Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7367154 | Trap with biasing device and force applying levers and related methods The present invention provides a force applying lever assembly for use with a foothold type trap. The force applying lever assembly has at least one force applying lever that is coupled to the biasing device or spring of the trap. The at least one force applying lev... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7162832 | Rodent snap trap device A rodent snap trap device includes a snap bar rotatably coupled to a base. The snap bar is rotatable between a spring biased, rest position and a loaded position. A unitary trigger is pivotably coupled to the base. The trigger includes a horizontal trigger portion w... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7104005 | Mole trap A mole trap has a pair of spring-loaded jaws. A platform is pivotally connected to the jaws to limit the travel of the trap into the ground and to stabilize the trap on the ground when it is set. A lever assembly forces the jaws open and sets the trap. An adjustable... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7043968 | Directly refrigerated block Directly refrigerated component or system in which a refrigerating pathway is provided with passive cooling moderation. The passive cooling moderation can be provided, for example, by a passive cooling moderator that has moderating live space, or by a passive coolin... | 05/16/2006 |
| 6904713 | Support for trap, combination thereof and method A support for a trap, a combination thereof and a method of supporting a trap are disclosed. The support provides a mechanism for more stable support of a trap such that the chance of premature activation is greatly reduced, and increases trap activation speed. Sinc... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6016624 | Trigger mechanism A trigger mechanism for an animal trap is disclosed, comprising a trigger plate moveable in a vertical direction and provided with at least one cam surface on its lower face, a retaining pin for preventing release of the trap until triggered, slidable lon... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5996275 | Species specific tensioned hair triggered firing mechanism for animal traps The present invention includes improvements to a rotating frame trap which makes the trap more species specific and provides a more humane kill of targeted species. These improvements include means of trigger tensioning, latch adjustment for hair trigger ... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5579602 | Animal trap An animal trap which is capable of operating in a confined space such as that of a hole. The trap comprises of a pair of jaws which are urged to a closed position and prevented from being opened once closed by a compression spring. A trigger mechanism is ... | 12/03/1996 |
| 5001857 | Animal trap A bail-type animal trap for small rodents and the like, having a self-setting triggering mechanism. The trap includes a spring-loaded, bail-type striker which is hinged to the upper surface of the base. The striker is releasably retained in the cocked pos... | 03/26/1991 |
| 4972626 | Animal trap An animal trap having a frame, a pair of jaws rotatably mounted on the frame and a first spring on the frame to urge the jaws toward each other from the open position to the closed position. A pan is located between the jaws when the jaws are in the open ... | 11/27/1990 |
| 4856225 | Gopher trap A gopher trap has a wire base frame with elongate limbs connected by a cross member at a distal end of the trap. Wire jaws are pivotly mounted on the respective limbs adjacent the distal end. The limbs are connected at the proximal end of the trap by a tr... | 08/15/1989 |
| 4766693 | Humane animal and fowl trap Conventional traps often catch animals by the leg rather than killing them outright. This trap utilizes two spring actuated jaws closing upon a base ring but with stops on the base ring maintaining the movable jaws slightly open when sprung so that an ani... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4638590 | Humane animal trap A humane animal trap comprised of two pairs of laterally-spaced arms of spring wire material. Each pair of arms merges at its rear ends with a coil spring portion which strongly biases the two arms of each pair together. One arm of each pair is forwardly ... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4638589 | Animal trap with improved security An animal trap of a type having pivotal jaws operated by spring loaded actuators which embrace the jaws and which are pivotally mounted on the arms of a U-shaped retention pin is provided with a security device for preventing an animal caught in the trap ... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4622774 | Animal trap An improved animal trap adapted to be less injurious to a trapped animal because of a center mounted swiveling chain. The trap also has a flat base made possible by novel way of fastening the trigger mechanism to the base and uses a novel self-setting tri... | 11/18/1986 |
| 4584788 | Positive trigger trap A trap having a tubular housing with front and back ends, and jaws pivotally attached near the front end of the housing which are released by a positive pull trigger and a release mechanism therefor. The jaws are connected to an elongated U-shaped yoke wh... | 04/29/1986 |
| 4486972 | Animal trap An animal trap utilizes a generally X-shaped base to provide a balanced mounting of a pair of U-shaped jaws, a pair of torsion coil springs, and elements of a trigger mechanism. When the trap is set, the jaws are pivoted downwardly relative to the base an... | 12/11/1984 |
