Did You Know...
...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7415889 | Method of prediction of in-vivo polymer performance by external experimentation A method is disclosed of using external polymeric analytical techniques to predict in-vivo polymeric performance, more particularly, viscoelastic property characterization for performance modeling of biomedical devices that incorporate a polymeric component and are ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7377179 | System, method, and apparatus for wireless non-powered stress history and fatigue monitoring of a structure A wireless, non-powered fatigue monitoring sensor uses a piezoelectric element that is attached to the surface of or embedded within a structure to be monitored. When subjected to stress over time, the material properties of the element change reliably and permanent... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7334485 | System, method and computer-readable medium for locating physical phenomena A method, system and computer product for detecting the location of a deformation of a structure includes baselining a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure. Each of the plural... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7324007 | Instrumented rock bolt, data logger and user interface system A rock bolt includes a hollow body and a gap along a length of the hollow body. At least one strain gauge is affixed to an inner surface of the rock bolt and is accessible from the gap. The rock bolt may include a data logger within the hollow body and coupled to re... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7200517 | Monitoring activity of a user in locomotion on foot In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a mount, a housing, and a sensor. The mount is adapted to be disposed at least partially underneath a shoelace of a shoe. The housing is configured and arranged to be placed in at least first and second states in relation to... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7168327 | Method of prediction of in-vivo polymer performance by external experimentation A method is disclosed of using external polymeric analytical techniques to predict in-vivo polymeric performance, more particularly, viscoelastic property characterization for performance modeling of biomedical devices that incorporate a polymeric component and are ... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7117574 | Determining expected fatigue life of hard machined components A method of determining expected fatigue life of machined bearing races or other components wherein a hardened surface of each bearing race is machined to provide a machined surface including the steps of determining hardness distribution and residual stress distrib... | 10/10/2006 |
| 6871156 | Smart connector patch panel A system remotely collects test data from a test platform using platform attached sensors. Identification chips, each having a unique identification code, are each paired with an associated sensor to form sensor/chip pairs. At least one patch panel having a pluralit... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6823740 | Method of selecting a critical plane for multi-event fatigue life prediction A method and system for selecting a critical plane. The critical plane can then be used to leverage off of uniaxial fatigue theory to predict the fatigue life of an object experiencing multiple stress inducing events. The fatigue life is based on calculating a singl... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6757642 | Method for performing wedge analysis for assessing wedge instabilities in underground openings A method is provided for performing wedge analysis for assessing wedge occurrence and instability in underground openings, such as mines, caves, and the like. The method scales full-span wedge predictions, accounting for both occurrence and instability potential of ... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6704664 | Fatigue sensitivity determination procedure A method for determining the sensitivity of the fatigue life of a structural component with respect to specific design parameters includes obtaining the stress profile for a structural component under random process establishing a relationship between the... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6578430 | Service life indicator for highly stressed light-weight structures The invention relates to a service life indicator for monitoring structures, such as pioneering bridges, which are designed with a limited fatigue strength and whose service life is therefore limited. A service life indicator for monitoring structures, su... | 06/17/2003 |
| 5833633 | Device for breast haptic examination In one embodiment of the invention, a pressure sensor array, data acquisition circuit, and a microprocessor are mounted in a hand held pad. Detection of nodules is achieved by analyzing the dynamic and spatial features of the pressure pattern while the pr... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5678565 | Ultrasonic elasticity imaging method and device A method and a device for noninvasively identifying a region of the tissue having a different elasticity than the surrounding tissue by simultaneously measuring strain and stress patterns in the tissue portion using an ultrasonic imaging system combined w... | 10/21/1997 |
| 5614680 | Apparatus for monitoring the fatigue strength of structures An apparatus for monitoring the fatigue strength of a structure comprises a longitudinal rib which is attached or integrated to the surface of the structure. The rib has a plurality of transverse notches of differing depths, each of the notches having a r... | 03/25/1997 |
| 5524636 | Method and apparatus for elasticity imaging An apparatus and method for imaging a portion of the body tissue comprises support for a portion of the tissue, and a force applying member that tends to deform the tissue relative to a reference position, while at the same time a pressure pattern distrib... | 06/11/1996 |
| 5425274 | Device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member and a method of making same A device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member composed of a predetermined material, and a method of making same. The device is a substantially flat fuse composed of a material similar to the predetermined material and mountable on a stru... | 06/20/1995 |
| 5396804 | Apparatus and method for force-controlled fatigue testing An apparatus and method for force-controlled fatigue testing of a specimen or material. A driver is used to generate a load force which is applied to the test specimen. Physical property changes of the test specimen are measured over time and a feedback s... | 03/14/1995 |
