...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 |
| 8104988 | Locking connector system Components for use in a locking connector system, such a heavy duty shackles, comprise a retainer, a body structure and pin which is axially moveable into a receiving cavity of the body structure, the body structure having a transversely directed cavity interconnect... | 01/31/2012 |
| 7367739 | Two component seal A pair of pivoting parts are held together with a pin, with a first part, such as a rod end of a hydraulic actuator, positioned between two flanges of a bracket, with the flanges having surfaces mating with sides surfaces of the rod end. A seal is placed in each of ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7364381 | Pivotal connector assembly A connector assembly pivotally couples a caster assembly with a pivot arm of an agricultural implement. The connector assembly includes first and second structural support plates having openings to receive a connector pin therethrough pivotally coupling the arm betw... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7341545 | Torque releasing mechanism for fitness training equipment Steel cables on fitness equipment, through repeated use, will build up undesired torque, due to irregular and unpredictable turns and spins. Such accumulated and undesired torque has a tendency to cause the cable to derail from the grooves on the gears it is suppose... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7329066 | Solid shank pawl pin with redundant locking system Apparatus comprising and methods relating to a quick disconnect pin having a locking member, a first body segment and a second body segment wherein the first and second body segments are rotatably coupled to each other, and relative rotation between the body segment... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7309186 | Pin cartridge for a pin joint A frame for a work machine includes first and second wall portions having an axially aligned bore positioned therein. A boom is positioned between the first and second wall portions and has a bore that is alignable with the bores in the first and second wall portion... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7306394 | Hinge device for attaching at least two bracelet links The hinging device (1) for pivotably attaching the links of a bracelet includes a bar (5) comprising at at least one of its ends (8) a hole (9) provided with an inner thread (10), and a screw (11) whose thread is engaged in ... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7296369 | Backhoe pivot joint A backhoe coupling for joining members of a backhoe attachment is provided, the coupling having a pivot pin assembly that includes a pivot pin and a retaining plate. The pin has a groove for receiving the retaining plate. The retaining plate has an edge that is size... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7293763 | Retaining keeper assembly for a hoisting device A retaining keeper assembly for a hoisting device. A shank has a plurality of circumferential grooves perpendicular to an axis of the shank. A thrust bearing surrounds the shank and is supported by the hoisting device. A split retaining collar having a plurality of ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7182571 | Variable stator vane actuating levers A variable stator vane actuating lever (50) for use in a compressor (20) of a gas turbine engine (10). The lever (50) comprises a first end (52) for pivotal connection to a stator vane actuator ring (36) and a second end ( | 02/27/2007 |
| 7178200 | Hinge structure A hinge structure for mounting a swingable member which is swingable relative to a body member, includes a first knuckle formed on the swingable member, a second knuckle formed on the body member coaxial with the first knuckle, and a pivot pin extending through the ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7108622 | Roller chain transmission device A roller chain transmission comprises a sprocket having at least first teeth and second teeth having different tooth forms, the first teeth and second teeth being randomly arranged, and the number of the second teeth not exceeding four times of the number of the fir... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7055207 | Universal wiper adapter and wiper blade assembly incorporating same The present invention relates to a universal wiper adapter for connecting a wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm including a pair of sidewalls having an aperture and a land extending between the sidewalls cooperating to define a channel. The present invention further... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7043858 | Backhoe pivot joint A backhoe coupling for joining members of a backhoe attachment is provided, the coupling having a pivot pin assembly that includes a pivot pin and a retaining plate. The pin has a groove for receiving the retaining plate. The retaining plate has an edge that is size... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7029402 | Golf club shaft tip diameter adjuster, golf club shaft and golf club A golf club shaft tip diameter adjuster attached to a tip portion of a golf club shaft for adjusting a diameter of the shaft tip portion. The golf club shaft tip diameter adjuster is formed into a cylindrical tubular body out of fiber reinforced resin. A slit is def... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7000905 | Retaining keeper assembly for a hoisting device A retaining keeper assembly for a hoisting device. A shank has a plurality of circumferential grooves perpendicular to an axis of the shank. A thrust bearing surrounds the shank and is supported by the hoisting device. A split retaining collar having a plurality of ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6978847 | Hammer An electrically powered hammer comprises a housing, a spindle, a piston reciprocatingly mounted within the spindle, a wobble drive arrangement reciprocatingly connected to the piston, and a trunnion arrangement including a cross bolt is driving engaged between the w... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6976688 | Mounting assembly for a vehicle suspension arm A mounting assembly for use with a mounting surface includes an arm, a pin, a pair of clamping blocks and a fastener. The arm has a cylindrical bore at one end. The pin extends through the bore. Each block of the pair of clamping blocks includes a central opening an... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6925904 | Adjustable pedal mechanism with tapered rivet for automatic gap and wear protection A control pedal assembly includes a first support and a second support adjustable in a fore-aft direction relative to the first support. At least one guide is carried by the second support and has a tapered engagement surface engaging the first support and moving al... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6913411 | Band coupling structure and method of manufacturing piece member therefor A coupling structure of a watch band in which a coupling member such as a coupling pin or a hair pin does not sup from a coupling hole even if a user practices strenuous sports or a rotation and a twist are always applied to the coupling portion due to use for years... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6859985 | Blade attaching structure of wiper unit A blade attaching structure including a connecting shaft on a blade side detachably supported on an attaching groove formed on a wiper arm, wherein secure fixation becomes possible while attaching and detaching operations are simplified. An attaching groove formed o... | 03/01/2005 |
