Abstract: A method for cooking potatoes in hot water-vapor consists of disposing dried potatoes in non-overlapped, non-contacting relationship above a body of boiling water so as to expose them for about five minutes to a confined body of hot water vapor maintained at atmospheric pressure. The apparatus comprises a water container for a body of water, a heat source to heat and maintain said body of water at its boiling point, a perforated motor-driven movable conveyor structure on which diced potatoes can be arranged in non-overlapped, non-contacting relationship and which is located closely above the surface of the body of water, and an enclosure overlaying the conveyor stucture and the water container for entrapping hot water-vapor there or within so as to expose the diced potatoes thereto, said container having apertures therein so as to maintain the hot water-vapor at substantial atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A fiber optic multiplexing controller for transmitting a separate original electrical signal to each of a plurality of signal receiving devices. Each separate original electrical signal originates from one or a plurality of signal sending units. A transmit section of the controller includes an encoder for encoding the separate original electrical signals into a single multiplexed electrical signal. The transmit section further includes a fiber optic transmitter for converting the multiplexed electrical signal to an optical signal. Thereafter, the optical signal is transmitted via fiber optics to a receive section of another identical controller. This receive section includes an optical receiver, provided for the purpose of receiving the transmitted optical signal and converting it to a multiplexed electrical signal. The multiplexed signal, whether electrical or optical, is made up of discrete portions. Each portion of the signal is devoted to a predetermined one of the separate original electrical signals.

Abstract: An oil separator operates to remove oil entrained in a refrigerant being circulated in a refrigeration system, especially a system using a screw-type compressor. The oil separator generally comprises a vessel having a chamber therein and a perforated plate on which oil coalescing elements are mounted divides the chamber into a lower primary oil separator section and an upper secondary oil separator section. A mixture inlet pipe extends through a side of the tank into the lower section for admitting a pressurized mixture of refrigerant and oil. A refrigerant gas outlet port is provided in the upper section for expelling refrigerant from which the oil has been separated. An oil outlet port is provided in the lower section for expelling oil collected in an oil sump at the bottom of the lower section.

Abstract: A housing of a reciprocating gas compressor comprises a partition member separating an upper suction chamber through which gas passes and a lower crankcase chamber in which a crankshaft rotates and which has an oil sump at the bottom. The partition member is imperforate except for sealed openings through which cylinder sleeves and hydraulic fluid lines extend between the chambers. A conduit located on the housing exterior and connected between the chambers performs three functions, namely: enables gas flow in either direction to effect pressure equalization; enables oil to flow by gravity from low points in the upper chamber into the sump; and enables oil mist in the gas flow through the conduit to coalesce on the inner walls of the conduit and flow by gravity into the sump.

Abstract: A hinge consisting of a base, a rotating member mounted to one end of the base through a pair of link arms, the rotating member being supported by a spring in a closed or open condition. The base is formed out of a single piece of sheet metal by bending and shaping so as to have a pair of side plate portions to be fitted over projections of a member on which the hinge is mounted; a connecting plate portion formed integral with, and provided between, the link arm mounting sides of the pair of the side plate portions; and screw support plate portions bent inwardly from the pair of the side plate portions so that they face the projections of the member on which the hinge is mounted, the screw support plate portions being joined together to be shaped like a letter U, the joint part of the screw support plate portions being formed with screw insertion holes.

Abstract: A filling machine for repeatedly dispensing predetermined amounts of particulate material comprises a stationary hopper having two spaced-apart spouts; a motor-driven horizontally rotatable upper plate beneath the spouts and having four groups of receiving holes therethrough and a stationary bottom plate beneath the upper plate and having two groups of dispensing holes therethrough. As the upper plate is rotatably driven, the receiving holes align with the spouts, are filled with material, and then align with the dispensing holes through which the material then falls. A sweeper member above the upper plate directs excess material accumulated on the upper plate into emptied receiving holes approaching a spout. A weighted sleeve on each spout slidably engages the upper plate to inhibit material leakage. Each group of receiving holes has a cup plate on the underside of the upper plate with apertures in registery with the receiving holes and slidably engageable with extension tubes from the receiving holes.

