Did You Know...
...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.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7371138 | Boat having a pedal drive The invention relates to a pedal boat drive comprising at least one pedal crank and a drive train for transferring drive energy produced by the pedal crank to a means of propulsion, e.g. a propeller. At least one flywheel, which is mounted on a free-running axle, is... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7097521 | Self-propelled surfboard This device allows a user to propel a surfboard in the water. The device also allows the individual to steer and navigate the device. ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 6925956 | Collapsible watercraft A collapsible watercraft for personal recreation. The collapsible watercraft includes a tubular frame that has a first portion and a second portion. Each of the portions are generally rectangular and are hingably coupled together allowing them to be folded one porti... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6905379 | Portable canoe propulsion system A portable pedal driven propulsion device for a small watercraft in which power from crank operated pedals is transmitted to a pivotally mounted gearbox on the outside of the watercraft adjacent the operator. A longitudinal drive shaft is connected, at one end, to t... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6887116 | Watercycle for wet rider A watercycle having, generally do-nut shape float mounted onto a frame or chassis member, and a rider's seat within the hollow of the float and which can be adjusted vertically and horizontally. Adjusting the seat to its highest level will cause the seated rider to ... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6533621 | Swimming device A swimming device operable by a user. In one embodiment of the present invention, the swimming device includes a frame having a body portion and an elongated portion, wherein the body portion has a first surface and an opposite second surface, and a first... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6165030 | Pedal driven propulsion device A pedal driven propulsion device in the form of an outboard motor for a watercraft, such as a canoe is disclosed. The pedal driven propulsion device having a drive assembly and a propeller assembly with an upper portion and a lower portion. A steering ass... | 12/26/2000 |
| 5830020 | Bicycle floatation and transportation device and method This device is a raft which when attached to a standard bicycle may be steered and propelled through water by riding the bicycle in the usual fashion. The raft consists of two sections that can be folded for easy storage and transportability. These two se... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5743772 | Manually driven water propulsion device A manually driven water propulsion device including a propulsion assembly comprising an attachment strap, a gearbox, a flexible shaft, a propeller, securing booties and bootie attachment member, the attachment strap being configured as a loop, in an opera... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5643020 | Personal watercraft A personal watercraft having a pair of pedal-driven impellers. The watercraft includes an inflatable frame having substantially planar fore and aft portions which are slightly offset from each other. The fore frame portion includes a substantially planar ... | 07/01/1997 |
| 5409408 | Sailboard with reciprocating fins and umbrella type rotary parafoil sail The windsurf board comprise a revolving sail, reciprocating fins and single sided pedal. The revolving sail rotates a drum to drive the reciprocating fin. On the drum, there are multiple cycles of slot knotched on the drum. One revolution of revolving sai... | 04/25/1995 |
| 5362264 | Water-bicycle A water bicycle comprises a flotation board, a propulsion and seat unit including a mounting flange, a seat, foot pedals mounted for rotation driven by a person sitting on the seat, a propeller and a coupling connecting the pedals to the propeller, an ope... | 11/08/1994 |
| 5316508 | Water bicycle A human-propelled water bicycle suitable for training or recreative purposes. The water bicycle has two steerable front pontoons and two rear pontoons fixed to a main frame substantially similar to a convention bicycle frame. Handlebars are provided to tu... | 05/31/1994 |
| 5282762 | Propeller drive and steering mechanism for small craft A portable propeller drive and steering mechanism for small craft in which a frame is provided with an adjustable seat and a pedal driven chain drive connected to a geared transmission, and which has a chain drive output powering a horizontally arranged j... | 02/01/1994 |
| 5088944 | Collapsible water bike A collapsible water bike includes a plurality of assemblies which are interconnectable using connecting assemblies that are easily locked and unlocked. The bike is driven by a pedal assembly that is operatively connected to a propeller and is steered by h... | 02/18/1992 |
| 5081947 | Boat assembly A portable boat assembly for use by an operator having a stern module, a bow module integrable with the stern module, an inflatable tube which surrounds the bow and stern modules and forms the float platform of the boat, a propeller assembly disposed bene... | 01/21/1992 |
