They Invented What? (No. 49)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,979: Toilet bowl mountable trap door litter box.
What is claimed is:
1. An animal litter box, with a trap door, mountable on a toiled bowl comprising: a generally elongate animal litter box having sidewall means and a bottom; mounting means for mounting of the animal litter box on top of a toilet bowl; a sidewalled well opening with significantly smaller cross sectional area than the bottom of said litter box depending from the animal litter box for holding litter and waste from an animal using the litter box; an opening and closing trap door means on said sidewalled well opening mounted with hinge means to the bottom of said animal litter box; and single trap door opening and closing means mounted on said animal litter box and connected to said trap door means for opening and closing of the trap door means to dump litter…
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They Invented What? (No. 48)
U.S. Pub. App. No. 2006/0134273: Method and apparatus for making a sandwich.
JW Note: Per David McClaughry . . . “a method of making twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheeseonionspicklesonaseasemeseedbun.” Thanks for all the submissions, Dave!
1. A method of filling an order for a sandwich comprising: toasting a bread component for the sandwich for less than about 1 minute in response to the order in a first heating device; and initiating and completing the heating of a sandwich filling for the sandwich from about 40° F. or less to about 120° F. or more in a second heating device, while the bread component is heating, in response to the order.
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They Invented What? (No. 47)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,145: Solo-operable seesaw.
JW Note: Per David McClaughry at HD&P, this invention “takes all the fun out of the teeter-totter.” Enjoy.
What is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:
1. A seesaw movable between ground and elevated positions and comprising: a base member having oppositely spaced side sections and a back section integral therewith and spaced therebetween, said side sections having respective bottom edge portions for engaging a ground surface and further having respective top edge portions for defining an apex of said base member, said base member further including a plurality of elongated braces having opposed end portions connected thereto and for maintaining said side sections at substantially stable positions; an elongated plank having a first end portion engaged with said base member and being selectively pivotable thereabout, said plank further having an oppositely…
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They Invented What? (No. 46)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,874: User-operated amusement apparatus for kicking the user’s buttocks.
JW Note: Many thanks to David McClaughry at HD&P for bringing this one to our attention.
Having thus described the aforementioned invention, I claim:
1. An amusement apparatus operated and controlled by a user, comprising:
a platform having a first end and a second end;
first post and second posts detachably mounted on said platform, said first post positioned toward said first end and said second post positioned toward said second end of said platform at a distance from said first post sufficient to permit the user to locate therebetween, facing said first post;
said first post having a crank positioned at a height thereon which requires the user to bend forward toward said first post while grasping said crank with both hands, to prominently present his buttocks toward said second post;
said…
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They Invented What? (No. 45)
JW Note – The No. 45 “They Invented What?” in our series – the KSR v. Teleflex patent! Hard to believe this SCOTUS opinion is over ten years old.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,565: Adjustable pedal assembly with electronic throttle control.
JW Note: In honor of the KSR v. Teleflex opinion issued this week . . . actually, isn’t “TIW?” what the Supreme Court said?
What is claimed is:
1. An adjustable pedal assembly for a vehicle comprising;
a support (18) for mounting to a vehicle structure;
an adjustable pedal assembly (22) having a guide member (62) rotatably supported by said support (18) for pivotal movement about a pivot axis (26); and
a pedal arm (14) supported on said guide member (62) for rectilinear movement in fore and aft directions relative to said support (18), said guide member (62) and said pivot axis (26) between various adjusted positions;
an electronic control (28) supported on said support (18) and responsive to pivotal movement of said pedal arm (14) and said guide member (62) about said pivot axis (26),
said electronic…
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