Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7870767 | Lockout device A lockout device is provided for an instrument having a body and an actuating member extending from the body for operating the instrument. The lockout device includes a bottom member, a cover member, and a flexible member. The bottom member and cover member are adap... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7581420 | Lockout device A lockout device is provided for an instrument having a body and an actuating member extending from the body for operating the instrument. The lockout device includes a bottom member, a cover member, and a flexible member. The bottom member is adapted to be position... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7337636 | Anti-theft device An anti-theft device including a shaft divided into first and second brackets and a locking mechanism. First bracket defines first 300a and second 320a edges, second bracket defines first 300b and second 320b e... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7216667 | Valve opening/closing handle lock mechanism A valve opening/closing handle lock mechanism provided in a valve having a manually operated valve opening/closing handle (1) is capable of maintaining the security of the valve by preventing the valve from being opened or closed by accident or with malicious... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7197904 | Lockout device A telescoping lockout device for encasing a gate valve, electrical connection, or similar apparatus, for the purpose of preventing unauthorized access and tampering with the apparatus. The lockout device is comprised of two nested half cylinders attached to one anot... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7178546 | Valve cover A valve cover having a valve cover body, preferably of two sections. These sections are placed on either side of a valve. When joined, the sections enclose the valve, but form line apertures around the lines leading to and from the valve. Once the sections are in pl... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7143780 | Faucet hose anti-tangling guard for a shut-off valve A faucet hose anti-tangling guard for a shut-off valve is a molded plastic shield that has a prolate shape, divided across a short axis into two portions. The rear portion attaches over a water shut-off valve assembly using two plastic brackets assembled with screws... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7096882 | Valve security device A valve security device for releasably securing a fluid flow valve in an inoperable position including an inner body adapted to be disposed about the valve actuator such that rotation of the inner body effects corresponding rotation of the actuator to open and close... | 08/29/2006 |
| 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 |
| 6994106 | Fire hydrant locking device A locking device to inhibit unauthorized operation of a fire hydrant includes a locking plug having a bottom opening that fits over an actuating nut of the hydrant. The locking plug has a cylindrically-shaped body formed with an upper actuator nut. A peripheral groo... | 02/07/2006 |
| 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 |
| 6920894 | Valve security device A valve security device for releasably securing a fluid flow valve in an inoperable position including an inner body adapted to be disposed about the valve actuator such that rotation of the inner body effects corresponding rotation of the actuator to open and close... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6854302 | Pneumatic tool lock A tool lock, especially useful in preventing theft or unauthorized use of a tool. The tool lock has a housing in which a lock cylinder assembly and locking balls are disposed. The tool lock housing has an opening at one end in which a portion of a tool, such as a pn... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6843083 | Lockable valve cover A lockable valve cover has a housing with an open end and a pair of opposing slots on opposite sides of the housing extending from the open end for engaging over spaced locations on a pipe on opposite sides of a valve over which the housing is placed, the pipe exten... | 01/18/2005 |
| 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 |
| 6691732 | Hydrant security device The present invention provides a hydrant locking device to be used in conjunction with a fire hydrant having locking nuts which includes, a base arm having a first base arm portion and a second base arm portion. A top arm extends upwardly from the base ar... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6648009 | Tamper-proof ball valve A tamper-resistant by-pass valve prevents an unauthorized user from tampering with the valve when it is in the closed position to block gas flow to a meter being replaced or repaired.... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6634195 | Locking button for semi-tractor pneumatics An anti-theft device for preventing unauthorized release of the air brakes on a vehicle includes a lockable button for the valve stem for the control valve. The lockable button includes a button body, a coupling member, and a lock assembly having a latch ... | 10/21/2003 |
| 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 |
| 6606888 | Lock structure for ammonia nurse tank valve units An anti-pilfer lock device is provided for protecting against unauthorized access to the flow control valve units projecting from the outer surface of a mobile ammonia nurse tank. A box-shaped housing is sized and configured to be removably mounted on the... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6567718 | Method and apparatus for monitoring consumable performance A method for monitoring consumable performance in a processing tool comprises storing a performance model of the processing tool; receiving a consumable item characteristic of a consumable item in the processing tool; determining a predicted processing ra... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6467500 | Ball valve locking device A locking device for a ball valve of the type having an operating stem includes a post attached to the valve body with the post extending parallel but spaced axially from the valve stem and formed to receive a locking pin between the post and valve stem t... | 10/22/2002 |
