Abstract: A microwave laminate for heating, browning, and crisping food products is provided. The microwave-absorbing region of the laminate is formed from electrically conducting film of shielding thickness. The film is patterned to provide an increased effective electrical sheet resistance that allows the susceptor to substantially absorb rather than reflect microwave energy. Also, a microwave susceptor underlay or shield formed from a patterned electrically conducting film of shielding thickness is provided for controlling temperature gradients within microwave susceptors.

Abstract: A louver with a slidable face plate may be used to direct fluid flowing through the louver in a desired direction (e.g. right or left) Vanes of the louver may include pinions that couple to rack gears of a housing and a face plate. Sliding the face plate may rotate louver vanes so that fluid flowing through the louver is directed in the desired direction. The face plate may also be rotatively mounted to the housing so that the face plate has a limited amount of rotational movement. Rotating the face plate may allow control of direction of fluid flow through the louver in directions other than the direction controlled by sliding the face plate (e.g. up and down).

Abstract: A motor mount adapter is disclosed which allows a blower housing to firmly hold a blower motor having a different size and shape than the blower motor originally designed to fit on the motor mounts and gaskets of the blower housing. The motor mount adapter has an outside surface which is shaped to mate with the surface of the motor mounts of the blower housing. If the motor mount surface has positioning holes, the outside surface of the motor mount adapter has projections which fit within the positioning holes to hold the motor mount firmly in place. The inside surface of the motor mount adapter holds gaskets which separate the blower motor from the motor mount adapter. When assembled, the blower motor of the blower assembly is supported solely by the gaskets on the motor mount adapter.

Abstract: An overhead door safety sensor mounting bracket allows overhead door safety sensors to travel beneath the leading edge of an overhead door for substantially the full travel path of the overhead door as the overhead door closes. The mounting brackets attach to the bottommost roller axles of the overhead door on opposite lateral sides of the overhead door. As the overhead door approaches a closed position, the mounting brackets for the overhead door safety sensors rotate about the bottommost roller axles of the overhead door. The safety sensors are rotated up above the ground so that neither the safety sensors, nor the mounting brackets touch the ground.

Abstract: A microwave cooking system is provided for cooking a food product in a microwave field to produce a food product with a texture and taste similar in quality to food products prepared in a conventional oven. The system utilizes a microwaveable tray comprising a microwave susceptor material laminated to a thin paperboard sheet for supporting and heating a food product to be cooked thereon. A single sheet corrugated plate is attached to a lower surface of the microwaveable tray in order to provide space beneath the microwaveable tray for the circulation of heated air. The tray containing the food product thereon is sealed in a polymer bag having microwave shielding material on the inner surface of the upper side of the sealed polymer bag for minimizing the amount of direct microwave transmission contacting the food product contained therein. The sealed polymer bag has a pressure regulation port for releasing and maintaining pressure which builds inside the sealed polymer bag during cooking.

Abstract: A bale loading system comprising a bale carrier and a method for loading, transporting, and unloading large bales of agricultural material. The bales can be either round or rectangular bales. The bale carrier is towed to a bale in a field. The bale is positioned in a bale loading mechanism and securely clamped. The bale is lifted, rotated, and placed on the bale carrier such that a flat surface of the bale rests on the bale carrier. A plurality of bales can be loaded onto the bale carrier. After the bale carrier is loaded, the bale loader is transported to a bale storage location where the bales are unloaded. The bales are unloaded such that a bound surface of an unloaded bale faces skyward, and such that an unbound surface of a bale faces an unbound surface of a previously unloaded bale.

Abstract: An attachment head for a prophy angle comprises a convex shape body with a plurality of radial ridges on an outside surface of the body. The attachment head rotationally cleans the upper surface of a tongue and removes foreign material and bacteria from the tongue. The attachment head can be used with or without a cleaning compound.

Abstract: A two stroke engine having a variable compression ratio combustion chamber wherein the size of the combustion chamber is changed by threading a closure into or out of the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is defined by the inside surface of a sleeve, the top surface of a piston, and the bottom surface of the closure. The piston and the sleeve reciprocate within the engine block in a not quite opposite manner. Inlet ports and outlet ports in the sleeve and engine block regulate the flow of gas into and out of the combustion chamber. The engine is equipped with a turbocharger system to provide air to the engine, and the engine is fuel injected.

