Abstract: A refill for a volatile material includes a container having a reservoir portion and a neck portion. The refill further includes a plug assembly disposed within the neck portion of the container and a channel through a central portion of the plug assembly. Still further, the refill includes a porous wick extending through the channel, wherein the wick includes an upper portion extending outside the container and a lower portion disposed within the reservoir portion. A slit is formed in the lower portion of the wick to form a barb that catches on the plug assembly to prevent removal of the wick from the container.

Abstract: A dispenser for use with an air-treating composition to be emitted includes a base having a container support and a mounting surface separate from the container support. A container is coupled to the base container support and adapted to receive the air-treating composition, and a diffuser element is coupled to the base and positioned to disperse the air-treating composition from the container into the surrounding environment. A cover is adapted for attachment to the base mounting surface. The container support remains intact when the cover is removed therefrom. The cover may include a frame for holding one of a plurality of substrates carrying different images. In addition, the base may be formed of a plastic material while the cover is formed of a ceramic material.

Abstract: Objects of the invention relate to a detachable breakaway power supply device that can be selectively coupled to an electrical appliance. A first coupling element is carried by the appliance and a second coupling element is carried by the detachable power supply device. The power supply device is carried by a conventional power supply cord. Attractive magnetic forces between the first and second coupling elements permit selective, removable attachment and electrical contact between the appliance and the power supply device. This arrangement provides a breakaway mechanism in which disturbance of the power supply cord, e.g., by tripping, results in the separation of the power supply device from the appliance to prevent overturning of the appliance and spilling of its contents.

Abstract: Objects of the invention relate to a detachable breakaway power supply device that can be selectively coupled to an electrical appliance. A first coupling element is carried by the appliance and a second coupling element is carried by the detachable power supply device. The power supply device is carried by a conventional power supply cord. Attractive magnetic forces between the first and second coupling elements permit selective, removable attachment and electrical contact between the appliance and the power supply device. This arrangement provides a breakaway mechanism in which disturbance of the power supply cord, e.g., by tripping, results in the separation of the power supply device from the appliance to prevent overturning of the appliance and spilling of its contents.

Abstract: A distiller control circuit includes a power bus including first and second lines and a fan circuit connected across the lines and including a fan motor and a fan thermostat in series. There is also a heater circuit connected across the lines and including a heater and a heater thermostat in series. The fan thermostat is normally open, closes at an elevated temperature and automatically re-opens when the temperature subsides. The heater thermostat is normally closed, opens at an elevated temperature and must be manually reset to the closed position. The raw water vessel has a reset mechanism with a pivot-mounted bar and a contact surface on the bar. When the contact surface is depressed, the bar is urged to the second position for resetting the heater thermostat. The heater circuit terminates in a two-stud male connector and the platform has a two-slot female connector. The studs slide into electrically-conductive engagement with the slots when the raw water vessel is inserted into the condensing platform.

Abstract: A rapid cycle household automatic breadmaker for producing bread has a total cycle time in the order of about one hour, including a kneading cycle of 10 minutes, a rise time cycle of twenty minutes and a baking cycle of thirty minutes. In producing a loaf of bread, the bread ingredients are preheated by hot water to a preheat temperature of about 49.degree. C. to 54.degree. C. and maintained at the preheat temperature for the duration of the kneading cycle and for at least a portion of the rise time. The bread dough is baked at a temperature of about 216.degree. C. to 232.degree. C. during the baking cycle.

Abstract: A new baffle device for a distiller has a tubular body and a baffle member fixed with respect to such body. The baffle member has a plurality of apertures for stripping dissolved solids from steam passing through the member. The distiller raw water vessel has a steam discharge nozzle and the baffle device extends part way into and is in telescoped engagement with the nozzle. The device is held in place by a retention ring and both the ring and the device are quickly removable from the raw water vessel for easy cleaning of the device and the vessel. The distiller has a condensing platform with a steam receiving port built into it. When the raw water vessel is on the platform in the water-boiling position, the baffle device extends between the nozzle and the port and forms a conduit for steam to flow to the condensing coil.

