Abstract: According to this invention, there is provided a filter device adapted to be used with a syringe and a needle wherein longitudinally positioned hollow filter fibres and a flow blocking material are arranged within the tubular body for directing flow through the material of the hollow fibres. The device according to the invention can be embodied either as a single filter element or as a combination syringe, filter and needle.

Abstract: A foamable plastic material is introduced to an extruder to produce a tubular parison of the material that is subsequently clamped between mold halves moving both axially and radially inwardly to form cavities for open mounted containers. Cavities for two containers are provided with each set of mold haves clamped together around the parison at the middle of the mold set to provide individual container cavities extending on either side of the clamped portion, said individual cavities terminating in the mouth portion of the container cavity which is joined in a mouth to mouth relationship with an individual container cavity of the next set of mold halves.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating fresh fruit to prevent and retard the growth of fungus. The techniques of the invention include simultaneously scrubbing the fresh fruit while drenching with a falling liquid containing a fungicide. Large volumes of liquid are used and the liquid can be recycled. The liquid also removes dirt and debris and, while containing a rather small amount of fungicide, such amount is present in a concentration sufficient to apply a coating to the fruit at the end of the scrubbing step given proper pH control. The pH of the solution is controlled. During the scrubbing step, the fruit is continuously rotated to provide even fungicidal deposit.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for splitting closed pistachio nuts in a controlled manner such that the longitudinal sutures of the nuts will be cracked open. The apparatus includes a cylindrical housing wih a mandrel mounted for rotation therein to provide an annulus into which nuts can be introduced. According to various features of the apparatus, the pistachio nuts are rotated, oriented and then split along their sutures in the annulus and subsequently discharged through an opening in the housing. There is also provided a continuous process of treating closed shell pistachio nuts which includes the step of removing the denser foreign particles from the closed shell nuts by flotation; and a soaking step so that the shells of the unopened pistachio nuts will be saturated with water to provide a degree of shell flexibility such that when pressure is applied to the suture of the shell to effect splitting, the shell will flex rather than crack.

Abstract: A method are disclosed for treating fresh fruit to prevent and retard the growth of fungus. The techniques of the invention include simultaneously scrubbing the fresh fruit while drenching with a falling liquid containing a fungicide. Large volumes of liquid are used and the liquid can be recycled. The liquid also removes dirt and debris and, while containing a rather small amount of fungicide, such amount is present in a concentration sufficient to apply a coating to the fruit at the end of the scrubbing step given proper pH control. The pH of the solution is controlled. During the scrubbing step, the fruit is continuously rotated to provide even fungicidal deposit.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for splitting closed pistachio nuts in a controlled manner such that the longitudinal sutures of the nuts will be cracked open. The apparatus includes a cylindrical housing with a mandrel mounted for rotation therein to provide an annulus into which nuts can be introduced. According to various features of the apparatus, the pistachio nuts are rotated, oriented and then split along their sutures in the annulus and subsequently discharged through an opening in the housing. There is also provided a continuous process of treating closed shell pistachio nuts which includes the step of removing the denser foreign particles from the closed shell nuts by flotation; and a soaking step so that the shells of the unopened pistachio nuts will be saturated with water to provide a degree of shell flexibility such that when pressure is applied to the suture of the shell to effect splitting, the shell will flex rather than crack.

Abstract: A holder for detachably mounting a glass electric lamp dome which includes a pair of dome holding arms mounted to a lever arm which in turn is pivotally mounted on a base plate. The lever arm and the dome holding arms are actuated by a finger engageable lever formed as part of one of the dome holding arms and having a finger engageable terminus at the end opposite the end attached to the pivot arm. A feature is spring biasing means connecting the base plate and the lever arm to continuously urge the dome holding arms outwardly in dome holding locking position unless the finger engageable dome holding arm is moved inwardly. Another feature is lock means associated with said finger engageable dome holding arm to premit the locking of said mechanism in a dome disengaging position so that the dome can be removed and replaced.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for splitting closed pistachio nuts in a controlled manner such that the longitudinal sutures of the nuts will be cracked open. The apparatus includes a cylindrical housing with a mandrel mounted for rotation therein to provide an annulus into which nuts can be introduced. According to various features of the apparatus, the pistachio nuts are rotated, oriented and then split along their sutures in the annulus and subsequently discharged through an opening in the housing. There is also provided a continuous process of treating closed shell pistachio nuts which includes the step of removing the denser foreign particles from the closed shell nuts by flotation; and a soaking step so that the shells of the unopened pistachio nuts will be saturated with water to provide a degree of shell flexibility such that when pressure is applied to the suture of the shell to effect splitting, the shell will flex rather than crack.

