Abstract: The apparatus forms and wraps fibrous bulk material or the like into bales and comprises bale forming apparatus for forming the material into an elongated continuous mass and plastic film wrapping apparatus. The bale forming apparatus has a bale-forming compartment with an infeed end and a discharge end, and material flow restricting apparatus located between the infeed and discharge ends for resisting the movement of the material. The wrapping apparatus in the form of a compressed bale wrapper that applies a sheet of plastic film around each bale while maintaining the bale in a compressed form. While the bale wrapper operates on discrete bales, separated from the elongated mass produced from the bale-forming means, the bale-forming means continues to produce an uninterrupted compressed mass of material.

Abstract: An excavating bucket attachment assembly comprises a pair of side arms and a tooth-mounting box mountable to an excavating bucket pivot pin without removing either the pivot pin or an excavating bucket to which the pivot pin is attached, and at least one tooth mounted in the tooth-mounting box. The tooth-mounting box comprises a transverse member providing a teeth-mounting channel that extends between the side arms with the side arms attached to the transverse member and closing off the channel at opposite ends thereof. A tooth retaining pin removably-extends through the tooth and through the side arms for retaining the tooth in the channel. The assembly may includes a plurality of clamping teeth, each mounted in the box by the retaining pin, and includes spacers located between adjacent teeth, the retaining pin extending through the spacers to hold the spacers between the teeth. Alternately, the assembly may include a ripping tooth mounted in the box by the retaining pin.

Abstract: A tunnel freezing system employs multiple high velocity refrigerated air impingement jets to quick freeze food products such as hamburger patties and fish or chicken filets. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene blocks are provided with a multiplicity of internal jet nozzles. These blocks are located in air ducts located above and below a conveyor belt so that the topsides and bottomsides of food products are impinged with the high velocity jets of refrigerated air so as to break up the boundary layer around the products to effect a much higher rate of heat transfer. A dual conveyor line employs direct drive centrifugal fans to deliver high pressure refrigerated air to the air ducts. The air ducts are spaced apart so that return air can freely return to be re-refrigerated after impinging on the food products.

Abstract: A smoker insert for a gas barbecue comprises a drip pan designed to be supported by the lower grate of a gas barbecue, and a vertical baffle extending from the drip pan upwards to subdivide the cooking compartment. The drip pan is sized to fit on about 1/2 of the lower grate area so that the baffle subdivides the cooking compartment about in half. The baffle occupies a very substantial portion of the cross-section of the cooking compartment so that the side and top edges of the baffle are close to the inner surfaces of the lower shell and the closed barbecue lid. By this arrangement, a small clearance is provided around the drip pan and the baffle, between the insert and the inner surfaces of the lower shell and closed lid. A flame suppressor is provided to control flames and flame-ups.

Abstract: A framing system, according to the present invention, comprises a base frame and multiple framing arches attached to the base frame at selected intervals. Each framing arch comprises a pair of lumber leg segments, a pair of lumber roof rib segments, angle frame connectors joining each leg segment to a roof rib segment and joining one roof rib segment to another roof rib segment, base frame connectors joining each leg segment to the base frame, and lumber edge segment and a lumber ridge segment. The edge segments extend transversely of the framing arches with each edge segment being mounted in the angle frame connectors that join leg segments to roof rib segments on one side of the framing system. The ridge segment extends transversely of the framing arches and is mounted in the angle frame connectors that join one roof rib segment to another roof rib segment.

Abstract: A hand-held slitting device for slitting open a package having a sealed edge, the hand-held slitting device having an insertion slot and a pointed blade protruding into an insertion slot. The package may be inserted into the insertion slot so as to bring a surface of the package against the pointed blade, and slit open by manipulating the package and the slitting device so as to cause the pointed blade to pierce the sealed edge and to cut through the sealed edge as the package is withdrawn from the insertion slot. The slitting device comprises a main body section of a size that is convenient to be grasped by a user's thumb and fingers, an arm section extended from the body section and provided with an inwardly extending end protrusion, and a slitting blade provided with an exposed sharpened cutting edge. The slitting blade is mounted by the body section in a way such that its sharpened cutting edge is inclined forwardly to end at a tip that is disposed adjacent to the end protrusion.

