Abstract: A deep fat food cooker has a vat for cooking oil, a pre-warmer container on the outside of the vat for cooking oil to be pre-warmed before use in the cooker, and a thermal extractor to extract heat from heated oil in the vat and to transfer the extracted heat to oil in the container; the container is deep drawn thermally conductive aluminum and has an elongate side in heat exchange relationship with a side wall of the vat; the thermal extractor is thermally conductive aluminum sheet and has a dip member in the heated oil, a cradle to support the container on the outside of the vat, and an upright wall between the container and the vat outside wall to also transfer heat through the wall; oil in the container receives heat from the extractor and through the vat wall and upright wall, all of the heat is taken from the previously heated oil in the vat.

Abstract: A method of and rake for removal of aquatic plants; the method has the steps of pulling a rake over an underwater bottom, engaging aquatic plants with flexible, resilient teeth and a flexible, resilient filament strung between the teeth, pulling the plant out of the bottom with the filament and distributing stress among the teeth through the filament when the rake snags an immovable obstruction; the rake has a cross bar, a plurality of elongate flexible and resilient teeth attached to the bar, and a flexible and resilient high tensile strength filament strung to and between all of the teeth. The filament pulls out plants and distributes stress among the teeth. An improved rake tooth has structure for holding a transverse filament adjacent a tip of the tooth.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for automatic flue damper control of a solid fuel burning stove has a driveshaft connected to the damper, a plurality of cams on the driveshaft, a plurality of thermoswitches on the chimney pipe, a plurality of selection switches operated by the cams, and an electric motor controlled by the thermoswitches and the selector switches for moving the damper to open, partial and closed positions in response to low, rising, and too high temperatures respectively.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for dispensing both particulate ice and cold beverage wherein a common supply of ice is used firstly for dispensing and then secondly for cooling of the beverage. A pair of co-axial rotors are co-rotated about a common vertical axis by a single motor, the upper rotor dispenses particulate ice off of an annular upper bottom. All ice that falls through the open center of the upper bottom irreversibly falls down upon a cold plate and the lower rotor moves the fallen cooling ice on the cold plate for enhanced cooling.

Abstract: An improved trailer jack has a castor structure enabling use of a full size spare trailer wheel and tire on the jack; the jack has a gear box mechanism, a lift post drivable up and down by the gearbox, and a lift element pivotally journaled inside the post; the lift element has an offset structure which raises the spare axle axis up to a level above the bottom of the post and the axle is spaced to one side so that when the full size spare wheel and tire is used, it pulls up into a locked storage position above and alongside on the trailer tongue, when the spare is down, it swivels completely around under the tongue and around the lift post. The trailer is much easier to manually manipulate in a garage or driveway.An improved lift assembly with a unique swiveling lift member having both a trailing offset and transverse offset is utilized.

Abstract: A carbonated beverage dispenser has an improved carbonated water distribution manifold for evenly and reliably distributing carbonated water from a single carbonator and cooling structure to a plurality of post-mix dispensing valves without decarbonation, flow restriction, foaming or other deficiencies. The improved carbonated water distribution manifold is fabricated of stainless steel and has a tubular inlet fitting, a plurality of tubular outlet fittings, a distribution plenum in between the inlet and outlet fittings with the plenum having a generally planar inlet wall into which the inlet fitting extends, a generally planar outlet wall into which the outlet fittings individually extend, additional plenum walls adjoining the inlet and outlet walls and jointly forming the plenum with there being an interior carbonated water distribution chamber inside the plenum, and in which all of the inlet and outlet fittings are welded to the inlet and outlet walls respectively from inside of the distribution chamber.

Abstract: A collapsible bucksaw has an elongate straight sawblade and a collapsible H-shape frame with a central compression frame, a pair of end frames pivotally mounted to ends of the blade, a looped cord for a tightener and a rod to tighten the cord, the coil is slipped over cathces on outer ends of the end frames and is twisted and wound up to become shorter and thereby tighten the blade taunt, when the blade is taunt the tightener tool is slipped into a stop notch in the frame and is locked in place.

Abstract: A post-mix beverage dispensing system has a structure for flushing the dispensing valve and its nozzle of syrup using diluent water from the water supply; the dispensing valve has a nozzle, syrup and water valves and an actuator for the syrup and water valves, a mounting block for the dispensing valve has water and syrup ports with inlets and outlets and normally closed disconnect valves in the outlet enabling removal of the dispensing valve from the block, a flush connector goes across the bottom of the block and is fluidly connected into the water and syrup ports, a normally closed flush valve is in the connector and has an external pushbutton actuator for opening the valve for connecting the water port to the syrup port to flush the syrup port disconnect valve, flow control, syrup valve and nozzle with water, and there is structure to prevent flow of flush water into the syrup supply line.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for making, cooling and dispensing carbonated water or beverage wherein the method has the steps of providing a single supply of condensed refrigerant, discretely routing a first portion of the refrigerant to a precooler and precooling the water only to an intermediate moderate temperature of about 40 degrees F. (5 degrees C.) with the first refrigerant portion, carbonating the water before or after precooling, transferring the precooled and carbonated water to a final cooler of the ice bank type and final cooling the carbonated water and syrup to as close to 32 degrees F. (0 degrees C.) as is possible, and discretely routing a second portion of refrigerant to the ice bank. The discrete flow of refrigerant to the precooler and the discrete flow of refrigerant to the ice bank final cooler are each discretely controlled and portioned and routed, with this method and apparatus having extremely high efficiency and making very cold carbonated water reliably and without freeze ups.

