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 |
| 7303183 | Safety brake mechanism for a winding drum and method for grinding a safety brake The invention concerns a safety brake mechanism for the winding drum (8) of a hoisting machine that can be driven via a motor (4) with lifting gearbox (3), which is substantially braked to a standstill without jerking when the lowering speed is ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7201366 | Electronic winch monitoring system An electronic winch monitoring system for a winch having a fixed-ratio gearbox with input and output shafts, a winch drum connected to the output shaft, and an auxiliary brake connected to the output shaft activated by reducing the pressure in a brake release hydrau... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7166061 | Control device for hydraulic winch According to a control device for a hydraulic winch, a regulator controls a motor capacity of a hydraulic motor having variable capacity functioning as a driving source of the hydraulic winch in response to a load pressure, a negative brake stops and retains the hyd... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7063306 | Electronic winch monitoring system An electronic winch monitoring system for a winch having a fixed-ratio gearbox with input and output shafts, a winch drum connected to the output shaft, and an auxiliary brake connected to the output shaft activated by reducing the pressure in a brake release hydrau... | 06/20/2006 |
| 6672428 | Personal descent apparatus A small and easily portable apparatus for safely descending from a high elevation, comprising a drum rotatably mounted on a mounting frame; a body securing device for securing the mounting frame to the body of a user; and a line wound around the drum, hav... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6371447 | Control method for hydraulic-driven winch and apparatus therefor According to the present invention, when a winch drum is in the wind-down rotation, operating a control valve is operated to the wind-down side in a state in which capacity of a hydraulic motor is set to small capacity by a free fall valve to thereby rota... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6234417 | Hose reel retractor with uni-directional viscous speed governor A take-up reel for winding and storing an elongate hose or electrical cable comprises a reel supported by a stationary support shaft and urged in a first direction by a torsional spring. A viscous clutch assembly comprising multiple disks housed in a cham... | 05/22/2001 |
| 6092789 | Methods and apparatus for boom hoist systems A boom hoist system for supporting and adjusting the position of a lifting crane gantry is provided including a drum, a drive system, and first and second braking systems for selectively stopping rotation of the drum. The boom hoist system operates indepe... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6012707 | Arrangement for controlling tension in a winch cable connected to rock drilling equipment An arrangement for controlling a winch cable connected to rock drilling equipment, the arrangement including the winch; a pressure fluid motor arranged to operate the winch; a pressure fluid pump for operating the pressure fluid motor; a pressure-controll... | 01/11/2000 |
| 5984277 | Method of operating a winch, and associated device The present invention relates to a method of operating a winch, in which a rope which is wound onto a driven reel is supplied to at least one capstan head and wound around said capstan head, with a capstan drive rotating the capstan head and producing a r... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5860635 | Winch having hydraulic speed control and planetary gear system A new and useful winch comprising a cable drum; a motor operatively connected to drive a cable drum; a fall arrestor operatively connected to a cable drum and having no power input requirement and a gear reduction group through which a motor and fall arre... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5794880 | Rope drum A driven barrel of a winch device includes a closed cylindrical space (16) which is concentric with the barrel and accommodates a piston (17) which can move on an axis (12) from one end of the cylindrical space to the other and is in non-rotatable connect... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5794920 | Hydraulic winch assembly using a vehicle steering pump A hydraulic motor is configured to drive a cable spool. A first fluid diverting valve is hydraulically connected between a discharge of a vehicle steering pump and the hydraulic motor. The first fluid diverting valve is configured to divert full fluid flo... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5735506 | Winch with hydraulic motor especially for helicopter equipped with sonar A winch operates with a hydraulic motor which is supplied by a servo-valve. The servo-valve is connected as a 3-way system so that the supply hose used as a discharge when the load is being winched up is connected directly to the fluid return and so that ... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5709285 | Brake for a hoisting apparatus A brake for a hoisting apparatus including a hoisting line, a drum for the hoisting line, a hoisting motor and a brake system for braking of the hoisting cable, the brake system consisting of a hydraulic brake and a mechanical brake. The mechanical and th... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5046402 | Rotary to axial motion converting device with groove in piston guide The device serves to convert rotary motion to hydraulic pressure and vice versa. A piston assembly is entirely located within a cylinder, including a piston head and a piston stem fixed to the piston head. The piston assembly divides the cylinder into two... | 09/10/1991 |
| 5007599 | Hydraulically-actuated controller for reel drive A hydraulically-actuated controller is disclosed for controlling delivery of hydraulic fluid from a variable-displacement, pressure-compensated pump to a hydraulically-powered reel on which is wound a cable or other flexible member extending from the reel... | 04/16/1991 |
