Did You Know...
...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!
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 |
| 8002641 | Method of making direct tension indicating washers A method of making a direct tension indicating washer including: forming a first surface having a discrete protuberance formed thereon; forming a second surface having a discrete indentation formed opposite the protuberance; and positioning an indicating material in... | 08/23/2011 |
| 7334374 | Stucco sheathing fastener A fastener including a body having a predetermined axial length, wherein the body includes a screw head at one axial end of the body, a threaded portion at an opposite axial end of the body and an unthreaded shank portion extending between the screw head and the thr... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331874 | Method for producing circular washer Circular washers are formed by the following steps: at least two through holes are provided in the middle of a belt of material, which are also used for positioning and advancing the belt; a residual slot is formed between every two adjacent through holes, thereby f... | 02/19/2008 |
| 6004214 | Method of forming a device having a captured washer A method of forming an apparatus having a captured washer includes the step of forming a shaft with a first end, a second end, a shaft diameter, and an axis. A stop element is provided on the shaft. An integral washer is formed on the shaft spaced from th... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5809820 | Spring washer and method for making the same A spring washer improves resistance to loosening of fasteners tightened thereon. The spring washer is stronger than prior art devices. On the upper and lower surfaces of the spring washer, approximately 1/5-1/4 of the width inward from the outer perimeter... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5711711 | Method of manufacturing a fastener assembly with axially captivated washer A preassembled fastener assembly having a washer axially captivated on a threaded screw. The washer includes an elongated cylindrical sleeve, a radially outwardly directed flange and at least two inwardly extending detents within the sleeve to yieldably e... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5659876 | Method of producing washer having boss A method for producing a washer having a boss comprises the following steps in the sequence set forth: (a) sprinkling powder of a bearing alloy onto a backing metal made of an iron-based alloy to form a composite material; (b) sintering the composite mate... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5520490 | Retainer clip A retainer clip includes a retainer portion having an axially extending tubular wall which is radially expandable for snap-fitted radial engagement with a reduced diameter portion of a rod such that the retainer clip is radially and axially trapped on the... | 05/28/1996 |
| 5259819 | Method of manufacturing a washer A method of manufacturing a washer includes the steps of: (a) feeding a metal wire into a die having a bearing face and a through hole which opens to the bearing face so as to permit the metal wire in the through hole to protrude out of the bearing face a... | 11/09/1993 |
| 4883398 | Toggle bolt installation, hardware, and manufacture In an installation method according to the invention, one pulls the wings of a toggle bolt into contact with the inner surface of a wall continuously during tightening of the bolt, this being in contrast with previous practice where the finger nails event... | 11/28/1989 |
| 4787235 | Method for manufacturing a stack of supporting plates Washer or supporting plate with means preventing the sticking together of the washers in a magazine. Said means are formed by protrusions. The method for manufacturing the washers as well as the device make the protrusions such that in the stack they are ... | 11/29/1988 |
| 4594040 | Panel fastener This invention provides a captive fastener in which a nut is held to a workpiece by a retainer ring held in a two-piece grommet attached to the workpiece, the retainer ring being flat and split, with its grain perpendicular to a diameter bisecting the spl... | 06/10/1986 |
| 4450616 | Method of ensuring the tightness of a bolt and a nut The disclosure relates to a method of insuring the tightness of a fastener including forming a three-dimensional annular member in an austenite phase using a press, cooling the annular member to a temperature lower than the temperature for starting an aus... | 05/29/1984 |
| 4344342 | Method for the manufacture of washers and the like A method of producing washers and the like from a strip of sheet material having at least one straight edge, in which scrap generation is minimized.... | 08/17/1982 |
| 4114218 | Method of forming flat four-sided fastener parts having an opening therein A method of forming flat four-sided fastener parts from an elongated strip of sheet material by causing the material to progressively pass through a work station where a series of longitudinally spaced openings are formed in the material, and thereafter t... | 09/19/1978 |
| 4024593 | Method of forming flat multiple-sided fastener parts having an opening therein A method of forming flat, multiple-sided fastener parts from an elongated strip of sheet material by causing the material to pass progressively through a work station where a series of longitudinally spaced openings are formed in the material and the mate... | 05/24/1977 |
| 3981060 | Method of making a thrust washer The thrust race comprises circumferentially spaced tabs on the outer flange with cutouts located circumferentially adjacent each side of each tab. The thrust race is formed from sheet metal. Annular blanks are blanked in the sheet metal, the cutouts are made o... | 09/21/1976 |