Abstract: Biological reactions are carried out with a unitary structure, preferably formed of a ceramic material, having a plurality of flow passages including first and second sets of flow passages arranged so that individual passages of the first set are adjacent individual passages of the second set and are separated by walls formed of the ceramic material. The ceramic material is porous to provide mass transfer of gaseous oxygen and biological reaction products while containing liquid in the second set of passages. Walls of the passages may be covered with a gaseous oxygen permeable membrane. Inside walls of the second set of passages may coated with a compound adapted to immobilize biological reaction materials.

Abstract: There is provided a mixing and blending shaker apparatus having a wire whip attached to the cover of a plastic container and positioned such that when the cover is screwed onto the container, the whip becomes supported centrally inside the container to serve as a mixing baffle for improving and facilitating mixing and blending of various fluids and/or powdered materials, such as soft serve ice cream and yogurt type products.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for splitting closed pistachio nuts in a controlled manner such that the longitudinal sutures of the nuts will be cracked open. The apparatus includes a cylindrical housing with a mandrel mounted for rotation therein to provide an annulus into which nuts can be introduced. According to various features of the apparatus, the pistachio nuts are rotated, oriented and then split along their sutures in the annulus and subsequently discharged through an opening in the housing. There is also provided a continuous process of treating closed shell pistachio nuts which includes the step of removing the denser foreign particles from the closed shell nuts by flotation; and a soaking step so that the shells of the unopened pistachio nuts will be saturated with water to provide a degree of shell flexibility such that when pressure is applied to the suture of the shell to effect splitting, the shell will flex rather than crack.

Abstract: A fire extinguisher for automotive use is provided with the additional capability of sealing and reinflating a flat tire without any wheel removal. The device is charged with a combination fire-extinguishing and tire-sealing composition, and fitted with a removable nozzle for extinguishing fires. To seal and inflate a flat tire, the nozzle is removed, and, in its place, one end of an adaptor hose assembly is attached to the fire extinguisher, and the other end is connected to the tire valve with the wheel rotated to place the puncture or leak at the bottom. Then actuating the device dispenses sealant into the tire while inflating it, after which vehicle movement distributes the sealant and generates heat which accelerates the tire-sealing action and further inflates the tire to a higher pressure, enabling the vehicle to proceed to a service station.

Abstract: An apparatus in the form of a disk for the separation of oxygen from gases, or for the pumping of oxygen, uses a substantially circular disk geometry for the solid electrolyte with radial flow of gas from the outside edge of the disk to the center of the disk. The reduction in available surface area as the gas flows toward the center of the disk reduces the oxygen removal area proportionally to provide for a more uniform removal of oxygen.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming frangible score lines in rigid plastic sheet material. The apparatus utilizes a flat surface having a serrated edge having points and notches. The rigid plastic sheet material is laid on the flat surface. A scoring means is positioned to strike downwardly on the sheet material whereby the points of the serrated edge of the flat surface will extend into the sheet material a distance further than the notches of the serrated edge to thus form a corrugated fracturable score line in the plastic sheet material. The apparatus is useful for forming score lines in lids for drink cups intended for fast food service.

Abstract: There is provided a greeting card holding and displaying apparatus which includes a central core member upon which a cord is wrapped in successive loops lengthwise. Greeting cards are inserted under individual strands of the cord for display.

Abstract: According to this invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for making an article, such as a lid for a plastic food container made of plastic having frangible score lines. The article is formed of a sheet of plastic material having substantially constant thickness with score lines defining an offset portion thereof which is connected to the remaining sheet material by a segment that is thinner than said sheet material and being rupturable for the removal of said offset portion. The periphery of the inwardly directed portion of said offset portion overlaps the periphery of the outwardly directed portion of the offset portion on the opposite side of said sheet material. The fracturable score lines are corrugated along their length by a plurality of successive grooves and ridges with the grooves extending deeper into the material than the ridges.

Abstract: A method for making an article, such as a plastic food container lid having frangible score lines. The article is formed of a sheet of plastic material having substantially constant thickness with score lines defining an offset portion thereof which is connected to the remaining sheet material by a segment that is thinner than the sheet material and being rupturable for the removal of the offset portion. The periphery of the inwardly directed portion of the offset portion overlaps the periphery of the outwardly directed portion of the offset portion on the opposite side of the sheet material. The fracturable score lines are corrugated along their length by a plurality of successive grooves and ridges with the grooves extending deeper into the material than the ridges.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring and regulating the variable pressure furnace gas chemistry is described. The apparatus uses a mass spectrometer for measurements, in the preferred form of the invention, in which gas species percent composition is obtained quantitatively independent of total furnace pressure variation. Using such a real time measurement capability, active control of batch process furnace operations is possible by intrinsic measurement of the part outgassing rather than by assumption of batch part status as a function of extrinsic parameters such as temperature and total pressure. Thus, by a combination of batch process temperature ramp control and variable admittance of suitable gas into the furnace, uniform batch processing is possible by closed loop control, due to renormalization of furnace residual gas chemistry from day to day drift and from batch part chemistry variation.