| 5379644 | Strain or stress gauge and method for detecting strain or stress of structure using the same, and plastic composite material for foreknowing progress of breakdown of structure and method using the same A strain or stress gauge 1A is presented for measuring the stress of a structure or a member. The gauge 1A comprises a bundle of electric conductive fibers 3, and a pair of terminals 4, for measuring an electric resistance of the bundle of electric conduc... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5355734 | Life predicting gauge for structure and life predicting method employing the same The present invention is intended to facilitate prediction of the life of a structure, such as a frame of a dump truck and so forth without requiring cumbersome calculations. A gauge (2, 3 or 4) for predicting a life of a structure comprises a gauge main ... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5319982 | Device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member and a method of making same A device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member composed of a predetermined material, and a method of making same. The device is a substantially flat fuse composed of a material similar to the predetermined material and mountable on a stru... | 06/14/1994 |
| 5248200 | Portable asphalt stress and strain measuring device A thermally stable fixture for testing asphalt samples is characterized by easurements of both thermal stresses and strains in the sample. The device uses air as the sample cooling or heating fluid for inducing thermal stresses and strains therein. Strains... | 09/28/1993 |
| 4907457 | Method of evaluating residual life of heat-resistant steel A method of evaluating residual life of a heat-resistant steel member after and during service at high temperature and stress makes use of a residual life evaluation diagram which is obtained beforehand on a plurality of samples of the heat-resistant stee... | 03/13/1990 |
| 4888720 | Tunnel measuring apparatus and method Apparatus and method for automatically measuring the interior dimensions of tunnels. The apparatus is mounted on an inspection vehicle and comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers which are arranged to form an imaginary template a predetermined dis... | 12/19/1989 |
| 4768383 | Method of predicting remaining lifetime of metal material Disclosed is a method of predicting the remaining lifetime of a metal material, wherein the shapes of grains of the metal material are quantitatively measured to obtain variations in the shapes of the grains, and the remaining lifetime of the metal materi... | 09/06/1988 |
| 4700715 | Device for detecting nocturnal penile erections A device which is circumferentially affixed to a flaccid penis about the proximal portion of the shaft thereof prior to retiring at night. The device is in the form of a band of material which includes an expandable portion which will not retract once exp... | 10/20/1987 |
| 4686631 | Method for determining internal stresses in polycrystalline solids Previous methods for determining internal stress in polycrystalline solids by X-ray diffraction techniques have required that the distance between the X-ray irradiated surface of the sample under investigation and the X-ray detection surface for the diffr... | 08/11/1987 |
| 4598592 | Apparatus for determining the fatigue condition of a structure Electrical signals, representative of stress induced in a structure, are developed by a piezoelectric transducer (10) attached to the structure in response to stress changes in the structure caused by loads applied to the structure. The signals storage si... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4590804 | Device for monitoring fatigue life A device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member is comprised of at least one and preferably a plurality of substantially flat, elongated coupons which are fabricated of the same material as that of the member being monitored. The coupons a... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4580520 | Fatigue indicator The invention relates to a fatigue indicator for mechanical parts subjected to repeated stresses, which comprises two thick elements spaced apart from one another and joined together by a thin web having a slit, these two elements being incorporated in th... | 04/08/1986 |
| 4502337 | Fatigue damage indicator The present invention relates to an improved fatigue damage indicator for a echanical member subjected to repetitive stress, comprising two thick elements which are spaced from one another and are connected one to the other by a thin web or plate formed wi... | 03/05/1985 |
| 4409824 | Fatigue gauge for drill pipe string Strain gauges are attached to a drill pipe which is inserted into a drill pipe string to be used in a well. The strain gauges are connected to an electrical circuit containing devices for digitizing the electrical signals generated by the strain gauges in... | 10/18/1983 |
| 4317373 | Fatigue cycle sensor and method A fatigue cycle sensor can integrate force with respect to time. The sensor has a body with a bore. A plunger is mounted in the bore for relative motion therethrough in response to force applied behind the plunger. The plunger is sized for an interference... | 03/02/1982 |
| 4175446 | Step counting device and method The number of steps taken while walking are counted by straining a fatigue life gauge to change its electrical resistance each time the device is stepped on by a subject. The change in resistance of the fatigue life gauge is measured to ascertain the appr... | 11/27/1979 |
| 4107980 | Assessment of flaw growth potential in structural components A method for predicting damage accumulation in a structural component in which a gage in the form of a metal strip having a flaw therein of predetermined length is attached to the component having a flaw therein of a length assumed to be greater than the ... | 08/22/1978 |
| 4089212 | Brinell sandwich transducer The instant Brinell sandwich transducer has a layer of small hardened steel alls between two layers of softer materials. The balls may be closely packed or separated into a less dense array by a spacer. Indentations in the softer materials indicate the max... | 05/16/1978 |
| 4075886 | Fracture toughness test method An improved method for testing fracture toughness of tungsten carbide, and more particularly sintered tungsten carbide, consists of preparing a specimen from a short rod of sample material by cutting thin longitudinal slots forming a V within the slotted ... | 02/28/1978 |
| 4018085 | Amplifying ribbon extensometer A self-contained, nonelectrical strain gage capable of amplifying strain inputs and preserving the maximum strain measurement for later observance.... | 04/19/1977 |
| 4015465 | Color displaying fatigue sensor A method and apparatus for determining fatigue in a structural part. The fatigue sensor comprises, for example, a thin silver zinc film affixed to a structural member that is to be monitored for fatigue damage. Upon sufficient flexing or other cold workin... | 04/05/1977 |
| 3979949 | Fatigue damage indicator A gage for measuring accumulated fatigue damage, or accumulated strain experience, and remaining fatigue life in a structure subjected to repeated loadings in relation to predictions or calibration tests. The disclosed embodiment has a thin, nominally rec... | 09/14/1976 |
