...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7367766 | Screw and nut fastening device A device for fastening two parts to each other includes fastening screws extending in aligned passages in the two parts and receiving nuts, and a removable element for preventing the screw heads from moving during tightening or loosening of the nuts on the screws, t... | 05/06/2008 |
| 6964089 | Sink flange assembly installation method and tool A tool for installing a locking ring in an annular groove defined by a lower annular rim portion of a sink flange of a garbage disposer sink flange assembly. The tool includes a pair of elongated members that are pivotally connected at a pivot point to form a pair o... | 11/15/2005 |
| 4852700 | Spot-type disk brake On a brake support (12) engaging over a brake disk (10) a piston (34) is supported and on the other side a floating caliper (14) is supported for axial displacement. In both cases slide guides (40) are provided for the supporting and each have a guide bod... | 08/01/1989 |
| 4836043 | Connecting rod assembly A bolt retainer (10,110) for holding bolts (22,23,122,123) against rotation consists of a flat plate (12,112) having two or more bolt holes (18,20,118,120) therethrough and an upstanding portion (14,114). Specifically configured bolts (22,32,122,132) have... | 06/06/1989 |
| 4740124 | Threaded insert In the mounting of an attachment to a base member, an insert which has a centrally located threaded hole and an outer cylindrical surface which has an interference fit with a cooperating hole in the base member and is adapted to receive a bolt extending t... | 04/26/1988 |
| 4562707 | Outboard motor assembly locking system A locking system for the type outboard motor assembly to a boat transom that is held by bolting through a motor mounting plate and through the boat transom includes: (a) the bolting being by round headed bolts with preferably non-circular section necks to... | 01/07/1986 |