Did You Know...
...that Robert Adler has the dubious distinction of being the Father of the Couch Potato? Back in 1955 Adler was employed by what was then Zenith Radio Corp., where he was charged to invent something that would allow viewers to turn down the TV volume without leaving their chairs. After a series of flops (such as a wired contraption that people tripped over), Adler hit on the idea of using sound waves. Thus the Remote Control was born...
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7677068 | Air brake plunger securing device The invention is an easy-to-use one-piece air brake securing device designed for use in recreational vehicles, trucks, and other automotive vehicles employing air-operated parking brakes. The device is designed to fit around the shaft of the air brake plunger and to... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7219685 | Gate valve locking device A locking device for gate valves utilizes an available lock and avoids the necessity of having to chain or weld the lock to the bonnet or other stationary portion of a standard gate valve. The locking device includes a bracket, which mounts securely to one of the tr... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7207198 | Valve lockout assembly A lockout assembly suitable for use with a valve having a handle rotatable between an open position and a closed position includes a lock arm which supports a clamping mechanism. In one aspect of the invention, the lock arm includes a longitudinal slot having slot e... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7194877 | Multiple entry locking system A multiple entry locking system including a U-bolt shackle having slotted legs. Various link members are adapted to be inserted through the slots in the U-bolt shackle legs. Each of the link members have first and second ends, and each of the link members have at le... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7104518 | Automatic valve manual lock out A ready method to disconnect the motive power of an actuator from the input of a valve. A handle is inserted onto the coupling held in the housing, disconnecting the motive power of the actuator and engaging the driven piece connected to the input shaft of the valve... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7100937 | Locking device for gooseneck trailers A gooseneck trailer coupler lock which disables normal coupler operation by restricting movement of the lower latching plate of the coupler when the coupler is placed in the fully closed position. The locking device is a single piece of hardened metallic material wh... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7044148 | Apparatus and method for selectively securing a valve in an open or closed position The present invention generally relates to a locking apparatus adapted to interface with a valve and to selectively secure the valve in an open or closed position. More specifically, a valve handle lock is provided which is tamper resistant and is generally capable ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 6966458 | Beverage tower tap lock The beverage tap lock of the present invention is intended for use with a beverage tower having multiple taps. In commercial systems on the market, there is a gap (a first distance) between the back of the taps (where there is a faucet-coupling nut behind the handle... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6964459 | Tamper-proof truck anti-theft device An anti-theft device is disclosed for use on a vehicle employing air-operated parking brakes. The device is shaped for disposal about the parking brake control knobs when engaged. The device includes a pair of mating halves formed for surrounding and enclosing the c... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6959909 | Actuating handle assembly A handle assembly mountable on a valve is disclosed. The assembly includes a head having a receptacle engageable with a rotatable shaft on the valve and a grip projecting outwardly from the head to facilitate turning of the head for actuating the valve. An arcuate s... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6871518 | Gas system component inlet or outlet connection retaining bracket A removable retaining bracket that prevents removal of a connection fitting from a gas distribution system component is described. The retaining bracket has a base that defines an opening that accepts the connection fitting and prevents removal of the fitting from t... | 03/29/2005 |
| 6832623 | Gas meter valve and method Disclosed is a gas meter valve for connection to an outlet of a gas meter and a method for its use. The gas meter valve comprises a valve inlet coupleable to the meter outlet, a valve outlet coupleable to piping for supplying gas to a customer and a valve body coupl... | 12/21/2004 |
| 6808056 | Stop apparatus and method for gear actuators A stop apparatus for a gear actuator includes a traveling stop nut that has adjustable positions and travels on a screw on an input shaft. The stop nut is mounted to threadably travel on the stop screw. A stop guide is attached to the stop screw and prevents rotatio... | 10/26/2004 |
| 6718804 | Valve lockout device A lockout device (20, 120, 220) for locking a valve (22, 122, 222) into its closed position. In a first embodiment, a lockout device (20) is adapted for use with a valve (22) having a lever-type handle (24) and a valve body (28 | 04/13/2004 |
| 6692045 | Retrofittable cap locking device A retrofittable cap locking device for removably fitting over the stem of a fuel tank such that the cap of the stem cannot be removed. The retrofittable cap locking device includes a base portion. The base portion has an opening therein for receiving the ... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6622536 | Ball valve lockout A valve lock for securing the handle of a pipe. The valve lock includes a first housing having first and second contact points for engaging the pipe and a retention chamber that receives the handle. The first housing is in a final position to prevent rota... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6604391 | Security lock assembly for shut-off valve A security lock assembly for a shut-off valve consisting of a valve body and an exterior engageable portion secured to a gate stem so as to rotate the stem. The body has a flange with a hole therein. The security lock assembly comprises a lock disk having... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6494065 | Valve lockout/tag out system A system for locking a chain-operated valve to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent operation of the valve. The system includes an elongated tube for receiving both lengths of a chain encircling the valve and a locking arrangement positioned at one end of... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6460383 | Valve locking device A locking device for preventing movement of the operating handle of a valve comprising a U-shaped rod member engageable with a portion of the valve and having a curved proximal portion from which extends parallel portions for disposition on opposite sides... | 10/08/2002 |
