...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 |
| 7234704 | Wiping and/or sealing element as well as process for sealing a piston and clamping and/or support element The present invention pertains to a wiping and/or sealing element for sealing a piston (11) guided movably in a housing (10) with a seal held in a groove (21, 30). The present invention pertains, furthermore, to a process for sealing a movable p... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7077402 | Combined oil ring A combined oil ring 4 is comprised of an oil ring 5 having upper and lower rails 7 and 8, and an expander 6 for applying contact pressure radially outwards on the oil ring 5. The outer circumferential surface 11 of th... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7044473 | Piston and piston ring assembly Two seal rings are provided comprising an upper ring and a lower ring, the rings having a common axis, a common outer cylindrical surface, a common inner cylindrical surface, and a couple of facing surfaces. The facing surfaces form an engaging length in a radial se... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7032882 | Valve assembly having novel flow characteristics A valve assembly including a housing having a flow channel and an annular surface surrounding the flow channel, a slide plate movable to a closed position, and a seal ring positioned between the annular surface and the slide plate. The seal ring includes a first and... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7017914 | Piston assembly and method of manufacture A piston assembly having a piston and a piston ring. The ring mates to the piston in a groove on the outer surface of the piston. The ring includes two side walls that connect between inner and outer peripheral walls. The side walls converge outwardly at different a... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6843481 | Fluid-moving device with a clearance seal A clearance seal assembly is disclosed. The assembly comprises a stationary member defining a first side, a second side and an opening connecting the first and second side; a moving member moveably disposed through the opening; and a sealing member circumferentially... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6616426 | Airlift piston mechanism An airlift piston mechanism is disclosed to include a casing having a piston chamber, an air inlet, a check valve in the air inlet, and an air outlet, a link, a piton reciprocated by the link in the piston chamber, the piston having an air accumulation ch... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6575472 | System for sealing relatively movable elements The present invention is directed to a system for providing a fluid seal between relatively movable elements, including a hub or a drum and a piston. A groove for retaining a seal is defined in the periphery of one of the rotatable elements, and a spacer ... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6367805 | Stripping arrangement In a stripping arrangement for preventing liquid from penetrating at the peripheral gap (1) between a reciprocating component (2) and a casing opening (3) surrounding the latter, a choke ring (8) is provided on the side facing the inlet of the liquid to b... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6347575 | Low emission piston and ring for internal combustion engine A piston and compression ring combination with a piston having a generally cylindrical configuration for mounting in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, an annular groove adjacent the top of the piston; and a piston ring having an upper inwardly ... | 02/19/2002 |
| 6340160 | System for sealing relatively movable elements The present invention is directed to a system for providing a fluid seal between relatively movable elements, including a hub or a drum and a piston. A groove for retaining a seal is defined in the periphery of one of the rotatable elements, and a spacer ... | 01/22/2002 |
| 6270081 | Combination of piston ring for use in internal combustion engine A piston ring combination including at least one compression ring and at least one oil ring. If a plurality of compression rings are provided, an outer peripheral surface of at least a top ring is formed with a first ion plating layer. The oil ring has a ... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6213474 | Piston ring and combination of compression rings According to an aspect of the present invention, a piston ring for use in internal combustion engines is provided that is made of matensite-based stainless steel material containing C of not less than 0.4 and not more than 0.8 weight percent, Si of not le... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6138923 | Injector An injector of intensified fuel injection type is disclosed in which a resin-made sealing member for sealing a clearance between a concave and a boosting piston fitted in the concave for reciprocating movement is protected from deterioration owing to high... | 10/31/2000 |
| 5964467 | Oil control ring of two piece type for internal combustion engine The oil control ring 1 is provided to attach in an annular groove 10 formed in a piston 2 for internal combustion engine. The spacer expander 4 comprises a base 8, a plurality of supports 6 and a plurality of arms 7. The supports 6 and arms 7 are integral... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5253877 | Piston ring having tapered outwardly extending wiper A piston head assembly has one, two or more grooves to receive piston rings. One or more of the grooves may receive multiple piston rings. One of the piston rings may have a wiper extension on the lower outside edge of the ring either of metal or elastome... | 10/19/1993 |
| 4681326 | Gas lubricated piston ring assembly A piston ring assembly wherein a piston member operating within a cylinder is lubricated by means of gas rather than oil films or solid lubricants. One ring (located near the lower end of piston) or two rings (one located near the lower end and the other ... | 07/21/1987 |
| 4540185 | Gas-lubricated seal for sealing between a piston and a cylinder wall A piston-cylinder seal uses gas for a lubricant and has a runner supported on a gapless structure and placed in the space between the piston and the cylinder wall. The runner is deformed elastically under the influence of the operating pressures to follow... | 09/10/1985 |
| 4477090 | Piston ring assembly for hydraulic mechanisms, particularly such mechanisms for very high operating pressures A piston ring assembly for a piston of the type which is rigidly connected to the associated piston rod and which during its reciprocating motion in a cylinder has to be inclinable with its longitudinal axis by a small angle relative to the center axis of... | 10/16/1984 |
| 4455028 | Sealing device with radially slitted metal washers for hydraulic piston mechanisms A sealing device for a piston of the type which is rigidly connected with the associated piston rod and which is adapted in a reciprocatory motion within an enclosing cylinder to be inclinable a small angle with its longitudinal axis relative the center a... | 06/19/1984 |
| 4447062 | Sealing arrangement for fluid flow engines A sealing arrangement between the shaft and housing of a fluid flow engine with a blocking gas space limited by piston rings; the blocking gas pressure is controlled by changing the effective cross section of venting bores and therewith is matched to the ... | 05/08/1984 |
| 4438937 | Piston ring The area of the cross-section of a piston is reduced while maintaining the over-all dimensions of the cross-section such that the ring is usable in the conventional ring groove of a piston and cylinder assembly. The reduction in the area of the cross-sect... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4411436 | Spring loaded piston seal assembly Spring loaded seals comprised of two resting rings positioned in an annular groove of a piston that are pressed against the upper and lower shoulders of the groove by a corrugated spring fitted therebetween. Each resting ring has at least one free-floatin... | 10/25/1983 |
| 4350082 | Pump piston having ring lubrication means A downhole oil well hydraulic pump has a reciprocating piston assembly with a piston ring mounted in a groove around the piston. This piston ring groove has a main portion which loosely mounts a piston ring and an auxiliary portion joining the main portio... | 09/21/1982 |
| 4313368 | Reciprocating piston A reciprocating piston used in particular in heat engines and other industrial machines comprises at least one decompression chamber delimited between the bottom of an annular groove and the inner face of the first ring housed in this groove. A split ring... | 02/02/1982 |
| 4289264 | Uniform load piston ring A piston ring which provides uniform circumferential pressure loading on the ring. The ring has two protrusions, and an optional third protrusion, which give full and uniform sealing contact between the ring, and a complementary peripheral groove in an as... | 09/15/1981 |