| 4875530 | Automatic drilling system Maximum rate of drill bit penetration in high speed coring is achieved by precise control of bit weight and bit speed. The automatic drilling system of this invention makes it possible to quickly reach and maintain this optimum combination or "sweet-point... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4756366 | Well servicing methods using a hydraulic actuated workover mast A portable workover rig for lowering and raising objects such as pipe into and out of a borehole and includes a mast which can be raised from the horizontal position to a vertical position. a first hydraulic motor drives a sandline drum and a second hydra... | 07/12/1988 |
| 4722422 | Emergency escape apparatus An emergency escape apparatus allows safe escape from a tall building on fire. It includes a case carried by a user on his back. A wire wound around a reel mounted in the case has one end secured to the case. With the other end of the wire secured to the ... | 02/02/1988 |
| 4625933 | Process and device for regulating the movement of a member by employing a fluid flow The invention relates to a process and device for regulating at any instant the speed of a mobile member, such as a pulley, moving in a stroke of determined uniform direction, by employing a fluid passing under pressure through an orifice of restricted se... | 12/02/1986 |
| 4566675 | Control device for an air hoist A control device for an air hoist drives an air motor rotated by an air supply. The air hoist lifts or lowers a load by rotating a chain wheel. When the chain wheel rotates to lower the load, a small amount of air is supplied to the air motor in order to ... | 01/28/1986 |
| 4554997 | Emergency descent device An improved descent device including a rotating spool on which is wound a cable is provided with a fluid rotation-retarding means having a plurality of vane members mounted for rotation in a fluid-filled chamber. The vane member is comprised of a vane she... | 11/26/1985 |
| 4555092 | System for operation of a direct drive dual drum winch For use in service and maintenance of oil and gas (or water) wells, a system for operating a truck mounted direct drive dual drum winch. Each drum is independently driven by a direct coupled radial piston hydraulic motor. The system includes an improved s... | 11/26/1985 |
| 4523664 | Safety descent device A portable descent device for lowering an object at a controlled speed has a rotating spool carrying wrapped cable mounted within a casing. The spool rotates about a fixed shaft in a sealed chamber containing a viscous liquid. A series of alternating, clo... | 06/18/1985 |
| 4463830 | Reel for a life-line A reel for a life-line comprising a frame, a winding member rotatably journalled in said frame and damping means connected on the one hand with the frame and on the other hand with the winding member for counteracting the rotation of the winding member, s... | 08/07/1984 |
| 4452430 | Safety device for lowering persons and loads A safety device for lowering persons and loads comprises a two-piece casing, the two halves of which are symmetrical forming a cylinder therebetween, in which a piston provided with flow channels for a medium is fitted to move axially, the circumference o... | 06/05/1984 |
| 4438904 | Drawworks Drawworks, having a single outboard brake on the drum shaft at the driller side of the drawworks instead of the pair of brakes conventionally provided at the drum ends, whereby the brake is more readily accessible for service and repairs than are the brak... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4416351 | Reel for a life-line The invention relates to a reel for a life-line comprising a frame, a winding member journalled in said frame so as to be rotatable about a rotary axis, damping means connected on the one hand with the frame and on the other hand with the winding member a... | 11/22/1983 |
| 4404891 | Brake valve for a hydraulically powered winch An improved brake valve for a hydraulically powered winch which has one flow path permitting the relatively unrestricted flow of hydraulic fluid through the valve when the winch is being used to raise a load and a second flow path in which the flow of flu... | 09/20/1983 |
| 4324387 | Power delivery system having a pressure modulated hydrodynamic retarder for controlling a load A pressure modulated hydrodynamic retarder is provided for a power delivery system and speed sensing means is provided for sensing the rotational speed of the output of the retarder for producing a corresponding pressure fluid flow which acts to vary the ... | 04/13/1982 |
| 4192485 | Drill rig hoist A drill rig hoist has a central shaft upon which a drum is mounted for free rotation. The shaft projects beyond the drum, and has at one end a caliper mounting plate secured to the shaft for rotation with the shaft. Clutch calipers mounted on the caliper ... | 03/11/1980 |
| 4173332 | Rotary speed limiter device A rotary speed limiter device particularly useful as a fire escape device. The device has a rotary speed limiter member mounted on a shaft to slide axially on the shaft and to rotate with it. Means, the speed of which is to be controlled, rotates the shaf... | 11/06/1979 |
| 4093034 | Vehicle supported winch The invention is concerned with improvement in a vehicle supported winch which comprises a supported rotatable drum for receiving and releasing a cable, a drive train for selectively transmitting rotary motion to said drum having clutching apparatus and b... | 06/06/1978 |
| 4088305 | Brake-one way winch The invention is concerned with an improvement in a winch and fluid control system. The preferred system which is improved comprises (1) a rotatable drum for receiving and releasing a cable (2) a drive train for supporting the drum and for selectively tra... | 05/09/1978 |
| 4067545 | Device for the braking of towing cables in tow-type ski lifts A device for differentially braking a towing cable in a tow-type ski lift comprises a drum for carrying the towing cable, spring biasing means associated with the drum for biasing the drum in a cable winding or retraction direction, and a turbine-type hyd... | 01/10/1978 |
| 4004779 | Winch and fluid control system therefor A rotatable drum for reeling in and releasing a cable has drive means which includes a normally disengaged drive input clutch, a normally engaged brake and a normally engaged disconnect clutch which may be used to uncouple the drum from the drive system s... | 01/25/1977 |
| 3990552 | Variably biased control mechanism A control mechanism for regulating operation of a rotatable winch drum through a power train including a brake which is normally engaged by hydraulic pressure to secure the winch drum against rotation and a normally disengaged clutch which is selectively ... | 11/09/1976 |