| 6257273 | Adjustable lockout device for knife gate valves A lockout device is designed for use with a valve having a pair of spaced apart, generally opposed abutment surfaces, with at least one of the abutment surfaces being shiftable relative to the other in such manner that the spacing between the surfaces dec... | 07/10/2001 |
| 6148851 | Valve lock apparatus and lockable valve A lock apparatus for a valve that has a valve body and an actuator stem protruding therefrom for selectively rotating a flow control member within the valve body between open and closed positions and a handle attached to the valve stem that defines a firs... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6119494 | Locking apparatus A locking apparatus which is suitable for use with a manually operated control. The control is of a type which has a body and a handle. The handle is rotatable relative to the body and which is restricted to rotate between a first position defined by a fi... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6044860 | Adjustable lockout device for knife gate valves A lockout device is designed for use with a valve having a pair of spaced apart, generally opposed abutment surfaces, with at least one of the abutment surfaces being shiftable relative to the other in such manner that the spacing between the surfaces dec... | 04/04/2000 |
| 5813256 | Theft deterrent lock for an air brake control valve An anti-theft device for use with a dashboard mounted control of the type typically found in trucks having an axially moving shaft with a hand-grip knob is provided. The anti-theft device includes a locking pin provided through an aperture of the shaft. T... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5797285 | Device for locking rotatable shafts having stop plates A locking device for a valve having a rotatable shaft including a stop plate, and a stop secured to a housing, including a hollow body having a first chamber for receiving the shaft, a threaded aperture extending into the first chamber for receiving a scr... | 08/25/1998 |
| 5735147 | System for preventing the movement of vehicles having air brakes An apparatus is adapted to prevent the theft of a wheeled vehicle having air brakes (e.g., large trucks and buses). A brake valve is selectively actuated by linear movement of an exposed knob that is located adjacent a supporting structure in the cab, and... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5709112 | Tamperproof locking and latching mechanism for rotatable controls An improved spring-loaded latching and locking mechanism for a rotatable control of the type having a stem journaled in a body and rotatable about an axis in a boss on the body. The stem has a protuberance for engagement with the handle. The handle compri... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5638705 | Personal watercraft anti-theft device and a method The invention is directed to a method and an anti-theft device for a personal watercraft which is powered by a gasoline engine-driven jet pump. The anti-theft device, having a nozzle cover, a cover holding mender and a cover locking member, is designed to... | 06/17/1997 |
| 5598724 | Butterfly valve safety lock A safety lock device for use in releasably locking the head of a butterfly valve. The two part safety lock device comprises first: a cross-sectionally U-shape elongated frame, having an anchoring part at one end and a lateral flange with a number of bores... | 02/04/1997 |
| 5579804 | Tamper-proof handle extension for quarter turn valves A tamper-proof locking mechanism for a rotatable control device, such as a quarter turn valve, including a valve member connected to a stem rotatably mounted in a body housing the valve member and an operating handle connected to the stem via an elongated... | 12/03/1996 |
| 5560233 | Air brake valve shackle A locking device for air brake valves on vehicles is provided which comprises releasable elements for engaging an air brake valve control knob at the dashboard of the vehicle to prevent the control knob from being pushed inwardly to release the air brakes... | 10/01/1996 |
| 5557955 | Hot water faucet locking device A hot water faucet locking device comprising: an outer shell having an inboard region and an outboard region, the inboard region formed in a planar configuration with an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface including a cylindrical shaped ... | 09/24/1996 |
| 5551265 | Restraint mechanism for a control lever The connecting linkage between a control lever and a control valve that controls the operation or the manipulation of an implement of a construction machine is often complex and difficult to properly adjust. The present invention provides a restraint mech... | 09/03/1996 |
| 5415017 | Locking device for a lever operated valve A valve lock has a body and a moveable jaw for releasably gripping a lever handle of the valve against the body. The jaw has a threaded shaft that extends through a hole in the body, and a locking cleat is slidable on the threaded shaft. An arm is attache... | 05/16/1995 |
| 5411048 | Fluid control valve with latching handle assembly A valve handle latching assembly having a selectable latching slider which engages a detent on a fluid control device such as a ball valve. During assembly, a particular slider is selected for inclusion in the final assembly resulting in a valve tailored ... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5404734 | Secure locking arrangement A lock comprised of a cylindrical body having a first passage extending axially through the body which passage is configured to enable a locking bar to be passed through the body, the bar having at least one orifice intermediate its extremities, the lock ... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5400766 | Gas appliance stove safety valve system A gas appliance stove safety valve system that incorporates a safety valve assembly between the gas line manifold of the stove and the wall shut-off valve from the main gas line. The safety valve assembly is mounted adjacent the rear of the gas appliance ... | 03/28/1995 |
| 5394715 | Retaining mechanism for a liquid dispensing apparatus valve A retaining mechanism for a dispensing valve operated by a pivotal handle comprised of a retainer and a hook, the retainer having a base, a catch member and a latch member fastened to the base of the retainer, the catch member and latch member being arran... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5375916 | Truck air brake locking device An anti-theft device for protecting air brake control valves from being manipulated is disclosed. A clamp assembly locks on to the valve knobs employed to release the air brakes in a vehicle. A pair of blocks incorporate a key lock assembly and posts to e... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5365759 | Locking device in the closing or opening position of a valve A valve body with a retainer shoulder mounted on the side of the valve body. Inside the valve body is a valve obturator means which is rotatable inside the valve body and can open or block passages depending on the angle or position of the valve obturator... | 11/22/1994 |
