Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7370851 | Damping system of a glove box A damping system of a glove box using a damper and a wire. The damper is attached to the glove box. An end of the wire is fixed to a fastener on a lower panel. Thereby, when a field problem occurs, the damper is mounted and demounted with ease. ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7367086 | String type air damper A string type air damper includes a cylinder formed in a tubular shape, defining a guide hole at one end portion thereof, a piston, which moves in the cylinder, a helical spring for biasing the piston toward the other end portion of the cylinder, and a string member... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7350376 | Jewelry clasp A jewelry clasp supports a plurality of strands of jewelry each with opposite ends having terminal fasteners. The jewelry clasp includes selectively connectable first and second segments. Each of the segments includes a spanner portion having opposite ends and a str... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347286 | Drill string valve assembly A drill string valve assembly includes a tubular valve body, including an outer surface and an inner bore for housing a valve mechanism to control fluid flow through the bore; and an axial load support releasably securable to the outer surface of the valve body, the... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7285026 | Compressed contact electrical connector An electrical connector is used for connecting two electronic elements. The electrical connector includes an insulating body and conducting pins. There are a plurality of pin-receiving holes on the insulating body. Each of the conducting pins has a first conducting ... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7240889 | Securing bracket for a floor supported laundry appliance A securing bracket for a floor supported laundry appliance, such as a washing machine or a clothes dryer. The securing bracket is connected between the rear legs of the appliance and an adjacent wall to prevent skidding of the appliance on the floor. The securing br... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7163220 | Slider mechanism for a vehicle A slider assembly provides a connection between a vehicle body and a vehicle suspension. The slider assembly includes a frame and a locking mechanism attached to the frame. The locking mechanism s a locking pin that is connected to an extension spring, a pivot arm t... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7134701 | Frame for lifting beams and other elongated loads A lift frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on a hoist include a tubular sleeve guide that guides a lift slide. The lift slide carries a lift frame for supporting a load such as a beam or truss to be lifted, and is spring loaded in an upward direction by a spring e... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7114544 | Cord tensioner for covering for architectural openings A tensioner for the control element of a covering for an architectural opening includes a base member attachable to a support surface adjacent to the architectural opening with the base member supporting an upstanding plunger about which a surrounding housing is ada... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7108038 | Cord tensioner A cord tensioner for a guide cord of a cord-guided blind which has an upper rail, a lower rail and a blind material extending between the upper and lower rails and in which the upper rail, the lower rail or both is movable; the cord tensioner being attached to the u... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7021610 | Ring shaped spring device A spring device comprising at least one annular support plate defining a ring with a central axis; a plurality of circumferentially spaced, parallel oriented coil springs disposed about the at least one annular plate; and, a plurality of lock assemblies spaced about... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7000908 | Tailgate stabilizer A counterbalance for use in a motor vehicle that is connected to a tailgate to at least partially control the movement of the tailgate. The counterbalance is made of a spring that counters the load applied to the tailgate, a flexible material strap that provides a s... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6976565 | Load carrying axial positioners with overload energy absorption An axial positioner capable of yielding to absorb energy under compression or tension loads. The positioner includes an outer tube having first and second ends, a threaded actuator rod extending between the first and second ends and a drive to rotate the actuator ro... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6948218 | Spring clip apparatus A spring clip device for use with leashes and dog runs to prevent or reduce the likelihood of injury to pets and their owners. The spring clip assembly includes a closable clip member, a swivel portion, a housing, a sleeve member and a resilient member. The closable... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6841900 | Reciprocating device and linear suspension In a reciprocating device having a moving element, a stator and a flexing suspension for coupling the moving element and stator and for maintaining the moving element on axis, the flexing suspension comprising: at least one flexing element locating the stator relati... | 01/11/2005 |
| 6669178 | Air damper used in glove box of automobile An air damper suitably used in the glove box of an automobile comprises a cylinder having a first open end and a second end, a guide cap covering the first open end, and a piston moveable in the cylinder. A compression coil spring is inserted into the cyl... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6578833 | String pull-in device A pull-in device for a string includes a tubular cylinder, a piston adapted to move inside the cylinder, an urging spring for elastically urging the piston inside the cylinder in the direction of one terminal part of the cylinder, and a string to be pulle... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6419211 | Manipulator and method for manufacturing the manipulator A manipulator comprising a linkage with at least two links (1, 4) which have ball joints (3, 6) at their ends, and a spring device (10) which exerts a tensile force between the links. The spring device (10) comprises a first drawing device (11) with a fir... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6367785 | Air damper A tubular cylinder has a first end and a second end. A piston is movable in the cylinder. A compressed coil spring resiliently biases the piston toward the first end of the cylinder. A string transmits a damper function, caused by a movement of the piston... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6345583 | Bi-directional dampening device and method therefor A bi-directional shock absorbing apparatus for attenuating undesirable dock movement, wherein two independent rods, one associated with a dock and the other with a fixed object, receive forces from the raising and lowering of the dock and transfer these f... | 02/12/2002 |
