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 |
| 7372369 | Monitoring of alarm system wiring A supervisory method and apparatus provide for detection of “partial fault” conditions such as a relatively high series impedance in the wiring, or a relatively low parallel impedance across the wiring. A non-linear element, such as a semiconductor diode, can be... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7259665 | Battery backed service indicator aids for field maintenance A self-contained backup power source such as a battery is provided for components within an electrically powered device such as a storage controller, photocopier or the like, to maintain diagnostic status data and to power a service indicator aid, or diagnostic indi... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7161495 | Alert for indicating validity of removable memory media The present invention is an apparatus for indicating valid data in a removable memory media. In an embodiment of the invention, an alert may be employed with the removable media, such as NVRAM, to indicate that the battery backup is functional and that the memory co... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7035774 | Portable terminal and message notifying system using the same A portable terminal carried by an operator of a target apparatus includes a communicating device for conducting wireless communication and a first information acquiring device for acquiring first information related to the target apparatus from the target apparatus ... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7014509 | Universal wire harness for detectors An electrical unit, such as a fire or gas detector, carries a three conductor plug for receipt of energy, AC hot, and neutral, as well as for coupling to a bidirectional signaling line. A multiple conductor adapter makes it possible to couple the plug to a plurality... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6838292 | Detection of biological warfare agents Methods and devices are provided for the detection of bacterial agents such agents as Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium botulinum with high sensitivity and selectivity. More specifically, methods and devices are based on a phosphorescence-emission det... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6384723 | Digital communication system and method A communication protocol facilitates transmission at maximum rates for various types of cables. Signal to noise characteristics are improved by using voltage waveforms. The protocol can be used to transmit information between a common control unit and a p... | 05/07/2002 |
| 5963850 | Method and apparatus for verifying the operability of a balanced diode mixer and local oscillator combination A method and apparatus for testing a balanced diode mixer and local oscillator combination in a microwave receiver. The diodes comprising a balanced mixer are unbalanced in a selective, controlled manner to generate an offset signal. The unbalancing of th... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5894262 | Electronic doorbell with reversible diode A doorbell circuit detects when one of a plurality of doorbell switches is depressed and provides an audible indication of the particular doorbell switch depressed. The doorbell circuit includes a detector circuit which will function properly with the dio... | 04/13/1999 |
| 5606305 | Ultra-sonic dog-expelling device An ultra-sonic dog-expelling device, which comprises an upper casing, a lower casing and an ultra-sonic oscillation circuit; the tuner walls of the upper and lower casings are furnished with click grooves and fastening tongues respectively so as to have t... | 02/25/1997 |
| 5578828 | Flame sensor window coating compensation Intensity of optical emission from a combustion flame within a gas turbine combustor is monitored through an optical window in the combustor wall by a primary detector. Because the window is susceptible to becoming coated with deposits during combustor op... | 11/26/1996 |
| 5525962 | Communication system and method A communication system includes a control element, a bidirectional communications link, and one or more devices coupled to the link. The control element, via driver circuits, reversibly applies a predetermined potential to the link for the purpose of ener... | 06/11/1996 |
| 5387899 | Alarm system with monitoring circuit for detecting a cut or short in a pair of wires An alarm system is described wherein both an open connection between an alarm monitor and an alarmed unit or a short circuit across the connection between the monitor and the unit can be detected. A controllable, normally open test device is placed in par... | 02/07/1995 |
| 5260605 | Broadband load disconnect voltage inversion A polarity switch changes the direction of DC to various loads in response to a sensed loss of AC and nonessential loads are shed in response to a sensed change in DC polarity at the various loads.... | 11/09/1993 |
| 5140306 | Alarm indicating system An alarm indicating system utilizing a plurality of remote sensors connected to a wired-OR address bus, the sensors having means for forming a binary address which is placed on the address bus as a series of high and low signal levels when the remote sens... | 08/18/1992 |
| 5043703 | Supervision of autodyne microwave motion-detection system An autodyne microwave motion-detection system includes a supervisory circuit for monitoring the operating status of the microwave energy-producing component of the system. According to a preferred embodiment, the supervisory circuit of the invention compr... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5043701 | Multi-input electrical monitor A multi-input electrical monitor has a plurality of input terminals for connection to a plurality of condition responsive transducers whereby some of the input terminals receive electrically high signals while other of the input terminals receive electric... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5043700 | Multi-input electrical monitor A multi-input electrical monitor has a plurality of input terminals for connection to a plurality of condition responsive transducers whereby the input terminals receive electrically both high and low signals when the transducers respond to respective pre... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5029290 | Emergency alert system An alarm system suitable for use in a telecommunications network in which a central switching system is capable of selectively providing a signal of a predetermined polarity to a plurality of remotely located stations without being dependent upon or imped... | 07/02/1991 |
