Lawrence Welk, the bandleader who entertained millions of Americans over a generation of broadcasting his TV show, once received a patent: for a music-themed design of an ashtray.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7117884 | Valve locking device A valve locking device comprising an intermediate member (18) mountable between a valve body and valve actuator and securable to said valve body and/or actuator; a stem attachment member (20) attachable to and rotatable with a valve stem (14) an... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7007919 | Slit valve method and apparatus An actuator assembly for a slit valve door is configured to maintain a slit valve in a closed condition notwithstanding a high pressure differential between adjacent chambers that the slit valve isolates from each other. The slit valve door actuator assembly include... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6981520 | Microvalve for controlling fluid flow A microvalve for controlling fluid flow, including a body portion having a plurality of spaced openings formed therein, a shutter located adjacent to and substantially parallel with the body portion having a plurality of spaced openings formed therein, a drive mecha... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6962170 | Microvalve for controlling fluid flow A microvalve (10) for controlling fluid flow, including a body portion (14) having a plurality of spaced openings (18) formed therein, a shutter (12) located adjacent to and substantially parallel with the body portion having a plurality ... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6926034 | Hydraulic spool lock and method of use A hydraulic spool lock with a hydraulic spool housing, first and second hydraulic spools mounted within the hydraulic spool housing for independent selective movement with respect to the hydraulic spool housing, and a lock plunger movable mounted to the hydraulic sp... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6827329 | Pipe coupling A pipe coupling comprises a socket having a ball valve in which a through bore having one end that allows insertion of a plug is formed and a casing supporting the ball valve for rocking motion. The casing has a slot extending from its flank to the top. The slot has... | 12/07/2004 |
| 6766820 | Field adjustable pilot guard An improved pilot guard for controlling the flow of gaseous fuel to both a pilot burner and a main burner, the pilot valve comprising a housing having an inlet port, a pilot port and a main burner port; a bore extending through the housing between the pilot port and... | 07/27/2004 |
| 6491056 | Sprinkler alarm test and drainage device for fire protection systems A combined alarm test and drain device for a fire protection sprinkler system is disclosed. The apparatus is based on a globe valve and has certain specific modifications for the purposes of draining the system and allowing for flow through a specifically... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6206024 | Valve assembly An improved valve disc assembly that can be easily and conveniently disassembled and reassembled with accurate positioning of the valve disc within the through bore of the valve body. A split clamp ring is provided for securing the seat retaining ring and... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6045117 | Gate valve and cylinder apparatus A gate valve in which the structure is simplified and inexpensive, movement of a valve body is smooth and high in speed, a force of inclination moving the valve body is strong, and a sealing property of an opening portion can be improved. The gate valve h... | 04/04/2000 |
| 5971011 | Water shut-off valve and leak detection system An apparatus to permit or stop the flow of water through a conduit is described as having a microprocessor which contains a real time clock, day of the week indication, and an elapsed time clock. Data relating to the quantity of water flowing at any given... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5762098 | Fluid mixing device, particularly for industrial inks or paints An automatic fluid mixing device wherein a cylindrical supporting structure supports a first number of valves angularly spaced along a first circumference, and a second number of valves angularly spaced along a second circumference concentric with and ins... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5694970 | Safety valve for water supply system A safety control valve for a domestic water supply system is described. It includes a valve body having a flow passage therethrough comprising a pair of laterally spaced vertical flow channels and a top flow cavity connecting these vertical flow channels.... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5479956 | Release apparatus for pneumatic valve operator and method A release mechanism for permitting the operation of a pneumatic valve includes a ring (A) extending about a cylindrical hand held housing for manual manipulation to move a blocking member (B) from beneath a depressible valve operator (D) and is provided w... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5402812 | Timed water control shower valve, system and method A timed water control valve system for use with a shower, which comprises a valve body within a housing having a water flow passage with a water inlet for a source of water and a water outlet for a device to dispense water, which water flow is to be time ... | 04/04/1995 |
| 5303868 | Hose nozzle A nozzle structure arranged for mounting to a garden hose and the like is provided, wherein an L-shaped nozzle structure having a trigger mounted within the nozzle is provided to impart selective fluid flow through an associated outlet conduit. The trigge... | 04/19/1994 |
| 5282551 | Safety valve locking device A safety valve locking device is disclosed and includes a collar adapted to fit over a valve rim. A slide member is provided for selectively preventing and permitting the depression of an actuator head arranged on a valve stem to actuate a valve assembly ... | 02/01/1994 |
| 5085135 | Coffee maker brew pot valve apparatus An apparatus wherein a coffee maker includes a brew pot formed with a conical upper chamber and a cylindrical lower chamber, wherein the cylindrical lower chamber includes a valve member cooperative with the lower chamber to selectively disrupt and discon... | 02/04/1992 |
| 5074335 | Directional control valve having a plurality of switching positions A directional control valve is provided which can be switched into one of its switching positions only after the operator has supplied an additional signal.... | 12/24/1991 |