| 6694571 | Loader attachment pivot pin assembly A pivot pin assembly is formed by providing a cylindrical pin portion with a boss at one end. The boss has a flat shoulder surface, so that its periphery is non-circular. A lever arm is provided with a bore that fits over and is complimentary to the boss,... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6659315 | Manikin joints Joints for joining together limb members of mannequins and forms, and methods of assembly of joints and mannequins are provided. The joints and mannequins of this invention provide natural anatomical shape and ease of assembly. This is accomplished using ... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6612200 | Pop out brake pedal A pedal assembly 10 for use in a vehicle 11 includes a pedal arm 100 that moves in a normal operating range between a rest position and an applied position under a normal operating load. The pedal arm 100 moves in a plane about an axis of rotation. The pe... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6604883 | Universal connector for remote control vehicles A connector for use with a remote controlled apparatus comprising a base adapted to receive a control member and a contact surface adapted to slidingly receive a latch. Two fingers extend outwardly from the base and the latch has opposingly located deform... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6561717 | Self aligning shim for a step pin assembly A shim for use in combination with a pin and fastener assembly, the pin having a shank portion with an outer diameter and a shoulder on an end of the shank portion, the shoulder defining a reduced diameter portion having threads, the fastener adapted for ... | 05/13/2003 |
| 6390716 | Pivotal fastening arrangement of a fastening element on a bearing journal An object is to be mounted by two fastening elements. A fastening element comprises an inlet, which extends at an angle relative to a receptacle lodging a bearing journal, and which allows the fastening element to be placed crosswise on the bearing journa... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6381933 | Shaft coupling with tapered splines for a pull-type forage harvester The device consists of a tapered spline coupler for a drive shaft of a pull-type forage harvester. The first drive shaft and second drive shaft each have a set of tapered splines that are inserted into a tapered, internally splined coupler. A pair of reta... | 05/07/2002 |
| 6340263 | Fastening of a tube plate A fastening of a tube mounting (10) for a wiper system on a vehicle body has at least one fastening bore (58), extending transversely through a mounting tube (12), into which bore a rubber-elastic coupling element (42) with a hole (56) for a screw is inse... | 01/22/2002 |
| 6322280 | Oil sealed collet pin joint A pin joint including a pin having opposite stepped axial ends and an outer surface extending therebetween, the pin being adapted to be supported for pivotal movement in a bearing of a first member such as a lift arm or the like with the opposite stepped ... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6309133 | Process for fixing a guiding member on a support, guiding device obtained by this process and marking apparatus incorporating such a device A process for securing a guiding member on a support which includes at least one opening which is substantially greater in dimension than an end of the guiding member which is supported therein. A space provided between the at least one opening and the en... | 10/30/2001 |
| 6273632 | Joint pin lock mechanism for pivotal pin joint A joint pin lock system or mechanism for a pivotal pin joint which connects one mechanical structural member between a pair of bracket portions of another mechanical structural member pivotally relative to each other by means of a joint pin passed through... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6238127 | Pivot apparatus including a fastener and bushing assembly A fastening assembly for use as a pivot joint for a first member and a second member which have alignable openings therethrough. The fastening assembly comprises a fastener having a longitudinal axis and a bushing mounted on the fastener with the bushing ... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6227749 | Swivel base assembly for connecting insulator to support structure A swivel base assembly for mounting an insulator to a support structure, including a base member having a pair of opposed bearing seats spaced apart from one another in alignment along a bearing axis, and a one-piece coupling member having a first end rec... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6227747 | Shaft retaining apparatus A shaft retaining apparatus has been discovered for retaining a reciprocating shaft within a housing. The shaft retaining apparatus includes a shaft (16) having an outer retainer engaging surface (28) and a shaft housing (18) having a bore for rotatably r... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6158917 | Retention mechanism for mounting pins A pin retention mechanism which prevents longitudinal and/or rotational movement of a mounting pin, such as used for attaching a heavy equipment tool, which provides quick and easy removal. The pin retention mechanism comprises a housing having an opening... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6132128 | Snap-on control member A polymeric torque control is secured to a vehicle armrest and includes an integrally molded coupling surrounding an aperture for receiving and lockably mounting the torque control to a pivot axle extending from a vehicle support member. The integrated co... | 10/17/2000 |
| 6071033 | Pin retainer In many pinned connections between the frames of a machine such as an articulated construction machine, the forces passing through the pin connection caused flexing of the various bolted connections which ultimately could cause the loosening or failure of... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6070945 | Cutting tool retainer A retainer clip adapted to engage a recess in a shank of a cutting tool for securing the cutting tool to a support block. The retainer clip includes a clip body having first and second end portions and at least three protruding portions disposed between t... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6048126 | Mushroom-type pin retainer A mushroom-type pin retainer for a pin having a central bore and which connects a piston and a piston rod of an internal combustion engine. The pin retainer is comprised of a mushroom head connected to a shaft. The shaft has a section of larger diameter f... | 04/11/2000 |