| 4479324 | Animal trap with improved immunity to false actuation Inadvertent actuation of a rotating jaw trap is eliminated by limiting the rotation of spring-loaded jaw actuators in the trap set position. The position-limited actuators prevent opening of the jaws beyond the set position if one of the jaws is stepped u... | 10/30/1984 |
| 4406082 | Trigger mechanism for rotating frame animal traps An improved trigger mechanism for a rotating frame animal trap includes a single plate which is bent along its transversely extending center line and includes end portions which are contoured to rotatably engage one of the side portions of a trap frame. S... | 09/27/1983 |
| 4272907 | Animal trap An improved animal trap of the leg-hold type has a trap pan formed with a grid having all lower surfaces tapered to a knife edge so that there is no requirement to cover the trap pan with paper or plastic when covering the entire trap with fine dirt to di... | 06/16/1981 |
| 4257184 | Animal trap An animal trap comprises a base member with two jaws pivotally connected thereto. Rings extend slidably about adjacent side members of the jaws and springs bias the rings away from the base member and towards end members of the jaws to move the jaws from ... | 03/24/1981 |
| 4253265 | Animal trap An adjustable animal trap is adapted for both trigger and triggerless operation. A pivotal support for the trap's pan frame is movable along a slot located at right angles to the trap jaws for positioning a catch in engaging relation with a trap jaw. A se... | 03/03/1981 |
| 4240223 | Animal trap A pan-type animal trap having a frame, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted on the frame and spring loaded arms pivotally mounted on the frame in cooperating relationship with the jaws to close the jaws. A pan pivotally mounted on the frame and located betwee... | 12/23/1980 |
| 4179838 | Trigger for trap Trigger formed from a single piece of wire to provide two legs and a head in the bight, the head being formed to clip around a jaw of a trap to provide a frame around the dog.... | 12/25/1979 |
| 4133136 | Rotating frame animal trap with improved trigger An animal trap having two similar frames each having jaw forming sides and ends extending between the sides to support the jaws. The ends have a central portion in which the frames are pivotally engaged through adjacent ends for rotation about a common ax... | 01/09/1979 |
| 4129959 | Universal trigger mechanism for rotating frame animal traps An improved trigger mechanism particularly useful with a rotating frame animal trap, the present trigger mechanism comprises a rotary universal joint which allows angular displacement of the trigger mechanism about a frame of the trap on which said trigge... | 12/19/1978 |
| 4129958 | Omni-directional trigger mechanism for animal traps An improved trigger mechanism of the push-pull type which is particularly useful for a rotating frame animal trap, the present trigger mechanism causing the trap to be sprung on contact therewith by the animal regardless of the direction from which such c... | 12/19/1978 |
| 4127960 | Trigger for rotating frame traps An animal trap having two similar frames each having jaw forming sides that lie in a common plane and ends extending therebetween to support the jaws. The ends have a central portion in which the frames are pivotally connected through adjacent ends for ro... | 12/05/1978 |
| 4117622 | Low impact animal trap An animal trap of the leghold type having low impact force is disclosed. The means for lessening the impact force of the jaws when they close takes one of three forms. The first is an inertial snubber. The second is an escapement mechanism. The third is a... | 10/03/1978 |
| 4071972 | Frame and filament trigger for animal traps A trigger for a rotating frame animal trap has a trigger frame and filament attached thereto and positioned across it so that an animal sought to be trapped cannot pass through the trap without contacting the trigger frame or filament. The trigger is adap... | 02/07/1978 |
| 4040201 | Multidirectional animal trap A multidirectional animal trap including a base having a hub with spaced jaws pivotally mounted on the hub and extending radially therefrom. A U-shaped spring has one leg thereof secured to the hub with the other end having a ring formed thereon. A multip... | 08/09/1977 |
| 4033067 | Humane animal trap A humane animal trap has jaws and two spaced jaw closers, and two springs for the closers. One spring is relatively light and is triggered by the animal stepping on the usual trigger and the other spring is heavier and acts only after a delay. The jaws ha... | 07/05/1977 |
| 4016672 | Guillotine type animal trap An animal trap which is made of a guillotine type to allow the construction of traps relatively larger than those with jaws and which kill the animal instantaneously. This animal trap of the guillotine type comprises a frame including a pair of spaced-apa... | 04/12/1977 |
| 4000578 | Trigger-assembly for rotating-frame type animal traps A trigger assembly for the use in animal trap assemblies, in which the trap generally comprises rotating-frame type traps of the "Conibear" type, for example, which includes forcibly urged, mutually pivoted similar frame members and sides of which are piv... | 01/04/1977 |
| 3973352 | Animal-run trigger assembly for rotating-frame type animal traps An animal trap assembly comprising a rotating-frame type trap of the "Conibear" type in which a pair of similar frame members are pivotally connected on a common pivot axis, and are forcibly urged by actuator means operatively connected to the sides from ... | 08/10/1976 |