Celebrity Inventors
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) received Patent No. 121,992 for "An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments." He later received two more patents: one for a self-pasting scrapbook and one for a game to help players remember important historical dates.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7276911 | Detection of malfunctioning bulbs in decorative light strings A system for locating a malfunctioning bulb in a decorative light string uses an antenna that produces an output signal corresponding to the strength of the electric field produced by a portion of the light string near the antenna. An amplifier is coupled to the ant... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7145343 | Repair device for decorative light shunt A repair device for fixing a malfunctioning shunt across a failed filament in a light bulb in a group of series-connected miniature decorative bulbs includes a high-voltage pulse generator producing one or more pulses of a magnitude greater than the standard AC powe... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7109659 | High-intensity discharge lamp ballast and method for operating high-intensity discharge lamp A high-intensity discharge lamp ballast includes a lamp operation unit configured to supply power from a power source to a high-intensity discharge lamp, a lamp voltage detector configured to detect a voltage applied to the high-intensity discharge lamp, a lamp stat... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7029145 | Low voltage decorative light string including power supply One or more strings of decorative lights are supplied with power by converting a standard residential electrical voltage to a low-voltage, and supplying the low-voltage to at least one pair of parallel conductors having multiple decorative lights connected to the co... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6958897 | Electrical load drive control apparatus and electrical load drive control method An electrical load drive control apparatus includes: a plurality of drive units, each of which drives one of a plurality of electrical loads; an instruction unit that issues a drive switch instruction to switch drive among the plurality of electrical loads; a detect... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6118371 | Adaptive vehicle lighting control system A novel vehicle lighting control circuit for reducing the light intensity of a vehicle lighting element via pulse width modulation. A pulse width modulation adjuster is provided for producing a pulse width modulation control signal in order to operate the... | 09/12/2000 |
| 5955945 | Fail safe system for providing warning signals upon the failure of motorcycle brake or tail lights A system for use in monitoring the operation of motorcycle brake and tail lights is disclosed which, upon determination that a brake or tail light is not operating properly to provide a warning light signal, automatically provides an alternate warning lig... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5430354 | HID lamp and auxiliary lamp ballast using a single multiple function switch A ballast for lighting an auxiliary source of illumination whenever a primary source of illumination fails to ignite. The auxiliary source of illumination is effectively turned OFF by placing a short circuit thereacross whenever the primary source of illu... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5256946 | Gaseous discharge lamp system with auxiliary lamp A lighting system having a primary light source and an emergency lamp. The emergency lamp is turned on and remains on upon failure or removal from the system of the primary light source. The system also includes a control device for sensing when the volta... | 10/26/1993 |
| 5216328 | Vehicle lighting system A lighting circuit for a vehicle illuminates a back-up lighting element when a primary lighting element fails. Both lighting elements may be installed in a single housing, such as a headlight assembly. A dashboard switch places the primary lighting elemen... | 06/01/1993 |
| 5061879 | Dual filament lamp control system The present invention provides a Control Module 15 for controlling a dual filament bulb, in particular aircraft reading lamps, so as to detect the failure of one filament and energize the other filament. The Control Module 15 also has provisions for detec... | 10/29/1991 |
| 5012157 | Long-life luminaires There is provided a luminaire primarily for use with exit signs and other emergency-type lighting comprising a series string of low-voltage, extremely long-life bulbs positioned within an enclosure for protection and electrically connected to a standard b... | 04/30/1991 |
| 4998042 | Self-relamping clearance/marker light assembly A self-relamping clearance/marker light assembly includes a pair of lamps connected to a proving ring switch. A primary one of the almps is lighted and the switch prevents current flow through a secondary one of the lamps until the primary lamp burns out.... | 03/05/1991 |
| 4712051 | Adapter for switching from primary to standby device upon failure of primary device This adapter has a housing containing an automatic electrical switching circuit, a plug for connecting the circuit to an external A.C. power source, and sockets for mounting primary and standby lamps on the housing in circuit with the switching circuit. T... | 12/08/1987 |
| 4503488 | Multiple headlamp system A multiple headlamp system for vehicles, comprising at least two individual lamps having their filaments connected in electrical series. This permits the use of shorter filaments and hence smaller diameter reflector lamps, without loss of optical control ... | 03/05/1985 |
| 4495444 | Vehicle lighting system A vehicle lighting system of the type employing dim or low-beam headlights and bright or high-beam headlights is provided with continual sensing of the operativeness of a selected headlight to cause the automatic substitution of a non-selected headlight i... | 01/22/1985 |
| 4461974 | Dual light source A multiple lamp system for use with fiber optic light guide for automatically switching from a main lamp to a standby lamp upon failure of the former. A solenoid is employed with the inductor in the circuit of the main lamp to overcome the bias of the swi... | 07/24/1984 |
| 4382209 | Thermal switch and dual filament long life lamp A three-terminal thermal switch having a common connector arm biased against a terminal of fusible material. When the terminal is softened or melted by current, the connector arm is released and moves into contact against a second terminal. Positioned in ... | 05/03/1983 |
| 4380718 | Trailer marker light substitution circuit An improved dual polarity substitution circuit for energizing a secondary load, such as an incandescent lamp, upon failure of a primary load. Dual polarity is achieved through the use of parallel PNP and NPN transistors, one of which conducts so long as t... | 04/19/1983 |
| 4213075 | Safety circuit for electrical loads A safety circuit is provided for parallel connected electrical loads. The headlight circuit of an automobile or other vehicle is an important application for the circuit. In the circuit a reversely polled control rectifier is in a parallel conductor subci... | 07/15/1980 |
| 4104560 | Lighting system for a motor vehicle A voltage detecting means, such as a voltage winding, a zener diode or the like, is connected across a power source and is operative when the voltage applied thereto exceeds a predetermined value owing to a disconnection of a main lamp also connected acro... | 08/01/1978 |
| 4034259 | Spare lamp control circuit for a light projection system A control circuit for a light projection system for energizing a spare lamp when the circuit detects failure of a main lamp. A pair of input lines apply an alternating-current voltage source to the circuit, to the main lamp and to a spare lamp which is su... | 07/05/1977 |
| 4005331 | High intensity discharge lamp with auxiliary light An emergency lighting system, employing a mercury lamp and an incandescent lamp, and relay circuits for turning on the incandescent lamp in substitution for the mercury lamp, when the light output of the latter is limited, during either cold start or hot ... | 01/25/1977 |
| 3999099 | Electrical receptacle device with main lamp and thermostatically-controlled auxiliary lamp sockets An electrical receptacle device having a main lamp socket and an auxiliary socket adapted to receive an auxiliary lamp operative only upon failure of a main lamp in a main lamp socket. The two sockets are arranged in aligned opposition in a common housing... | 12/21/1976 |
| 3968395 | Two filament electric bulb traffic light A two filament light bulb in a traffic signal generator has a main filament and an auxiliary filament. The light bulb is a two filament halogen light bulb and the traffic light controller includes apparatus for periodically and alternately exchanging the ... | 07/06/1976 |