Abstract: A hinge having a base fixed to a piece of furniture and to which a pivotable member attached to a door is joined so that the pivotable member can be turned so as to be opened and closed, the hinge being fixed to a mounting member attached to a body of furniture. A rear screw engaged with the mounting member is inserted into and engaged with a recess in an upper wall of the base with the head of the rear screw positioned above the recess as the base is moved slidingly from the front side on the mounting member so as to be fitted thereon, and the head of a front screw which is engaged with the mounting member is opposed to an opening in the upper wall of the base from the lower side thereof so as to be engaged at least from the upper side with locking members on the base. The mounting member is made longitudinally symmetric, so that the base can be secured to the mounting member in two directions.

Abstract: An angular position sensor for determining the relative angular position of two relatively rotatable ferromagnetic coaxial components, such as a rotor and stator. The components have the same number of regularly distributed teeth and the teeth in one component are separated by an air gap from the teeth in the other component. A plurality of coils are connected in series with each other and are disposed around the teeth in one of the components and correspond in number to the number of associated teeth. An electric excitation signal having a measurable constant electrical characteristic is fed to the plurality of coils from a source. The characteristic is modulatable in response to variations in the magnetic reluctance of the air gap effected by changes in the relative angular position between the two components. Electronic circuitry is connected to coils for measuring the modulation of the characteristics to determine the relative angular position of the components.

Abstract: A one-piece, molded plastic wire retainer clip is provided for supporting flexible, axially shiftable insulated electric wires on an automobile steering column. The clip comprises a flat base, a pine-tree fastener extending from the bottom of the base for insertion in a mounting hole in the steering column wherein it is frictionally secured, a projection extending upwardly from the base and engageable with an abutment on the steering column to prevent rotation of the clip, and a wire retainer portion supported on the projection. The wire retainer portion comprises opposing side walls, one joined at its lower end to the projection and both joined at the top by an end wall, and the other having a free lower end. The walls cooperate to define a channel open at both ends and having an opening along its bottom side which confronts the base.

Abstract: A one-piece molded plastic wire retainer clip, comprising first and second sections joined by a flexible hinge, is provided for supporting flexible, axially shiftable insulated electric wires on an automobile steering column. The first section comprises a first base member having a pair of upwardly projecting resilient bifurcated legs defining a slot having an opening for receiving wires laterally inserted thereinto. A hollow expandable fastener projects downwardly from the first base member for insertion into a mounting hole in the steering column. The second section comprises a second base member having a closure plate supported thereon which has an aperture for receiving the free ends of the legs. When the first section is swung from unlatched to latched position, the closure plate blocks the slot opening and secures the wires in the slot. First latches on the two base members and second latches on the legs and closure plate maintain the closure plate in blocking position.

Abstract: A liquid level control in a refrigeration system operates a solenoid valve to maintain the level of liquid refrigerant in a vessel within a range defined by predetermined lower and upper liquid levels, sounds an alarm if the upper level is exceeded and stops a pump if the lower level is violated. The control comprises a float assembly and a switching assembly. The float assembly comprises a float chamber connected to the vessel, a float ball therein, a vertically extending float rod connected to the float ball and movable along a vertical path, and a pair of spaced apart stop members on the float rod disposed within the switching assembly. The switching assembly comprises a switch actuator permanent magnet, having magnet poles at opposite ends, slidably mounted on the float rod between the stop members and movable thereby along the said path.

Abstract: A refrigeration gas compressor comprises a piston reciprocably movable to effect gas compression, a motor-driven rotatable crankshaft, and a connecting rod between a crank pin on the crankshaft, and a wrist pin on the piston. A crank pin receiving hole and a wrist pin receiving hole in opposite ends of the connecting rod are connected by an oil passage. The oil passage is connected to a groove in the upper side wall in the crank pin receiving hole. The crank pin has two lubricating oil supply ports at opposite sides of its outer surface through which lubricating oil is pumped. A bearing assembly comprising semi-circular upper and lower bearing sections is disposed around the crank pin. Each bearing section has a smooth inner surface. The upper bearing section has oil well recesses near, but spaced from, opposite ends of its inner surface which receive oil from the oil supply ports each time a port moves therepast.

