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!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8082703 | Force-resisting devices and methods for structures A force resisting device for transmitting forces and dissipating and absorbing energy in a shear wall or shear wall segment includes at least one active element, the active element having a force versus deflection property under at least one cyclic load such that th... | 12/27/2011 |
| 7987638 | Post-tensioning retrofit assemblies for reinforcing structural members A retrofit assembly for reinforcing a structural member including a plurality of retrofit segments including a first retrofit segment and a last retrofit segment, wherein the first retrofit segment connects to the last segment, and wherein each of the retrofit segme... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7895796 | Building system, building element and methods of construction A building element (10) comprises a substantially metallic, substantially planar core member (20) and a thermally insulating and water resistant sheathing member (30) either side of the core member. The core member is continuous along a substant... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7856765 | Seismic damper A seismic damper includes upper and lower brackets, and a link mechanism. The upper bracket is formed with an upper hole. The lower bracket is formed with lower and intermediate holes. The link mechanism includes a support link, and first, second, and third pivot jo... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7797886 | Seismic damper A seismic damper includes upper and lower brackets, and a link mechanism. The upper bracket is formed with an upper hole. The lower bracket is formed with lower and intermediate holes. The link mechanism includes a support link, and first, second, and third pivot jo... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7784226 | Joint structure for antiseismic reinforcement A joint structure for antiseismic reinforcement includes at least one structural member having a longitudinal axis and at least one antiseismic reinforcement member. Each antiseismic reinforcement member has a longitudinal axis located in a plane that is generally p... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7784225 | Isolation platform The present invention provides a platform for supporting various equipment and/or structure which assists in isolating such structure from vibrations (“noise”) external to the platform. Generally, the platform comprises upper and lower plates, having conical dep... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7743563 | Seismic energy damping system A seismic energy damping system with plural redundancy for a building or structure subject to seismic perturbation (i.e., deflection of the building structure) includes a distributed plurality of seismic energy dampers, and a plurality of rigid shear panels cooperat... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7716881 | Shock suppressor A shock suppressor has an upper base, a lower base and a connecting device. The upper base has a bottom and a top channel defined in the bottom along a first direction. The lower base corresponds to the upper base and has a top and a bottom channel defined in the to... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7712266 | Seismic structural device A pin-fuse frame is used in a frame assembly that may be subject to extreme seismic loading. The pin-fuse frame includes of columns, beams, plate assemblies that extend between columns and beams, and may included a diagonal brace. The plate assemblies are fixed to t... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7690159 | Relocatable personal and/or pet safety appliance Relocatable personal and/or pet safety shelters for protecting occupants from dangerous conditions such as those from hurricanes and tornadoes. The shelters can include metal wall and ceiling panels of approximately 10 gage to approximately 12 gage thick and be able... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7665253 | Retrofit hurricane-earthquake connector A true retrofit hurricane and earthquake clip for connecting the roof to the outside wall. The metal connector includes a base member with formed pockets that form tunnels. The base member has attaching means to outside sheathing and the underlying top plate of a wa... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7647733 | Reinforcing structure for building A reinforcing structure for a building and a reinforcing member used for the structure, where the structure has excellent anti-vibration characteristics and quake resistance. The reinforcing structure and member for a building are capable of reducing the deformation... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7584578 | Seismic energy damping apparatus A seismic energy damper includes a pair of structure members subject to relative motion during a seismic event, and a pair of friction washers each fixed to a respective one of the structure members and moving relative to one another during the seismic event. A tie ... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7565774 | Seismic isolation apparatus A seismic isolation apparatus features damping characteristics equivalent to or better than prior art, without burdening the environment. In this seismic isolation apparatus, a cylindrical cavity portion is formed at the middle of an outer side laminated body, which... | 07/28/2009 |
| 7549257 | Earthquake shock damper An earthquake shock damper has two connectors, two shaft assemblies, multiple energy absorbers, multiple spacers and multiple energy distribution assemblies. The connectors are connected to structural members of a building. The shaft assemblies are coaxially attache... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7497054 | Column-and-beam join structure A column-and-beam join structure comprises connecting the column and beam with a pair of split tees. At least one split tee has a web with a portion of the web having a reduced cross-sectional area. The web with the reduced cross-sectional area is located between a ... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7451573 | Slotted M-track beam structures and related wall assemblies A slotted M-track or building wall support structure generally characterized by a metal M-shaped channel beam member is disclosed. The M-shaped channel beam member is defined by a pair of elongated confronting sidewalls integrally connected to an open end of an elon... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7409799 | Anti shock device An anti shock device has a base plate and a top plate, at least one pair of support racks are mounted between the top plate and the base plate. At least one adapter is mounted between the support racks. The adapter has a curved rail defined therein, and the support ... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7373758 | Seismic brace with a removable restraining member disposed around a middle portion of an elongated central brace unit A seismic brace includes an elongated central brace unit and a rigid restraining member. The central brace unit has two ends adapted to be connected fixedly to a framework of a building, and a middle portion interconnecting the ends and having a cross-sectional area... