Abstract: A portable cooking unit susceptible for use with either an interchangeable griddle surface or a grill surface. The cooking unit is provided with a serving/eating portion substantially surrounding the unit, at least a portion of which may be hingedly connected to permit easy storage. A removable grill unit is provided with a hinged top for conventionally cooking when the griddle is removed. Adjustable wheels are provided for easy storage or movement of the unit.

Abstract: Dough pieces are dockered by a rotating flexible bristle brush to form dockering holes in the dough to prevent puffing during frying. The flexible bristles increase the point density of dockering holes in the dough while avoiding sticking or wrinkling of the dough during the dockering step. Upon frying a fried snack product having dockering holes is produced.

Abstract: Dough pieces are dockered by a rotating flexible bristle brush to form dockering holes in the dough to prevent puffing during frying. The flexible bristles increase the point density of dockering holes in the dough while avoiding sticking or wrinkling of the dough during the dockering step.

Abstract: A deep-fat fried expanded snack product is made from a moist dough according to a technique which prevents undue distortion of the snack during frying. The dough can include cooked potato solids, masa, and/or one or more cereal flours, with a moisture content of about 35% to 60% at the time of frying. An amount of ungelatinized starch can be present in the dough when fried. In one embodiment, the dough is extruded as a pair of separate long, thin strands which are formed into a composite dough piece by adhering the strands by surface contact along the long dimension of the strands. The two adherent strands can be straight solid dough pieces in side-by-side contact, or the strands can be twisted together to form a braid. In another embodiment, a sheeted dough piece can be slit lengthwise along its center and partially through the depth of the dough piece to form the equivalent of a pair of adhering strands.

Abstract: A vessel for production of deionized water having increased resistance to corrosion and internal contamination. A throughpipe provided with external threads is welded to the domed bottom and the inner tank bottom and extends into the interior of the vessel. A corrosion-resistant coating is applied to the interior of the vessel and partially upwardly on the threaded portion of the throughpipe such that the gasket prevents deionized water and other corrosive materials from attacking and delaminating the coating.

Abstract: Fried snack food products are produced by grinding cereal grain kernels such that all of the ground grain passes through a U.S. Number 20 screen, uniformly hydrating the ground grain into a grain/water slurry, cooking the grain/water slurry under conditions used to uniformly gelatinize the starch in said slurry such that a gel is formed thereby, cooling and reducing in size the gel such that dry ingredients may be added to the gel, forming the gel so that it may be cut into individual snack food pieces, and thereafter drying the pieces for long term storage or frying the pieces for immediate consumption. The process produces the snack food product which has more uniform texture, is less expensive to produce and does not have the characteristic limed flavor of conventional "Mexican-style" corn chips.

Abstract: A planar window washing device especially adapted to clean extremely soiled windows in a single washing step. The device comprises an elongate handle member and a cleaning head assembly. The cleaning head assembly includes a carrier member and first and second wiping means. The first wiping means is in the nature of a rubber squeegee and the second wiping means is in the nature of an abrasive pad which is movable between a first inoperative position and a second operative position in contact with the window surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for the biodegradtion of toxic organic solvents contained in liquid scintillation cocktail (LSC) wastes is disclosed, as well as a method for its operation. Additionally, a novel microorganism, Pseudomonas sp NNRL B-18435, is disclosed for the biodegradation of the organic solvents contained in such wastes. The apparatus is capable of operating with solvent concentrations greater than 5,000 ppm and emulsifier concentrations greater than 2,000 ppm. Rates of solvent biodegradation range from 0.095 mg/L.min to about 7.0 mg/L.min.

Abstract: A process for making fried expanded snack products includes preparing a moist dough principally from solids, such as corn or potato solids. Larger particle size dry food particles, such as wheat or rice particles, are included in the dough. The dough is then formed, such as by roller-forming, into a thin sheet, and dough pieces cut from the sheeted dough are fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried expanded snack. The larger food particles project through or are contained in the surface of each dough piece to cause steam to escape during frying, which greatly reduces "puffing", i.e., formation of undesired bubbles in the snack, during frying. By providing a sufficient number of larger particles with an average particle size at least about to the thickness of the dough piece (so that an appreciable number of particles can project through or be contained in the surface of the dough piece), formation of undesired large bubbles is significantly reduced.

Abstract: A hunting arrow especially adapted to eject a transmitter into a quarry animal to enable location of the quarry after having been shot. The device is particularly useful in the event that the hunting arrow passes completely through the quarry, or if imbedded therein is broken off or pulled out by the quarry. The hunting arrow comprises an apparatus for retaining the transmitter within the arrow, which when moved rearwardly along the shaft of the arrow, permits a spring-loaded transmitter to be ejected into the body cavity of the quarry.

Abstract: A patient restraint device adapted to secure a victim to a temporary transport apparatus, such as a backboard or a gurney. The device incorporates one or more pairs of moveable strap members which can be adjusted depending upon the size of the victim, location of wounds and location of securing points on the backboard or gurney. The device is especially suited for construction in small (infant), medium (adult) or large (for extremely obese or extremely tall victims) sizes. The device can be color-coded so that it can be applied to the victim in a "right side up" arrangement the first time.

Abstract: A suffocant in the form of a heavier-than-air gas is directed into the subterranean tunnel network of a burrowing air-breathing animal so as to replace the air from such tunnels and suffocate the animals therein. The heavier-than-air gas is preferably odorless, tasteless, colorless and substantially chemically inert, and injected at conditions approximately standard temperature and pressure, so as not to provide a warning to the burrowing animals. The heavier-than-air gas is preferably CO.sub.2, and is injected at a rate of from about 2 to about 10 L/minute. The heavier-than-air gas is injected into a cover member which overlies at least one tunnel outlet in the case of mammals (e.g. gophers) or a plurality of tunnel outlets in the case of insects (e.g. fire ants).

