Mark T.
kalelkent
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While coming up with a design for our inventions, we all come up with simple questions, that we just can’t figure out. Without giving away our idea, I figured this is a good place where we can help eachother.
For example: Here is a random made-up list of questions:
How much milk does the average person use with their cereal?
Are matches made out of sulfur or phosphorus? I thought it was sulfur, but websites say different.
What kind of gas is in a lightbulb, and where can you buy it?
So, I thought a thread where we can bounce stuff off of eachother would be good. (Don’t give away unpatented information!)
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Mark T.
kalelkent
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Here’s the first question:
What do you call those electric plugs that have an outlet on the backside of it? That way you can plug two things into one wall outlet. You normally see them in Christmas light strings. I looked up double plugs and male/female plugs, but just came up with porn and extension cords.
Thanks in advance.
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Jason Garcia
citizen
Gold Member
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I don’t know the answer, but great idea for the thread. Now to go google it and hope for porn…err…I mean an answer, lol.
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R Linares
rlm
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Sounds to me like you were “Looking for Plugs in all the wrong places”, Mark! You might try looking on the USPTO website or freepatentsearch.com, etc… though you’d probably have to sift through alot of hits. Actually, right after writing that I was gonna do the search for you, and wondered “what would I call this?” and I thought “Piggy-Back Plug”. There’s your answer. As for the gas inside bulbs, my dad has worked in a specialty bulb manufacturer for years, so I could find out what type of gas is used in those adn where they get it from. But they’re not your “average” bulbs, they’re for industrial applications. I would imagine the suppliers are the same.
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Mark T.
kalelkent
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Thanks Rafael! I can continue my paperwork now! As far as the lightbulb gas, That was a sample question. I really don’t care. :) Maybe somebody else would though.
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Mike G
mginjhw
Gold Member
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I’ve got a question about dessicants….anybody have experience with different dessicants and their applications? Thanks.
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Mark T.
kalelkent
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There’s a lot of info on the web, including liquid dessicants for dipping flowers for keepsake albums. “dessicants” is also spelled “desiccants”. It is listed both ways. Anyway, what is the question?
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Mike G
mginjhw
Gold Member
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I’m wondering which type of dessicant would be best for an application that calls for repeatedly absorbing and releasing liquid- from the air and back into the air?
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Erik Goldstein
knotye
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mark
Its called a piggy -back plug ,
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Hugh Lyman
hlyman
Gold Member
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Mark,
For what its worth:
Inert Gas:
Any of the six gases helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon. Because the outermost electron shell of atoms of these gases is full, they do not react chemically with other substances except under certain special conditions. Also called inert gas.
My guess is the gas in a light bulb would be Argon as it makes up 1% of the earths atmospher.
Hugh
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Jason Garcia
citizen
Gold Member
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Anyone know the material that those fake fishing worms are made of? Its some sort of rubber like material that you can stretch and it springs back without losing much of its rebound.
I’m thinking that material is perfect elasticity and return for an idea I’m working on.
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Erik Goldstein
knotye
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mike
for dessicants check out vcihttp://www.theruststore.com/Learn-about-VCI-W23C2.aspx or,http://www.theruststore.com/Bull-Frog-Emitter-Shield-P25C12.aspx
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Erik Goldstein
knotye
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mike
Ive heard really good things about those , but never tried them
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Toni LaCava
toni
Gold Member
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Mike G
mginjhw
Gold Member
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Thanks, Eric. Pretty interesting stuff. Actually, I’m more interested in the classic dessicants. I’m not looking for a rust preventive action, but something else entirely.
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Erik Goldstein
knotye
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mike
Try different marine supply stores,they usually have my different types of dessicants
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Mike G
mginjhw
Gold Member
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Great thought, I’ve got a good one down the road. Thanks.
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Brett Juilly
brettfromla
Gold Member
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Light bulbs are empty — the gas is pumped out of them, creating a vacuum, so the filaments can’t catch fire. (No oxygen, no flame!)