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7367075 | Girder bridge protection device using sacrifice member A girder bridge protection device. The girder protection device includes a sacrifice member having girders installed on an upper surface of a bridge seat of an abutment or pier to support a bridge floor, a symmetrical main support member connecting two of the girder... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7353790 | Sealing arrangement and process for producing such sealing arrangement A sealing arrangement for attachment to the contact surface of a device which is to be sealed includes one area opposite the contact surface containing at least two stiffening elements which are arranged in overlapping relation to one another at least at one point a... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7346432 | Earthquake disaster prevention system An earthquake disaster prevention system having: an estimation section to estimate a size of an earthquake from a P-wave of the earthquake detected by the earthquake detector; a stopping control section to control to stop the motion of the operation device when the ... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7340864 | Elastic supporter, elastic support unit and seismic support unit using same Elastic support units are provided to at least one of upper and lower track rails of a seismic isolation guide. The elastic support units include two elastic supporters that are superposed one over the other in a vertical direction, Each elastic support unit include... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7337586 | Anti-seismic device with vibration-reducing units arranged in parallel An anti-seismic device is adapted to absorb the vibration energy of a structure, and comprises a plurality of vibration-reducing units, each of which includes a mass, a hydraulic cylinder, and a resilient element. The hydraulic cylinder has an outer end that is conn... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7338035 | Foundation shock suppressor A shock suppressor has at least two sliding units stacked in an alternate manner, and each sliding unit consists of a moving base, a connecting base and at least one rod. The connecting base is moveably combined with the moving base via the at least one rod. At leas... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7338052 | Trailer stabilizing device and method of using same An apparatus and method for stabilizing a stationary trailer. One embodiment of the device comprises a jack and a stabilizing member. The jack attaches to the bottom of the trailer, such that when the jack is extended, a base component of the jack engages the ground... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7331143 | Seismic base isolation by electro-osmosis A structure is isolated from a seismic event by inducing soil liquefaction in an isolation layer beneath the structure and soil foundation zone, such as by activating an electro-osmosis gradient toward the isolation layer, during the seismic event, based on detectio... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7325366 | Snap-in wire tie A seismic construction system for a cavity wall is disclosed. The system is shown in three exemplary applications—a masonry backup wall with ladder- or truss-type reinforcement cooperating with a snap-in wire tie; a masonry backup wall with ladder- or truss-type r... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7320200 | Multiplex housing with central and peripheral dwelling units A land use-efficient multiplex housing structure (10) is provided having a central housing unit (12) of generally cruciform plan configuration, with a plurality (preferably four) of peripheral dwelling units (14,16,18,20) interconnected with and... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7317260 | Wind flow estimation and tracking using tower dynamics A turbine control system for a variable speed electrical generator in a wind turbine mounted atop a support tower. The wind turbine converts wind energy into a driving torque applied to the generator. The control system includes a turbine support tower position sens... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7314124 | Vibration damping apparatus A damping apparatus for damping vibrations in a vibrating system including a piston which is reciprocally movable in a hydraulic fluid filled damper chamber, piston movement in either direction of movement being resisted by fluid pressure in the damper chamber behin... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7310917 | Hinged frame spreader A hinged spreader board of a pre-set length with shaped ends is pivoted open inside a frame to mate with the inside faces of the sides of a frame and maintain the sides apart by the length of the board while attaching the frame to a wall. Additional hinged sections ... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7305799 | Bearing brace apparatus A brace apparatus having a core member adapted to absorb energy by undergoing plastic deformation and a buckling restraining assembly that maintains the structural integrity of the brace apparatus once the core member has undergone plastic deformation. A core member... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7293393 | Perimeter clip for seismic ceilings A perimeter clip attached to a wall molding that supports a beam in a suspended ceiling intended to survive seismic disturbances. The clip is capable, during an earthquake, of permitting an end of a beam at one end of a connected line of beams, in a grid, to slide w... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7290374 | Vibration control apparatus using water tank located at top floor of a tall building A vibration control apparatus using a water tank, which is installed at the uppermost floor of a tall building, the water tank being formed at the inner wall surface thereof with horizontal protrusions. In order to improve a vibration attenuation rate in a horizonta... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7290375 | Seismic isolation access floor assembly An access floor assembly includes a base floor, a substructure mounted to the base floor, a bearing plate, formed with a first cavity, mounted to the substructure and disposed at an elevated location relative to the base floor, an isolator plate, formed with a secon... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7287358 | Device for connecting a beam to pillars or similar supporting structural elements for erecting buildings A device for connecting a beam to pillars or similar supporting structural elements in order to erect buildings, particularly multistory buildings, by means of prefabricated concrete components, the device comprising first means for connecting two end regions of the... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7284358 | Methods of manufacturing bearing brace apparatus The present invention is directed to a brace apparatus having a core member configured to absorb energy generated by seismic or other forces by undergoing plastic deformation. A buckling restraining assembly is included for maintaining the structural integrity of th... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7281287 | Prop-type damping device There is disclosed a prop-type damping device which effectively consumes energy of up-and-down vibration on a main girder of a bridge caused by earthquakes, winds, passing vehicles or the like to prolong a life of the bridge and improve comfort for bridge users with... | 10/16/2007 |
