Abstract: An improved device for making plastic articles from resin and an improved runner block assembly for a mold for making plastic articles from resin have been made by providing a runner block assembly having at least one channel wherein the channel has a cross-section with two opposite sides having a length substantially less than the two other sides thereby forming a thin, flat channel sufficient to provide shear resistance resulting from forcing resin through the channel; means for connecting the channel to a plurality of mold cavities, and means for supplying resin to the channel.

Abstract: A control knob to shaft assembly including a rotatable, bifurcated shaft, the bifurcation spanning the diameter of the shaft and having a central cylindrical bore interconnecting two open slots, one of which has a width larger than the other. There is also provided an escutcheon plate in a plane that intersects the longitudinal axis of the shaft at an acute angle and has an opening therethrough. A knob is received in the escutcheon plate opening and has a first portion larger in diameter than the escutcheon plate opening, a second portion having two projecting spaced parallel legs with a yoke connecting and spanning the legs. The yoke has a central ball shaped portion with a diameter slightly smaller than the cylindrical bore in the shaft and is received in the cylindrical bore.

Abstract: An icemaker comprising a freezer mold having an ice piece forming cavity, ice ejecting means including means to release the ice piece from the cavity and a pad mechanism for raising the ice piece from said cavity to a position above the top of the cavity, a sweep pivotally supported above the mold for movement from a first position rearward of the cavity to a second position overlying the cavity for engaging and sweeping the raised ice piece from the mold. There is included drive means for rotating a drive element in one direction and then in the opposite direction. A torsion spring is arranged to store energy during movement of the sweep from its first position to its second position. There are means coupling the drive element to the sweep to drivingly engage the sweep and move the sweep from the first position to the second position and for coupling the torsion spring to the sweep to return the sweep from the second position to the first position upon release of the stored energy.

Abstract: An automatic clothes washing appliance of the vertical axis type for a clothes washing operation having a plurality of cycles including wash and spin cycles incorporating a tub, a clothes receiving basket movably supported in the tub, means for distributing fill water to the articles received in the basket, and a drive motor which selectively drives the basket for a wash mode and a spin mode. The control system for the appliance includes an arrangement for detecting the existence of a basket out-of-balance condition in the spin mode and initiates a rebalance operation which includes means to measure the basket rotational speed during the spin mode and means responsive to detection of basket rotational speed being less than a predetermined normal balanced basket rotational speed at a predetermined time in the spin cycle to interrupt the spin cycle and to actuate a rebalance cycle and thereafter to resume the spin cycle.

Abstract: A trim strip assembly attached to a substrate body including an elongated rigid member fastened to the substrate body and having a terminal end with upturned spaced tabs. A trim strip is secured to the rigid member and has two parallel longitudinal downwardly curved elongated areas and a terminal end. An end cap is attached to the rigid member and trim strip and has a forward terminal end, a top wall, and a rear wall the bottom edge of which abuts the end of the rigid member. The end cap has two spaced flat resilient legs projecting from the rear wall and their forward ends extending beyond the forward terminal end and each leg is in contact with a respective longitudinal downwardly curved elongated area of the trim strip. The legs are spaced from the top wall of the end cap to allow insertion under the terminal end of the trim strip and each leg lies in a plane that bisects the other and at the same acute angle relative to the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A support assembly for a washing machine includes a mount secured to the assemblage of working parts of the machine and adapted to move with the assemblage during operation of the machine and a cabinet structure enclosing the assemblage of working parts and having a base. An intermediate member is positioned between the mount and the base for movably supporting the mount and the assemblage of moving parts from the base. The base and intermediate member are formed with a first set of mating support surfaces for sliding movement therebetween and the mount and the intermediate member are formed with a second set of mating support surfaces for sliding movement therebetween. One set of the support surfaces is smoothly curved with a relatively short radius of curvature to form a first node for movement of the mount and the other set of support surfaces is smoothly curved with a relatively long radius of curvature to form a second node for movement of the mount.

