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 |
| 7938033 | Geared, continuously variable speed transmission A continuously variable speed transmission includes a first guideway, a second guideway, wherein the first guideway and the second guideway remain stationary during operation at a particular speed ratio. The transmission further includes a first member moveably conn... | 05/10/2011 |
| 7255406 | Method for manufacturing track for auger boring machine An auger boring machine having a drive mechanism for moving the machine along a desired direction of travel includes a drive motor having a shaft and a pinion mounted on the shaft. A method for manufacturing a track for such a boring machine includes providing a tra... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7231841 | Operating mechanism for reciprocating component An operating mechanism for a reciprocating component includes a moving member having a mounting section for attaching the reciprocating component, and a base with a guide. The guide has a backward path guide section and a forward path guide section that faces the ba... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7222550 | Adjusting device with automatic release mechanism An adjusting device has a carriage, at least one guide element, on which the carriage is mounted such that it can be moved, a shifting device for moving the carriage, and a securing mechanism for securing the carriage in a desired position. To provide an improved ad... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7137760 | Methods and apparatus for manufacturing operations using opposing-force support systems Methods and apparatus for manufacturing operations using opposing-force support systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a track assembly adapted to be attached to a workpiece, and a carriage moveably coupled to the track assembly. The carriag... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7066044 | Transmission apparatus A transmission apparatus includes a gear having a plurality of gear teeth and a rack having a plurality of rack teeth to mesh with the gear teeth. The rack further has an end formed as a cantilever beam structure. In an initial contact of the gear teeth with the rac... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7040711 | Nonslip bearing arrangement A seating unit includes a mechanism for adjustably positioning a component of the seating unit. The mechanism includes first and second members, each having a generally smooth curvilinear load bearing surface and a plurality of teeth adjacent the load bearing surfac... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7032470 | Yoke bearing providing improved support A steering gear assembly includes a pinion defining a pinion axis and a rack defining a rack axis. A bearing assembly includes a roller bearing biased against the rack to generate a normal force pressing the rack into engagement with the pinion. The bearing assembly... | 04/25/2006 |
| 6997073 | Vehicle power unit In a vehicle power unit, a main shaft and a counter shaft of a transmission are placed in and taken out through an opening formed on the crankcase. The main shaft and the counter shaft are rotatably held by a single transmission cover fastened to the crankcase and a... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6981483 | Linear gear transfer drive assembly A gear drive assembly for internal combustion and heat engines requiring the conversion and transfer of reciprocal linear powered motion input into undirectional rotary output. A rack and pinion assembly having linear power input on the rack and a one-way friction c... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6955462 | Mixing chamber An apparatus is provided for mixing and maintaining particulates in liquid suspension, the apparatus comprising a reservoir for holding a fluid containing dispersed particles, a substantially horizontally-disposed mixing plate mounted inside the reservoir, the mixin... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6945926 | Muscle energy converter A muscle energy converter for a patient. The converter includes a casing having a fluid port. The converter includes a bellows mechanism disposed in the casing adapted to contain fluid. The converter includes an actuator arm mechanism adapted to be attached to a ten... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6932331 | Combination of air refresher and electronic appliance holding device A holding device is composed of a base and a cover. An air refresher is positioned in a receiving portion of the device and an electronic appliance is clamped between two clamping plates on two sides of the device. A sliding mechanism is received in the device and i... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6920804 | Staked retention for pinion ball bearing A rack-and-pinion steering gear is provided. The gear comprises a lower shaft, a pinion gear, a first bearing, and a plurality of stakes. The lower shaft has a first end, a second end, and a shoulder depending radially outward from the lower shaft. The pinion gear i... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6740998 | Single motor, multi-axis stage A movable stage system includes a motor which rotates a rotational element, a transmission system engaged with the motor and selectively engaged with a platform, a first lock which engages the transmission system such that the transmission system moves the platform ... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6729072 | Integral latch and drive system for a powered sliding door A vehicle door lock system comprises a sliding vehicle door, having a door path of travel generally translational to a vehicle frame. A drive unit moves the vehicle door along a door path. A drive component communicates the movement from the drive unit to the vehicl... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6722222 | Inclined rack and spiral radius pinion corkscrew machine Corkscrew machine including rotatable spiral radius pinion gear mechanically coupled to annular collar and engages inclined gear rack to translate driver up and down carrying freely rotating, helical corkscrew. Crank rotates spiral radius pinion gear to translate dr... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6634838 | NC machine tool A NC machine tool having a constitution in which a table (15, 115) for placing a work thereon and a spindle (14, 114) for setting a tool are relatively moved by three feed mechanisms (18-20, 118-120), for X-axis, for Y-axis, and for Z-axis, to carry out m... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6575864 | Drive mechanism for selectively opening and closing a closure panel manually or automatically A drive mechanism (14) for enabling driving and manual movement of a sliding side door (12). The assembly (14) has a track assembly (16) mounted to a vehicle body (10) at a predetermined height and a drive mechanism (18) mounted to the sliding side door (... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6523647 | Elevating platform assembly An elevating platform assembly includes a generally vertical mast having a generally vertical rack mounted thereon. A first trolley is coupled to the mast and is moveable therealong. A drive mechanism is carried by the first trolley and includes at least ... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6439104 | Small size air pump The present invention aims at providing a small size air pump which has a simple structure and is less likely to incur restrictions on its space for installation and accommodation. The present invention provides a small size air pump 1 in which a motor 4 ... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6422559 | Rotatable connected object An apparatus is provided comprising a plurality of sections together forming a connected object, which may be a sphere. One half of the sphere can be rotated with respect to another half of the sphere in various planes or along various circular paths. In ... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6210097 | Burden loading robot having balancer for compensating for off-center loading of weight A burden loading robot includes a loading portion installed in a robot main body and a balancer for offsetting off-center loading of weight of the loading portion. The loading portion includes a loading plate which can be moved away from a fixing portion ... | 04/03/2001 |
| 5881601 | Extendible and retractable reaching tool An extendible-retractable device, which is made up of a number of interconnected members and to which a suitable tool may be attached. The device makes it possible to continually change the position of the tool as a task is being performed. The device inc... | 03/16/1999 |
| 5671637 | Servo-assisted rack-and-pinion system A servo-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system in which the rack is drive-coupled to a pinion which is mounted to move between two end positions in the longitudinal direction of the rack so that its movements control the servo motor. The end positions o... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5564156 | Linearly reciprocating wiper apparatus An apparatus for wiping a window has a wiper, a first track substantially parallel to at least a portion of the window and a second track substantially parallel to and displaced from the first track. A first motorized drive wheel is provided for driving t... | 10/15/1996 |
| 5323690 | Fluid actuator assembly for imparting rotational movement to a boom A linear movable apparatus for imparting rotational movement to a turntable is provided. The turntable is secured to a rotatably mounted shaft having a ring gear thereon for meshed engagement with gear teeth provided on a piston rod which extends between ... | 06/28/1994 |
| 5233389 | Driving device for a document platen and copying machine incorporating a movable document platen A document platen on which a document is placed is movably installed on the main body of a copying machine. A motor for producing a driving force is provided. An input gear to which the driving force is transmitted is located in a fixed position. A planet... | 08/03/1993 |
| 5113224 | Reciprocating driving device A reciprocating driving device is provided with a reciprocating moving member supported to be movable in a predetermined direction and the reverse direction. A first rack is provided on the reciprocating moving member, and a second rack is provided on the... | 05/12/1992 |
| 4998860 | Conveyor apparatus A drive mechanism which is suitable for long strokes of motion (4 feet to over 100 feet) and is capable of carrying heavy loads (500 pounds to over 20,000 pounds) at very high speeds (over 5 feet per second) operates without substantial use of electronics... | 03/12/1991 |
| 4986301 | Sub-sea valve actuator The coupling between a sub-sea pipeline valve and its actuator is brought about by the adoption of a device (4) associated rigidly with the housing of the valve and provided with a hollow shaft (6) into which the valve shaft is keyed. The top of the hollo... | 01/22/1991 |
| 4932276 | Fluid operated rotoslide Presented is a fluid-operated control device that may be operated by pressurized gas or liquid. A housing contains a double-acting piston assembly that is moveable in a longitudinal bore in the housing. A gear rack connects the two pistons. A rotor assemb... | 06/12/1990 |
| 4899606 | Apparatus for assembling parts and discharging assembled parts A multiple-step cyclical ram advancing apparatus. In a three step configuration linear motion is imparted to a moving axis as revolution therearound translates said axis to provide a first linear push to a slide ram to abut articles, then a partial retrac... | 02/13/1990 |
| 4612768 | Tide activated generator Apparatus for mechanical storage of energy derived from the rotation of a first shaft and for driving a rotatable main shaft associated with a power generator comprising, in combination, means for rotating the first shaft, connecting means for communicati... | 09/23/1986 |
| 4540289 | Automatic stirring system for film developing A drive means for a photographic film developing tank and a developing tank for use therewith, including magnetic coupling means connecting an agitator in the tank with the reciprocating-type drive means, such as a rack and pinion, and an electric motor.... | 09/10/1985 |
| 4495828 | Stroke enlarging mechanism A stroke enlarging mechanism comprises a stationary rack, a saddle member driven by an actuator relative to the stationary rack, an operating arm movable relative to the saddle member, and a movable rack secured to the operating arm. A first pinion and a ... | 01/29/1985 |
| 4313622 | Passive seatbelt system A passive seatbelt system for a vehicle including a tape having a plurality of holes formed therein at regular intervals, a passenger restraining seatbelt coupled at one end to the thick tape, a sprocket wheel which is engaged with the holes in the thick ... | 02/02/1982 |
| 4244233 | Reciprocating indexing mechanism A reciprocating indexing mechanism for linear and rotary outputs which has an output member which inherently reaches a zero velocity at each end of a stroke independent of the input velocity and which utilizes an angular input mechanism, commercially avai... | 01/13/1981 |
| 4221135 | Postage meter conversion apparatus A postage meter attachment or conversion apparatus is disclosed that will effectively convert a manually lever settable postage meter into an electrically controlled postage meter. The conversion apparatus is easily assembled to and disassembled from a st... | 09/09/1980 |
| 4189958 | Compressor A linear type of compressor wherein a housing section, for enclosing a crankshaft and pinions of a counterbalancing synchronizer, has axially extending support means for the pinions formed integrally therewith through an inner flange also integral with th... | 02/26/1980 |