In 8th grade “physics of simple machines” class, we made light bulbs and had a contest to see whose filament would last longest. Knowing about the vacuum thing, but having no way to create a vacuum in an 8th grade classroom, I filled the glass jar with carbon dioxide (baking soda and vinegar). My filament lasted longest.
(To be precise, my teacher didn’t have vinegar so he used sulfuric acid on the baking soda!! Whew! The instant they touched, we couldn’t breathe!)
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Sir Edward
pnutgalaree
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Alrighty then, I’ll re-post… :P

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Mark T.
kalelkent
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eddie’s removed his post, so mine doesn’t make since any more.
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Toni LaCava
toni
Gold Member
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Eddie, I missed you yesterday – where did you go?
Did you go gambling :D
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Rafael Avila
vitaminguy
Gold Member
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Mark, about the christmas tree plug. It’s called an “end-to-end connector”
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Mark T.
kalelkent
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LOL!!!! I KNOW!!!!!! It’s called a piggy back plug!!! I’ve known for two months!!!! To all future alien life forms that stumble across this thread trying to understand what happened to the human race, and are trying to understand human behaviour, I KNOW THE ANSWER IS PIGGYBACK PLUG!!!!! :D
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invisible avatar
amiiam
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Mike , a desiccant that is available from Damp Rid. They make one product that absorbs moisture from the air and then it drips into a container which you empty out, it works continuously.
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Rafael Avila
vitaminguy
Gold Member
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Yes, but did you know it is also called an “end-to-end connector?”
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Ronald Pickle
mopar78
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I already know the answer but was curious if anyone else knows what your typical toilet bowl and tank are made of. Clue, two words.
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Erik Goldstein
knotye
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Mark T.
kalelkent
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viscous china… Aside from my million other areas of knowledge, I also worked the plumbing department at Lowes for a while. :)
[edit: okay, This is what happens when you use spell check. You give it one misspelled word and it gives you another word all together. You try spelling “vitrieouios” correctly!]
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Toni LaCava
toni
Gold Member
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Raw Materials
Toilet bowls and tanks are made from a special clay called vitreous china. Vitreous china is a mix of several kinds of clay, called ball clay and china clay, silica, and a fluxing agent. Clays are hardened by first drying in air, then being fired (baked) in a very hot oven called a kiln. Usually a shiny, waterproof coating called a glaze is applied only after a first firing, and the clay is fired a second time. Vitreous china is an exception, in that clay and glaze can be fired together. The whole clay body vitrifies, or turns glassy, so the toilet is actually waterproof and stainproof through its entire thickness.
Toilet seats are generally made from one of two materials. Plastic toilet seats are made from a type of thermoplastic called polystyrene. The less expensive and more common type of toilet seat is made from a blend of wood and plastic. The wood is hardwood, usually maple or birch, which has been ground up into the consistency of flour. This wood flour is blended with a powdered plastic resin called melamine. Zinc stearate is a third ingredient in wooden toilet seats. This prevents the wood-resin mix from sticking to the mold in the manufacturing process. The metal tank fixtures are made of stainless steel or copper, and the joints that hold the seat to the bowl are usually a rubber-like plastic.
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Ronald Pickle
mopar78
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Toni LaCava
toni
Gold Member
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I knew you would be proud of me Ron :D
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Rafael Avila
vitaminguy
Gold Member
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Does anyone know what a rectenna is?
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Toni LaCava
toni
Gold Member
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Been there done that one already :)
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Toni LaCava
toni
Gold Member
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Mark T.
kalelkent
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It’s not a funny answer, but it is an answer. :/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectenna
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jkl 9
accountclosed
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I thought it was an antena coming from the rectum…
Didn’t that happen to Cartman?
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Cody Dalton
manufacturemaster
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Yea, i’m a technical sophisticated fool, but i don’t go as far as to fold my clothes like this:
http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/10/how-an-engineer.html
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Brett Juilly
brettfromla
Gold Member
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Patrice, I can’t believe it’s been 2 weeks since your reference to Cartman’s rectenna and I just found it now! Thanks for the LOL! :-D
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