Abstract: A support assembly for a washing machine includes a cabinet structure for enclosing the various working parts of the machine and a mount secured to the assembly of working parts of the machine for movement therewith. The cabinet base has an upwardly facing generally spherical bearing surface and the mount includes a generally spherical lower support surface. An intermediate member is positioned between the bearing surface and support surface and is formed with opposed spherical faces complimentary to the bearing surface and to the support surface respectively.

Abstract: A power disconnect assembly for a plug-in electric heating element adapted to support and heat a cooking vessel and its contents. The assembly includes a terminal block with terminals for receiving the plug-in heating element and supplying electrical power thereto. A double pole switch with contacts connected to line voltage and to the terminal block is provided and a solenoid is utilized to open and close the double pole switch. Means are provided to detect the presence and absence of a cooking vessel on the heating element and means cooperating with the cooking vessel detection means to deenergize the solenoid in the event of cooking vessel absence and open the double pole switch thus terminating electrical power to the terminal block.

Abstract: Automatic feeding apparatus for transferring work pieces to a work station including a robot having a work arm pivoted about a point and movable through a segment of a sphere with vertical movement of the work arm scribing an arc relative to the pivot point. The robot work arm has means to pick up, hold and release a work piece. A work piece stacking assembly is provided and includes a base for holding a vertical stack of magnetizable work pieces and a vertical butt plate above the base curved correspondingly to the arc scribed by the vertical movement of the work arm of the robot. A magnet is provided to magnetize the work pieces through the vertical curve butt plate to set up a repelling force between the work pieces to vertically separate the work pieces in the upper portion of the stack and urge the separated work pieces against the vertical curve butt plate.

Abstract: A defrost system for refrigerating apparatus having a refrigerating mode and a defrosting mode including an evaporator and an electric resistance heater in heat transfer relationship with the evaporator. There is provided a timer to actuate a normally open defrost initiation switch to energize the heater periodically and initiate a defrosting mode. A defrost terminating thermostat switch is in the heater circuit and will open at a predetermined elevated temperature to deenergize the heater and close at a lower temperature. A voltage sensor across the normally open defrost initiation switch senses periodically and provides a signal when voltage in the heater circuit is interrupted. The multiple voltage sensor signals are stored in a memory bank over a predetermined period of time and when the voltage is interrupted for the predetermined period of time, an alarm is actuated to indicate failure of the defrost system.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for thawing frozen food for use in a refrigerator appliance with a storage compartment maintained at a temperature between 33.degree.-55.degree. F. There is provided a container for receiving a frozen food load to be thawed within the compartment. An electric fan is in air flow communication with the interior of the container and timer means are provided for energizing and then deenergizing the fan after a predetermined period of operating time whereby the frozen food load may be thawed and allowed to remain in the container subsequent to thawing, the temperature within said container being substantially at the temperature of the storage compartment thus preventing spoilage of the thawed food.

Abstract: A refrigerator including a freezer compartment with a quick-chilling chamber having a first container section with a door for access to the interior of the container section from outside the freezer compartment and a second air-duct section. There is airflow communication between the first container section and freezer compartment, airflow communication between the second air-duct section and freezer compartment and airflow communication between the first and second sections near the top thereof. There is also provided means for moving air from the freezer compartment in a path through one section and the other section of the quick-chilling chamber and back into the freezer compartment for a selectable period of time. Thermal insulation is provided between the quick-chilling chamber and the freezer compartment.

Abstract: A support assembly for an inside corner formed by a vertical rear wall and a vertical side wall intersecting each other at a right angle. The support assembly includes an elongated vertical track secured to one of the walls in close proximity to the inside corner. A shelf assembly is secured to the track and includes a bracket having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said rearward portion having means for removable securement to the track. The shelf assembly also includes a support member having a forward portion and a rearward portion and horizontally spaced from the bracket and a planer shelf is supported by the bracket and support member. The shelf assembly has a torsion member extending between and at right angles to both the bracket and support member and secured to each. By this support assembly, the shelf assembly may be supported on a single track.

