Abstract: A fabric dryer support structure serves multiple functions and facilitates dryer assembly. The dryer includes a drum, a panel supporting the open front end of the drum and a housing having front panel spaced from the open end of the drum. A unitary intermediate member bridges between the front panel and the drum, with an opening in the intermediate member in register with an access opening in the front panel and the open front end of the drum. A rim on the intermediate member is closely aligned with the front edge of the drum. The intermediate member also supports a filter in alignment with part of the drum opening.

Abstract: A fabric dryer includes an improved blower assembly, incorporating a tangential blower wheel and a blower housing formed by parts which serve additional functions in the dryer housing. The blower wheel is mounted forward of and the blower motor is mounted rearward of the panel supporting the front of the dryer drum. A member bridging between the front wall of the dryer housing and the front of the drum includes an elongated wall extending between and engaging the drum support panel and the housing front wall to form the blower housing and exit conduit for air leaving the blower housing.

Abstract: A shelf assembly including a panel forming a shelf with a back wall, bottom wall and side walls and having an elongated front shelf member and an end cap holding the shelf front member to each side wall of the shelf. The end cap has a base wall with perpendicular integrally formed rear, side and front flanges and the base wall has at the front thereof projections for securing thereto one end of the shelf front member. The end cap has a latching assembly secured to the rear flange and projecting rearwardly and receivable in an aperture in the panel side wall and includes two support legs each having a width slightly less than the distance between opposite edges of the side wall aperture. A spring member is located between the legs and attached to both support legs at one end away from the rear flange and the distal end of the spring member is free. The spring member has an inclined ramp portion extending from the attached end toward the rear flange and extends outside the diameter of the aperture in the panel.

Abstract: A refrigerant system for a household refrigerator has its operability tested after assembly of the refrigerant system with a refrigerator cabinet. A rotary compressor of the refrigerant system is preheated, preferably by applying heat to its stator through a low AC voltage, for a predetermined period of time prior to activation of the rotary compressor. After the rotary compressor is activated, the temperature of one of the serially connected coils of the evaporator remote from the first coil is determined. If the coil temperature is within a predetermined range, this indicates the proper operability of the refrigerant system. Power consumption can be measured in conjuction with the temperature so that a significant increase or decrease in power consumption would indicate a defective refrigerant system notwithstanding the coil temperature being satisfactory.

Abstract: A cabinet corner cap and method of assembly comprising forming metal sheet into a cabinet corner having an elongated space at the junction of two panels of the metal sheet forming the corner. A corner cap is molded from suitable plastic material and has an elongated horizontal top wall with a central longitudinal axis and a vertical wall projecting downwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the top wall and extending a major portion of the length of the horizontal top wall. The vertical wall includes a series of spaced apart ribs perpendicular to and on each side of the vertical wall and diverging away from the vertical wall in the direction of the top wall and joining the horizontal top wall.

Abstract: A compartment assembly for a refrigerator comprising a panel on the inside of a refrigerator door, the panel having a recess area with a rear wall, a top wall and at least two spaced apart vertical dikes directed outwardly from the rear wall. The recess area has at the bottom an inwardly directed lip and the dikes have a side wall and a front face with the front face having a slot. There is a tray having a bottom wall, an integrally formed rear wall, front wall, and side walls, with the side walls each having a flange projecting outwardly perpendicular to the side walls and each of the flanges have a rearwardly projecting hook shaped element parallel to the side walls. The tray has a length such that the hook shaped elements cooperate with the slots in the vertical dikes for engagement and a horizontal depth such that the front wall projects outwardly from the dikes and the rear wall extends to the rear wall of the recess and rests on the projecting lip.

Abstract: Insulating panels are formed from compressed particulate material impregnated with insulating gases, the combination being held in a gas tight pouch. These pouches can be placed in the insulation space of a structure where insulation is to be provided and, if desired, encapsulated in a foamed insulating material. Among the possible particulate materials is precipitated silica, while various Freon gases can be employed as the insulating gas.

