Abstract: There is disclosed a readily assemblable, inexpensively manufactured table top air filter of the type having a circulating fan. A unitary housing has sides and a top which defines air outlet openings. The bottom of the housing is open. A fan support assembly mounts readily within the housing where it is retained by stops and latch members which are integral with the housing sides. A replaceable filter is also mountable within the housing in line with the fan-induced air flow.

Abstract: A slideable control is provided for use in retractable bristle brushes. It operates by co-action with a rotatable, cylindrical mandrel carrying pivoted bristles and having an angular cam slot. The control includes a longitudinally slideable button in the handle which has a control pin operatively extending through a control slot in the handle and then into the cam slot to cause rotation of the mandrel. The button also includes a pair of parallel guide blades, one on each side of the control pin, slideable within slotted guides in the handle, to reduce torque between the control pin and the cam slot. The control slot may include detents proximate to its ends to receive and hold the control pin against longitudinal movement.

Abstract: A system is provided for the separate reception of a selected one of multiple and proximate AM modulated frequencies, for use in self-guided audio-tours of museums and similar facilities.The system includes a series of listening zones, each of which is normally associated with a pre-recorded, repeating taped message. The messages are broadcast to an AM receiver from a plurality of induction loops, each one associated with its respective station and respective taped message. Adjacent induction loops use different, but proximate, carrier frequencies. The messages are received on a broad-band, non-tunable AM receiver which "captures" the frequency of the carrier for the particular viewing station and excludes "cross-talk" from adjacent stations.

Abstract: A system for growing and harvesting perennial, hedge-type, harvestable plants is provided which permits greater utilization of sunlight for photosynthesis, more efficient use of the land, and control of evapotranspiration through wind control. The plants are in rows, running in a substantially east-west direction, and are cut and harvested so that their "sun" surface(s) is not horizontal, but, rather, faces the direction of the sun's rays during the peak growing time of the day throughout the prime growing season of the year. The surface is generally cut to expose a maximum growing surface of the plant to sunlight and in this sense is analogous to solar collectors in solar home or hot water heating systems. The rows of plants are so spaced relative to adjacent rows to permit sunlight to fall on most of the planar surface of the hedge, but such that one row will not cast a dense shadow on a portion of another row.

Abstract: A simplified four heat, two speed hair dryer is provided having a housing with a plurality of heating elements mounted therein and a fan driven by a motor for blowing air over the heating elements and delivering hot air from the dryer. A source of alternating current potential is provided across a bridge rectifier motor control circuit in the housing. A dc motor which drives the fan for the dryer is coupled across the bridge rectifier circuit. A switch is coupled to one arm of the bridge rectifier circuit for switching the arm in and out of the bridge rectifier circuit. When the switch is activated, the motor is operated by a full wave rectified source which operates the motor at high speed. When the switch is open, a half wave rectified source is applied to the motor thereby operating the motor at a lower speed.

Abstract: A strain-relief member is provided to relieve torsional strains from a two-conductor power supply cord attached to a personal care electrical appliance, such as a hand-held hair dryer, or curling iron. It is molded to the insulation of the two-conductor electrical power supply cord. Such torsional strains are primarily those resulting from twisting the wire about its longitudinal axis, as when using a curling iron, rather than from flexing.The strain-relief member is an elongated body member of elastomeric material molded with the usual two-conductor line cord. It has a lateral projection or collar on one end thereof adapted to fit into the interior of the personal care electrical appliance to prevent rotation with respect to the appliance. The outer portion of the body member is uniformly tapered along its length on the sides adjacent to single conductors of said cord and has flattened, generally parallel sides extending along the opposite sides which are adjacent to both conductors of the power supply cord.

Abstract: A height-adjustable washbasin is provided by the present invention. The basin is supported by at least one supporting arm which is pivotally mounted to a fixed surface at one end and received within the washbasin structure at the other end. An arresting element associated with the supporting arm is provided so that the supporting arm can be retained in a selected position, and a force reservoir such as a cylinder spring or gas pressure spring counter-balances the weight of the washbasin on the supporting arm. The height of the washbasin can be adjusted to the level desired by pivoting the supporting arm and securing it in place at the desired level.

Abstract: In a method for forming a module having a floor, a roof and opposing sides, a concrete floor is first poured and, once solidified, moved into position between tilted wall molds. Inexpensive hollow masonry blocks are then dry-stacked in rows against the wall molds; that is, they are loosely stacked without mortar therebetween. Spaces with reinforcing rods therein are left along the outer wall molds at each end of the stacked blocks. Inner wall molds and, for some modules, a roof mold are then moved into place adjacent the stacked blocks. With the wall molds vertical, the blocks are pressed between the inner and outer wall molds. Concrete is poured into the spaces at each end of the stacks of blocks to form structural posts and over the tops of the stacks of blocks to form structural spandrel beams. Additional hollow blocks are laid across the roof mold and concrete is poured over those blocks to complete the roof.

Abstract: A curling iron includes a tubular barrel extending forwardly from a hollow handle. The barrel contains an electric heating element and is provided with a spring-biased pivotable hair holding clamp conforming to the surface of the barrel. The barrel and clamp are pivotal as a unit about 180 degrees from the extended operative position into a folded storage position within the handle through a side opening in the handle. The opening is closed by a pair of inwardly pivotable doors which are spring-biased to an outward closed position conforming to the outer surface of the handle. Pivotal movement of the barrel from its extended position causes contacts on the barrel to separate from spring contact elements fixed in the handle to disconnect the heating element from its electric power source. As the barrel and clamp are folded into the handle through the opening, the doors are pushed inwardly out of the way so that the handle may receive the barrel and clamp for storage.

Abstract: A cooking utensil kit includes a large generally circular mixing bowl and a center post. The center post is in the shape of a truncated cone having a height approximately the same as the sides of the bowl and is adapted to serve as a container. A generally hemispherical knob is formed at the center of the base of the mixing bowl and the post has a complementary hemispherical indentation in its base. The post is adapted to be centered in the bowl at the knob so that it may be plunged into batter in the bowl and the bowl may then be used as a pan for preparing ring-shaped foods. The kit also includes a serving dish which also has a knob formed at the center of its base and is adapted to receive and center the post. Either the bowl or dish may serve as the top to the other. A fourth component of the kit is a trivet upon which either the bowl or the dish may be supported or which may be placed in the bowl or dish.

Abstract: A multi-fuel boiler is provided in which coal is burned in combination with oil or gas in such manner that the particulate emission from the coal, normally relatively high, is reduced to a level comparable to oil. In one example, coal of a quality that would normally burn with a Bacharach smoke spot test number of 6 can be burned with a test number below 2.This is accomplished by utilization of a horizontal oil or gas flame directed across the flue gas exit of the combustion chamber in opposition to the flow of coil combustion gases to change the normal flow pattern of the combustion gases. This creates turbulence, which provides additional combustion time at combustion temperatures in the presence of excess air.