Abstract: An aluminum deck structure, of the general type in which floor joists support and are secured to transverse decking members, is characterized by an assembly arrangement permitting rapid and inexpensive installation of decking members on floor joists without tools or fasteners, and allowing considerable thermal elongation and contraction of long decking members such as are used in platform tennis courts or other playing surfaces. In the deck structure, extruded aluminum decking members are formed with a floor plate and two depending vertical legs having bearing flanges and horizontally opposed latching members at their lower ends. Extruded aluminum floor joists have longitudinal ribs along their top supporting surfaces with pairs of notches in the ribs to receive the vertical legs of a decking member. The notches form opposed latching surfaces which meet and then snap into interlocking engagement with the latching members on the vertical legs as the legs descend into the notches.

Abstract: A sound reinforcement system for a meeting room provides improved effective communication between several individuals located at a distance from one another within a room, as around a large conference table in a corporate boardroom, by positioning a pair of speakers driven out of phase with one another at each individual location and positioning a microphone within the acoustical cancellation zone of the corresponding speaker pair. Acoustical gain is further improved by feeding the signal from each microphone to all speaker pairs except the one to which it corresponds and/or by making the level of a signal arising from a speaker pair proportional to its distance from the microphone that picked up that signal.

Abstract: An air scrubber employing means which cause the air entering the scrubber to follow a circular path is provided for removing solid, liquid and gaseous contaminants from air. Removal is through a liquid contact system in which slow-moving contact with cleaning water is alternated with intimate turbulent contact. The circular motion continues by itself through multiple stages. The circular air flow travels in a generally downward direction through a multiplicity of stages to a water and contaminant receiving tank and then the air and some water are drawn upwardly through an internal co-axial outlet of expanding diameter so that only the air is removed.It will be noted that the scrubbing unit of this invention serves to provide multi-stage contact between the liquid and the contaminated air in which there are alternately slow-moving circular motions followed by high-speed turbulent compressive actions providing for the greatest possible admixture.

Abstract: An indicating type timing device for use in fast food preparation is provided to time cooking processes in which a food product is cooked by immersing it in a heated cooking medium. Since various food products, such as french fries, fried onion rings, fried fish, and the like require different cooking times, the unit is adapted to properly time the cooking of these different products, irrespective of the initial temperature of the food product or the cooking time.The timing device uses a voltage controlled oscillator and associated counting circuit. The base frequency of the oscillator is set by the charge on the capacitor in one of a selected series of RC timing circuits. A thermistor continually measures the temperature of the cooking medium (such as shortening) and produces a voltage that varies the base frequency of the oscillator (increasing the frequency for increased measured temperatures).

Abstract: A shower head is provided which can, alternatively, provide a fine, steady stream of shower water or a coarser, pulsating stream of shower water to produce a massaging effect. All of the water stream is, initially, pulsed, but the pulsation is removed when a steady stream is desired.The incoming water enters the spinner of a Hero's engine axially; it causes rotation of the engine spinner as it leaves the tangentially directed exit spouts of the engine. The water then enters a chamber having a circular outlet cover plate carrying small peripheral holes and larger, more centrally located holes inside the periphery.A rotatable dial plate is positioned between the circular outer cover plate and the plenum chamber. This plate has holes in it which can be aligned with the large inner massaging holes, with channels leading to the outer peripheral holes, or at a position in between. The position of the dial plate is controlled by an associated control arm.

Abstract: A low cost, readily assembled container suitable for germinating seeds and supporting plant growth under balanced growth conditions includes a plastic base containing an integral series of germinating/root control means and a series of channels including means for regulating water/gas transmission, and a separate soil containment means which can be assembled in some of the channels thereby defining a container for the soil. The invention also includes methods of germinating seeds and growing plants using the container of the invention.

Abstract: An improved disposable container cover for use with recessed-bottom frusto-conical containers includes annular projection means on its surface which will fit into the recessed bottom of an adjacent like container in telescopic forceful frictional engagement. The projection means is resilient and of diameter greater than the inner diameter of the container recessed bottom and deforms upon pressure of interengagement therewith to fit therein. Upon release of this pressure the projection means seeks to expand to its original diameter and siezes the recessed bottom to permit stable stacking of a plurality of containers. In another embodiment, an annular projection secures the exterior of a flat-bottomed container. A stack of containers may be secured by a binding strap which fits into recesses on the container cover periphery to maintain alignment and permit spill-proof carrying thereof.

Abstract: A probe mounting apparatus adapted for use in the deep fat frying of French fries, fish, chicken and the like, wherein the length of cooking time is to be calculated by a timing computer responsive to the temperature of a predetermined portion of the cooking medium as sensed by a probe assembly including a stiff sleeve formed of a smooth surfaced metal and containing a temperature sensing element at its end. The probe assembly is repeatably and accurately attached to the fryer and immersed with its sensory element in a precise location in the cooking medium by means of a mounting apparatus comprising: a mounting block fixedly attached in a predetermined location on the fryer and having an opening therein, such as a slot, arranged to receive the probe sleeve and to define the position of the probe's longitudinal axis in the cooking medium.

Abstract: A readily adjustable, moisture retainable, air transferable soil covering, integral with fertilizer and, if desired, fungicide is provided that may be used with indoor plants. The soil covering is made up of a biodegradable cellulose paper and film covering having thereon water soluble beads of fertilizer or fungicide. The covering has been perforated in a series of concentric circles together with at least one radial perforation so that the unit may be torn radially to the proper size for the pot, may have an opening in the center for the stem of the plant, and may be torn radially to allow insertion of the stem.The same type covering may also be utilized in rolls for gardens and can be perforated in regular design for regular spacing of plants.

Abstract: A holder for supporting or carrying an article, obtained from a die cut blank of flexible sheet material such as thermoplastic sheet, may be used to prepackage containers of the throw away type in vertical stacked relationship. The holder may also serve as a convenient carrier for beverage and similar containers at the point of sale. The article holder finds further advantageous use as an effective support for balanced vertical suspension support for flower pots and similar articles. The blank may be die cut from sheet which remains flat until ready for use and may also include thermoformed portions.