Abstract: A new and improved transfer cart, specifically for the transfer, delivery and retail display of bottled milk or other packaged goods, has a new base and a new bottle retainer guide. The base is formed of a single elongate strip rolled in to a recurved outwardly convex section and folded and welded into a continuous band with inward facing top and bottom flanges and an outward extending bumper; corner posts are welded into the base band, and base beams are formed into the same cross-section of the base band and have swagged ends fitted into and affixed into the base band. The gate guides hold a liftable gate on the rear of the cart, the guides extend contiguously from the second to the top shelf gusset reinforcing the cart, and shelf tabs extend from each guide over the back of each shelf, and each shelf is welded to a pair of respective tabs to strengthen the cart and enable usage of less steel.

Abstract: A beverage dispenser has a housing, a dispenser head with an electrically conductive combination cup actuator lever and beverage level probe, a control circuit connected to the probe and to a start switch actuatable by the probe and to a solenoid for a beverage valve, and a drip tray and cup rest wherein the cup rest is tilted rearward toward the actuator lever to hold a cup against the lever and keep the back of the cup rim against the lever. An improved actuator lever has a dielectric journal, an electrically conductive thin wall metal tube cantilevered probe extending down from a single fastener securing a control lead and the probe to the journal piece and the conductive probe is spaced from and is below the level of the valve body and lever fulcrum. A conductive plastic flow control is mounted in the valve body and a second control lead is connected to the electrically conductive flow control for providing a potential signal in the beverage.

Abstract: An improved beverage dispenser for filling any one receptacle taken from a predetermined group of different sized cups or a significantly large pitcher, the dispenser has manual start and automatic shut off of dispensing utilizing an electrically conductive combination activator and beverage probe lever, has an improved receptacle rest for dependable support of all of the cups or the pitcher, and the rest has a rearwardly inclined tilted upper receptacle support surface to tilt the receptacle toward the lever. The improved receptacle rest has a nose extending up and out beyond a dispenser drip tray for support of the pitcher, and a backstop to prevent the pitcher from damaging or disabling the automatic shut off and the dispenser. A method of dispensing, a retrofit kit, and method of retrofitting a cup dispenser into a dipenser for cups and/or pitchers with automatic dispensing shut off are also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making ice wherein an ice cube maker has a generally upright gridded evaporator, a hot gas defrost for harvest of cubes, a storage bin below the evaporator, a hinged cube and water curtain between the evaporator and the bin, a new and improved control for the freeze cycle, and a new and improved control for the harvest cycle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for washing transfer carts, the method having the steps of placing the cart on an advancement conveyor and advancing the cart into a soak station for soaking with a soak solution; advancing the cart into the wash station where a plurality of nozzle carrying wash arms are extended through an open side of the cart spraying a high pressure washing solution at an angle onto each of the respective shelves of the cart after which the washing nozzles are retracted again passing over the respective cart shelves; advancing the cart into a rinse station, rinsing the cart first with clear water and then with a dilute acid solution; and advancing the cart from the apparatus.

Abstract: A mobile cart has fixed tray supports for a plurality of discrete and removable trays, the cart has a frame with a base and caster wheels and side frames with corner posts, and a top member structurally connecting the side frames; the trays each have a roll-section formed frame with a perimeter piece, an upper inward turned inverted U-shaped top flange, a lower inward turned floor pad, and a downward facing inverted U-shaped support nest on the bottom of each side of the frame; a tray floor in the frame has a support surface on the floor pads and upturned flanges of less than ninety degrees underneath the top flanges; each side frame has a rear stop peg and front stop peg extending in from respective corner posts, a tray support rail in between the stops, and a hold down peg above and spaced from the rear stop pegs; the tray fits upon the support with the nests upon the rails and the hold down pegs keep the trays in place during transit, the cart and trays are ideally suited for the transport and retailing of

Abstract: A parachute device primarily for propulsion of a work load, specifically a snow skier who wants to go across flat terrain or uphill, has a canopy with a leading annulus and a normally open apex vent having a plurality of wedge shaped panels secured on one side to the annulus, each panel has a tip with an apex ring, a plurality of suspension lines lead from the annulus to a control center, a vent control line extends from the control center to each panel apex ring and the control line has a vent control ring which causes the control line to pull the panel apex rings together in an apex of the canopy, the control center has a motor driven reel for taking in the control line and a one-way brake on the reel enables letting out of the control line when a manual brake release is manipulated, a safety release in one side of the control center has structure for release of a fraction of the suspension lines for instant deflation of the canopy and a complete release system on a load harness has structure for instant co

Abstract: A beverage dispensing valve for pre-mix carbonated beverage has a pressure balancing structure for enabling easy opening of the valve and an improved drive mechanism providing a relatively higher force for opening the valve; the balancing structure has a balance piston on a nose of a normally closed poppet valve, the piston is on a floppy mount and is sealed to a balance cylinder in the pressurized beverage line forming a balance chamber upstream of the piston, the chamber is vented to atmosphere to relieve beverage pressure on most of the area of the poppet valve to reduce the opening force required; the drive mechanism includes an electric solenoid having an elastic tension spring in the solenoid plunger, the spring elastically connects the plunger to the poppet valve to generate an improved and greater force. A dispensing system has several of these valves with a single low power transformer for all of the valves.