Abstract: A method and apparatus for vending a hot food product wherein a sealed container is moved from a protective sleeve and deposited in an oven where heat is transferred to the container for initially melting a protective sealing film and then heating the food product. After the food product has been heated, the container is removed from the oven and reinserted into the protective sleeve prior to dispensing the heated food product.

Abstract: A container holding device arranged for being removably mounted to a pole or the like. The frame has a support plate having thereon an upper and a lower end, and a first and second oppositely disposed faces. The first clamp has a first pair of adjacent fingers extending from the first face. The fingers are adapted for removably mounting the device to a first pole. The first container compartment has a first retaining member extending from the second face and has an aperture extending therethrough. The second clamp extends from the first face. The second clamp has a first resilient hook member adapted for removably mounting the device to a second pole. The hook member and the first face defines a slot and has a slot surface contoured to match a profile of the second pole.

Abstract: A thin film solid state amperometric detector for nitric oxide is provided based upon a mobile cation electrolyte that selectively transmits nitrosonium cations (NO*) therethrough. The presently most preferred embodiment employs NO-.beta.-alumina as the mobile cation electrolyte. The electrodes of the detector are preferably arranged in a bipotentiostat arrangement. The first and second working electrodes share a common reference electrode and a common counter electrode, which are positioned such that the potentials of the first and second working electrodes can be independently controlled. The first working electrode is exposed to a fluid (liquid or gaseous), whereas the second working electrode is normally isolated from the fluid. The first working electrode is set at a potential capable of oxidizing NO to NO+, the NO+ moves through the mobile cation solid electrolyte to the second electrode, and the second working electrode is set at a potential capable of reducing the NO+ back to NO.

Abstract: A volleyball launcher comprising a vertically extending tubular member, a ball cradle, a lift rod, a cross bar and a pair of ball propelling arms. The lift rod is mounted in the tubular member and is adapted for limited longitudinal travel therein. The tubular member has a pair of longitudinal slots in opposite sides thereof. The ball cradle is mounted on the upper end of the tubular member. The cross bar is mounted at its midsection to the tubular member near the upper end thereof. The outer end of each propelling arm is pivotally monted approximate a respective end of the cross bar. The inner end of each propelling arm extends through the slots under the lower end of the lift rod. An energy storing element is provided to impel the lift bar upwards. A stop member is positioned to contact the outer ends of the propelling arms, whereby during the upward travel the ball receives a launch impulse from the lift rod.

Abstract: A surgical device is used for manually manipulating suture needles. The device is formed of two elongate members hinged together. On one side of the hinge, the elongate members form a pair of jaws which are relatively moveable. One the other end of the elongate members there are handles formed which allow the user to manipulate the jaws about the hinge. An arcuate shield is integral with one of the jaws at its center. The shield extends laterally and arcuately from the jaw and covers the opposing jaw. The placement of the shield is such that a needle which is held between the jaws is protected from sticking any one or anything. The jaw members may be made up of several units forming segmented jaws.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to refrigerate air in a compartment wherein liquid CO.sub.2 is delivered through a first primary heat exchanger such that sufficient heat is absorbed to evaporate the liquid carbon dioxide to form pressurized vapor. The pressurized vapor is heated in a gas fired heater to prevent solidification of the pressurized carbon dioxide when it is depressurized to provide isentropic expansion of the vapor through pneumatically driven fan motors into a secondary heat exchanger. Orifices in inlets to the fan motors and solenoid valves in flow lines to the fan motors keep the vapor pressurized while the heater supplies sufficient heat to prevent solidification when the CO.sub.2 vapor expands through the motors. CO.sub.2 vapor is routed from the second heat exchanger to chill surfaces in a dehumidifier to condense moisture from a stream of air before it flows to the heat exchangers.

Abstract: Processes are provided for producing wood chips with a variety of cross sections such as those resembling botanical leaves and other decorative designs. The processes also produces wood chips that have coloration and shading. A rough form of wood having a elongated length is extruded lengthwise to make an extrusion having a decorative cross section. The extrusion is then cut at an angle to the direction of the elongated length of the extrusion into a plurality of wood chips having the desired cross-section. The step of cutting the extrusion involves positioning a lengthwise end of the extrusion adjacent at least one cutting blade oriented at an angle in the range of about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees relative to the elongated length of the extrusion, providing a relative rotational movement between the extrusion and the blade about the longitudinal center of gravity of the extrusion, and providing a relative linear movement between the extrusion and the blade in the elongated direction towards one another.

Abstract: A terminal housing having a entry port formed in one wall thereof in combination with a folded grommet sheet having criss-crossing slits retained in sealing relation with the wall of the housing by a grommet plate. The housing is of unitary construction and has a door portion secured to a body portion by a living hinge and is equipped with spring elements for urging the door portion of the housing toward open and closed positions. The housing is suited for universal mounting on a strand, cable, wall and post or pole. The terminal housing is configured to contain terminal blocks for splices or dropwire installations.