Abstract: A refrigeration system comprising in closed series-flow relationship, a condenser, a capillary tube flow restrictor, and an evaporator including means connecting the outlet end of the restrictor to the evaporator inlet for reducing the noise generated by refrigerant flowing from the restrictor.

Abstract: A container and ice cube tray assembly to store a plurality of relatively small similarly shaped items with easy user manual access. The container has a corrugated bottom wall and two spaced apart side walls integrally connected to the bottom wall and terminating at the top thereof in an outwardly directed flange. Located near the junction of the side walls and outwardly directed flanges is a longitudinal groove extending therealong. The container has two spaced apart end walls, said end walls integrally connected to the bottom and side walls and extend up the side walls a substantial distance and each has a terminal end extending in a horizontal plane parallel to the bottom wall the full width of the container to allow user manual access from either end of the container to the small items stored in the container.

Abstract: A refrigerator door assembly comprising an outer metal rectangular shaped shell having a base panel, four upwardly turned side panels on each side and perpendicular to the base panel, and two sets of two opposite facing inturned flanges, each flange being perpendicular to each of the side panels and having free terminal edges. Two cross braces, each having two legs with each of the legs having at one end a U-shaped channel section having an offset portion terminating with a flat tab, an intermediate section and a flat section at the end opposite the channel section. The flat sections of two legs are rigidly secured to each other to accommodate the desired brace length to diagonally span the door such that the cross braces form an X and the flat tabs of each brace are secured to one set of opposite facing flanges.

Abstract: Apparatus for holding and spinning a plastic part during a friction welding operation to join the plastic part to work piece. There is included in the apparatus a driver to impact rotational movement, a vacuum chamber, and a rotatable part driver assembly. The part driver assembly is connected to the driver for rotational movement and has air ports in air flow communication with the vacuum chamber. The part driver assembly rotates the plastic part to be friction welded to a work piece. The part driver assembly also includes a vacuum head member with a hollow body rotatable independent of the part driver assembly, one end of the vacuum head member being adapted to receive a plastic part for friction welding to a work piece and the other end of the vacuum head being in air flow communication with the air ports in the part driver assembly to hold the plastic part on the vacuum head member by vacuum pressure during the friction welding operation.

Abstract: A refrigerator door has a metallic outer panel and a plastic inner panel with rigid insulating foam therebetween. A track support is attached at a predetermined position to the outer panel. A plurality of tracks is supported by the track support between the inner panel and the foam. Each track has a column of apertures. The inner panel has columns of apertures therein with the number of tracks being at least equal to the number of the columns of apertures in the inner panel. A grommet extends through aligned openings at the top of each track, at the top of each column of apertures in the inner panel, and in the track support to attach the inner panel and the tracks to the track support. A grommet also extends through aligned openings at the bottom of each track and at the bottom of each column of apertures in the inner panel to connect the inner panel and the tracks.

Abstract: A method of assembling a refrigerator having an outer metal casing, an inner plastic liner and foamed-in-place thermal insulation between the casing and liner bonding them together including a high stress area in the liner that can cause the liner to crack due to a difference in expansion and contraction relative to the outer metal casing. The method comprises forming the metal casing, vacuum forming the liner from plastic material, placing at least one elongated slot open at one end and closed at the opposite end in the liner located in the high stress area, placing the liner inside the casing in spaced relationship thereto, and foaming the space between the casing and liner to bond them together.

Abstract: A front serviceable appliance includes an outer removable cabinet having side walls, a front wall and an upper wall on which is mounted a control console. The cabinet is mounted on a support structure on which are mounted the internal components of the appliance. The support structure includes a base frame and a rear panel which supports components of the appliance. The rear panel is attached at its lower end to the base frame with its upper end extending upwardly beyond the upper wall of the cabinet. The cabinet is held in position relative to the rear panel and the base frame by the control console interacting with the upper end of the rear panel and the upper wall of the cabinet. The control console includes end walls which are secured to the upper wall of the cabinet. A pair of locking members arranged on the upper end of the rear panel adjacent each end wall are secured to the end walls to thereby removably retain the cabinet relative to the rear panel and base frame.

