Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5601183 | Two-pole make-before-break switch A two-pole make-before-break switch includes a base housing, a cover member secured to the base housing, an actuating member disposed above the cover member, and first and second contact assemblies mounted on an interior portion of the base housing. The f... | 02/11/1997 |
| 5545867 | Motor operator interface unit for high ampere-rated circuit breakers This invention relates to a high ampere-rated circuit breaker which meets the electrical code requirements of the world market. The charging of the powerful operating springs controlling the circuit breaker contacts is made automatically by means of an el... | 08/13/1996 |
| 5538052 | Secondary containment of above-ground tanks for flammable materials An above-ground secondary containment system for a primary tank holding liquids includes a dike surrounding the tank, a hood over the dike for preventing ambient precipitation and trash from entering the dike and preventing evaporation of liquids spilled ... | 07/23/1996 |
| 5512720 | Auxiliary trip device for a circuit breaker An auxiliary trip device for a circuit breaker which includes an electromechanical actuating device and an energy storage system. The electromechanical actuating device includes a coil housed in a sheath which has a central bore containing a plunger fixed... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5512718 | Keypad having a reflective contact A backlit component which is suitable for use in an illuminated graphic keypad in an instrument panel of an automobile The backlit component is adapted to be illuminated by a light source located beneath the keypad, but off to one side of the backlit comp... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5512723 | Self-cleaning type switch A switch compartment 20R is formed in a switch body 20 of electrically insulating material and opens at the top surface of the body. First and second fixed contact members 23C, 24C are secured to the opposed inner walls of the compartment. The open top of... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5510587 | Electric circuit actuating mechanism A mechanism (10) for actuating an electric circuit is shown including a switch box (11) fastened to a housing (26) to which a cover (60) is movably mounted. The threaded stems (54) of four de-energizing momentary switches (52) extend through and are held ... | 04/23/1996 |
| 5508484 | Ceiling fan control switch box A ceiling fan control switch box, which includes a casing, a pull switch received inside the casing and having a hollow screw rod extended out of a wire hole on the casing and fixed in place by a screw nut, an angle pipe having raised ribs on the inside f... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5506378 | Impact resistant switch mechanism An impact resistant switch mechanism is disclosed which includes a switch disposed within a housing of a device, such as a communication device or the like. The housing has an opening formed therein through which the switch may be operated from outside th... | 04/09/1996 |
| 5504290 | Remote controlled circuit breaker with recharging cam A remote controlled circuit breaker including a mechanism linked to a handle by a drive lever equipped with a roller cooperating with a recharging cam of an energy storage system including a spring. A bearing surface is arranged to block the roller in the... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5502845 | Siphon-jet flush water supply system for toilet stool A flush toilet stool includes a toilet bowl and a trap drainage passage connected to the toilet bowl. The toilet bowl has a water jet hole defined in a bottom region thereof and opening toward the trap drainage passage. A pressurizing unit such as a water... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5503315 | Shoulder strap for electric or acoustic guitar A shoulder strap for musical instruments, in particular guitars, which includes a first and second portion. The first portion is arcuate from its end to the beginning of the second portion. Each end of the support is adapted to attach to a musical instrum... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5504289 | Circuit switching mechanism and charging system therefor A circuit switching mechanism for use in a high voltage circuit breaker is disclosed. The disclosed mechanism comprises a charging system (12); trip latch mechanism (14); an opening spring (16); a closing spring (18) positioned coaxially with the opening ... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5502285 | Contact-separating device for circuit breakers A device for separating a pair of electric contacts which tend to weld and consist of a stationary contact 11 and a contact 12 which is movable away from the stationary contact, particularly in a circuit breaker is provided. The device includes a tripping... | 03/26/1996 |
| 5500498 | Rocker-type electrical switch A rocker-type electrical switch of the kind known as a "quiet switch" includes a manually depressible rocker having two opposed contact surfaces at a small angle to each other from rocker depends a rocker arm terminating in a rocker cam. A slider position... | 03/19/1996 |
| 5500497 | Rubber dome/mylar switch A rubber dome switch assembly has a first contamination resistant sheet which overlies a circuit board upon which are switch footprints. The first sheet is apertured to expose the switch footprints and a second contamination resistant sheet overlies the f... | 03/19/1996 |
| 5499762 | Auto mount for bicycle rack A rack for supporting a bicycle on the roof of an auto is disclosed herein having two pairs of mounts secured at each end of spaced-apart tracks, two pairs of secured mounts or to roof mounted adaptor plates carried on the auto roof. Each mount includes a... | 03/19/1996 |
| 5498844 | Steering wheel with horn button overlay A horn button overlay provides an enlarged striking or actuating surface for a horn button on an airbag equipped steering wheel without interfering with airbag deployment. In an illustrative embodiment, a horn button overlay comprises a first substantiall... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5497812 | Apparatus for rapidly filling a dry wall cement dispensing tool An apparatus for rapidly refilling a dry wall cement dispensing tool from a dry wall cement-filled bucket containing a thick-walled, heavy, metal pump tube for submerging into the dry wall cement contained therein, all of a weight to provide the pump tube... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5498845 | Light switch extension An extension for facilitating operation of a light switch from a distance below the switch. The inventive device includes an elongated member having a handle at a first end thereof and an engaging assembly at a second thereof. The engaging assembly can be... