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 |
| 7270317 | Fluid suspension member having grooved inlet A fluid suspension member having a flexible wall at least partially defining a fluid chamber and having a passage formed therethrough. A connector fitting is received within the passage, and a groove extends into the flexible wall adjacent the passage. A method is a... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7225486 | Therapeutic seat cushion A therapeutic seat cushion for supporting a person remaining in a sitting position for a prolonged period of time, wherein the cushion is a generally rectangular body having a hollow interior with a plurality of generally radially extending partitions extending acro... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7043787 | Fluid bedding The bedding of the present invention comprises a sealed bag body having an elastic body with a plurality of continuous pores and gas sealed with looseness present in the upper part of the elastic body. The bedding also includes a water-sealed bag body disposed on an... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7017216 | Bladder assembly and method of manufacturing same A waterbed having inside air cushion and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method comprises forming a watertight bladder having valve means thereon, forming an inflatable air cushion inside the watertight bladder, forming at least one air valve extended... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7009835 | Energy dissipative device and method An energy dissipative element protects hard disk drives from shocks and vibrations. A closed elastic envelope houses a body of open cell foam, a volume of viscous liquid, and a compressible gas. Under compression or expansion of the foam, viscous liquid flows throug... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6922863 | Adjustable foam mattress The invention modulates the air volume in foam cores of cushioning support devices and any other support apparatus using foam or similar materials. The foam core can be incrementally modulated to realize an infinite number of comfort levels as to softness and suppor... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6880190 | Controlled pressure and flotation system A controlled pressure and floatation system includes support and flotation units, each comprised by two types of chambers: a main one that contains a liquid substance and a secondary empty chamber; interconnected by a free-flow supply pipe. The main chamber receives... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6385803 | Method and apparatus for supporting an element to be support, in particular the body of a patient, the apparatus having a support device independent from the control device The invention relates to a method and apparatus for supporting an element to be supported, in particular the body of a patient. The apparatus comprises a support device 20 essentially comprising only at least one closed or controlled-release chamber 21 to... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6079068 | Method and apparatus for supporting an element to be supported, in particular the body of a patient, the apparatus having a support device independent from the control device The invention relates to a method and apparatus for supporting an element to be supported, in particular the body of a patient. The apparatus comprises a support device 20 essentially comprising only at least one closed or controlled-release chamber 21 to... | 06/27/2000 |
| 5942305 | Fire retardant wall padding A wall padding having a core of open cell, low smoke, flame resistant polychloroprene and a cover of fire retardant vinyl on the core. The total padding having a flame spread index in the range of 0 to 25 and a smoke development index in the range of 0 to... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5927317 | Venting structure of a waterbed A venting valve assembly for a waterbed having a water compartment is provided. The assembly includes an exhaust port for the water compartment which includes a stem portion, an upper cover threadedly coupled to that stem portion, and a lower cover also c... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5373594 | Waterbed mattress with hose-actuated drain valve in cornerpiece Waterbed mattress having a drain valve which is opened and closed by the insertion and removal of a hose connector to control the passage of water from the mattress. The valve is located in a cornerpiece at one corner of the mattress, and a hose is readil... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5369823 | Waterbed drain fitting A drain fitting for inflatable structures having thin flexible exterior walls defining fluid-containing interior spaces; the filling includes an elongate drain tube with an outer downstream end and an inner upstream end, a coupling port at the outer end o... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5271111 | Waterbed mattress with drain valve operated by hose connector Waterbed mattress having a drain valve which is opened and closed by the insertion and removal of a hose connector to control the passage of water from the mattress. The valve is located in the bottom wall of the mattress above an opening in the deck of t... | 12/21/1993 |
| 5127118 | Waterbed hose connector Hose connector for use in filling and/or draining a waterbed mattress. The connector has a body with water and air passageways formed therein adapted to be mounted in the fill/drain opening of the mattress. The water passageway carries water between a hos... | 07/07/1992 |