Abstract: A wire feed mechanism alternately feeds a pair of parallel wire strands A and B through spaced-apart turret jaws on a rotatable turret, through a cutter-stripper head, through a wire gathering device and through spaced-apart conveyor clamps in a conveyor. When a desired length of first wire strand A is fed, a first conveyor clamp closes on strand A and the cutter-stripper head severes a wire segment 12A from strand A and strips the newly-severed ends of strand A and wire segment 12A. The turret then rotates 90.degree. in one direction to present the stripped end of strand A to a first terminating machine which attaches a terminal thereto. While termination of strand A occurs, a desired length of the other strand B is fed through the cutter-stripper head and wire gathering device and through a second conveyor clamp, whereupon the latter clamp closes on strand B and the cutter-stripper head severs a wire segment 12B from strand B and strips the severed ends of strand B and wire segment 12B.

Abstract: An iron powder attracting magnet, wherein a plurality of spaces are formed to open to an iron powder attracting surface and partitioned by a partition for attracting and removing iron powder contained in a fluid. The iron powder attracting magnet is made of a magnetic material which is prepared by impregnating a strontium ferrite into a synthetic resin.

Abstract: A one-piece wire retainer clip comprises a first tube axially slidable onto and frictionally engageable with a threaded stud on a structure. A pair of resiliently movable spaced-apart legs are connectd to the first tube and define a wire-receiving slot having an opening on one side through which wires are laterally insertable into the slot. A second tube is axially aligned with and slidable manually onto the first tube. A slot closure plate is connected to and movable with the second tube. Releasably interengageable latches are provided on the legs and on the slot closure plate. A frangible web connected between the tubes initially maintains the second tube in an open position wherein the closure plate is spaced from the slot opening. The web remains intact as manual force is axially exerted on the second tube to force the first tube onto the stud.

Abstract: A vehicle seat frame assembly comprises a stationary support frame having two laterally spaced-apart side support plates attachable to a vehicle and on which is mounted a vertically movable seat frame which comprises a horizontal seat portion and a vertical backrest portion. An upper rod is horizontally supported in slots formed in the upper ends of the side support plates. Rotatable rollers attached to opposite ends of the rod are engaged in roller guide boxes which are rigidly secured to the lateral sides of the seat frame backrest portion to guide and support the seat frame. An elongated swing arm is pivotally connected at its rear end and at its front end to the lower end of the support frame and to the front end of the seat portion, respectively, to help support the seat frame. A spring shelf and a header plate are rigidly secured to the seat frame near the lower and upper ends, respectively, of the backrest portion.

Abstract: A marine vessel propulsion system includes port and starboard drive systems, each including an engine, an engine throttle, and a transmission furnishing drive power to a propeller on a drive shaft. Each transmission includes forward and reverse clutches, and each clutch can be fully engaged, fully disengaged and modulated. Two alternately usable separate control stations operate the throttles and clutches to control vessel speed and direction. Each control station comprises port and starboard sets of manually operable control devices, and each set includes a mode selector switch for selecting cruise mode or troll mode for its respective throttle and a manually operable direction/speed control lever. In troll mode the lever selects and modulates the selected respective clutch to control propeller speed. In cruise mode the lever fully engages the selected respective clutch and also regulates the engine throttle to control propeller speed.

Abstract: An underground tank having a leak detection mechanism, wherein a conduit is opened into a gap formed between an inner tank in which a fluid is to be contained and an outer tank covering the inner tank, a prescribed pressure of gas is applied to the gap through the conduit and the change in the pressure of gas in the conduit is detected by a detecting device, so that a leak of tank can be investigated. A thin sheet is wound on the outside surface of the inner tank so that the narrow gap is formed between the inner tank and the outer tank.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for the dry storage of heat-emitting radioactive waste materials. The latter are stored in tubes placed within a room having at least one cold air inlet and a hot air outlet. The distance between adjacent tubes and the distance between a tube and a wall of the room is such that a conically-shaped hot air boundary layer formed by natural convection around a tube is in contact neither with the boundary layer of another tube, nor with the wall of the room.

Abstract: A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a preferably cylindrical container for the product to be dispensed is provided with delivery device in the form of a delivery piston (6), the surface area of which is substantially equal to the interior cross-sectional area of the container (7). Connected to this piston is a dispensing structure (2) including a value (4). The delivery piston is disposed within the upper end portion of the container and is designed for manual operation.