Abstract: The invention discloses a steam iron water valve structure for feeding water into a steam generating chamber. The valve structure adapts the iron for use with any reasonable tap water available by using a scraping or cleaning arrangement of the various orifice and valve structure to remove deposits on each operation and to reduce the vertical extent of the valve travel.

Abstract: A coffeemaker having a ground coffee basket and a heated brewing water spreader positioned generally above the ground coffee basket wherein the spreader includes a generally vertical cylindrical dam wall extending upwardly from a generally flat foraminous wall for permitting brewing water to flow over the dam wall, through an overflow passage and into the ground coffee basket when the spreader has been filled with heated brewing water above the upper surface of the dam wall.

Abstract: In an apparatus for electrically heating and dispensing flowable material from a pressurized container, including a housing supporting the container, a heat exchanger connected to receive material dispensed through a valve assembly, and structure for effecting temperature control of said material, an improvement is provided in the support and valve assembly that comprises a single universal valve assembly member supported on, fixedly secured to, and passing through, the housing to prevent relative motion therebetween, and structure is provided on the valve member extending within the housing to lockingly engage and support a container by a rolled flange on the container.

Abstract: An electric brewing apparatus for coffee and similar beverages having a heated base supporting a receptacle and a coffee basket therebetween to store, heat, and deliver water to the basket. In this general arrangement an improvement is provided wherein the base comprises a single molded polypropylene box-shaped housing having an access opening only at one end with the other end and side walls being integrally formed from the plastic. A first set of bosses is provided on the other end spaced from one of the side walls and a standard timer that has spaced mounting ears for securing on a flat inner side wall for adjustment through the wall is provided. Second bosses are mounted on the side wall adjacent the open end and all of the bosses are directed towards and molded from the open access end.

Abstract: An electric oven toaster construction wherein a unique manually operable lever, latch lever, and catch lever are provided for controlling operation of an oven toaster main switch and an oven toaster timer. The manually operable lever is provided with a lug for actuating the latch lever to release the catch lever to stop the operation of the toast timer and open the main switch without opening the oven toaster door. The manually operable lever is also provided with a pin which is uniquely positioned with respect to the catch lever for both operating the catch lever to start operation of the toast timer and being actuated by the catch lever at the end of a toasting cycle for moving the manually operable lever to open the main switch.

Abstract: In an SCR circuit controlled universal motor, means is provided for smooth speed control at all speed settings especially low settings which comprises a series wound stator field as part of the motor and at least one closed conductor loop of wire encircling the stator magnetic flux path.

Abstract: A handle assembly for a glass carafe wherein a metal band is positioned around the neck of the carafe and a plastic handle is connected to the metal band. A unique plastic block is provided with two generally parallel slots for receiving the ends of the metal band for temporarily holding the band on the carafe while the handle is being secured to the block and the band.

Abstract: A coffeemaker having a ground coffee basket, a brewing water spreader positioned on top of the ground coffee basket and a brewed coffee container positioned below the basket wherein a unique brew control cap is positioned on the spreader for controlling the amount of heated brewing water that is permitted to flow to the coffee grounds within the basket or is diverted through a by-pass passage to the brewed coffee container without extracting coffee from the ground coffee. A plurality of spaced openings are formed in a wall of the cap for selective registry with one, two or more spaced openings that are formed in a wall of the spreader so that movement of the wall of the cap with respect to the spreader will uncover one, two or more of the openings to permit more or less heated water to flow to ground coffee within the basket to thereby regulate the strength of the brewed coffee within the coffee container that is positioned below the coffee basket.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an extra capacity steam iron with a soleplate and heating means and separate forward main, and rear surge, steam generators with conventional means for selective delivery of water to the generators and heat regulating thermostat means. The improvement to this structure comprises a walled enclosure on the soleplate between the generators in the rear half of the iron adjacent the surge generator and asymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the iron. Within the enclosure there is a boss upstanding from the soleplate and smaller than the enclosure to provide some peripheral space between the boss and enclosure and a coverplate is disclosed over the soleplate to define steam distributing means from the generators. The enclosure extends through the coverplate and the boss extends above it.

Abstract: A glass or ceramic cooking vessel of the type commonly employed in slow cookers is provided with heating apparatus for heating the vessel in a substantially uniform manner. An electric heating element is supported in a position spaced from the vessel such that direct conduction of heat to the vessel is prevented, heat transfer means being provided to conduct heat from the heating element to the vessel over an extended portion of the vessel's outer surface.