| 6382001 | Keyless lock for lockout device A locking device for use in connection with an energy controlling apparatus, such as a valve, or regulator, to prevent unauthorized persons from changing the position of a rotatable shaft of the apparatus that controls the amount of energy that flows thro... | 05/07/2002 |
| 6354116 | Valve cover for preventing unauthorized tampering with a valve A valve cover apparatus is provided having a housing, lock and hook. The housing includes a top wall, bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls. The bottom wall includes an opening to a central chamber of the housing which is sized for receipt of a valve h... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6324877 | Lockout device A locking device for use in connection with an energy controlling apparatus, such as a valve, or regulator, to prevent unauthorized persons from changing the position of a rotatable shaft of the apparatus that controls the amount of energy that flows thro... | 12/04/2001 |
| 6209365 | Lockout device A lockout device to prevent tampering with the manually set position of a valve or regulator or other device having a rotatable shaft for adjusting, for example, the flow of fluid through the device, from a position intially set to some other position. Th... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6205826 | Lockout device A lockout device to prevent tampering with the manually set position of a valve or regulator or other device having a rotatable shaft for adjusting, for example, the flow of fluid through the device, from a position initially set to some other position. T... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6170306 | Valve security guard A valve security guard is provided for a storage tank having a valve for dispensing material from the tank and includes a cover with a closed end and an interior with an open end for enclosing a valve handle, and a shaft member that extends through apertu... | 01/09/2001 |
| 6152161 | Valve lockout device A valve lockout device having two pieces. A first piece of the device is a hollow object, substantially tubular or block-shaped, open at a bottom end and having slots open on two sides, that fits over a valve whose handle is to be fixed (or locked). A poc... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6112761 | Fire hydrant locking device and wrench A fire hydrant locking device comprises a clamp which engages the hydrant stem and includes apertured butterfly wings which are engaged by a forked rod locking the stem in a closed position. The rod extends through a donut to engage a tubular recess in th... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6070442 | Lockout device A locking device for use in connection with an energy controlling apparatus, such as a valve, or regulator, to prevent unauthorized persons from changing the position of a rotatable shaft of the apparatus that controls the amount of energy that flows thro... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6038893 | Lockout device A locking device for use in connection with an energy controlling apparatus, such as a valve, or regulator, to prevent unauthorized persons from changing the position of a rotatable shaft of the apparatus that controls the amount of energy that flows thro... | 03/21/2000 |
| 5950462 | Lockout device A lockout device to prevent tampering with the manually set position of a valve or regulator or other device having a rotatable shaft for adjusting, for example, the flow of fluid through the device, from a position initially set to some other position. T... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5941103 | Faucet locking device The locking device of the present invention comprises a box and a lid which interlock with each other, wherein each of the box and lid has a recess therein for snugly accommodating a faucet assembly. To operate the locking device of the present invention,... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5927111 | Lockable outdoor water faucet article An outdoor water faucet article is configured to secure a building water faucet from unauthorized use. The article is lockable, yet is readily unlocked to access the water faucet. The article comprises a first housing half, a complementary second housing ... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5836184 | Safety guard for aerosols The present invention is a safety guard comprising a pair of opposed cups adapted to receive the opposite ends of the aerosol container respectively. Each cup has an integral arm extending toward the opposite cup, each arm having a perpendicular flange. O... | 11/17/1998 |
| 5806555 | Locking device for valves A locking device for use on valves such as ball valves having a body and a rotatable handle on the body comprises a first body half, a second body half, and a hinge pivotally connecting the first and second body halves together such that the locking devic... | 09/15/1998 |
| 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 |
| 5664447 | Valve lockout A lockout device to prevent tampering with the manually set position of a valve or regulator or other device having a rotatable shaft for adjusting, for example, the flow of fluid through the device, from a position initially set to some other position. T... | 09/09/1997 |