Abstract: An adjustable roller assembly for supporting and leveling an appliance including a rail secured to the appliance and having a keyhole opening with a horizontal stationary base frame secured to the rail. A bracket having a bottom end is pivotally secured to the base frame and the top end of the bracket has a threaded nut spaced from the keyhole opening in the rail. A roller is rotatably secured to the bottom end of the bracket and is movable up and down relative to the stationary base frame in response to pivotal movement of the bracket. A horizontally disposed bolt having a head portion, a shank portion, a threaded portion, and an unthreaded terminal end portion is provided with the shank portion passing through the keyhole opening in the rail. The head portion is located on one side of the rail, and the threaded portion on the opposite side of the rail and threadingly engages the nut.

Abstract: A refrigerator door assembly comprising an outer metal rectangular shaped shell having a base panel, four upwardly turned side panels on each side and perpendicular to the base panel, and two sets of two opposite facing inturned flanges, each flange being perpendicular to each of the side panels and having free terminal edges. Two cross braces, each having two legs with each of the legs having at one end a U-shaped channel section having an offset portion terminating with a flat tab, an intermediate section and a flat section at the end opposite the channel section. The flat sections of two legs are rigidly secured to each other to accommodate the desired brace length to diagonally span the door such that the cross braces form a X and the flat tabs of each brace are secured to one set of opposite facing flanges.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment and an evaporator chamber. Air is circulated between the chamber and each compartment. Air from the fresh food compartment is returned through a return duct. The evaporator has one section in the evaporator chamber and another section in the return air duct so that the fresh food compartment return air passes over both of the evaporator sections while the freezer return air passes over only the evaporator section in the evaporator chamber.

Abstract: A water storage tank for use in the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator comprising a surpentine shaped hollow body having parallel first, second, third and fourth straight sections serially connected. The first section has an inlet at the top end and the fourth section has an outlet at the top end. The first section is connected to the second section by a U-shaped curved section at the bottom end, the second and third sections are connected at the top by a U-shaped curved section, the third and fourth sections are connected at the bottom by a U-shaped curved section, with all of the U-shaped curved sections having an internal curvature in the shape of a teardrop. The four straight sections of the serpentine shaped hollow body are connected at the top thereof by air flow passageways.

Abstract: A refrigerator door has its plastic inner panel, which has a plurality of container supporting shelves extending therefrom, stiffened through forming integral vertical stringers adjacent each other across substantially the entire width of the surface of the inner panel between the shelves. Gussets extend from one end of each of the integral stringers into one of the upper and lower surfaces of each adjacent shelf. The integral stringers are V-shaped or U-shaped in cross section. The gussets are V-shaped when the integral stringers are V-shaped and may be V-shaped or U-shaped when the integral stringers are U-shaped. The integral stringers stiffen the entire door without adding material and control the stiffness through the cross sectional moment of inertia of each of the integral stringers. When there is a lack of space beneath the bottom shelf, the gussets cannot be employed, but a shadow line is used to increase the moment of inertia.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for molding a plurality of articles of hardenable material such as plastic which requires each article to be maintained under heat and pressure for a cure interval. A molding press is utilized wherein there is placed a first open mold assembly having spaced die halves between supporting mold platens. At least one of the die halves has a resilient pressure pad between the die and the mold platen supporting the die half. The press is closed to maintain the mold platens in a first force applying position having a slight gap between the die halves and locking the platens in the first position. The mold assembly is removed while in its first locked position from the press and gas from the curing material is evacuated through the gap between the die halves while heating the material.