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 |
| 7322227 | Tank container with electronic monitoring device A tank container with electronic monitoring device includes a tank barrel and a container frame supporting the same. The tank barrel includes a valve assembly and a valve assembly protection box. The electronic monitoring device is installed inside the valve assembl... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7251983 | Secondary containment system and method A pump housing that contains a pump that draws fuel from an underground storage tank containing fuel to deliver to fuel dispensers in a service station environment. The pump is coupled to a double-walled fuel pipe that carries the fuel from the pump to the fuel disp... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7229233 | Double walled containment sumps A double walled riser sump has an annular space between the two walls. The provision of the annular space provides for monitoring the integrity of the two walls of the sump. The two walls of the sump are preferably separated by a thin film or a distance fabric that ... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7216530 | Fluid containment element leak detection apparatus and method The invention may be used for detecting fluid leaks in a fluid containment element having a primary element enclosed in a secondary element. A fluid container may have a reservoir with an upstanding test cylinder with a selected fluid volume. A device may be dispose... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7198433 | Landfill design and method for improved landfill gas capture The invention provides an improved method of collecting biogas from a landfill that results in more complete collection of biogas produced in the landfill, and with less contamination with air. The method involves providing the landfill with an upper gas containment... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7073976 | Under-dispenser containment system A type of under-dispenser containment system that is easier to install, inspect and repair primary and secondary piping connections located underneath an above ground dispensing unit. This shallow type containment chamber has angled sidewalls that permit underground... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7056062 | Subterranean waste disposal process and system A method for using large chambers, located deep within the earth, for the disposal of processed waste is disclosed. In this context, waste includes solid waste from sewage, and other organic-waste materials from urban, agricultural or industrial sources. These waste... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7051580 | Hydraulic monitoring method and apparatus A hydraulic monitoring method and apparatus provides a monitoring system which replaces the void or air space within the interstitial/annular volume of double wall piping with an inert environmentally safe, food grade, hydraulic liquid. Monitoring of the liquid prov... | 05/30/2006 |
| 6974054 | Service station leak detection with recovery system A fueling environment distributes fuel from a fuel supply to fuel dispensers in a daisy chain arrangement with a double-walled piping system. Fuel leaks that occur within the double-walled piping system are returned to the underground storage tank or a sump proximat... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6962269 | Service station leak detection and recovery system A fueling environment that distributes fuel from a fuel supply to fuel dispensers in a daisy chain arrangement with a double walled piping system. Fuel leaks that occur within the double walled piping system are returned to the underground storage tank by the outer ... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6935161 | Service station leak detection and recovery system A fueling environment distributes fuel from a fuel supply to fuel dispensers in a daisy chain arrangement with a double-walled piping system. Fuel leaks that occur within the double-walled piping system are returned to the underground storage tank or a sump proximat... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6834534 | Fuel storage tank leak prevention and detection system and method A storage tank leak detection and prevention system that detects a breach or leak in the interstitial space of a double-walled fuel storage tank in a service station environment. The interstitial space is placed under a vacuum using a submersible turbine pump that i... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6766620 | Building levelling system A building levelling system is provided for a building having a basement or foundation supported on expansive soil. A water management system is included for maintaining water in the expansive soil at a level adjacent the foundation to saturate the soil with water a... | 07/27/2004 |
| 6551024 | System and method for detecting leaks in underground storage tank A double walled storage tank includes an outer wall, an inner wall, a plurality of ribs disposed between the inner and outer walls, and a plurality of annular spaces between the ribs. The annular space between each pair of ribs is connected to other annul... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6139222 | Method and apparatus for containment of or protection from hazardous or undesirable materials A method and apparatus for containing and protecting oblong and odd-sized objects with plastic sheeting that may form a cylindrical enclosure by pressure sealing extruded plastic profile fasteners located at opposing edges of the plastic sheet. The open e... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6056477 | Waste disposal site A waste disposal site according to the present invention is provided with water-impermeable properties by water-impermeable materials covering a bottom surface and a sloped side surface of the waste disposal site. The waste disposal site is provided with ... | 05/02/2000 |
| 6035701 | Method and system to locate leaks in subsurface containment structures using tracer gases The present invention integrates an inverse modeling technique and a field measurement system. The system uses inexpensive and non-hazardous gaseous tracers injected inside the contained volume of a barrier to quantify the location and size of any leaks i... | 03/14/2000 |
| 5988945 | Method for preventing corrosion of the vessel of a storage tank, and storage tank for implementing it A method prevents corrosion of a vessel made of a corrodible material. The vessel has a bottom which has an outer surface. The method includes detecting the appearance of water at the outer surface of the bottom of the vessel.... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5934830 | Apparatus for preventing corrosion of the vessel of a storage tank A method prevents corrosion of a vessel made of a corrodible material. The vessel has a bottom which has an outer surface. The method includes detecting the appearance of water at the outer surface of the bottom of the vessel.... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5909983 | Emergency water reservoir apparatus An emergency water reservoir apparatus for providing a ready water reserve for extinguishing fires at a location such as a residence includes a water storage tank having an interior reservoir in fluid communication with a water hydrant valve. A water inta... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5850144 | Method for detecting leaks in a membrane A leak-testable, fluid-impervious membrane is formed as a laminate of a conductive mesh scrim between upper and lower insulative polymeric resin layers. The scrim is preferably a screen formed of a metallic wire, such as aluminum. The polymeric resin is p... | 12/15/1998 |