Abstract: A tool for lifting container lid lift tabs comprises a thin, relatively long and narrow body suitable for holding in a user's thumb and fingers. The body has a front edge and top and bottom surfaces, the front edge having a beveled undersurface that extends rearwardly and downwardly at an acute angle with respect to the bottom surface whereby the tool may be slipped under a container lid tab with the beveled undersurface aligned generally parallel with surface of the container lid. The top surface has a generally planar main area and has a concavity located adjacent the front edge, the concavity intersecting the front edge and having a sloped container lid tab-contacting surface that extends upwardly and rearwardly from the front edge until intersecting with the top main area.

Abstract: A food processing system, particularly a spiral food freezing system, comprises a food processing section, a conveyor belt for conveying food products through the food processing section, and a conveyor belt tension reducer engaged with the conveyor belt to reduce tension in the conveyor belt at a selected location, such as at the commencement of an infeed section to the food processing section. The tension reducer is provided as an infeed assist drive that is engaged with the conveyor belt at the commencement of the system's infeed section to drive slack into the conveyor belt at the transition from a conveyor belt return section to the inlet section.

Abstract: A hand-held sharpener tool for a knife or similar implement comprises a unitary body having first and second sections; sharpening elements mounted in the first section; the second section being located rearwardly of the sharpening elements and comprising an elongated handle on an upper side of the body, an elongated hand guard extending rearwardly of the sharpening elements, and a blade guide located on a lower side of the body, the hand guard being located between the handle and the blade guide whereby sufficient space is provided for a user's fingers to extend between the handle and the hand guard.

Abstract: A flotation system for supporting a person on a body of water for a variety of activities comprises an endless inflatable tube for supporting a person on a body of water, the tube having a circumference that defines an interior space extending from a stern end of the tube to a bow end of the tube. At least a portion of the interior space is open at the stern end. A seat platform is secured to the tube within the interior space at a location whereby a person sitting on the seat platform may face the stern end and extend his feet and legs through the open portion of the interior space into the body of water. The flotation system comprises a storage pack adapted to fit between the seat platform and the bow end. The storage pack is designed to hold the water vehicle in its uninflated condition for stowage and may be designed to be carried (much like a suitcase) or worn (much like a backpack) or both.

Abstract: A plumb bob string holder comprises a molded plastic unitary structure having first and second annular rings joined together by a bridge. Each of the first and second annular rings defines a circular aperture having a diameter sufficiently large whereby a plumb bob may by passed therethrough. The bridge is wide enough whereby a plumb bob string may be wound therearound for storage. The structure is constructed and arranged whereby a user may grip and hold the structure with his/her forefinger extended through one of the first and second annular rings, his/her middle finger wrapped around the bridge, and his/her fourth and fifth fingers extended through the other of annular ring, when a plumb bob string extends downward from the structure.

Abstract: A speaker enclosure has three chambers sub-divided from one other, each chamber being ported by its own separate acoustic port to the ambient. An electro-acoustic transducer is mounted in communication with two of the chambers, and the third chamber being is isolated from the transducer except for an acoustic port communicating between the third chamber and one of the other two chambers.

Abstract: A wheelchair attachment for enabling an occupied wheelchair to be pulled or pushed by an attendant which comprises an enclosed frame having a closed end and two sides extendable from the forward end toward a wheelchair, frame mounting connectors for detachably mounting the frame to a wheelchair with said frame projecting outwardly of the wheelchair whereby an attendant facing forward may grip the frame and pull or push the wheelchair, and frame stabilizers connected to the frame and detachably mountable to the wheelchair for positioning the frame in a desired plane projecting outwardly of the wheelchair. The frame and stabilizers are stiff enough that the attendant can lift up on the closed end to elevate the small front wheels of the wheelchair so that the wheelchair can be pulled along with its front wheels elevated.

Abstract: A billiard cue 10 comprises a handle section 12 and a cue tip section 14. This cue tip assembly comprises a ferrule 30, a cue tip insert 40 and a cue tip pad 50. The ferrule 30 and the tip 18 of the billiard cue are cooperatively constructed so that the ferrule 30 fits over and around the outer-most part 20 of the cue tip 18 and seats on an annular land 22 at the base of part 20. The cue tip insert 40 and the ferrule 30 are cooperatively constructed so that insert 40 can be releasably joined to ferrule 30. In this combination of the cue tip assembly 14 and the billiard cue shaft 13, a variety of cue tip pads can be alternately attached to the same shaft 13 (each unique in diameter and/or hardness so as to reduce or enhance cue ball deflection) simply by substituting one insert 40 for another.