Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7624884 | Railroad car draft gear A railroad car draft gear including a housing having an open end with a friction clutch assembly arranged in operable combination therewith. An elongated elastomeric spring assembly is disposed within the housing for storing energy during axial compression of the dr... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7383961 | Taper lugs on draft gear plates The present invention increases the capacity and resistance to closure of the draft gear assembly wherein a portion of the lug supporting plates, usually the tapered plates, within the friction cushioning device is tapered or angled to increase the side force on the... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7281635 | Friction draft gear housing having a removable end wall A friction-type draft gear assembly includes a housing having an open front end and a partially closed rear end with a first and second rear portions and a pair of ledge members disposed intermediate such first and second rear portions for enabling the draft gear as... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7264130 | Housing for long travel high capacity friction draft gear assembly A friction-type draft gear assembly includes a housing having an open front and a closed rear end with a first and second rear portions and a pair of ledge members disposed intermediate such first and second rear portions and enabling the draft gear assembly to fit ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7258243 | Arrangement for preventing energy absorbing material degradation on draft gears A draft gear assembly includes a yoke and a coupler follower disposed within the yoke. A front compressible resilient member is disposed intermediate the yoke and the coupler follower. A rear compressible resilient member engages a back wall of the yoke at one end a... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7150368 | Cushioning device having an electrically actuated lockout A rail car cushioning1 device is provided for connecting to a coupler. The rail car cushioning device includes an arrangement of a hydraulic cylinder, a piston assembly, and at least a valve assembly, which are configured with cooperating features to allow the devic... | 12/19/2006 |
| 6279765 | Railcar cushioning device with internal spring A railcar cushioning device with a gas charged cylinder and a piston contained in the cylinder for cushioning buff and draft impacts. A spring assembly is contained in the cylinder between the piston and an end of the cylinder to locate the piston in a ne... | 08/28/2001 |
| 4735328 | Split wedge draft gear with center friction plate The draft gear includes a single center friction plate and a pair of spaced apart friction wedges. Six major friction surfaces are defined, four of which are engaged upon contact with the follower, the other two being engaged after about one-half inch of ... | 04/05/1988 |
| 4576295 | Draft gear for railroad car coupler system A draft gear to absorb and cushion impacting forces on a railroad car coupler system includes a spring package in an inner section of a housing of the gear. The spring package connects with a set of friction shoes carried in friction shoe seats formed in ... | 03/18/1986 |
| 4505458 | Linear friction damped mechanism-return devices A linear stroke friction damped device adapted for resetting relatively moveable mechanism members by biasing spring action. Unidirectional resetting or multi-directional resetting are provided for. Displacement of the mechanism members attached to the de... | 03/19/1985 |
| 3966057 | Draft gear mechanism and method of assembling same An integral casing has a main body portion with an opening formed in one side thereof, a rear end closure wall, and a constricted front end section. Arranged within the casing are force transmitting means, a pad follower, and a stacked series of elastomer... | 06/29/1976 |