| 5069421 | Safety device for a pneumatic tool A safety device for a pneumatic tool having a body and an operation lever and a valve stem lowered by the operation lever has an axially movable pivot shaft by which the operation lever is pivoted to one end of the main body of the pneumatic tool. A stop ... | 12/03/1991 |
| 5067510 | Adjustable, fusible, manually operable valve lock-open assembly An actuator shaft heat-sensitive locking apparatus is disclosed comprising a cylindrical housing having an axial bore. A shaft link is provided in the bore and is adjustable to contact gate valve actuator shafts of varying lengths. Once adjusted, the shaf... | 11/26/1991 |
| 5052655 | Ball valve lock plate There is described a lock plate assembly for use with a three-position ball valve. The valve has a body, a valve element disposed for rotation within the body, and a handle mounted for rotation upon the body for operation of (off) position, a second (test... | 10/01/1991 |
| 4860994 | Seal system for butterfly valve A seal system for butterfly valves of concentric- or eccentric valve body closure, which comprises a circumferential receptacle groove formed around the circumference of the valve body; a seal metal extending over the circumference of the valve body and h... | 08/29/1989 |
| 4672203 | Two stage valve for use in pressure converter A multi-stage valve having a valve housing containing an inlet port and an outlet port that communicate through means of an elongated chamber formed in the housing. An outer sealing unit is mounted in the chamber and is adapted to close in sealing contact... | 06/09/1987 |
| 4667349 | Water saving stopcock A water saving device that is attached to a conventional water faucet and that includes a vertical movable actuating member for promptly closing off water flow through the device, and further includes a laterally movable member that is pressed inwardly to... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4662394 | Tight shut-off valve with flow control element A flow control apparatus for use primarily in plug-type and ball-type valves provides means for continuously varying the flow rate of fluid through the valve while using the same operator that is used to control the open and closed position of the valve. ... | 05/05/1987 |
| 4625626 | Control/fire damper for ducts inventilation installations The control/fire damper (10) comprises a tubular shell (11) constituting a flow duct (12), a shaft (13) disposed within the flow duct (12) and carried by the shell (11), and a closing plate (14) mounted on the shaft (13), and which in the case of fire dam... | 12/02/1986 |
| 4619435 | Control valve apparatus for pneumatic tools An improved flow control valve apparatus for pneumatically powered tools that include a motor and feed and retract apparatus driven by the motor. The control valve apparatus includes a main flow valve and a retract control valve each of which is controlle... | 10/28/1986 |
| 4552331 | Remotely controllable reset mechanism for a vacuum-actuated system A reset mechanism for a vacuum-actuated lockout device that disables a flush valve to prevent flooding of a receptacle includes a solenoid coupled to a reset stem and to a vacuum relief valve built into the reset stem. The solenoid is energized to open th... | 11/12/1985 |
| 4546954 | Engine air cut-off valve The valve comprises a two-piece housing consisting of a body and a flat cover. The body is milled out to define a working chamber. A port extends through the body wall to communicate with the chamber; a second port extends through the cover wall. The two ... | 10/15/1985 |
| 4542763 | Butterfly valve assembly and method of making same A butterfly valve assembly and method of making the same are provided wherein such valve assembly has a valve body structure and a closure structure and is provided with an improved device for locking, in its closed position, a shaft assembly which is use... | 09/24/1985 |
| 4460818 | Drain safety interlock for fryers Safety interlock for operating handle of drain valve of deep fat fryer which blocks valve-opening movement of operating handle and is movable to unblocking position and thereby shuts off fry pot burner, subsequent valve-opening movement of handle maintain... | 07/17/1984 |
| 4444220 | High pressure valve An erosion resistant control valve or adjustable choke has a body with a side inlet, an end outlet and a conical valve seat in alignment with the outlet. Downstream from the valve seat are a converging passage having a smaller taper than the valve seat, a... | 04/24/1984 |
| 4442853 | Safety gas valve with latch A safety gas valve with latch against non-permitted reopening has the connector of the thermoelectric power unit located on the same side of the housing as the push button of the operating rod which is born shiftable and turnable in the housing. For this ... | 04/17/1984 |
| 4356996 | High pressure globe and check valve A high pressure globe and check valve mechanism according to the present invention incorporates a valve body structure having a globe valve type seat removably positioned therein. A globe type valve element is adapted for seating engagement with respect t... | 11/02/1982 |
| 4284099 | Frost-proof fire hydrant A frost-proof fire hydrant of the type wherein the valve is biased to its closed position by the fluid pressure in the shoe. The fire hydrant includes improved means disposed in the bonnet and cooperating with the valve stem for maintaining the valve in t... | 08/18/1981 |
| 4260130 | Valve for corrosive fluids A valve for the control of corrosive fluids is disclosed which includes a spring returned valve spool in a valve housing, the valve being manually movable by actuation of an exteriorly accessible handle, the valve spool being connected to and movable with... | 04/07/1981 |
| 4249563 | Manifold for replacing relief valves A manifold mounting pairs of relief valves in side-by-side clusters having a slide-rod interlock cooperating with swing-mounted clapper discs and operationally engaging handles connected thereto for selectively isolating one valve at a time from pressure ... | 02/10/1981 |
| 4235258 | Driving device for opening and closing a valve A driving device for opening and closing a valve comprises a cylindrical body, an actuating cylinder, a spindle, a piston member, a transparent plate and a stop means for controlling the rotation of the spindle. Said stop means comprises a ring gear, a sp... | 11/25/1980 |
| 4208033 | Locking device for a ball valve A locking device has a locking plate mounted on a ball valve housing and a hasp slidably mounted on the locking plate for movement into a position in which the hasp can engage the ball valve handle to prevent movement thereof irrespective of whether the h... | 06/17/1980 |