...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7287305 | Extruded flexible self-locking trim cover assembly retention clip and method for using same A clip for retaining a trim cover assembly against a foam pad of a vehicle seat including a base having a hook end and a lock end. The base also includes a flange extending out therefrom. The hook end defines a hook, which secures the trim cover assembly to the clip... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7228600 | Carabiner bungee cord terminus A conventional carabiner (11) is molded directly into a plastic base (10), with the pivoted end of a closure gate (23) being toward the base. The base may also restrain a bungee cord (9) by having the end thereof and a wire crimp (15 | 06/12/2007 |
| 7207093 | Snap swivel having decorative effect A snap swivel includes a main body, a mounting plate having a first surface mounted on a first surface of the main body, a first decorative plate mounted on a second surface of the main body, and a second decorative plate mounted on a second surface of the mounting ... | 04/24/2007 |
| 6874210 | Clipping device and method of use A clipping device (2) and method of use wherein the clipping device (2) comprises a hook (4) for attachment to a supporting bar or other device. The hook (4) has a shank end (6) and a curved end (8). A two-way gate (10 | 04/05/2005 |
| 6574839 | Swivel snap hook of synthetic resin In a swivel snap hook having a hook body and a stopper piece, a protrusion, which is molded integrally with a front-end inside engaging face or a front-end outside engaging face of the hook body or the stopper piece, is provided so as to have a minute pro... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6427296 | Coupling device A coupling device has a shackle, a hook connected to the shackle, and a safety clamp device surrounding the shackle. The safety clamp device has a central reinforced rib, a flap bar, a slot, a plurality of clamp teeth, and a flexible plate. The flexible p... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6317940 | Synthetic resin swivel hook A synthetic resin swivel hook having a hook body and a stopper piece, wherein the stopper piece comprises a base end portion protruded from the base portion; a curved portion formed to be integral with the base end portion and forming substantially C-shap... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6048025 | Locking element for a drawing-in rod for the profile-forming connection between upholstery covering materials for upholstery furniture and similar upholstered parts A locking device for upholstery is connected between an elongate holding element and an elongate drawing-in element which is connected to a sewing-on flag. The sewing-on flag in turn is connected to upholstery covering material. The locking device include... | 04/11/2000 |
| 6000108 | Towing hook structure An improved towing hook structure including a hook body having a surface provided with reinforcing ribs. The exterior of the hook body is wrapped in a layer of tough and wear-resistant rubber or plastic material using hot pressing to reduce possible damag... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5826312 | Device for connecting the edge region of a covering material for vehicle seat upholstery to a mounting A device is disclosed for connecting the edge region of a covering material (2) for vehicle seat upholstery to a mounting (3). Due to the fact that, according to the invention, a central piece (4), on one side of which means (5, 6) for making a connection... | 10/27/1998 |
| 5758392 | Snap hook A hook adapted to be attached to an elongated cord, comprising a hook body having a base, a side and a top curved portion and a latch attached to the base portion. The free end of the latch can be releasably locked to the hook body. A flexible member exte... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5737809 | Lead attachment device An anchorage device for use in coupling a line/leash/lead to a requisite anchorage location, comprising a first structural component (2) providing a connection location (5) for coupling the device with a line/leash/lead, and a hook like formation (3) for ... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5681020 | Vertical blind suspension units A support hook for a vertical blind suspension unit which includes a shaft attachable or attached to a caller member for a vertical blind suspension unit; a hook formation provided at one end of the shaft, the hook formation including a first part extendi... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5671514 | Swivel hook A swivel hook including a head portion pivotally connected to the strap connector body, a hook-shape leg projecting from the head portion, and an unhooking-preventing leg projecting from the head portion toward a tip of the hook-shaped leg and resiliently... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5624094 | Small ornament hanger An ornament hanger comprising an elongated loop shaped structure having an arcuate ornament supporting portion at one end and an attachment portion at the other end. A bendable closure member cooperates with the supporting portion to inhibit ornaments fro... | 04/29/1997 |
