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 |
| 7157274 | Method and apparatus for sorting particles A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The pa... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7121399 | Small item pneumatic diverter A small item pneumatic diverter for high speed diversion of articles, such as fruit, from a moving conveyor in a product handling system. The pneumatic diverter is particularly suited for diversion of small, relatively fragile articles after they have been optically... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7104405 | Method and apparatus for sorting particles A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The pa... | 09/12/2006 |
| 6976590 | Method and apparatus for sorting particles A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The pa... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6918493 | Apparatus for singling out tablets in a rotary tablet-compressing press An apparatus for singling out tablets for a rotary tablet-compressing press the rotor of which has associated therewith a nozzle which, via a line and a controllable valve disposed in the line, is adapted to be connected to a pressure source in order to route a tabl... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6808075 | Method and apparatus for sorting particles A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The pa... | 10/26/2004 |
| 6750416 | Instrument for measuring and sorting resistors and method therefor The invention describes a method for measuring and classifying resistors (2), in which in a measuring station (3) the resistance value of the resistor (2) supplied by a feed and transport device (12) of the measuring station (3) is... | 06/15/2004 |
| 6541725 | Acoustical apparatus and method for sorting objects An object, such as a pistachio nut, is sorted based on a given trait. The sorting process commences by bouncing the object off a body so that the object emits a sound. The sound emitted by the object is converted to an electrical signal which is analyzed ... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6520342 | Product handling apparatus A product handling apparatus, components of a product handling apparatus, a method of handling products and a software program for controlling a product handling apparatus. The apparatus includes an induct area, in which products are inducted or fed, eith... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6506991 | Method and apparatus for sorting waste paper of different grades and conditions Method and apparatus for sorting waste paper pieces of different grades and conditions. The method includes moving a plurality of waste paper pieces in a conveying direction on at least one sorting belt, each waste paper piece having a surface, irradiatin... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6479777 | Electronic parts conveying apparatus and method An electronic parts conveying apparatus reduces damage to electronic parts (e.g., chip-type electronic parts) and stabilizes the positions of the electronic parts during a conveying operation. The conveying apparatus has a conveying table having, on its e... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6446813 | Sorting waste materials From one aspect the invention is a method of classifying waste materials comprising arranging two sieve screens, each having an inlet end and an outlet end, one above the other to define a space there between, arranging the upper screen, to be of coarser ... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6427845 | Apparatus for separating plastic bags from cans and/or bottles A method and apparatus for separating cans or bottles from plastic bags and plastic bag parts, including a frame and a perforated drum operably rotatably attached to the frame. The drum has a circular cross section. A divider member is disposed in the int... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6283300 | Feed distribution for low velocity air density separation Air is drawn upwardly through a vertical air separation chamber with an open bottom. Material to be separated is introduced into the rising stream of air. Material having a smaller ballistic cross-section rises, while heavier material falls through the op... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6260712 | Air separation of polysilicon A separation device which has at least one blower device and at least one deflector device can be used to separate large fragments of semiconductor material from small fragments of semiconductor material.... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6250471 | Sorting apparatuses and sorting methods The present invention relates to sorting apparatuses and sorting methods. According to one aspect of the present invention, a sorting apparatus includes an intake section configured to receive plural articles to be sorted; an exhaust section located downs... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6204464 | Electronic component handler A high-speed handler for receiving a heap of randomly oriented parallel piped-shaped ceramic components, each component of the type having at least one set of metal terminations located on opposite edges thereof, presenting them in individual seats in con... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6145668 | Methods and apparatus for removing eggs from a moving egg flat Methods and apparatus are provided for removing clear avian eggs from a moving egg flat without contacting the removed eggs and without contaminating the eggs remaining within the egg flat. Clear eggs are identified by passing an egg flat between respecti... | 11/14/2000 |
| 6100488 | Granular material color sorting apparatus utilizing fluid jets with an injection delay control unit A granular material sorting apparatus comprises a transfer device for causing material grains to fall down, optical detector units mounted along the falling-down locus of the material grains, an injection nozzle device for injecting air to the material gr... | 08/08/2000 |