Abstract: A steam iron having an exterior wall portion which at least partially defines an internal water reservoir and a cover member secured and peripherally sealed to the outer surface of the exterior wall portion to form therewith a chamber communicating with the reservoir through relatively small spaced-apart openings in the exterior wall portion. Both the cover and wall are preferably of a heat resistant plastic. The exterior wall portion is aligned to cover or conceal the openings which are positioned so the water level in the reservoir is indicated through a transparent portion of the cover member when the iron is disposed in either a horizontal ironing position or a vertical filling position.

Abstract: A motor driven household mixer has a housing around a rotary motor in a plastic frame, the motor having front and rear bronze bearing assemblies with a fan adjacent the rear assembly and a beater gear box adjacent the front assembly. This is provided with an improved integral bearing strap and cooler for the front assembly comprising vents in the housing adjacent the gear box and a generally H-shaped one piece bearing strap with means securing one leg of the H to the frame forming the leg around the bearing, with the other and wider leg being bent out of the plane of the H and opening towards the vents said leg extending across the entire bearing width whereby air moved by the fan is funneled by the bent leg toward the entire bearing cooling it. The invention also includes a single means securing the one leg to the gear box in which openings are provided to direct the air to the bearing and around it and below the securing leg to cool the entire bearing and leg by forced convection.

Abstract: A battery operated smoke detector or the like is provided with means for monitoring the voltage of the battery and providing a warning when the voltage drops below a predetermined level. The detection and warning system includes means for sensing when the battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined level and producing periodic output signals in response thereto. A first alarm means produces a permanent warning signal in response to the first output signal, and a second alarm means produces periodic warning signals in response to the periodic output signals.

Abstract: Apparatus for heating flowable material from a pressurized container in a housing with a heat exchanger assembly having an inlet and outlet and passage conducting the material therebetween, and an electrically heated closed tube in heat transfer relation with the passage. In this general arrangement, an improvement is provided in the control for the electrically heated closed tube, that comprises a substantially flat non-conducting chassis with electric conductors through the chassis and sealed thereto; an adjustable thermostat is supported on one side of the chassis and connected to the conductors; an extending heat conducting closed tube in fluid tight seal with the chassis is provided on the other side thereof and it has a heating element therein. The passage is disposed around the tube in a tight helix for good heat transfer and a biased non-conducting axially and rotatably moveable control rod extends through the chassis and is sealed thereto.

Abstract: A household electric, stand food mixer with a motor in a housing, a handle and removable beaters at one end, a bowl supporting base with a column for pivotally and removably supporting the other end of the housing and in this general structure there is provided an improved mixer locking structure to prevent pivoting of the housing under heavy beater loads that comprises an apertured plate fixed to the column with a cut-out for leveling means operable through the cut-out to adjust the horizontal housing position, fixed hook means extend below the housing through the apertured plate and a lock slider is movable into the column parallel to the plate to engage the hook and lock the housing to the column.

Abstract: A self-cleaning steam iron with steam control means, a fill opening to an interior water tank, a ported soleplate and a steam generating boiler and coverplate with distribution passages therebetween and having means to purge the iron of water and residues including a substantially large opening in the tank with means operable to control the opening to suddenly dump and conduct the water directly into the boiler.

Abstract: A measuring dispenser wherein a generally cylindrical drum having a transverse wall is positioned at the bottom of a canister, and a forwardly extending longitudinally movable partition with a transverse rear wall is inserted within the drum so that variable volume measuring chambers are provided by longitudinally moving the partition within the cylindrical drum. A one-piece cylindrical adjuster is inserted within the drum and is provided with inclined slots for longitudinally adjusting the partition.

Abstract: A measuring dispenser wherein a generally cylindrical drum having a transverse wall is positioned at the bottom of a canister, and a longitudinally movable partition with a transverse wall is inserted within the drum so that variable volume measuring chambers are provided by longitudinally moving the partition within the cylindrical drum.

Abstract: In a hair dryer having an electric selectively variable motor driven fan, and plural wattage heaters in the fan stream for selectively heating the air and having thermostat means sensing air temperature to shut off the dryer on an over-temperature condition, an improvement is provided in a combination switch and sliding contact variable control for heat and speed that comprises an elongated continuous bus bar connected to one side of the line with two separate sets of discrete spaced contacts being spaced on opposite sides of the bus bar parallel thereto and to each other. Two separate sliding means are provided each being sized to bridge at least two spaced contacts in a set as it moves along the bar parallel to the other sliding means.