Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7657987 | Methods for the attachment of a functional element to a sheet metal part A functional element for connection to a sheet metal part, and a method for connecting a functional element to a sheet metal part. The functional element includes a head part, a tubular rivet section extending from the head part and a tubular guide section disposed ... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7425111 | Torque resistant fastening element A torque resistant self-attaching fastener having a tubular barrel portion and a radial flange portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial projections each having opposed planar generally radial side faces with the outer surface of the radial fl... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7401394 | Method of attaching a fastener element to a metal panel In a method for inserting a bolt element (10) having a head portion (12) and a shaft portion (16) into a sheet metal component (52) the bolt element is passed through the sheet metal component by means of a setting head (38), with ... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7338245 | Self-attaching nut A self-attaching nut for installation in a panel by a plunger driven against the bottom face of the nut, the bottom face of the nut including parallel rails on opposed sides of a channel-shaped recess and a threaded bore through the recess, eliminating the requireme... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7316341 | Adjustable exhaust assembly for pneumatic fasteners An adjustable exhaust assembly for a pneumatic fastener includes a base, which includes a base plate and a protrusion protruding from the base plate. The protrusion is centrally hollow and includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The base plate includes an in... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7305755 | Processing tong A hydraulic processing tong for processing workpieces, with a tool, has a first tool part with an axially movable press ram or plunger, which with a first end or a tool located there and an opposing workpiece assembly forms a work area or work gap and with the first... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7305759 | Device for the manufacture of a shaft assembly for a hydrodynamic bearing In order to improve a device for the manufacture of a shaft assembly for a hydrodynamic bearing by pressing a shaft into a fit bore in a bearing disk, comprising a first pressing tool and a further pressing tool, in such a way that enables high accuracy to be achiev... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7287944 | Self-riveting male fastener and panel assembly A male fastener formed of heat treated carbon steel for high performance applications, including a shank portion, radial flange and tubular barrel, wherein the barrel has an axial length of 60% or less than the outside diameter and a fastener and panel assembly, whe... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287411 | Die for a tool set for mechanical joining A die for a tool set includes at least one punch and a die which defines a cavity for effecting joining. The die comprises an anvil opposite the punch. Die segments adjoin the said anvil and define the cavity in the circumferential direction. When the punch is being... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7278561 | Oil free head valve for pneumatic nailers and staplers The present invention provides a head valve assembly for a pneumatic fastener including a piston assembly reciprocated within a cylinder assembly for driving a fastener and a housing having an end cap for at least partially enclosing the head valve assembly. The hea... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7269893 | Tool for piercing nut A tool for piercing nuts that includes a die part, a punch part and a piercing nut feeder incorporated into the punch part. The piercing nut feeder is adapted to feed piercing nuts into a piercing nut holder in the punch part so that these nuts, when the punch part ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7267736 | Method of joining dissimilar materials The present invention provides a method of joining dissimilar materials, particularly a non-ferrous component to a ferrous component to form an assembly. In an overlapping configuration, the parts are held together under a clamping force while a self-piercing rivet ... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7246734 | Rotary hydraulic pump actuated multi-stroke surgical instrument A surgical instrument (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, staplers, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.) may benefit from having a plurality of hydraulically actuated subsystems (e.g., s... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7237314 | Method of securing a nut plate to a wall defined by an aperture through a workpiece A method of securing a nut plate to a workpiece includes the step of providing a nut plate include a nut, a holding bracket having tubular and bracket portions, and a stem. The tubular portion has an aperture therethrough which is inwardly tapered from a first end t... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7231797 | Calking die and calked heel A calking die for calking a component in a receiving bore, in particular for calking a securing flange in a stepped receiving bore of a valve block of a traction-controlled vehicle brake system, having an end face oriented toward the component, which face can be bro... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7200915 | Method for continuously joining a handrail for an escalator or moving walkway Two opposite ends of a handrail stock member are joined to form a handrail having a closed-loop configuration for an escalator or the like. A slot is cut into each end, parallel to a longitudinal reinforcement layer of the handrail stock member. A joint reinforcemen... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7179034 | Torque resistant fastening element A fastening element capable of being attached to a panel by deforming the panel is disclosed. A barrel portion is tubular with an open free end and has an axis defining a circumference. A radial flange portion is integral with the tubular barrel portion opposite the... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7178809 | Roof weather strip for convertible car A roof weather strip for use in a convertible car is composed of a plurality of weather strip pieces corresponding to the folding of a sliding roof thereof. When the sliding roof is unfolded to form a roof of the convertible car, longitudinal end parts of adjacent r... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7165312 | Method of attaching a locator stud on a panel A locator stud including a shank and a flange portion integral and coaxially aligned with the shank and a bearing surface between the shank and the flange portion, a method of installation in a panel, including forming an opening in the panel, inserting the flange p... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7160047 | Functional element arrangement, functional element, auxiliary assembly element, assembled component and method for producing an assembled component A functional element arrangement which includes a functional element which is to be mounted on a component, especially but not exclusively on a brittle or non-rigid component made of a material containing cavities or pores, e.g. plastic, wood, metal foams, plastic o... