disc brake apparatus before a remaining ava... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7172056 | Friction brake with mechanical self-boosting and method for its actuation A disk brake having a first friction brake lining, which for braking can be pressed against a brake disk by pivoting of a support lever. A brake caliper is embodied as a floating caliper and an adjusting device is provided with which a second friction brake lining i... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7163089 | Pad clip of disc brake apparatus A pad clip 12 is provided between a backing plate 6 and an engaging portion 4 of a support member 1 to prevent rattling of the backing plate 6 during non-braking period and generation of hitting sound during braking period. In orde... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7156212 | Piston for cylinder and piston unit of disc brake A piston (30) for a cylinder and piston unit (24) of a disc brake (10), with a novel capability of damping the vibrations induced by a braking action, comprising a body (32) and a head (34) designed to come into contact with a pad ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7143845 | Drilling apparatus with anti-vibration inertial body A blast-hole drilling rig includes a carriage, a mast disposed on the carriage, and a rotary head mounted on the mast for up-and-down movement. The rotary head includes: a housing forming an internal chamber, a hydraulically driven motor, and a rotation transmission... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7100747 | Integral motor brake manual release mechanism The present invention relates to a manual brake release mechanism for an electromagnetic brake of an electronic motor. The manual brake release mechanism includes a cam and lever assembly operable to move an armature plate away from a friction disk, thereby, disenga... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7086506 | Pad retraction spring for a brake shoe assembly and a disc brake assembly This invention relates to a pad spring for use in a disc brake assembly. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the disc brake assembly comprises an anchor bracket adapted to be secured to a vehicle component; a brake caliper adapted to be secured to ... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7070026 | Brake actuator apparatus and method for actuating a brake A brake actuating apparatus includes a force transmission element operable to transmit a brake actuating force and an abutment member moveable to abut the force transmission element. A piezo-electric device operable on expansion applies a force between the abutment ... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7055658 | Gain stabilizing self-energized brake mechanism A self-energized disk brake assembly includes gain stabilization features for controlling the multiplication of applied force against a rotatable brake member. The brake assembly includes a first brake pad supported about a first pivot and a second brake pad support... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7040464 | Brake shoe assembly and disc brake assembly including such a brake shoe assembly This invention relates to an improved brake shoe assembly and a disc brake assembly including such a brake shoe assembly. The disc brake assembly includes an anchor bracket adapted to be secured to a vehicle component; a brake caliper adapted to be secured to the an... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6997290 | Parking brake assembly with wear adjustment for heavy road vehicle disc brake In a disc brake (10) having a disc (16) and a brake shoe (82) movable towards and away from a friction surface (86) provided on one face of the disc (16), there is provided a parking brake (22a/22b) havi... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6978868 | Electromechanical brake with zero backlash actuation The invention relates to an electromechanical brake (10), especially for vehicles, comprising an electrical actuator generating an actuation force and acting upon at least one friction member (16) in order to press said member to elicit a frictional fo... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6959792 | Retraction mechanism for disc brake assembly A disc brake assembly comprises an anchor bracket (12), a brake shoe (10) which carries a friction lining (16), the shoe being slidably supported by the anchor bracket (12). The assembly includes a retraction mechanism which is adapted to... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6957724 | Vehicle disk brake A disk-brake unit which has an unusual ability to operate safely as well as a simple construction and which is intended to be fitted in vehicles, comprises a caliper body extending astride a braking disk, at least one pair of pads facing the disk on opposite sides a... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6929101 | Hidden brake system for a wheel A brake system for a wheel including a plunger assembly, brake pad assembly, drum assembly and a spring. The plunger assembly includes a plunger movable in a plunger housing, brake pad assembly chamber in the plunger housing and an axle opening. The brake pad assemb... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6920965 | Spot-type disc brake with a spring assembly for a brake pad The present invention relates to a spot-type disc brake with a brake housing straddling a brake disc, with at least one brake pad that is arranged in the brake housing so as to be slidable in the actuating direction and cooperates tribologically with the brake disc ... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6907962 | Hydrostatic axial piston machine with a swashplate design A hydrostatic axial piston machine has a swashplate, a cylinder block, a cylinder block bearing system, a brake to arrest the cylinder block, and a compensation device to relieve the cylinder block bearing system from axial engine forces. The compensation device is ... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6851526 | Actuator assembly A actuator for a brake ort clutch includes a support member which has a flange projecting radially therefrom. An annular piston is slidably and sealingly mounted on the support member on one side of the flange. A pair of disk springs are mounted on the support membe... | 02/08/2005 |
| 6837357 | Drive unit for actuating a parking brake in a vehicle A compact drive unit for actuating parking brakes is provided. The drive unit has a reduction gear that is formed by a two-stage belt drive, in combination with a drive motor that is made up of a brushless direct current motor. The two-stage belt drive preferably co... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6782978 | Electrical vehicle parking brake device An electrical vehicle parking brake device capable of reducing the size towards a cable shaft and improving the degree of freedom of mounting in a vehicle is provided for the electrical vehicle parking brake device of controlling the braking force to a wheel due to ... | 08/31/2004 |