Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7069660 | Gradient calculating camera board In a machine vision system utilizing computer processing of image data, an imaging module incorporates the image sensor as well as pre-processing circuitry, for example, for performing a background subtraction and/or a gradient calculation. The pre-processing circui... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7040026 | Wheel runout measuring method A method for measuring side run-out of a wheel by turning the wheel mounted on a roller supported rotatably. It is judged whether or not the difference between the side run-out of a wheel at the start point onf one turn and the end point of one turn falls within a s... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7040029 | Method for detection of vehicle movement during wheel alignment measurement A method for use with a vehicle wheel alignment system to detect vehicle roll or elevation change during a vehicle wheel alignment procedure requires the steps of observing individual vehicle wheels, and detecting a substantially simultaneous changes in position or ... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6545750 | System for determining the dynamic orientation of a vehicle wheel plane A system (10) for measuring the dynamic orientation of the plane of a wheel (12) on a vehicle (14). The system (10) includes a test surface (16) which rotates with the wheel (12) and a orientation-determining device (18) which is unattached to the vehicle... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6082011 | Laser plane vehicle alignment system An alignment system is comprised of a lower base plate coupled to an upper slide plate. The plates are coupled together by a sliding mechanism configured to allow the upper plate to slide in two dimensions parallel to the lower plate. A mounting surface i... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6064927 | Alignment component replacement system Wheel alignment adjustment system includes sensing apparatus for sensing alignment characteristics of a vehicle to be aligned, a memory for storing alignment specifications for a plurality of vehicles, at least one manually operable input device, operable... | 05/16/2000 |
| 6047594 | Digital turn plate apparatus A digital turn plate apparatus for aligning steering systems of wheeled devices. The turn plate apparatus has a rotational degree of motion for determining the angle of wheel alignment. The turn plate apparatus also has lateral and longitudinal degrees of... | 04/11/2000 |
| 5978077 | Non-contact method and apparatus for determining camber and caster of a vehicle wheel A method and apparatus for determining camber and caster of a vehicle wheel in which the camber angle is determined in a manner that accounts for the influence of any existing toe angle. This is accomplished by detecting the displacement of one or more po... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5818574 | Method and apparatus for vehicle wheel alignment testing Method and apparatus for non-contact evaluation of wheel alignment for vehicles utilizes laser-based range-finders mounted at locations between which the vehicle is driven for test purposes. Range-finding at three locations on the wheel enables wheel atti... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5731870 | Intelligent sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine A sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine utilizes one or more light sources, such as lasers, to project a laser line or other shaped light onto various locations about the sidewall of a tire undergoing measurement. The sensor i... | 03/24/1998 |
| 5600435 | Intelligent sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine A sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine utilizes one or more light sources, such as lasers, to project a laser line or other shaped light onto various locations about the sidewall of a tire undergoing measurement. The sensor i... | 02/04/1997 |
| 5103414 | Method for trueing spoked wheels A method for trueing a spoked wheel, such as a bicycle wheel, is disclosed. Measurement data on lateral and radial runout and spoke tension all around a wheel is obtained, and the necessary spoke adjustments to true the wheel are determined from the data ... | 04/07/1992 |
| 4863266 | Method and apparatus for measuring vehicle wheel alignment An accurate and high-speed measurement of the vehicle wheel alignment is achieved by an optoelectronic, non-contact measurement system. This system includes photoelectric sensors for detecting the distance between a reference vertical plane and a tire sid... | 09/05/1989 |
| 4787150 | Fixture for checking the alignment of a loadwheel with the spindle of a tire uniformity machine A fixture for measuring the alignment of a loadwheel with respect to the centerline spindle of a tire uniformity machine. An adaptor block is formed with a conical-shaped recess and an opposed conical-shaped projection which mates with a complementary sha... | 11/29/1988 |
| 4577413 | Automotive wheel alignment gauge apparatus The present invention relates to a device for assisting in the alignment of the rear wheels of a front wheel drive vehicle. More specifically the device is used to measure the angular displacement between a horizontal datum perpendicular to the desired fo... | 03/25/1986 |
| 4417237 | Apparatus and method for detecting and indicating misalignments of vehicle wire spoke wheels An apparatus includes having a pair of spaced-apart right and left misalignment sensors which are adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of the wheel under test, and an electrical circuit for producing electrical signals when misalignments are sensed ... | 11/22/1983 |
| 4393594 | Collapsible scriber assembly A collapsible apparatus for scribing a line on the circumferential surface of a cylindrical body as the cylindrical body is rotated about its axis. The apparatus may also be used to provide a reference point for checking the radial and lateral runout of t... | 07/19/1983 |
| 4155170 | Apparatus and gauges for use in measuring the diameter of a buffed tire in relation to a particular matrix Gauges are provided to measure the diameter of a buffed tire to determine whether with the addition of a predetermined amount of uncured rubber thereto by an extruder builder, a predetermined mold or matrix can be used, whether additional rubber will have... | 05/22/1979 |
| 4143464 | Bicycle wheel alignment indicating instrument An instrument to indicate disalignment of a bicycle wheel or the like spoked wheel and characterized by a single feeler or guide engaging both the inner side and a lateral side of the rim, thus avoiding the need to remove the tire and connected to an indi... | 03/13/1979 |
| 4126942 | Apparatus for detecting lateral irregularities of the rim of a wire spoke wheel An apparatus for detecting lateral irregularities of the rim of a wire spoke wheel, in particular for use in a machine for centering such spoke wheels of the type having a wheel spindle, a hub rotatable on the spindle, a wheel rim and a plurality of adjus... | 11/28/1978 |
| 3986267 | Tire measurement A tire measuring instrument is disclosed for measuring the diameter and bead-to-bead dimension of a tire casing and correlating such measurement to a particular retreading matrix. A frame carries a plurality of rotatable cylinders, the periphery of each c... | 10/19/1976 |
| 3951563 | Manufacture of vehicle disc wheels A method of truing a spigot located disc wheel comprising clamping the wheel between two adaptors, rotating the wheel, measuring the radial displacements at each bead seat, and operating a borer in response to the displacements to bore a central spigot ho... | 04/20/1976 |
