Abstract: Appliance has housing with removable battery-pack section having a front end shaped to slide dovetail fashion up into the appliance housing and a spring-biased latch which holds up the rear of the section. Sets of contacts for discharge and charging have parallel contacts directed in the direction of the installing movement of the section into the housing.

Abstract: Exit device has auxiliary bolt which when held in by door strike permits a blocking leg to prevent unauthorized forced retraction of main latch bolt. Normal operation of device by panic bar pivots blocking leg out of the way and then retracts main latch bolt.

Abstract: A communication system includes a master control with optional inside, door or patio remote units, door chime, phone coupler, or programming such as radio, phonograph, tape player or the like. The inside remote units and the master control are connected to common lines including an audio line, control line, and talk-listen line. The remote units signal the master control on the control line by one of five voltage levels selected by depressing intercom talk, door talk, phone talk, or end-call push button switches. Tri-state signals on the talk-listen line from the master control operation of speaker circuits and microphone circuits in the units wherein the units other than the calling unit are automatically operated for hands-free answering during a timer period after release of an intercom talk switch.

Abstract: A tire equalizer comprises a housing having upper and lower chambers divided by a flexible diaphragm opposing a seat in the upper chamber connected to one of the tires. The diaphragm is urged toward the seat by a spring-pressed inverted cup larger in diameter than the diaphragm and having an arm extended longitudinally from the cup away from the spring. The arm is curved in horizontal cross-section and its upper end is formed with a slot receiving an off-center pin on the back of an indicator disc. Also connected to the upper chamber is a fill conduit, and a conduit to the other tire.

Abstract: A tire valve having a molded tubular plastic insert having a conical seat and adjacent the seat integrally molded inward radial ribs engaging and guiding a valve pin. To the pin is secured a valve element adapted to sealingly engage the seat. The insert is bonded within a molded rubber body.

Abstract: Keycard reader has entry slot aimed at an angle to the vertical and a vertical lower portion so that flexible keycard is bent as it is inserted. This provides a convenient entry, precludes the malicious insertion of coins, sticks, and other objects into reader to render it inoperative, blocks light into the reader and makes it unnecessary to make an enlarged opening in the door to receive the lock.

Abstract: A musical door chime which includes a repertoire of musical tunes one of which is played when a door pushbutton, preferably the front door pushbutton, is actuated. The musical tune which is played may be selected by means of a keyboard connected to a microprocessor. Digitally encoded representations of the notes of each musical tune are stored in a memory.

Abstract: Large feed tube is partly obstructed by removable safety guard which when in place actuates safety switch. Thus, even though large vegetables can be processed, it is not possible to insert a human hand when processor is operating.

Abstract: Fast-dump feeding apparatus includes a hopper having an associated vertical feed chute. The hopper is formed with an openable door at its lower end and the feed chute is bottomed by a shutter. Both door and shutter may be opened to permit rapid evacuation of the hopper and chute. A pusher having a path across the top of the shutter is adapted to push individual fastener parts through a side opening in the chute immediately above the shutter. The pusher includes a pneumatic channel terminating at the front of the pusher to direct a blast of air toward the individual part to assist in moving it away from the chute.

Abstract: A fluid container, e.g. in an air filter or lubricator, has a metal bowl with a sight glass comprising an elongate light-transmitting member of longitudinally tapered form. The sight glass member is slidable into a complementary tapered slot or recess defined by a flange integral with the bowl and overlying a flat wall portion provided with apertures to the main volume of the bowl and the space between said wall portion and the member adjacent top and bottom regions of the member respectively.

Abstract: A musical door chime which includes a repertoire of musical tunes one of which is played when a door pushbutton, preferably the front door pushbutton, is actuated. The musical tune which is played may be selected by means of a keyboard connected to a microprocessor. Digitally encoded representations of the notes of each musical tune are stored in a memory. Each digitally encoded musical note is read from memory by the microprocessor and converted by the microprocessor into a squarewave having the frequency and the duration of the note. The microprocessor is connected to a note strike and decay circuit which is preferably connected in series with an active audio filter circuit for translating the squarewave into a sinusoidal output for energizing a loudspeaker so that relatively high quality audible tones are heard when the musical tune is played.

Abstract: Snap-in tire valve includes rigid base larger than the rim hole opening so that the valve cannot be extruded therethrough. Valve is held in place by spring clip surrounding the valve stem.

Abstract: A stop disposed in the bottom of the shackle heel bore normally blocks movement of a pin holding the cylinder in the casing. Raising the stop when the lock is unlocked permits the pin to move away from the cylinder freeing the cylinder for replacement.

Abstract: An electronic security device includes a memory and a card reader which reads a combination code and calculation data from a key card. An electronic circuit compares the content of the memory with the combination code and enables the lock device if a match is found. If the key card is a new one the circuit calculates a new combination code by applying the calculation data to the memory content and, if this new combination code matches that on the key card the memory is loaded with the new combination code.

Abstract: A latch is provided with a rotary solenoid having an eccentrically mounted drive pin for driving a latch hub dogging means. The solenoid assembly can be easily demounted, rotated 180.degree., and remounted in the latch housing so that the drive pin can be made to drive the dogging blade either in or out of the latch hub dogging slot, depending on its mounted position. By this structure, the electric control may be readily converted from "fail-lock" to "fail-unlock" or vice-versa.

Abstract: A valve position monitoring and control system incorporates a proximity sensor positioned near a movable valve element to detect the operational position of the valve and includes circuit means coupled to a valve actuating solenoid for deactivating the solenoid in the event the valve fails to respond to command signals for positioning the valve in a predetermined position. In one embodiment, the system incorporates a pair of series connected valves used in presses which valves in turn are operated by solenoid actuated pilot valves. In the event either one of the valves do not operate either by opening within a predetermined time after actuation or closing within a predetermined time after their deactuation, the system of the present invention will not permit further operation of the valves until the system has been manually reset.

Abstract: Control for a toaster. The control is characterized by the incorporation of a selector switch for reducing the operating wattage of the toaster to stretch the cycle. The actuator of the selector switch, in one position thereof, serves to block movement of the "doneness" control to thereby relcalibrate or change the effect the "doneness" control has on the timing device of the toaster.