Abstract: A distiller control circuit includes a power bus with first and second lines and a fan circuit connected across the lines and having a fan motor and a fan thermostat in series. There is also a heater circuit connected across the lines and having a heater and a heater thermostat in series. The fan thermostat is normally open, closes at an elevated temperature and automatically re-opens when the temperature subsides. The heater thermostat is normally closed, opens at an elevated temperature and must be manually reset to the closed position.The raw water vessel has a reset mechanism with a pivot-mounted bar and a contact surface on the bar. When the contact surface is depressed, the bar is urged to the second position for resetting the heater thermostat. The heater circuit terminates in a two-stud male connector and the platform has a two-slot female connector. The studs slide into electrically-conductive engagement with the slots when the raw water vessel is inserted into the condensing platform.

Abstract: Disclosed is a water distiller of the type having a raw water container, a heater for boiling water in the container and a thermostat for disabling the heater. In the improvement, the container includes a water cavity having a upper perimeter around a panel and the heater is mounted in heat-transfer relationship to the panel. The container includes a thermostat in heat-transfer relationship to the panel and connected to the heater. When water diminishes to a level at which the panel is no longer submerged, the panel temperature rises and trips the thermostat.A heater retention member secures the heater to the panel and a reflective heat shield has a first portion spaced from the retention member. The heater is between the panel and the first portion. The thermostat projects through an aperture in the retention member and an opening in the heat shield so that such thermostat is in intimate, heat-transfer relationship to the panel.

Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic breadmaker of the type having an oven chamber for baking bread. The chamber is formed by a floor and wall members, including top, front, rear and side wall members. The breadmaker also has a pan in the oven chamber for containing a bread product. The improvement comprises a lamp secured to the top wall member, whereby light is directed downwardly to illuminate the bread product during baking. Preferably, the lamp is over the pan and the breadmaker includes a barrier interposed between the lamp and the region from which a user views the contents of the pan. Unreflected light from the lamp is thereby substantially prevented from entering the viewing region and impairing the user's view of the bread product.

Abstract: An automatic breadmaker has a floor, enclosing surfaces and a door which form the oven chamber. The door swings horizontally to create a front opening extending substantially to the oven floor, thus facilitating "wide-side" insertion and removal of the baking pan. When closed, the door extends upwardly from along the oven floor and rearwardly to a position directly above the pan. With the door open, insertion and removal of the pan is further facilitated by the resulting wide-mouth configuration. The pan has two driven kneading members spaced along its bottom for mixing dough. The loaf made by the new breadmaker is of normal configuration, has a risen topside extending along its length and has a size, shape and overall appearance closely resembling that of a normal bakery loaf.

Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic breadmaker having a pan which is longer than it is wide. Such pan has a pair of pivot-mounted collapsible kneading members spaced horizontally along the bottom of the pan. Each kneading member is coupled to a separate drive shaft extending up through the pan bottom and both shafts are powered by a motor and drive linkage. For easy attachment to and removal from its drive shaft for washing, each kneading member has a hub which forms a grip member. The new breadmaker facilitates automatic preparation of a loaf of normal configuration, having a curved or "crown-like" risen topside extending along its length.

Abstract: A can crusher is provided with a can feed hopper having an open inlet at the top of the can crusher through which opening a plurality of cans may be inserted one after another to fill the hopper. Sequentially, each can falls by gravity into a crushing compartment where a power-driven ram crushes the can axially to crumple the can's cylindrical wall thereby reducing the can's length to about one-fourth or less of its original length. The crushed can falls by gravity through a discharge chute to be automatically discharged. Each can in the hopper automatically falls in succession into the crushing compartment to be crushed and discharged. To prevent human fingers from being inserted through the hopper inlet or the discharge chute and into the crushing compartment, the guiding chute paths are non-linear and/or tortuous to reduce the length thereof and to block a straight finger insertion into the crushing compartment.

Abstract: A vertically extending base of rectangular cross section with an upwardly opening compartment therein is telescopically received within the similarly configured downwardly opening chamber of an overlying housing. The upper end of the base removably mounts a cutter plate. The top panel of the housing removably mounts a palm-held power unit. The power unit, through a central opening in the top panel, mounts elements which secure a vegetable for rotation by the power unit as the housing is moved downwardly over the base for engagement of the vegetable progressively with the cutter plate. The components disassemble and store in nested relation to each other.