| 5958360 | Absorber for liquid redox processes A method and apparatus for contacting a gas and a liquid such as may be utilized in removing sulfur from gas streams, using a liquid redox process, are provided, which prevent or avoid buildup of elemental sulfur in the process equipment by introducing th... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5957301 | Method and apparatus for the separation of materials having different densities A method and apparatus (10) for separating materials having different size densities is described. The apparatus includes a trough (12), a dispersing and conveying screw means (40) and a fluid distribution manifold (26). The trough has upper and lower por... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5782364 | Device for separating a mixture of objects Device for separating a mixture of objects of flat dimension and objects of spatial dimension with a conveying device comprising at least one conveying carrier. The conveying device comprises two boundaries to which tangents proceeding in the conveying di... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5725103 | Bend detector A bend detector for detecting a bend in headed rod members such as nails, screws, bolts, rivets and terminals. A guide plate, a base plate and a beam are mounted on a base which is being vibrated. Thus, a nail set in the bend detector is vibrated and roll... | 03/10/1998 |
| 5722543 | Golf ball sizing apparatus An apparatus is provided for separating a flow of golf balls into a first set of golf balls which meet predetermined specifications and a second set of golf balls which do not meet specifications. The apparatus includes a first elongated cylinder having a... | 03/03/1998 |
| 5695115 | Modular trash chute and room for multistory building A waste chute for a multistory building is made up of modules stacked one upon the other. Each module has a vertical section of waste chute enclosed within a fire safe room. The chute sections are arranged to nest together to form a continuous chute when ... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5695070 | Unit for sampling and quality controlling tobacco items, particularly cigarettes A unit for sampling and quality controlling tobacco items, in particular cigarettes, wherein a sample item, fed by a first conveyor along a first given path, is transferred automatically by a selectively operated spoon-shaped diverter along a second path ... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5385707 | Metal matrices for use in high gradient magnetic separation of biological materials and method for coating the same Improvements in the existing procedures and materials for conduct of high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) are disclosed. Superior superparamagnetic particles, optionally coated with a polysaccharide or other, usually organic, materials can be prepared... | 01/31/1995 |
| 5248045 | Method and apparatus for uncasing and sorting bottles An uncasing and sorting machine for refillable plastic bottles includes a first conveyor arrangement having an inlet section, an intermediate section, and an outlet section, the intermediate section being positioned within a water bath. Crates of sortable... | 09/28/1993 |
| 5240118 | High-speed tablet sorting machine An apparatus for feeding tablets in an aligned and uniformly oriented sequence onto a tablet measuring device, including a movable turntable having a deflector for guiding the tablets to a circumferential edge, a guide member and plow assembly respectivel... | 08/31/1993 |
| 5193685 | Gemstone sorting apparatus and methods An automated gemstone sorting apparatus and method that handles, tests, and sorts a batch of irradiated topaz, or similar gemstones, in an efficient manner in accordance with residual radiation levels. The sorting apparatus and methods of the invention in... | 03/16/1993 |
| 5031829 | Separated waste collection system for multi-story building A system uses a single chute in a multi-story building to collect into separate large receptacles different categories of wastes already separated by the tenant for recycling. A turntable carries a large receptacle for each category of waste. Control mean... | 07/16/1991 |
| 4954250 | Flatware separating apparatus A flatware separating apparatus comprising a track having a top surface for receiving and delivering different items of flatware along a selected path; a mechanism for contacting selected items of the flatware at a selected point along the path of the tra... | 09/04/1990 |
| 4900498 | Method for separating elongated contaminants from a stream of material A method for removing elongated contaminants of polymeric material from a contaminated stream containing pellets and the elongated contaminants, wherein the contaminated stream is passed through an enclosure containing a fixed support member having finger... | 02/13/1990 |
| 4688679 | Impact separator An impact separator has a V-shaped downwardly angled trough vibratorily mounted at its lower end and fixedly resiliently secured at its upper end which is fed at the upper portion with scallop and residual shell and a small amount of water while being vib... | 08/25/1987 |
| 4635798 | Flash sorting apparatus An apparatus and method utilizing pressurized air discharged through nozzles to segregate a mixture of elements having either different geometrical characteristics or different masses. The mixture is placed in a container having a conveyor track, and is f... | 01/13/1987 |
| 4526276 | Apparatus and method for sorting particles by gas actuation An apparatus for sorting particles comprises a nozzle or the like for producing a stream of particles, such as cells, in a liquid flow. The particles are analyzed as they are flowing to detect different parameters thereof. A hollow inner tube and a concen... | 07/02/1985 |
| 4515276 | Separation devices employing forced air through conveyor belt means A gravity separator device for field use in separating material comprising spurious matter and harvested products employing airflow through a grid-like conveyor belt moving upward while inclined to the horizontal for reducing the friction between the conv... | 05/07/1985 |
| 4439892 | Severed poultry neck selection system Poultry necks severed from poultry bodies during production line processing are gravitationally conveyed across a load platform of a weighing device to detect and direct heavier necks along a separate path for subsequent reassembly with poultry bodies. Th... | 04/03/1984 |
| 4375264 | Method and apparatus for segregating and separately recovering solids of different densities A method and apparatus is provided for segregating and separately recovering fractions of a mixture of low density solids and high density solids, such as mixtures of clam shells and free detached clam meat. The mixture of solids is submerged in a laminar... | 03/01/1983 |
| 4356921 | Inspection apparatus, e.g. for a sorting machine Inspection apparatus comprising a transparent or translucent tubular member having at least a frusto-conical portion, illuminating elements disposed externally of the tubular member for producing an illuminated zone within the frusto-conical portion, and ... | 11/02/1982 |
