...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!
Make the Most of PatentStorm
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest patents by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Got questions? Ask a Patent Expert!
Registered users: Manage your profile, comments and alerts.
AbstractAn interlocking block and a retaining wall system derived from such blocks wherein the blocks when arranged to extend in horizontal courses in end to end relation and one upon the other in interlocking overlapping wall defining relation extend upwardly as such wall structure is erected, such interlocking block having an axis terminating in spaced apart end walls and bounded by generally flat top and bottom walls arranged in parallel relation to each other and by front and rear facings extending from end wall to end wall and so spaced apart as to provide a substantially uniform cross-section throughout the axial extent of same, the block having an axially extending projection upstanding from the top wall and the bottom wall having an axially extending recess formation of a configuration and extent to match the projection, the projection being spaced inwardly from the front facing a distance substantially equal to the distance the recess formation is spaced inwardly from the rear facing and the projection is spaced inwardly from the rear facing a distance substantially equal to the distance the recess formation is spaced inwardly from the front facing whereby when such blocks are disposed in horizontal courses one upon the other to present the projection upwardly with the front facings of each alternate course presented to the front and rear respectively a substantially uniformly erect wall structure extending generally vertically can be achieved. | InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 06/685058 filed on 12/21/1984US Classes:405/284, Retaining wall405/273, Cribbing405/286, Concrete52/592.3, In a vertical arrangement52/592.6, Designed for stacking (e.g., key on top surface, mortise on bottom)D25/113Construction block or brick type (20)Field of Search405/33, Interfitted or interleaved members405/262, With retaining wall405/272, Shoring, bracing, or cave-in prevention405/273, Cribbing405/284, Retaining wall405/286, Concrete405/31Associated with solid wallExaminersPrimary: Corbin, David H.Attorney, Agent or FirmUS Patent References1248070, 1733790, 1773579, 1907053, 2094167, 2197960, 2313363, 2371201, 2972870, 3488964, 4193718, Earth retaining wall of vertically stacked chevron shaped concrete blocksIssued on: 03/18/1980 Inventor: Wahrendorf , et al.4314431, Mortar-less interlocking building block system Issued on: 02/09/1982 Inventor: Rabassa4490075Retaining wall system Issued on: 12/25/1984 Inventor: Risi , et al. International ClassE02D 29/02 (20060101) |