| 4926162 | High security communication line monitor A communication line monitor for use in a security or fire detection system of the type including a central alarm station and a communication line. A remote transmitter is coupled to the communication line at the remote end thereof and is assigned one una... | 05/15/1990 |
| 4849734 | Self-diagnostic circuit for alarm-systems A self-diagnostic circuit for use in alarm systems and the like, of the kind having a plurality of alarm detection switches connected in a loop, indicators associated with each of the switches for indicating locally the detection of an alarm condition and... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4833451 | Individual source identification An individual source identification of several signal providers or pick-ups with closable contacts disposed in a twin-wire signal line, in particular for fire detectors in fire alarm systems. The signal pick-up system allows to distinguish actuation of in... | 05/23/1989 |
| 4764754 | Fail-safe alarm circuit A fail-safe alarm system includes a device which allows current to flow in only one direction to insure that the supervisory current in an alarm circuit is flowing in the intended direction rather than in a wrong direction caused by a miswiring.... | 08/16/1988 |
| 4725821 | Device for generating an alarm signal A device for generating an alarm signal in the event of an abnormality in the environment of a detector includes a pair of signal/power supply lines, a number of detectors for detecting an abnormality, e.g., fire, gas leakage, or burglary, and an alarm re... | 02/16/1988 |
| 4717907 | Remote parameter monitoring system with location-specific indicators A remote parameter monitoring system utilizes a series of half-wave rectifier diodes in combination with a unique overlapping wiring arrangement to provide for location-specific detection of a parameter condition existing at a plurality of spaced location... | 01/05/1988 |
| 4656615 | Hydrophone array polarity test circuit Each hydrophone receiver element is attached in electrical parallel with the series combination of a switching diode and a zener diode so that the physical orientation of the element is the same for each element network. The response element networks then... | 04/07/1987 |
| 4646065 | Fault-tolerant control system A fault tolerant control system employing input sensing network and in association therewith a signal processing system which eliminates the effect of radiofrequency interference, electromagnetic interference, transients, and random false alarm signals. T... | 02/24/1987 |
| 4625198 | Alarm system diagnostic apparatus A diagnostic status indicating apparatus is used with an alarm system having a plurality of normally-closed switch contacts which are opened upon occurrence of an alarm condition. Light-emitting diodes are connected across the normally-closed switch conta... | 11/25/1986 |
| 4578669 | Remote switch position indicator A remote sensing and indicating system for monitoring and displaying at a central operating location the state or position of a remotely located multiple state element. The multiple state element may be a subsea valve which may be either in an open state ... | 03/25/1986 |
| 4567471 | Monitoring system A monitoring system for a protection loop that has a plurality of switches in series utilizes modules with inexpensive diodes and resistors, and is conveniently and easily added to existing burglar alarm circuits and loops. A monitoring module that includ... | 01/28/1986 |
| 4506254 | Alarm system with detectors and signaling devices on the same cable pair A single zone system which may use a single cable pair for both detectors of nonstandard conditions and audio/visual alarms. The audio/visual alarms are polarity responsive and in response to an alarm detection, comprising an increase in line current, the... | 03/19/1985 |
| 4506253 | Supervisory and control circuit for alarm system An alarm detection, indication and supervision circuit with reduced power drain during failure of commerical power supply whereby standby batteries may maintain detection capability for an extended period. Separate detection and alarm indication loops are... | 03/19/1985 |
| 4498074 | Selectively testable fire detector A selectively testable fire detector comprises a fire detecting circuit supplied with a first voltage and which detects smoke and/or temperature, a self-holding circuit which is actuated by the output signal of the fire detecting circuit, a counter which ... | 02/05/1985 |
| 4376277 | Dynamic contact checking circuit A fail safe type of monitoring circuit for contacts is provided using an opto-isolator. The opto-isolator is energized in response to the operation of the contacts to clearly indicate whether the contacts are open or closed, and whether the circuit compon... | 03/08/1983 |
| 4270121 | Circuitry for burglar alarm annunciator An annunciator system includes circuitry which, upon depressing of a momentary switch isolating the annunciator system from closed loop inputs of an electronic burglar alarm sensing unit, identifies the status of each access switch in a closed loop circui... | 05/26/1981 |
| 4020488 | Alarm and/or control apparatus Apparatus as described for indicating, for alarm and/or safeguard control purposes, when the value of a second parameter lies beyond (i.e. is above or below) a predetermined limit. The apparatus includes two or more sensors each arranged to provide a resp... | 04/26/1977 |
| 4017852 | Apparatus for supervising leads interconnecting a plurality of self-contained abnormal condition sensing and alarm annunciating units Circuitry associated with a self-contained abnormal condition sensing and alarm annunciating unit for supervising or monitoring leads interconnecting a plurality of such units and for responding to an open circuit condition of such leads so as to actuate ... | 04/12/1977 |
| 3997890 | Alarm system with supervisory system to detect severing or bridging of detection switches A tamper proof detector circuit for use in an alarm system and an integral switch for use therein. The integral switch is comprised of a housing which encloses an alarm condition sensing switching means connected to a diode. The integral switches are conn... | 12/14/1976 |
| 3936821 | Supervisory circuit for parallel connected devices A supervisory circuit for a plurality of continuously-conductive alarm devices connected in parallel between a pair of conductors monitors the operability of the circuit as well as the operability of each of the devices. Alarm devices having a low impedan... | 02/03/1976 |
