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 |
| 7984824 | Sensor assembly A sensor assembly including a sensor including an actuatable element that causes an operation when actuated by a sensor actuator, the sensor including a holder, and a biasing device that imparts a biasing force against the holder that compensates for relative moveme... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7464832 | Media cassette with internal lock The media cassette for a media dispenser includes a cassette body including a storage space in which media are filled. A media discharging opening is provided at a side thereof. A discharging door is movable along one surface of the cassette body and driven by means... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7357304 | Security means for a spray dispenser A security means comprises a spray tray; a dispenser slot positioned so as to dispense media into the spray tray; and a security cover positioned to cover said spray tray and slot. The cover is arranged so as to cause a sweep member to sweep past the dispenser slot ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7349858 | Method of dispensing and tracking the giving of medical items to patients A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution, includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer, data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the pati... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7329394 | High throughput incubation devices The invention provides an efficiently automated incubation device that reduces the number of powered moving parts in the device and the amount of air transfer between environments that are internal and external to the device. ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7302311 | Cartridge for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications in desired doses A system for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications (61) in desired doses (60). The system comprises a dispensing device (35), which includes a cartridge (20, 40) rotatable relative to a housing or frame (10) and provided wit... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7264138 | Anti-pilfering device for a vending machine A vending machine includes a storage/display region, a dispensing chamber including a product access opening, and an anti-pilfer device that prevents unauthorized removal of products from the storage/display region through the product access opening. A delivery door... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7174693 | Article portioning head system A system and an apparatus and method for detecting and discriminating articles that are within a predetermined range of a specification into lots. A counting head assembly includes at least an article detecting unit located above diverting gates which control the pa... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7172116 | Automatic dispensing machine of cards and card like goods Dispensing more than one card or card like good is prevented to prevent issuing a duplicate with an automatic dispensing machine of card or card like good having a table which supports the piled up card or card like good. A sucking device is located over the table a... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7149600 | Pipe storage and inventory control chest A materials storage chest system stores and selectively dispenses pipe in response to a controller which selectively limits access thereto. A material dispensing opening prevents access to the chest other than through the controller. A communication system provides ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7128314 | Banknote dispensing device A banknote dispensing device including a storage section for storing one or more banknotes, a discharging unit driven by a first motor for discharging banknotes one-by-one at a first speed, and a transporting unit driven by a second motor for receiving the discharge... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7107122 | Medicine manager An apparatus for enabling a user to follow a detailed schedule for taking a plurality of medicines/supplemdents at various times. The apparatus includes a set of containers, one for each medicine, a release mechanism for each container and a computer programmed to o... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7086198 | Machine for vending floral arrangements A machine for vending floral arrangements is described including stack of generally circular carousels each for supporting a plurality of floral arrangements; and a generally cylindrical exterior housing surrounding the carousels. ... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7044331 | Media dispenser module and automated teller machine having the same A media dispenser module for an ATM is provided which has a secure locking mechanism. The media dispenser module may include a casing that is separatably coupled to a discharge portion for media, including a media mounting portion, on which discharged media is mount... | 05/16/2006 |
| 6938896 | Automatic card dispensing unit with display capability An automatic card dispenser unit for displaying and dispensing cards includes a storage housing for storing an array of cards. A holding member operatively positions a lower most card at a load station in a vertical alignment for display. A controller unit can recei... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6850815 | Programmed loading of dispenser with supply of dispensable objects Dispensable objects are loaded into a portable case for transport to a dispensing site by connecting a reload controller with a case to be reloaded. Latchable and unlatchable object retainers arrayed in the case are relatched, and the reload controller is activated ... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6840400 | Media dispenser module and media dispenser apparatus having the same A media dispenser module includes: a casing mounted in a mounting unit of a media dispenser apparatus and having an opening accessible from outside and a door for opening and closing the opening; a media mounting unit installed inside the casing so that media is dro... | 01/11/2005 |