| 6241229 | Machine for processing metal plate A machine tool for processing of plate-like workpieces (9) includes a machine frame with a work table (8), and a coordinate guide (10) by which the workpiece is movable above the work table (8). A guide rail (11) of the coordinate guide (10) is mounted on... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6220583 | Air damper with hook on piston An air damper of the present invention is provided with a cylinder whose one end is closed and other end is open; a piston which is movable along an axial direction of the cylinder within the cylinder in a state where an end of a string is connected to th... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6183015 | Load limiting device for a seat belt A load limiting device is used with a vehicle seat belt during a crash to allow a limited and controlled forward motion of a vehicle occupant after the retractor has locked. The load limiting device decreases the forces exerted by the seat belt on the veh... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6158374 | Shock absorbing device for mooring and towing applications A shock absorber device is provided for use in absorbing sea surges in mooring and marine towing applications at sea. The device includes a unitary anchor member disposed in a housing. The anchor member includes a rod having an eyelet at one end thereof f... | 12/12/2000 |
| 5974852 | Lifter unit for transfer die A lifter unit is provided for use with a transfer die of the type used to form sheet metal components. The lifter unit functions to appropriately position a stamping between the upper and lower die assemblies and is easily accessible from the top of the l... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5937676 | Suspension system of a washing machine A suspension system of a washing member is comprised of two rods each connected with an upper main suspensor and a lower main suspensor and a secondary suspensor disposed at adjacent ends between the individual rods. The secondary suspensor is comprised o... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5884827 | Spring for a golf bag strap A spring interposed between a golf bag and a carrying strap for the golf bag. The spring will flex when the golf bag is carrying the golf bag thereby reducing the amount of stress placed on the shoulder of the golfer.... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5860365 | Tensioning device for flexible drive member A tensioning device is connected to a flexible drive member by a right-hand threaded member on the drive member, which projects through an opening in the wall of a trolley. The threaded member is threaded onto a tensioning nut which is biased by a spring ... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5653426 | Self-centering spring hanger assembly A self-centering spring hanger assembly has a housing with a top wall, a bottom wall and a central vertical wall therebetween. A coil spring adapted to receive a hanger rod is mounted on the bottom wall. A spring cap is located on the top of the spring. T... | 08/05/1997 |
| 5482258 | Shock mitigating tether system A shock mitigating tether system includes a helical coil spring mounted within a tubular housing between opposing retention plates. A first cable is folded in half and journaled through the longitudinal axis of the spring such that a loop end projects fro... | 01/09/1996 |
| 5449151 | Shock absorber tether line A shock absorber is incorporated into a tether line to provide a take up device for adjusting the effect of certain instantaneous stress forces in the tether line. This shock absorber is formed as part of an assembly and is positioned in transverse orient... | 09/12/1995 |
| 5333845 | Damper device An air cylinder damper device in combination with a storage cabinet includes a cylinder body having a front terminal opening, a piston slidably disposed inside the cylinder body, a spring member disposed inside the cylinder body for biasing the piston in ... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5297782 | Modular snubber apparatus A snubber for tension members such as drive chains and drive belts includes a spindle having an upstanding wall at one end and a recess at the opposite end. A compressed spring is carried on the spindle and is retained thereon in its compressed state by a... | 03/29/1994 |
| 5026230 | Load lashing device with tensioner for use on a freight carrier A two piece load lashing compression device with tensioner for use on belts, bands and ropes on a freight carrier. Between the two metal pieces is located a compression spring which foreshortens under the load from the two pieces.... | 06/25/1991 |
| 4973030 | Spring assembly A compression spring assembly which includes a compression spring and a pair of identical but oppositely disposed guide members. The guide members have cooperating transversely extending keyways which are aligned to receive a key to maintain the assembly ... | 11/27/1990 |
| 4916763 | Pool deck protector A pool deck protector comprising an enlarged body portion tapering into narrow elongated strips at either end, where the body portion is adpated to underlie the body of a spring member forming part of a pool cover tensioning arrangement. The aforesaid str... | 04/17/1990 |
| 4815663 | Trigger type sprayer A trigger type sprayer which comprises a sprayer body whose inner lateral walls are provided with a pair of mutually facing engagement grooves, and wherein a trigger of the sprayer has a notch cut out in the upper end portion of the front wall and a pair ... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4781359 | Sub assembly for a swivel A sub assembly for connecting a power swivel to a drill string. The assembly includes a telescopic sub having a preloaded spring. The telescopic sub has three discrete positions enabling it to travel in either direction from a normal position. This capabi... | 11/01/1988 |
| 4757979 | Tension regulating apparatus An apparatus for regulating tension by the compression of a yieldingly resisting core includes a compressible core, a collapsible modifier arranged in the core and a force transmitting or compressive member which receives a tension that is to be regulated... | 07/19/1988 |
| 4657230 | Overtravel spring assembly for slack adjuster An overtravel spring assembly including a helical-type spring secured in a cylindrical housing in a prestressed state between retaining washers inserted adjacent the opposite ends of the housing. The spring is coaxially disposed in the assembly between th... | 04/14/1987 |
