Abstract: A blockage clearance apparatus for a crusher that has a housing and a lid and at least one anvil mounted to the lid for crushing material. The housing contains a rotatable rotor with radial blow bars against which crushable materials are forced during operation. In operation, the materials are fed into the crusher, impacted by at least two blow bars and thrown against at least one anvil for crushing. The blockage clearance apparatus includes means for moving the lid and the anvil relative to the rotor during operation, means for inhibiting the material in the housing from exiting the housing when the lid is spaced from the housing during operation, and means for stopping movement of the lid relative to the rotor.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for separating oxygen directly from air, operating at substantially atmospheric pressure and recuperating energy used for cooling incoming air. An ambient air input leads from the atmosphere to a vessel for confining gases. A cryocooler has a cooled surface in the vessel for directly condensing oxygen from the air at substantially atmospheric pressure. The cryocooler cools the cold surface to a temperature greater than the boiling point temperature of nitrogen and not greater than the boiling point temperature of oxygen for condensing oxygen. A liquid/gas separator separates the liquid oxygen from residual gases which both flow out through separate outputs. Air is propelled through the system at substantially atmospheric pressure by an air impeller. A heat exchanger recovers cooling energy and dehumidifies incoming air by transferring heat from the incoming air to outgoing gases.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for inserting surgical staple drivers into a cartridge, including a base, a cartridge-receiving plate having a channel, upper and lower degating plates having a passage through them, a knife with a sharp edge adjacent the passage and a plunger apparatus that drives the drivers downwardly through the guide passage and into pockets in the cartridge. A cartridge locator plate seats the cartridge against stops in the channel. The cartridge-receiving plate is adjustable relative to the base. The upper and lower degating plates and the knife are not adjustable relative to the base, which avoids the need for re-alignment of the knife and degating plates upon re-mounting on the base. The cartridge-receiving plate is aligned relative to the base. A top riser is adjustably mounted to the base, and a cylinder arm, which holds the plunging apparatus, is non-adjustably mounted to the top riser.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing portions severed from a poultry breast of controlled size and weight having a rotary mounted product holder including a generally cylindrical outer surface provided with at least one product cavity for receiving a first portion of a poultry breast for travel along an arcuate path defined by the outer surface of the product holder. A pressing means including an arcuate surface selected to generally mate with a portion of the arcuate path of travel of said cavity is mounted a selected distance from the path of travel of said cavity for engaging the portion of poultry breast to urge and hold the first portion into the cavity. A cutting member is disposed generally tangentially relative to the path of travel of the cavity between the surface of the pressing means and the outer surface of the product holder to engage the poultry breast and separate the first portion of said poultry breast contained in the cavity from the remaining portion thereof.

Abstract: A menu system comprises a frame that receives interchangeable menu sections with different heights such that sections of various heights are combined to fill the frame space. The menu sections have a central web with upper and lower front channels that receive a presentation strip. Clips, catches, latches, and magnets are used to secure the menu sections in the frame. A preferred menu section uses upper and lower middle web portions attached to web ends. An end cap at the end of a menu section prevents inadvertent loss of presentation strips from the menu section. The end cap can be formed from resilient matter and latched to a web end.

Abstract: A corrugated pipe saddle gasket is provided having a leading member, a primary sealing member, and an arm member, with the gasket having a contoured surface extending along at least a portion of the bottom of the primary sealing member and the arm member corresponding to the shape of a corrugated pipe. The primary sealing member of a second length is intermediate the leading member of a first length and the arm member of a third length, with the third length being greater than the sum of the first and second lengths. The gasket has at least a portion of its arm member having a durometer different from the durometer of the primary sealing member. In the preferred embodiment, the arm member has an axis that is substantially horizontal, and the leading member has an axis that is substantially vertical, such that the two axes are substantially perpendicular.

Abstract: A hot stick testing apparatus and method including a pair of generally ring-shaped electrodes spaced from one another at a predetermined distance. Each electrode has a central opening configured to receive the diameter of a hot stick under test positioned longitudinally through the central opening of both electrodes. Each electrode includes relatively smooth, outer surfaces presenting generally curved contours to enhance generating a relatively high electrical field intensity between the electrodes, without causing electrical flashover or arcing in the air gap between the electrodes. One of the electrodes is operatively connected to a source of high voltage and the other to ground. The testing apparatus has the ability to generate an electrical field intensity between the electrodes of about 140 to 170 kv per centimeter with an applied voltage in the range of 60 to 80 kv to the energized electrode.

Abstract: An improved, free-piston, Stirling machine having at least three pistons series connected in an alpha Stirling configuration. Each cylinder is stepped so that it has a relatively larger diameter interior wall and a coaxial, relatively smaller diameter interior wall. Each piston is also stepped so that it has a first component piston having an end face facing in one axial direction and matingly reciprocatable in the smaller diameter cylinder wall and a second component piston having an end face facing in the same axial direction and matingly reciprocatable in the larger diameter, cylinder wall. One of the piston end faces bounds the compression space and the other end face bounds the expansion space. Preferably, each stepped piston has peripheral, cylinder walls that are axially adjacent and joined at a shoulder forming the end face of the larger diameter component piston.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus for mixing fluent material. A hopper is pivotably mounted to a frame on a pivot axis that is substantially spaced from the axis of rotation of a mixing paddle. Because the pivot axis is substantially spaced from the axis of rotation, the mixer can be loaded by the operator at a low charge height and subsequently dumped at a higher dump height. Horizontally adjustable arms in combination with vertically adjustable legs provide for adjustability in length, width and height of the apparatus for stability when the hopper is fully dumped.