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7160072 | Method of attaching a functional element; die; functional element; component assembly A method of attaching a functional element (10, 210), in particular a fastener element to a sheet metal part (12, 212), optionally in liquid and/or gas-tight manner, is characterized in that the functional element (10, 210, 410) is pressed again... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7152294 | Self-attaching female fastener element and method of installation A symmetrical self-attaching female fastener including a body having a bore, and identical integral tubular barrel portions extending from opposed ends of the body coaxially aligned with the bore. The installation method includes driving either barrel portion throug... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7140525 | Cap feeding device for roofing guns A cap feeding device for a roofing gun includes a moving member and a pressing member which is pivotably connected to the moving member. Both of which are engaged with the rail unit of the container for receiving stack of caps. A torsion spring is biased between the... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7137540 | Dual mode pneumatic fastener actuation mechanism A contact safety and trigger mechanism for use with a pneumatic fastener in order to permit efficient pneumatic fastener actuation mode selection. A rotating rod is included in a contact safety assembly which is constructed to slide toward/away from a driver housing... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7131807 | Functional element, method for fixing it in a sheet metal part, assembling element and swaging assembly The invention concerns a functional element, in particular a bolt, consisting of a shank portion (14) and a head portion (16) designed to be assembled riveted with a plate element, in particular a sheet metal part. The invention is characterised in tha... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7117706 | Programmable apparatus and method for body panel attachment A method and apparatus for forming attachment pads in an inner body panel for the precise attachment of an outer body panel thereto. The apparatus positions a fixed anvil at a predefined net reference position while a face plate simultaneously “finds” the panel ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7114899 | Pop-up fastener A pop-up fastener including a tubular retainer for one-way passage into a socket. A fastening member slidably extends through the retainer. The fastening member has helical threads at its top and a protrusion at its bottom. A compressed spring is positioned atop the... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7100260 | Programmable apparatus and method for body panel and clinch nut attachment A method and apparatus for forming attachment pads on a panel for attachment of a clinch nut thereto. The panel is formed between a forming die and a fixed anvil, which occupies a predefined net reference position. A face plate simultaneously “finds” the panel a... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7070378 | Heatstake A heatstake for fastening a workpiece includes a base portion (12) having at least one shaft portion (22). A central passage (30) extends though the shaft portion from its leading end (28) to the base portion. A plurality of slots (22 | 07/04/2006 |
| 7065853 | Method of forming a hex nut from a planar material A hex nut formed from cutting and deforming a rigid planar material and having an integral attachment surface continuous with the deformable planar material allows attachment of the hex nut to any suitable surface. A rigid planar material such as a piece of flat met... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7047636 | Method of connecting a connecting member and a flat circuit member A method in which a claw portion of a connecting member penetrates a first piercing portion of a flat circuit member in a thickness direction thereof. In the case of connection to the flat circuit member having a thick conductor portion, the claw portion is bent suc... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7047617 | Method of attaching a self-piercing element in a panel and die member A self-piercing element including a shank, a radial flange and a tubular barrel. The flange includes spaced concave surfaces and the annular bearing surface has an area at least four times the concave surfaces. The element is installed in a panel supported on a fema... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7043812 | Apparatus and method for button indexing in button attaching machine, and method of adjusting the apparatus A button indexing device used in a button attaching machine for attaching a button to be indexed in a specific orientation on a fabric of garments or the like, including lower mold provided at a button attaching position of the attaching machine, a driving section f... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7032296 | Self-piercing fastening system The preferred embodiment of a fastening system includes a self-piercing fastener having a thread-like pattern. In another aspect of the present invention, a fastener insertion machine employs an electromagnetic actuator without fluid actuation. A further aspect of t... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7021513 | Staple forming arrangement in a stapler Staple forming arrangement (11) forming part of a stapler (1) in which a workpiece (6), primarily a sheaf of papers, is stapled together. The arrangement includes a bending punch (15), which is driven by a drive mechanism (12,13) a... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7003861 | Tool assembly employing a flexible retainer A flexible retainer for retaining die blades in a tool assembly. The retainer comprises inner and outer walls with the inner wall being generally concentric with and radially spaced inward from the outer wall. The inner wall defines a central opening in the retainer... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6994486 | Functional element and panel assembly A method for placing a functional element, especially a fastening element, in an especially liquid-tight and/or gastight manner, on a metal part. The inventive method is characterized in that a functional element provided with a hollow head segment is pressed agains... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6993831 | Fastener installation apparatus The disclosed fastener installation apparatus includes a plurality of spaced parallel feed passages each communicating with a plunger passage in a moveable member and the fixed member includes a plunger assembly having a plurality of spaced parallel legs which recip... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6979160 | Fixing element A fixing element comprising a fixing section and a tubular stamped or riveted section in which the stamped or riveted section enable the fixing element to be placed on a metal part and the fixing section enables an object to be placed on the metal part. A bearing su... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6958089 | Structure of an electrostatic precipitator An electrostatic precipitator includes a frame, several parallel square metallic rods securely disposed in the frame, and several metallic boards positioned parallel in the frame for charges to be deposited on, and spacing elements; the metallic boards have through ... | 10/25/2005 |