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5498846 | Toggle switches A switch including two contact plates spaced in a housing, a bimetallic strip and a stop plate respectively connected to one contact plate, a T-shaped switch handle, a control block mounted around the switch handle, a conductive connecting plate fastened ... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5496980 | Switch knob adapted to be fixed and sealed to a support A switch knob has a mobile first part adapted to switch from one connection to another by rotation and a second part fixed to a support of the device on which the knob is mounted by an assembly device and a clamping device. The assembly device comprises t... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5496981 | Electrical switch A single pole electrical switch of relatively thin overall dimension has a rocker provided on an off center axis in the circuit breaker housing, which rocker is adapted to slide a moveable contact across the upper ends of the fixed contacts to achieve ope... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5495082 | Handle interlock arrangement for high ampere-rated circuit breaker operating handles This invention relates to a high ampere-rated circuit breaker which meets the electrical code requirements of the world market. The charging of the powerful operating springs controlling the circuit breaker contacts is made manually by means of an operati... | 02/27/1996 |
| 5495080 | Electrical switch This electrical switch (1) consists of a flat spring, profiled in order to provide both a contact function and a spring function; the flat spring (1) includes a first leg (2) which can be deformed by bearing on a fixed pivot pin (3) of a support (4), and ... | 02/27/1996 |
| 5493089 | On/off switch assembly for an electric iron An electric iron has a printed circuit board mounted to a rear wall in the iron's housing. An operating switch is mounted on the circuit board. The operating switch connects the iron to a source of electrical power when moved by a first manual force and d... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5493088 | Assembly for high ampere-rated circuit breaker This invention relates to a high ampere-rated circuit breaker which meets the electrical code requirements of the world market. The powerful operating springs controlling the circuit breaker contacts are restrained by the interaction of a cradle operator ... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5492254 | Carrier case for recreational boards A carrier case for carrying a recreational board such as a skateboard, snowboard, surfboard or the like. The carrier case has a base and a first and second engagement pounch or compartment for securing a recreational board to the base.... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5493087 | Operating unit for a key switch A key switch operating unit having an elastic cylinder hermetically interposed between the top surface of a housing and the lower surface of a flange portion of a key stem, and a rubber bottom cover covering the lower opening of the housing so as to defin... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5491314 | Flat high temperature membrane switch display window A flat, high temperature membrane switch display having a display, a rigid substructure with a hole approximately of the dimensions of the display located approximately in its center, multiple switch layers with a hole approximately of the dimensions of t... | 02/13/1996 |
| 5491313 | Halo lighting for keypad switch assemblies An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly has a keypad and key caps which are illuminated by light passing through thin webs connecting the key caps to the keypad to create a halo lighting effect surrounding the key caps.... | 02/13/1996 |
| 5489754 | Housing section for an electric circuit to be protected from harmful substances, e.g. a motor vehicle locking system, and process for producing a housing with the housing section A housing includes a housing section made of hard thermoplastic material for a circuit, e.g. a motor vehicle locking system, to be protected from harmful substances, and at least one pressure member being made of soft thermoplastic material and being acce... | 02/06/1996 |
| 5488208 | Multiple electrical outlet box with locking cover and power interrupt switch A multiple electrical outlet box which prevents unauthorized use of connected electrical devices. The multiple electrical outlet box includes a cover which is used to enclose electrical plugs which are connected to multiple outlets, thereby preventing the... | 01/30/1996 |
| 5486661 | Limit switch lever A rectangular cavity is provided in an actuator lever intersecting with an upper edge of a shaft-receiving hole in the lever and receives a linearly slidable hard metal rectangular key having a cam on one edge for clamping the lever to the shaft. A screw ... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5486664 | Seal for cord passageway of power pod A power pod enclosure having an electrical cord exit passage communicating with an open side of the enclosure has a brush seal attached to the enclosure whereby bristles project to a cover closing the open side, the bristles filling the passage to impede ... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5486666 | Protective cover for electrical terminals and method of using same The present invention provides a cover for an exposed electrical terminal mounted on an electrical distribution device. The cover includes a generally planar body member having sufficient size to substantially cover the exposed terminal. The cover demount... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5486660 | Reset only rocker guard for split case circuit breaker A split case magnetic circuit breaker has a bracket secured to the front of the breaker housing similar to that used to provide a rocker for operating the breaker manually and for resetting the breaker when tripped. The bracket is formed with a small acce... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5486667 | Rating module unit for high ampere-rated circuit breaker This invention relates to a high ampere-rated circuit breaker which meets the electrical code requirements of the world market. The operating springs controlling the CLOSED state of the circuit breaker contacts are contained within a module unit which can... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5486669 | Detented paddle blade switch assembly A lever type switching assembly having a pair of generally U-shaped spring blade contact members disposed in oppositely spaced-parallel arrangement for alternate actuation by a common paddle lever frictionally contacting the contact members for effecting ... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5484091 | Vehicle cargo organizer A package or cargo organizer for the cargo area of a vehicle. The organizer is typically maintained in a lowered position providing a flat surface in the cargo area. The folded down organizer provides a durable surface and an aesthetically appealing cargo... | 01/16/1996 |