Abstract: An end seal assembly for an aerial closure for protecting an electrical or optical cable splice. The end seal assembly includes a pair of end seal shell segments connectable to an end of the housing of the aerial closure. An elastomeric end seal has a unitary body including a pair of end seal elements hingedly secured together and provided with cutting guides to aid a lineman in forming cuts in the respective seal elements extending in opposite directions. Each seal element is deformable for mounting on a cable and pins adjacent each side of a cut formed in each seal element are received in sockets on the adjacent seal element to prevent deformation of the end seal after it has been secured to a cable and positioned in the end seal shells in the aerial closure housing.

Abstract: A water-proof housing for a telecommunications terminal. The housing has a body portion and a hinged closure portion, hinge elements on the body portion and on the closure portion being configured to permit linear sliding movement of the closure longitudinally of an axis to a predetermined position and pivotal movement of the closure portion relative to the body portion when the closure portion is in a predetermined position relative to the body portion. A tongue formed by spaced tabs, one of the tabs being longer than the other tabs is sliceable through a guideway in a channel member on the closure portion of the housing such that when the long tab is aligned with a corresponding opening in the channel member, the closure portion of the housing can be rotated about the axis.

Abstract: A spreader and leg assembly for the base frame of an aircraft passenger seat including spaced saddles on the spreader and spaced stirrups on the leg assemblies that encircle a plurality of quadrants of the stretcher tubes to form a base frame.

Abstract: Bi-directional gripping apparatus having a double-seated linkage supports a jaw within a housing so that the jaw may be used to grip an elongated body and exert force thereon in opposite directions. The jaw is mounted to exert radial force in either direction or axial force in either direction.

Abstract: An improved padding machine is provided with a shaker assembly that vigorously shakes a moving openwork at a high frequency. The shaker assembly includes resilient mounts for attaching the shaker assembly to the frame of the padding machine, preferably adjacent the supports for an upper portion of the screening belt, which slides across the top of such supports. The rubber or rubber-like resilient mounts support an eccentric shaft that is journalled in associated bearings for rotation beneath an upper portion of the screening belt. The eccentric shaft preferably extends substantially the entire width of the screening belt to either side of the padding machine. A motor is connected to a drive end of the eccentric shaft for rotating the shaft. When the motor rapidly rotates the eccentric shaft, the off-center body of the eccentric shaft causes vibration, which is translated through the resilient mounts to the frame of the padding machine adjacent the supports for the screening belt.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring heat between temperature controlled air dispensed from a pair of oscillating ducts and a food product in a cabinet having an interior compartment bounded by front, side and rear walls. A foraminous partition, having a central portion and extremities, is mounted to divide the interior of the cabinet into a cooking chamber and an air conditioning chamber. It is configured to encircle a portion of the cooking chamber such that the air conditioning chamber extends around a major part of the periphery of the cooking chamber wherein air is drawn along multiple paths toward side walls and toward the rear wall from the cooking chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a connector socket pin alignment guide comprising a plurality of straight walled essentially constant diameter short tubular guide paths, one for each contact pin, positioned adjacent the socket receptacle contacts of the connector.

Abstract: A releasible tool is provided for removing a cylindrical member such as a valve seat, a pump liner, or a bushing from machines, pumps, oil well tubing, or other devices in which it is used. The releasable tool includes a mandrel, a platform slidably mounted to the mandrel, at least two jaws pivotally mounted to the platform, and an adaptor connected to the mandrel. The mandrel has a generally bell-shaped lower end and a shank portion. The platform is slidably mounted on the shank portion of the mandrel by placing the shank portion through a central bore of the platform. The jaw members are pivotally mounted to the platform, whereby they can be pivotally deflected outward to an expanded position by the bell-shaped lower end of the mandrel when the platform slides down the shank portion. The adaptor is releasably connected to the upper end of the shank portion of the mandrel.

Abstract: A pan oiler for spraying oil into cavities in pans moving on a conveyor including a stationary center nozzle assembly and spaced outer nozzle assemblies. The outer nozzle assemblies are mounted on opposite ends of a drive screw having right hand threads formed on one end and left hand threads formed on the other end for moving the outside nozzle assemblies in unison relative to the stationary center nozzle assembly. A pair of electrically charged electrodes are positioned adjacent the nozzle assemblies for setting up an electric field across the spray paths of the nozzle assemblies for reducing overspray.

Abstract: Disclosed is a self-contained battery powered remotely controlled strapping and interconnection device for providing various selected interconnections and terminations of telephone lines or line pairs to which it is attached in order to establish testing configurations comprising a plurality of multi-contact latching relays selectably operable through a plurality of shift register devices under the control of an on-board processor responsive to dual tone multi-frequency instructional command signals remotely applied to a pair of lines. Plug-in expansion modules and battery charger modules are provided.