| 5663490 | Breakage detection system for water-barrier sheet in waste disposal facility A system for detecting the position of a break in a water-barrier sheet placed in a waste disposal facility for isolating wastes from the ground of the waste disposal facility includes at least one optical fiber laid in a predetermined pattern between the... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5595456 | Water-tight riser for underground storage tank manway An underground storage tank provided with a manway is equipped with a riser extending from the storage tank, about the manway, to a point just below the access way provided in the ground level of the installation. The riser is provided with a water-tight ... | 01/21/1997 |
| 5588779 | Sight, vent, and drain assembly for an underground tank An improved method and apparatus for use with an underground tank of fire suppression fluid in which the fluid level within the tank can be visually determined quickly during pumping operations. Also, the fluid in the underground tank is protected from fr... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5583283 | Impoundment leak detection, location, and containment system An impoundment leak detection, location, and containment system comprises an impermeable grid having a plurality of leak detection modules positioned below the impoundment. A tunnel is located adjacent the impermeable grid, and a plurality of conduits pro... | 12/10/1996 |
| 5460032 | Impoundment leak detection, location, and containment system An impoundment leak detection, location, and containment system comprises an impermeable grid having a plurality of leak detection modules positioned below the impoundment. A tunnel is located adjacent the impermeable grid, and a plurality of conduits pro... | 10/24/1995 |
| 5357202 | Plural electrode method for measuring subsurface changes in conductivity as an indication of fluid migration A method and apparatus for monitoring and locating the presence of fluids beyond a containment vessel. A multiplicity of plates having conductive affinity are strategically oriented adjacent the area of liquid storage and periodic surveillance relying on ... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5335535 | Monitorable device and method for monitoring a device for sealing off a body A monitorable device for sealing off a body, in particular a garbage dump or a landfill, includes two seals sealing off a body and being mutually spaced-apart defining a control chamber between the seals. The control chamber has connections for an inlet o... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5288168 | Method and apparatus for lining outdoor fluid containment areas to facilitate electrical leak detection An improved method and apparatus for waterproofing soil utilizing a flexible plastic sheet for providing a water barrier provides a system for readily detecting the presence of holes in the plastic material. The sheet includes a plastic layer which may be... | 02/22/1994 |
| 5272910 | Vadose zone monitoring system having wick layer enhancement A vadose zone monitoring system for detecting leaks from a contaminant storage facility or the like is disclosed in which leaks are detected in a confined radial area around at least one generally horizontal, neutron access tube disposed under the landfil... | 12/28/1993 |
| 5100024 | Gasoline collector pit box and submersible unit box An apparatus and a method for collecting in seal containers the gasoline that leaks or spills from service station dispensers or submersible pumps help to reduce the pollution associated with such equipment. The apparatus and the method also provide for r... | 03/31/1992 |
| 5060509 | Secondary containment system using flexible piping A pipeline system is provided for a pumping system for fluid products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel and chemicals, and including a pump for pumping such products from a storage tank through the primary pipeline of the pipeline system to a product dispens... | 10/29/1991 |
| 4978249 | Safe, fluid-storage system A system for the safe storage of fluids, such as fuels or other toxic materials. A fluid storage tank is accessibly housed within a water tight, reinforced concrete, underground compartment. Piping and electrical lines run through an accessible, water tig... | 12/18/1990 |
| 4971225 | Gasoline collector pit box and submersible unit box An apparatus and a method for collecting in seal containers the gasoline that leaks or spills from service station dispensers or submersible pumps help to reduce the pollution associated with such equipment. The apparatus and the method also provide for r... | 11/20/1990 |
| 4936705 | Reservoir for an underground tank A reservoir for leak detecting fluid for a tank is disclosed. A reservoir is used with a double wall glass fiber reinforced plastic tank where the tank has an inner wall, an outer wall, and annular space between the inner and outer walls for receiving a l... | 06/26/1990 |
| 4934866 | Secondary fluid containment method and apparatus An underground storage tank installation apparatus and method for installing the same. The apparatus includes a fiberglass vault into which one or more underground storage tanks are secured and buried in a suitable excavation. Structural support members a... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4918978 | Means and method for detecting leaks in tanks A system for detecting leaks in a tank, or the like, comprising an excavation basin including a periphery and defining a generally saucer-like formation with a basin surface with slopes from the periphery. A tank supported by the excavation basin. The tan... | 04/24/1990 |
| 4906135 | Method and apparatus for salt dome storage of hazardous waste A method and apparatus for disposal of hazardous waste and other waste materials in salt formations is disclosed herein comprising the steps of: leaching out a cavity in a salt formation; installing a plurality of concentric disposed casings, one inside t... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4875805 | Toxic waste storage facility A toxic waste storage facility is formed of a plurality of contiguous storage cells. Each of the storage cells has walls made from compacted earth blocks and has a floor of compacted layers of clay with an impervious plastic liner beneath the layers of cl... | 10/24/1989 |
| 4863638 | Process for hazardous waste containment A process for containment of hazardous waste is disclosed including initially encasing the waste material into a plurality of containment vessels each of which includes a coding on the exterior thereof to indicate the type of hazardous waste therein retai... | 09/05/1989 |