Abstract: A method for making a joint between a small diameter metal tube and a large diameter metal tube by coating the outside of the small diameter tube with an adhesive and inserting it through a hollow cylindrical sleeve made of metal having the same or greater thermal coefficient of expansion as a small diameter tube such that it extends beyond the ends of the hollow sleeve. An area of the hollow sleeve is deformed circumferentially to displace the adhesive in the deformed area and make metal-to-metal contact between the sleeve and the small diameter tube. A portion of the sleeve is coated with adhesive and one of the sleeve or large diameter tube is positioned around the other with said one having a thermal coefficient of expansion the same or greater than the other and then deforming an area of said one of the sleeve or large diameter tube circumferentially to displace the adhesive in the deformed area and make metal-to-metal contact between the large diameter tube and the sleeve.

Abstract: Control system in refrigerator apparatus including a freezer compartment having a quick-chilling chamber with a door for access to the interior thereof from outside the freezer compartment. There is a timer-operated fan to introduce cold air from the freezer compartment into the quick-chilling chamber and means to maintain the chamber at above-freezing temperatures after termination of fan operation. A display panel accessible to the user may be used to manually select the desired chill temperature of the item, the quantity of the item and the unit size of the item. A sensor determines the temperature of the air being introduced into the quick-chilling chamber. All of the input values are accumulated in the memory of a microcomputer and by comparing the values the microcomputer will predict when the item to be chilled will reach the desired temperature and set the timer run time accordingly. A manual switch is provided for starting the timer to run.

Abstract: An improved storage assembly for use in apparatus for preserving and rejuvenating items such as vegetables and the like in a refrigerator maintained at a temperature of between 33.degree. F. and 58.degree. F. by surrounding the items with a fog composed of water particles having a diameter of between 1 and 20 microns generated by means of an ultrasonic wave nebulizer with a transducer element. The storage assembly includes a cover and a pan in sealing arrangement with the cover and movable relative thereto. A water reservoir is located in close proximity to the pan and has the transducer element of the ultrasonic wave nebulizer in communication with water in the reservoir for generating the water particle fog. A passageway is provided for delivering the fog from the interior of the reservoir to the interior of the pan.

Abstract: A refrigerator including a compressor, an evaporator and a condenser with a temperature control to energize and de-energize the compressor. There is an electrical defrost heater for periodically warming the evaporator to defrost temperatures which is energized and de-energized by an electrical motor-driven defrost control timer having a predetermined period of run time between initiation of each successive defrost cycle. The defrost control timer is energized to run only when the compressor is energized and the defrost control timer is delayed in running for a period of time each time the compressor is energized.

Abstract: A visual device for use in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator to indicate when water in an ice cube tray is frozen. The device includes a stationary thermal insulated base in close proximity to a portion of the ice cube tray. There is a thermometer embedded in the insulated base and having a bulb with liquid and a connecting capillary tube for a liquid column. A thermal conductive member is in thermal transfer relationship between a portion of the ice cube tray and the thermometer bulb. Visual means relative to the liquid column in the capillary tube are provided to indicate when water in the tray is frozen.

Abstract: A method of providing auxiliary hot water to a hot water system wherein water is conducted into the system from a water supply and divided into a cold water branch and a hot water branch with the hot water branch including a hot water heating tank and each branch terminating downstream at a valve. The water to be heated in the hot water heating tank is introduced into the bottom of the tank and expelled out the top thereof for delivery to the hot water branch valve. Water is conducted from the cold water branch to refrigerating apparatus having a condenser, evaporator and compressor. Water is circulated in heat transfer relationship with the condenser and preferably also with the compressor to heat the water and the auxiliary hot water is pumped into the hot water branch between the hot water heating tank and the hot water branch valve when the temperature of the heated water is above 110.degree. F.

Abstract: An ice dispenser assembly including an ice piece storage receptacle having an open top and including means for dispensing ice pieces contained therein. A stationary track member is provided on each side of the ice piece storage receptacle and each track member has a rearward horizontal portion, a forward downwardly curved portion, and a forward upwardly curved portion. Two pairs of spaced guide elements, each pair including a forward guide element and a rearward guide element are secured to the receptacle on each side thereof and slidable in each of the stationary track members to move the ice piece storage receptacle from a first position to a second position.