| 6540090 | Bill arranger A bill arranger is provided that includes a loader for loading bills and feeding the bills one by one; a conveyer for conveying the bills fed from the loader; a discriminating device for discriminating the bills conveyed by the conveyer; a plurality of st... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6443451 | Apparatus for randomly dispensing objects, kit, and method of playing a game The present invention is an apparatus for randomly dispensing objects, such as chocolate candies, a kit of parts, and a method for playing games, or educational exercises. that utilizes the random dispenser apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing havi... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6409449 | Commissioning system with a high-speed automatic machine and a shelf control unit The invention relates to a commissioning system (1) with at least one high-speed automatic machine (2) which comprises at least one article shelf (3) with article shafts (4) which are adjacently and essentially vertically arranged, preferably in a slightl... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6401991 | Computer timed-locked medication container with individual compartments The present invention is a computer timed-locked medication container, which includes a container for holding medication. The container includes sidewalls, a partially open front, a back, a bottom, a top, at least one section extending from the partially ... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6328166 | Bill arranger A bill arranger is provided that includes a loader for loading bills and feeding the bills one by one; a conveyer for conveying the bills fed from the loader; a discriminating device for discriminating the bills conveyed by the conveyer; a plurality of st... | 12/11/2001 |
| 6109774 | Drawer operating system A drawer operating system for controlling a plurality of elongated drawers having a sliding direction, each drawer terminated by a front end and a rear end and partitioned by walls into a plurality of bins consecutive with one another along the sliding di... | 08/29/2000 |
| 5940306 | Drawer operating system A mechanical system opens a selected drawer in a multiple-drawer cabinet. The drawers are arranged in rows and columns. A selected drawer is unlatched by moving a rod which has protruding fingers, only one of which is positioned to engage a latch in a col... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5850937 | Dispenser with means for alerting a user A pill dispenser with means is provided for alerting a user when medication must be taken. The dispenser includes a housing having a top face with at least one compartment formed therein and a lid having a first orientation for allowing access to the corr... | 12/22/1998 |
| 5730316 | Multiple-product merchandising machine A multiple product merchandising machine having a cylindrical drum mounted within a cabinet and having a plurality of compartments of varying size which pass by at least one access door. The access door is mounted in the cabinet for sliding movement to al... | 03/24/1998 |
| 5599421 | Disposal Unit A disposal unit for sanitary towels comprises a housing (100) which supports a bag (1) for receiving the used towels. A door (4) is mounted to the housing, in use the door being opened for access to the bag. The unit includes a heat sealing device (8) ope... | 02/04/1997 |
| 5511646 | Multiple price and size setting method for vending machines A programmable size and price-setting mechanism for use in a vending machine has a plurality of n access doors aligned horizontally across a front of the vending machine, each of which access doors has a locked condition denying access therethrough and an... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5501364 | Doorstops for multiple-product merchandising machine A variable doorstop selectively determines the opening distance of an access door of a merchandising machine, the access door being mounted in channels of the merchandising machine to be slidable between an open position wherein the access door permits ac... | 03/26/1996 |
| 5460294 | Single dose pharmaceutical dispenser subassembly A subassembly for use in a computerized medicine dispensing station is disclosed. The station has a cabinet for housing openable drawers in stacked arrangement containing dispensable pharmaceutical items. The subassembly includes a drawer having a base pl... | 10/24/1995 |
| 5443680 | Mosaic tile maker An apparatus for automatically creating a simulated mosaic controllably discharges tile pieces onto plate material and secures the tile pieces in place such that the plates with the tile pieces are freestanding permitting the plates themselves to be an or... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5438523 | Apparatus for storing and delivering sale units An apparatus is provided for delivering assembly and machining expendable materials or tools. The apparatus has an internal continuous mechanism with different compartment rows arranged in rotary manner and to move past a removal door row. An embodiment h... | 08/01/1995 |
| 5431299 | Medication dispensing and storing system with dispensing modules A system for the controlled dispensing and storing of medication and more particularly, a programmable system with medication dispensing modules having a dedicated programmable processor to dispense medication, according to patient requirements that are p... | 07/11/1995 |
| 5401059 | Process and unit for univocal pairing of drugs corresponding to a prescribed treatment with a given patient A process and apparatus are disclosed for pairing drugs corresponding to a prescribed treatment with a given patient including marking of arm bands or other identification devices with the patient's identification data, permanently attaching the identific... | 03/28/1995 |
| 5390711 | Method and apparatus for making snow cones Improvements in a snow cone making machine including a retaining collar which interacts with a cone cup to prevent relative movement with respect to each other; an automatic cone cup dispenser having opposing forceps for extracting cone cups singly from a... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5360134 | Multiple-product merchandising machine A multiple-product merchandising machine having a cylindrical drum mounted within a cabinet. The drum is divided into a plurality of horizontal shelves each of which is divided by a plurality of vertical walls into separate compartments from which the pro... | 11/01/1994 |
| 5321625 | Apparatus for storing and delivering sale units The apparatus is provided for delivering assembly and machining expendable materials or tools. It comprises an internal continuous lift mechanism with different compartment rows arranged in rotary manner to move past a removal door row. An inputting keybo... | 06/14/1994 |
| 5285926 | Multiple-product merchandising machine A multiple-product merchandising machine having a cylindrical drum mounted within a cabinet. The drum is divided into a plurality of horizontal shelves each of which is divided by a plurality of vertical walls into separate compartments from which the pro... | 02/15/1994 |
| 5169027 | Multiple-product merchandising machine A multiple-product merchandising machine having a cylindrical drum mounted within a cabinet. The drum is divided into a plurality of horizontal shelves each of which is divided by a plurality of vertical walls into separate compartments from which the pro... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5096088 | Automatic dispensing device for articles with blocking of the loading door and of the delivery door Automatic dispensing apparatus for articles, comprising an outer casing (1), a sliding door (6) movable vertically on associated slide guides (7) fixed to the outer casing, there being provided below the sliding access door a movable wall (11), equipped a... | 03/17/1992 |