| 5507460 | Tubing holder especially for patient applications A holder for a medicinal tubing, electric cable or the like in the vicinity of a patient is connected by a swivel pin formation to a coupling member or support which is attached via a wire segment to some object, the support being able to swing and slide ... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5469607 | Cloth hanger clip The present invention relates to a cloth hanger clip for holding a material in which a first resilient hook defines a material holding space an second resilient hook defines a wire holding space. The hooks are formed at ends of an intermediate portion. A ... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5429289 | Safety leash A leash is provided for securing tools to a relatively fixed member to ensure against free fall of the tools in the event that they are dropped by a workman. Spring clips at the ends of the leash have arms that interlock, and respectively are receivable w... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5161287 | Coupling snap Snap made of a plastic material whose body and tongue are molded of a single piece and whose mold joint (9) extends from its rear to its front end and intersects the two lateral sides of the snap body, which are substantially parallel to the plane in whic... | 11/10/1992 |
| 4868954 | Swivel joint assembly A swivel hook assembly for attachment to a carrying strap of a bag, for example, includes a connector, an elongate support rotatably mounted on the connector, and a hook mounted on the elongate support. The connector, the support and the hook are all mold... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4691416 | Hook device for ornamental button on seat cover A hook device for an ornamental button on a seat cover comprises a C-shaped main hook to be hooked on a spring rod disposed on the inner side of a cushioning material, an auxiliary hook extending integrally from the end of the main hook in the opposite di... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4680837 | Plastic swivel connector and mold therefor A plastic swivel connector for releasably attaching articles together and a mold are provided in complementary architectures which permit the connector to easily be injection molded in a one-shot process with substantial reductions in cycle time and post ... | 07/21/1987 |
| 4665592 | Swivel snap hook of synthetic resin In a swivel snap hook of synthetic resin, a unitary hook member has a hook body and a resiliently deformable closure tongue molded integrally therewith, a free end of the closure tongue being, as the latter is in a free form, disposed inwardly of a free e... | 05/19/1987 |
| 4622724 | Security clamp for cables Improved Elastic cable safety hook comprising a vertical opening in the lower part, bridgelets on either side of longitudinal plane of the hook, and contoured longitudinal imprints to facilitate engagement and withdrawal of cables.... | 11/18/1986 |
| 4617704 | Swivel snap hook of synthetic resin In a swivel snap hook of synthetic resin, a unitary hook member has a hook body and a resiliently deformable closure tongue molded integrally therewith, and a free end of the closure tongue, as the latter is in a free form, is disposed in the general plan... | 10/21/1986 |
| 4599767 | Swivel snap hook of synthetic resin and method of manufacturing the same A swivel snap hook molded of synthetic resin comprising only two pieces, i.e. an eye member and a hook member, which are connected to each other for pivotal movements. One of the eye and hook members has an integral bearing portion divided into a pair of ... | 07/15/1986 |
| 4464813 | Snap hook A snap hook comprising a bi-ended base portion, a blade portion, a re-entrant portion and a latch portion, is disclosed. The blade is integral with a first end of the base, through the re-entrant portion, thereby providing the snap hook with an aperture i... | 08/14/1984 |
| 4443917 | Plastic snap-hook A plastic snap-hook for hooking belts to rings secured to articles of various kind comprises two sections only; one base section, shaped as a strip folded at one end thereof on itself in the form of a hook and folded at the other end on itself as a flexib... | 04/24/1984 |
| 4380101 | Tie hook, particularly rubber spring hook The invention relates to a hook for rubber springs etc., suitable for attachment to a cable or a strap. The hook comprises an anchorage block for attachment to the cable or to the strap and a deformable retaining loop having substantially the shape of a U... | 04/19/1983 |
| 4061873 | Corner insulator for electric fences A one-piece corner post insulator of high density polyethylene for electric fences includes a relatively rigid U-shaped body having a spring arm extending from the end of one leg of the body towards the end of the other leg thereof. The spring arm has a h... | 12/06/1977 |
| 4049905 | Insulator for electric fences An insulator mountable on a fence post and capable of supporting and retaining an electrically conductive fence wire comprises an insulator body formed of insulative material and having a face adjacent the forward end and fence post retaining means at the... | 09/20/1977 |