Abstract: A microwave radio frequency landing system includes an aircraft borne transmitter/receiver (transceiver) and a ground unit. The ground unit comprises a dielectric material lens and a transponder module array. The transceiver transmits pulsed interrogation signals to the ground unit. The dielectric material lens focuses the pulsed signals onto the transponder module array. The transponder modules illuminated by the pulsed signals transmit continuous wave return signals to the aircraft. Each continuous wave return signal comprises four tones, which are used by the aircraft to determine azimuth and glide slope of the aircraft, carried on a microwave carrier. In each transponder module which receives the pulsed signals from the aircraft transceiver, the microwave carrier is phase inverted for the duration of each pulse of the pulsed signals. The phase inversions on the microwave carrier are used by the aircraft to determine the range, velocity and acceleration of the aircraft with respect to the ground unit.

Abstract: Methods and tools are disclosed for disassembling hand made, high quality writing instruments. Hand made, high quality writing instruments are typically comprised of several different components. The methods and tools allow the individual components of a writing instrument to be disassembled without marring or destroying the components of the writing instrument. The tools for disassembling a hand made, high quality pen comprise a first shaft for removing the pen tip, and a second shaft and spreader for removing the internal mechanism of the pen without destroying the pen's internal mechanism or marring the surface of the pen body.

Abstract: A portable ball pitching machine for projecting a ball uses a combusting gas to drive a piston which compresses air behind a ball and propels the ball through a barrel. A combustible mixture of air and propane are introduced into a combustion chamber, and a ball is loaded against an air exit of a barrel housing. The gas is ignited in the combustion chamber, and the explosion drives a piston through a compression chamber and generates compressed air. The compressed air is directed through the barrel housing to the air exit and the ball, and the ball is propelled from the barrel. The azimuth and elevation position of the barrel are adjustable. The velocity of a projected ball is adjustable by adjusting a regulator which vents to the atmosphere a portion of the compressed air that would otherwise be directed against the ball.

Abstract: A device for containing and redirecting fluid which is released when a fitting is removed from an end of a pipe is attached to a pipe after the connection between the pipe and the fitting has been loosened. The device comprises a bag which has an opening in the top of the bag. The opening allows the bag to be placed over the fitting that is to be removed. The bag has a plurality of adjustment straps which connect to an upper portion and a lower portion of the bag. When the adjustment straps are adjusted, slack is formed in the material of the bag between upper and lower ends of the adjustment straps. The slack thus formed allows the fitting within the bag to be manipulated so that the fitting can be removed from the pipe. Fluid discharged from the pipe upon removal of the fitting is contained within the bag or directed through a hose to a receptacle or drain.

Abstract: An aqueous cleaning fluid is provided for retarding electrolysis between dissimilar metals in an electrical circuit and removing contaminates and metal said from electrical conductors. This reduces resistance within the circuit and increases circuit efficiency. The fluid is a complex of naturally occurring essential oils mixed with a surfactant mixture to form a concentrated solution. The concentrated solution is diluted with distilled water and drying agents to levels suitable for application in field operations at or near a job site. The cleaning fluid is applied to conductors within a circuit with a spray bottle. The electrical circuit is taken off line, the conductor surfaces are exposed, and the conductor surfaces are wetted with cleaning fluid until some of the cleaning fluid drips from the conductor surface. Then the circuit is reassembled and the circuit is put on line.

Abstract: A ball louver assembly for controlling the direction of pressurized air passing through the openings of a ball shaped louver. The ball louver mechanism comprises a ball louver liner, which holds the ball louver and liner inside and between front and rear retainer rings. An inner ring attached to the back edge of the front retainer ring allows the ball louver with its attached liner to be turned in any rotational direction to direct the forced air as desired. The structure of the ball louver and the liner allows the ball louver to be turned into a position to close, reduce or select the direction of the pressurized air leaving the air conditioner through the openings in the ball louver body.

Abstract: An air directional louver device, which incorporates one or more multi-grooved ratchet style notches to cooperate with corresponding mating fixed pointer to mesh together. Once the rotating ratchet grooves on the louver's axles and one or more fixed knife-edge pointer are meshed, the louver can be held better in the last desired air direction set position than without the ratchet and pointer. The rotating ratchet will help prevent also vibration and/or the forced air to the louver or to the fixed knife-edge pointer area from moving the louver frame to another undesirable position. The fixed knife edge pointer, in another embodiment, will be rounded at its point for smoother operation and applied into the louver's corresponding holding area. Further change in the friction to change the louver position from one notch to another is attained by rounding the point and deepening the notches if desired.