| 5076185 | Tangs cycleboard Surf board has multiple functions to serve as the sail boat, surf board, wind surf board, canoe and the rest seat on water. It comprises a foldable revolving sail, water wings, single sided pedals, water turbine, water jet nozzle, the foldable reclining s... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5062814 | Outboard motor A manually operated outboard motor. A propeller is connected to a first shaft which is geared through plastic mitre gears to a further shaft. The further shaft is connected to a gear which, in turn, is driven by a gear connected to a crank extending from ... | 11/05/1991 |
| 4746312 | Occupant-propelled marine vessel A water craft constituted by a fiberglass body with a streamlined bow in back of which is a recess forming a seating compartment. The rear end of the body is formed to provide a keel. Front-to-back guides in the seating compartment support a shiftable sea... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4698034 | Water bicycle A water bicycle comprising two relatively parallel, elongated floating bodies and a frame supported by said floating bodies provided with a seat whereby each of the floating bodies is provided with a frame part supported by the associated floating body an... | 10/06/1987 |
| 4676755 | Pedal driven device Pedal operated mechanisms are disclosed for propelling watercraft, with one embodiment of the invention comprising a modification for a canoe and a second form of the invention comprising a mechanism that can be secured to a surfboard. A novel flexible dr... | 06/30/1987 |
| 4657514 | Amphibious pedal powered sailboat An amphibious pedal powered sailboat apparatus is provided by the present invention. In one embodied form, the inventive boating apparatus comprises in combination a relatively lightweight boat hull having an upper deck portion, a bow portion, and a stern... | 04/14/1987 |
| 4648846 | Pedal boat The present invention relates to a pedal boat and in particular to one having two inflation members connected by a transverse rod, a seat mounted on the middle of the transverse rod, a transmission gear, a pair of pedals operatively associated with the tr... | 03/10/1987 |
| 4459116 | Screw propelled water saddle A screw-propelled, water saddle for ride on a water surface. This water saddle is supported by two parallel floats, properly spaced apart and joined by at least one emerging cross-member. A central bar or tubing is fixed parallel to the floats at the midd... | 07/10/1984 |
| 4389196 | Watercraft with swivel fin drive A watercraft, which is propelled by a swivellable propulsion fin, which extends from its swivel axle parallel to the longitudinal direction of the watercraft and which is swivellable laterally by a drive device. The swivellable propulsion fin is arranged ... | 06/21/1983 |
| 4323352 | Cerf cycle A craft for travel upon a water surface, the craft including a frame mounted upon two spaced apart pontoons, a windshield, a two passenger seat, and a foot powered mechanism mounted on the frame, the mechanism including propellers mounted on foreward-rear... | 04/06/1982 |
| 4321048 | Mechanized water board There is disclosed a water board or surfboard wherein a screw propeller mounted on the underside of the board generates thrust in response to the push-pull action of a hand lever which protrudes from either side of the board. The push-pull action on the l... | 03/23/1982 |
| 4289487 | Swimming device A mechanical apparatus for moving a swimmer ahead in the water, including a frame secured behind the swimmer by shoulder straps and a waist belt, a pair of bicycle type foot operated pedals rotating a propeller and a hand-cranked winch on the belt buckle ... | 09/15/1981 |
| 4072124 | Nautical vehicle A nautical vehicle comprising at least one pedal system, adapted to be operated by at least one user to drive inflatable wheels providing the floatation, propulsion and direction of the vehicle, preferably it further comprises a differential gear for tran... | 02/07/1978 |
| 4037557 | Hand-driven water craft A hand-driven water craft having a narrow main hull portion cooperating with a submerged ballast member for the support of a generally flat deck partially overlying the hull and partially extending rearwardly therefrom as a cantilever, the hull supporting... | 07/26/1977 |
| 4004543 | Manually operated propelling apparatus for a boat A manually operated propelling apparatus for a boat comprising a clamp for attaching the propelling apparatus to the transom of the boat, a propeller shaft housing attached to the clamp, a driving gear device attached to one end of the propeller shaft hou... | 01/25/1977 |
| 3987749 | Mobile pedal propulsion for small boats A pedal boat which distinctively includes a pedal propulsion unit which is removable to dispose of any downward projection at the bottom of the boat shell and thus allows taking the boat in very shallow water and ashore, like a conventional row-boat. Remo... | 10/26/1976 |
| 3954079 | Dual hull water bicycle A dual hull water bicycle for use over land and water comprising in combination a pair of passenger-carrying side boats operably connected to a centrally disposed bicycle type frame member which provides independent, disengagable dual propulsion through a... | 05/04/1976 |