| 5056171 | Waterbed mattress air bleeder valve A standpipe to facilitate bleeding of air through the flexible filler spout of a waterbed mattress includes an elongated cylindrical tube adapted for a frictional slide fit within the spout end fitting so as to afford a substantially liquid tight seal bet... | 10/15/1991 |
| 5050257 | Easy draining waterbed mattress and method Fiber-filled waterbed mattress and method of draining the same. A drainage manifold is positioned beneath a wave dampening fibrous insert to direct water toward a drain valve, and air is admitted into the mattress to replace water which is removed and to ... | 09/24/1991 |
| 5027453 | Water bed safety liner An improved waterbed safety liner including a water impervious bottom liner sheet integrally joined to a four-sided firm foam perimeter support cushion which itself is wrapped in plastic water impervious sheet forming an entire unit having waterproof inte... | 07/02/1991 |
| 4969492 | Method and apparatus for filling inflatable bladders The method for filling a soft, flexible, thin-walled inflatable bladder with a fluid medium to a predetermined extent that comprises; folding a portion of the soft, flexible, thin-wall of the bladder and engaging the fold in predetermined pressure engagem... | 11/13/1990 |
| 4887633 | Fluid fill valve for fluid inflatable chambers and toilet tanks An elongated valve assembly is provided including inlet and outlet ends. The inlet end includes structure for fluid-tight sealed engagement with and support from the wall portions of a chamber defining a fluid inlet port with the outlet end of the valve a... | 12/19/1989 |
| 4860805 | Filtered waterbed filling system A filtered waterbed filling system is provided which prevents or substantially reduces bacteria and algae growth in stagnant, heated water contained in a waterbed. The filling system may be a one-piece filling probe, or a universal hose coupling assembly ... | 08/29/1989 |
| 4727607 | Water bed A water bed, comprising a box opening upwards and a watertight, closed bog placed in said box. The upper side of said bag consists of a flexible, elastic material the edge portions of which are provided with securing means intended for releasable engageme... | 03/01/1988 |
| 4673010 | Internal expansion waterbed fitting A waterbed filling unit has an outer sleeve which can be inserted into a waterbed filler neck and also coupled to a water supply or drain. An inner sleeve may be pressed into the outer sleeve to create watertight seals between the water supply or drain an... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4611357 | Flotation sleeping mattress constructions Rudimentary prior art fluid-inflatable sleeping mattresses are of a simple six-sided shell construction having a spout for fluid introduction and evacuation. Disclosed are improved mattress constructions which, in addition to the prior art spouted six-sid... | 09/16/1986 |
| 4509218 | Drain pipes for emptying waveless waterbed mattresses A waterbed mattress system including wave dampening filler material is described which can be rapidly drained of the liquid contained therein. The invented system is provided with at least one perforated pipe which channels the liquid to the drain port. T... | 04/09/1985 |
| 4470164 | Cap for the fill spout of a water bed A preferred cap for the fill spout of a water bed comprises a screw cap having a top and a threaded flange which is capable of mating with the threaded portion of a fill spout, a turning knob, and a sliding shaft for connecting the screw cap to the turnin... | 09/11/1984 |
| 4399576 | Flotation mattress incorporating drain/fill valve A flotation mattress is provided including a retractable valve for draining and filling said mattress. The valve includes an elongated neck portion including at least one port which may be extended from the mattress to facilitate the draining and filling ... | 08/23/1983 |
| 4395787 | Crib flotation bed A water bed crib comprising a water bed structure including a flat horizontal rectangular platform with an upwardly projecting mattress retaining, water draining weir about its perimeter, a water filled flexible mattress bladder supported atop the platfor... | 08/02/1983 |
| 4340983 | Crib flotation bed A water bed crib comprising a water bed structure including a flat horizontal rectangular platform with an upwardly projecting weir about its perimeter, a water filled flexible mattress bladder supported atop the platform within the confines of the weir, ... | 07/27/1982 |
| 4190916 | Bassinet A water bed structure comprising a flat horizontal mattress including a bladder having vertically spaced horizontal top and bottom walls and vertical side walls of flexible water impervious sheeting and a volume of water within and filling the bladder, a ... | 03/04/1980 |
| 4189798 | Foam mattress with floatation torso support A sleeping mattress consisting of multiple layers of foam material having different densities and structural characteristics with sealed chamber formed therein for receiving a flexible but inelastic liquid filled container. The sealed chamber is located i... | 02/26/1980 |
| 4120062 | Waterbed environments This invention relates to a new and improved infant WATERBEDS ENVIRONMENTS designed to simulate the intrauterine environment. This is achieved by the use of a specially designed water filled bladder pulsated by means of a pump which generates rushing wate... | 10/17/1978 |
| 4094025 | Water mattress A water mattress which can be adjusted to all intermediate degrees of softness between hard and completely soft. The water mattress consisting of water container, open upwards and with a bottom shaped to contain a minimum of water. A flexible elastic wate... | 06/13/1978 |