Abstract: The invention provides an asphalt patching device capable of single-handed operation, reducing the time and expense of conventional asphalt patching. The device comprises an auger, a hopper with an associated spreader, a conveyor to transport asphalt from the auger to the hopper, and an operator's station. This device, exclusive of the hopper, is mounted to a wheeled frame which is pulled behind a dump truck carrying the asphalt. The frame is provided with wheels which permit the device to rotate substantially 180.degree. side-to-side behind the truck in order to effect asphalt patches on a roadway.

Abstract: A dehydrated fabricated potato piece for reconstitution into hash brown potatoes is made for admixture with dehydrated fresh potato pieces. The fabricated potato piece is made from a dough or potato solids (comprising one or more of potato flakes, potato granules or potato flour) with or without mashed potatoes. If mashed potatoes are used, they may be either fresh mashed potatoes or rehydrated dried mashed potatoes. The potato dough is sheeted between a pair of sheeting rolls at a moisture content less than 55%. The sheet of potato dough is then cut into strips and predried to a moisture content of less than 30%. Thereafter, the strips are cut into individual potato pieces, final dried to a moisture of about 7%, and may be mixed with dehydrated fresh potato pieces in a proportion of from 10:90 to 90:10 respectively, and packaged for later rehydration into hash browns.

Abstract: An apparatus for removal of embedded utility-type poles which removes the poles quickly and efficiently from their embedded position without damage to the pole or surrounding structures. The apparatus includes at least 2 piston/cylinder members equally spaced about the pole, and a head member affixed to the top of each piston. Elongation of the piston induces rotation of the head into the pole to increase the gripping action and reduce slippage. Repeated actuation and retraction of the piston and head member will "jack" the pole from its embedded position.

Abstract: A windshield repair device for repairing imperfections, in the form of bull's eyes, chips or cracks, induced by road hazards. The device comprises a first vacuum device for repairing relatively large imperfections, a second vacuum device for repairing relatively small imperfections adjacent the windshield periphery, and a platen to secure the second vacuum device to the windshield. The first vacuum device evacuates a relatively large area over a chip or crack and injects ultra-violet light-settable polymer resins into the evacuated imperfection. The second vacuum device is essentially the inner portion of the first vacuum device and is capable of evacuating a much smaller area. The second vacuum device is primarily useful either at the periphery of the windshield, or on areas of windshields having a high degree of curvature. The platen assists in holding the second vacuum device to the windshield.

Abstract: An elongate housing is provided for removable attachment to either a self-propelled windrower or conventional farm tractor. A flexible-bristle brush is adjustably secured to the housing such that when the housing is moved through a field of seed-bearing plants, the rotating brush interacts with the housing to strip seeds from the plants. The seeds are deposited in an auger trough and moved by the auger to one end of the housing. An impeller or blower located outside the housing creates a vacuum such that the seeds are drawn through a screened opening in the housing and conveyed to a seed storage area. In order to break apart agglomerations of seeds or seed bearing pods, the blower/impeller is preferably provided in the form of a fan having blades which rotate about a shaft aligned such that the harvested seeds strike the fan blades, thereby breaking apart the seed agglomerates and seed pods.

Abstract: An expanded fried cereal-based snack product is prepared from a dough consisting essentially of (1) a low water-absorbing component (LOWAC) comprising one or more raw or partially gelatinized cereal flours comprising about 20% to about 80%, by weight, of the total dry solids; (2) a high water-absorbing component (HIWAC) comprising one or more pregelatinized cereal starches of flours comprising from about 10% to about 35%, by weight, of the total dry solids; and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches comprising from about 10% to about 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. The dry solids are mixed with water to form a dough having a moisture content from about 35% to about 50% by weight of the dough. The dough is then sheeted and cut into a dough piece which is fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried snack that expands about 1.4 to about 2.5 times during frying, producing a snack of uniform expansion and low fat content.

Abstract: An expanded fried cereal-based snack product is prepared from a dough consisting essentially of (1) a low water-absorbing component (LOWAC) comprising one or more raw or partially gelatinized cereal flours comprising about 15% to about 80%, by weight, of the total dry solids; (2) a high water-absorbing component (HIWAC) comprising one or more pregelatinized cereal starches or flours comprising from about 3% to about 40%, by weight, of the total dry solids; and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches comprising from about 10% to about 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. The dry solids are mixed with water to form a dough having a moisture content from about 40% to about 50%, by weight of the dough, and a dough piece is then extruded from the dough and fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried snack that expands about 1.2 to about 3.0 times during frying, producing a snack of uniform expansion and low fat content.

Abstract: Fried snack food products are produced by grinding cereal grain kernels such that all of the ground grain passes through a U.S. Number 20 screen, uniformly hydrating the ground grain into a grain/water slurry, cooking the grain/water slurry under conditions used to uniformly gelatinize the starch in said slurry such that a gel is formed thereby, cooling and reducing in size the gel such that dry ingredients may be added to the gel, forming the gel so that it may be cut into individual snack food pieces, and thereafter drying the pieces for long term storage or frying the pieces for immediate consumption. The process produces the snack food product which has more uniform texture, is less expensive to produce and does not have the characteristic limed flavor of conventional "Mexican-style" corn chips.