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 |
| 7272477 | Vehicle parking assisting system and method A vehicle parking assisting system detects an obstacle by sonar devices, and displays it as a present detection position and a past detection point on a display device in an overlapping manner with a combined birds-eye view image. The present detection point is disp... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7260902 | Jack for a working implement and method Jack for raising and lowering a working implement such as hydraulically driven snow blades or other utilitarian accessories. Actuation of the jack allows for proper vertical alignment of the lift assembly for engagement to a vehicle chassis. Once engaged, the jack c... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7228650 | Jack for a working implement and method Jack for raising and lowering a working implement such as hydraulically driven snow blades or other utilitarian accessories. Actuation of the jack allows for proper vertical alignment of the lift assembly for engagement to a vehicle chassis. Once engaged, the jack c... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7103995 | Jack for a working implement and method Jack for raising and lowering a working implement such as hydraulically driven snow blades or other utilitarian accessories. Actuation of the jack allows for proper vertical alignment of the lift assembly for engagement to a vehicle chassis. Once engaged, the jack c... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7099758 | Parking assist apparatus A parking assist apparatus includes an initial traveling locus calculator for calculating an initial traveling locus, a new traveling locus calculating a new traveling locus when a deviation amount of the present vehicle position from a current traveling locus is eq... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7085634 | Parking assist apparatus and parking assist method for vehicle A parking assist apparatus allows a target parking position to be set by a user moving a target parking frame displayed together with an actual image of surroundings of a vehicle, and automatically guides the vehicle to the set target parking position. In the parkin... | 08/01/2006 |
| 6979089 | Multi-view mirror assembly for a vehicle A multi-view mirror assembly for a vehicle dimensioned to allow a driver to view people, vehicles and other objects positioned lateral and downwardly vertical to a rear end of the vehicle is disclosed. The multi-view mirror assembly is mountable on either an exterio... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6336514 | Wheel suspension for motor vehicles, especially utility vehicles For a wheel suspension for vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles with a wheel unit that can be rotated about an upright axis of rotation, the proposal is to design the wheel unit with its actuating and drive structure as an assembly that is situated... | 01/08/2002 |
| 6234527 | Lifting device for lateral displacement of the trailing end of road vehicles A lifting device for lifting the trailing end of a road vehicle and used to laterally displace the same. The lifting device includes a main body including a fixed section adapted to be rigidly secured to the trailing end, a first mobile section essentiall... | 05/22/2001 |
| 5738376 | Automobile parking aid mechanism A mechanism for improving the parking of an automobile. The mechanism includes an arm whose upper end is rotatably fixedly connected to the automobile chassis or undercarriage at a location which, in the case of a front wheel drive vehicle, is roughly bet... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5450918 | Laterally movable mechanism of a vehicle A laterally movable mechanism for moving a vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction by a slide mechanism attached to the vehicle chassis. Laterally movable mechanisms are disposed at front and rear portions of the chassis, and each ... | 09/19/1995 |
| 5419580 | Direction change device for use with an automobile A direction changing device for use with an automobile having a chassis, a rear wheel frame, a suspension mounted to the rear wheel frame, and front and rear wheels is disclosed. The direction changing device is operated from a power source of the automob... | 05/30/1995 |
| 4700798 | Driver training apparatus for simulating skid conditions of an automobile A driver training apparatus for simulating skid conditions of an automobile, comprises a separate lifting frame carried by four castor wheels which is disposed under the car and is propelled by the car. Under ordinary driving conditions, the castor wheels... | 10/20/1987 |
| 4616726 | Device for turning an articulated motor vehicle The invention relates to a device for an articulated vehicle, for turning the vehicle about within a very limited space. According to the invention, the rear vehicle portion is provided with at least one supporting wheel mounted sideways, the axis of whic... | 10/14/1986 |
| 4605086 | Lifting and maneuvering device for motor vehicles A lifting and maneuvering device for motor vehicles is disclosed, including an auxiliary wheel assembly mounted adjacent to the front and/or the rear wheels of the vehicle. Vertical drive means raise and lower the auxiliary wheel assembly from retracted p... | 08/12/1986 |
| 4469277 | Back-up guide for trucks or trailers A back-up guide for trucks or trailers is made of two elongated members attached perpendicularly to each other, with spikes on their underside to hold the device in a stationary position. The longer of the two members provides a guide for the side of a ve... | 09/04/1984 |