Abstract: For stopping an internal combustion engine, a stop switch prevents the triggering of the ignition. A controller in the ignition circuit determines the state of the stop switch by evaluating signals on the state of the internal combustion engine, corresponding information data is generated, and a corresponding stop flag is set and/or enabled. Depending on this information, the activation of the ignition switch, that controls ignition spark, is either blocked or enabled by the controller.

Abstract: A control valve for controlling the flow of fluent material from a machine, the machine having a frame including a hopper and a tube mounted to the hopper, an auger within the tube and a hose mounted to the tube. The control valve has a clamp, which has a first arm mounted to the frame on a first side of the hose and a second arm mounted to the frame on an opposite side of the hose. The first arm is movably mounted to the frame in a direction toward the hose. A prime mover is drivingly linked to the first arm and the frame for displacing the first arm toward the hose, thereby clamping the hose between the first and second arms for restricting the flow of fluent material through the hose.

Abstract: A trolling release device for use during fishing. A ring of the device has an aperture formed between sidewalls and a slit in one of the sidewalls for extending a line through the sidewall. A handle is mounted to the ring and has peripheral sidewalls with an aperture formed between the sidewalls and a slit in one of the sidewalls of the handle. A string is attached to a fishing line at one end and the opposite end is inserted into the handle aperture. When a fish strikes a lure on the fishing line, the string is cut, thereby releasing the fishing line.

Abstract: A dual-stage vacuum cleaner filter with a pre-filtration cap having pre-filtering screens. A base with an aperture and a filter media strip pleated in the shape of a frustocone can be mounted within the dirt cup of a handheld vacuum. A circular, planar gas impermeable lid is sealingly fixed at the end of the filter media strip opposite the base. The cap is removably mounted to the base covering the filter media strip and lid. The cap has sidewall and endwall pre-filtering screens, and when the sidewall screens become loaded with debris, the endwall screen permits air to flow through a gap between the cap and the lid to the filter media strip.

Abstract: A shelving unit for a wire rack is formed from an essentially flat elongated shelf member with at least one cleat attached transverse to the underside of the shelf member and extending downward between a pair of adjacent support wires of the wire rack, preferably in a frictional fit to prevent movement of the shelf in a sideways, forward and back, or twisting manner. Additional cleats, spaced apart from each other and extending downward between other pairs of support wires are typically used. The shelf unit member may be formed from slats that are spaced apart from each other or in contact with each other in a butt, lap, tongue and grove or other joint arrangement. Each cleat may be formed as two or more spaced apart cleat sections that, when properly sized and positioned, accept differently positioned cental support rods from major wire-rack manufacturers which serve as a stop to prevent the shelf unit from falling from the wire rack.

Abstract: Food heating operations and manual manipulations associated with a cooking appliance are controlled by a computer system connected to displays and input switches which arranged in physically associated pairs, each pair having a display and a switch and the pairs are physically located at diverse locations on the grill in proximity to the location of the performance of the manual operations they signal. Other inputs provide data inputs for appliance attributes, food heating attributes and mode selections. Control of cooking and staging occurs and the work product is tracked beginning from entry of raw food work product onto the grill all the way through removal of the work product for assembly into a sandwich or diversion to holding for subsequent chili preparation.

Abstract: A screening machine on a frame with a hopper having a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt discharges particulate material poured into the hopper into a rotating barrel screen or vibrating planar screen for sifting the material. A hammermill apparatus is pivotably mounted on a hood member to an arm that is pivotably mounted to the frame of the machine. The hammermill is positioned above the conveyor belt at the discharge end. The hammermill can pivot upwardly relative to the arm upon striking a large object on the conveyor belt, and a spring mounted to the arm and the hood biases the hammermill back to its original position. A hydraulic ram is drivingly linked to the arm for manually or automatically displacing the hammermill relative to the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A clutch actuating apparatus for engaging a clutch on an engine, such as an engine that drives an oil or gas well pump. The clutch actuator includes a first prime mover for rotating a clutch operating shaft in one direction toward a clutch-engaging position, but which unseats from driving the shaft after the shaft reaches the break over point and before engaging the clutch to prevent clutch damage. A second prime mover rotates the clutch operating shaft in the opposite direction toward a clutch-disengaging position, and unseats from driving the shaft after the break over point.

Abstract: A fastener, such as a housing, for mounting to a structure, such as a panel, that has an aperture formed therethrough. The fastener includes a shank member and an annular nut member that is configured to align coaxially with the shank member. The shank member is inserted through aperture in the structure and the nut member is placed on the shank member. Teeth on the radially outwardly facing surface of the shank member engage a pawl, such as one or more teeth, on the radially inwardly facing surface of the nut member to lock the nut member to the shank member. Removal of the nut member is effected by rotating the nut member to disengage the pawl from the teeth, thereby permitting longitudinal displacement of the nut member off of the shank member.

Abstract: A grout hopper and dispenser which may be raised on a fork lift so that grout may be placed in a concrete block wall. The grout hopper and dispenser includes an auger in the bottom thereof which forces the grout out through a tube which is connected to a flexible tube which is used by the workman in directing the grout to the appropriate location. The auger may be remotely controlled by the operator of the forklift truck which has lifted the grout hopper and dispenser into position.