Abstract: A refrigeration system that utilizes both an air-cooled heat exchanger and a cooling tower to cool refrigerant prior to the refrigerant being provided to the evaporator. This multi-stage cooling permits the refrigeration system to operate with improved efficiency, while reducing the amount of water lost to evaporative cooling in the cooling tower, since the thermal load handled by the cooling tower is reduced by the air-cooled heat exchanger. This in turn means less water is required to replace water lost to evaporative cooling. In arid regions or regions of low water quality, both efficiency increase and reduction of water lost to evaporative cooling are important improvements.

Abstract: A discharge box capable of transporting and then dispensing a high bulk density of solid product with substantially no human intervention. The discharge box includes separable/replaceable components allowing for a low cost, low maintenance, and long-term package and includes a tamper-evidence site window, and desiccant pockets, in a lid portion.

Abstract: An integral double wall hopper for handling, storing and dispensing dry flowables such as capsules, tablets, and powders in the pharmaceutical industry, comprises an outer shell having a bottom wall and four walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall, an inner shell having a frustoconical bottom wall and four walls extending upwardly from the frustoconical bottom wall, a lip along the upper edges of the upwardly extending walls connecting the outer shell to the inner shell, four downwardly extending legs formed in the bottom wall of the outer shell forming supporting members for the hopper, a discharge opening molded in the center of the frustoconical bottom wall of the inner shell and in the bottom wall of the outer shell, and a closure member positioned on the discharge opening for opening and closing the discharge opening to dispense the contents of the hopper when desired.

Abstract: A two-piece plastic container for handling and storing large quantities of bulk material such as food products comprises a unitary molded plastic liquid-tight single wall tank having a bottom wall and four upwardly extending side walls, and a replaceable pallet base mounted to the tank for supporting the tank and for providing spaces for entry of tines of a forklift truck or a pallet jack. The container is provided with gussets at the top of the walls of the container that support the lip, and is also provided with corner nesting stops located at each corner of the upper end of the container to facilitate nesting of containers. A lid fits over the container lip and has a skirt that is blended inwardly towards the lip so as not to catch on a lip or lid of an adjacent container. The lid also has recesses in its top surface that facilitate the stacking of containers.

Abstract: An integral double wall hopper adapted for use in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical tablets comprises an outer shell which forms outer walls, four legs and two runners, and an inner shell which forms inner walls, and has a frustoconical lower portion with a discharge opening molded in the bottom of the frustoconical lower portion. A detachable iris valve is positioned on the discharge opening for opening and closing the discharge opening to dispense the contents of the hopper when desired. The runners allow the tines of a forklift to pick up the hopper from the side without damaging the discharge opening or the detachable iris valve. The hopper includes a cover which has a manway formed therein, a lid for the manway, and a plurality of towers formed on the cover for protecting the manway of a lower stacked hopper and detachable iris of an upper stacked hopper from being damaged by the tines of a forklift when the hoppers are moved.

Abstract: A container for handling and storing large quantities of bulk material such as food products, comprises a unitary molded plastic liquid-tight single wall tank or tub having a bottom and four upwardly extending walls, corner nesting stops located at each corner at the upper end of the container, a lip along the upper edges of the walls, and gussets at the top of the walls supporting the lip. A lid fits over the container lip and has a skirt that is blended inwardly toward the lip so as not to catch on a lip or lid of an adjacent container.

Abstract: A plastic tank for handling and storing large quantities of bulk material such as cucumbers in brine comprises a molded plastic tank having a bottom and four upwardly extending walls, a lip along the upper edges of the four walls, the walls including corner nesting stops for facilitating nesting and unnesting of the tank in a similar tank by limiting the distance an upper nesting tank extends into a lower nesting tank, the walls further including gussets extending from the walls of the tank to the outer portion of the lip for supporting the lip at the top of the four walls and for guiding a tank being lowered next to an adjacent tank into proper position, an interference ear at each of the lower corners of the tank to protect against tanks jamming together when nesting, the bottom of the tank including three parallel downwardly extending, hollow runners forming support members for the tank, the runners extending across the bottom of the tank, spaces formed at the ends of the runners for entry of tines of a fo

Abstract: A barrel for holding, handling, or storing large quantities of bulk material such as meat and other food products features a seamless, one-piece plastic construction with integrally formed recessed handles for lifting or moving the barrel and integrally formed gussets to strengthen the barrel, and with nesting stop surfaces for nesting empty barrels, and with stacking surfaces and a lid for stacking filled barrels.