Abstract: A normally-closed pour spout is operable to pour fluid from a container to a receptacle. The normally-closed pour spout includes a fluid conduit and a valve. The fluid conduit has proximal and distal ends, with the proximal end being fluidly connectable to the container and the distal end being configured for fluid association with the receptacle. The fluid conduit forms a passageway configured to pass fluid therethrough and fluidly communicate with the container and the receptacle. The valve is operably assembled with the fluid conduit so that the valve controls fluid flow through the passageway.

Abstract: A storage and transport carrier is configured to securely hold a selected one or more of a plurality of differently-shaped fuel containers therein. The carrier includes a unitary molded body with first and second pairs of opposite side walls. The body also includes a bottom wall that extends generally between the side walls, such that surfaces of the side walls and the bottom wall cooperatively define an interior chamber of the body. The body also includes a pair of opposite elongated protrusions. Each protrusion projects upwardly from the bottom wall and is spaced laterally inwardly from a respective one of the second pair of side walls. Each of the elongated protrusions extends between opposite end margins and presents an inner container-engaging surface. The inner container-engaging surfaces are configured to engage at least a portion of one or more of the fuel containers, and thereby securely retain the same, when the containers are selectively disposed within the interior chamber of the body.

Abstract: A spouted container comprises a container and a vented spout that fluidly communicates with the container. The vented spout defines a fluid passageway extending therethrough and includes a conduit housing and a cover that cooperatively form a vented chamber. The vented chamber fluidly communicates with the passageway through a pair of spaced apart vent openings presented by the conduit housing. The vented chamber also fluidly communicates with ambient through a vent opening presented by the cover. The vented spout further includes a locking valve assembly that restricts inadvertent opening of the spouted container. The assembly includes a shiftable valve that normally occludes the passageway and a trigger operably coupled to the valve for opening and closing the valve. The trigger includes a catch that holds the trigger in a locked condition when the valve is closed.

Abstract: A ramp is provided for lifting and supporting a wheel of a vehicle thereon when the wheel is driven onto the ramp. The ramp includes a body that is shiftable between a ready position and a discrete support position and presents a ground-engaging surface including a first portion that engages the ground in the ready position and a second portion that engages the ground in the support position. The first and second surface portions are substantially planar and define an angle therebetween through which the body rocks about a fixed pivot as a wheel moving along a wheel-engaging surface causes the body to move from the ready position to the support position. A pair of ramps is provided for lifting and supporting a pair of wheels, with the ramps being nestable for compact storage.

Abstract: A spouted container comprises a container and a vented spout that fluidly communicates with the container. The vented spout defines a fluid passageway extending therethrough and includes a conduit housing and a cover that cooperatively form a vented chamber. The vented chamber fluidly communicates with the passageway through a pair of spaced apart vent openings presented by the conduit housing. The vented chamber also fluidly communicates with ambient through a vent opening presented by the cover. The vented spout further includes a locking valve assembly that restricts inadvertent opening of the spouted container. The assembly includes a shiftable valve that normally occludes the passageway and a trigger operably coupled to the valve for opening and closing the valve. The trigger includes a catch that holds the trigger in a locked condition when the valve is closed.

Abstract: A fuel can (20) is disclosed as having a hollow container body (22), a detachable pouring spout (32), and a fill/vent assembly (36, 132) which is integrally secured to the body (22). In one form, the fill/vent assembly (36) has a primary segment (60) defining a fill opening (66). The segment (66) supports a first, inner, spring-biased pivotal door (42) as well as a second, outer, spring-biased door (50). A flexible check valve (44) is also supported on the inner door (42). In another embodiment, second door is threadably attached to a neck (136) as opposed to being spring-biased into the closed position. In yet another embodiment, the can (20) has only a venting assembly (148) including a flexible check valve (156) supported on a primary segment (154). The segment (154) has venting slots (170) as well as a cap (158) designed to permit venting of the can (20) through the slots (170) and valve (156).

Abstract: A tractor-mounted utility container (20) is provided having a main body (24) and an alternate use panel (26) which can be positioned in an upright fashion to close the rear opening (74) of the body (24), or alternately in a horizontal orientation within the confines of the body (24). In either orientation, the panel (26) has a tool-holding section (84) which is capable of holding handled tools (134) for travel. The main body (24) and panel (26) have interengageable mounting structure (48, 76, 78, 54, 66, 92) for maintaining the panel (26) in the alternate positions thereof. The container (20) may be mounted on the draw plate (34) of a tractor (22) by means of an improved universal hitch assembly (32). The assembly (32) includes a slotted connection plate (110) which can be attached to the hitch plates (34) of different tractors (22) together with an upright connector (116) supported by the plate (110) and received within a socket (78) formed in the front wall (42) of main body (24).

Abstract: An improved animal house with a bed. The bed is an elevated bed that is mounted in the animal house to define a space between the floor of the animal house and the bed. The animal house has an upper portion and a base portion that are connectable to one another and the bed is preferably mounted in the base portion of the animal house. The bed has a support frame which includes a plurality of support frame members connected to one another and a flexible sheet of material supported by the support frame.

Abstract: A pet sustenance device (30, 96) provided includes an upright container (32, 98) which holds a supply of pet sustenance, together with an underlying dish (34, 102). The dish (34, 102) is pivotally coupled to the associated container (32, 98) via connection structure (36, 104) permitting the dish (34, 102) to be selectively moved between a retracted position beneath the container (32, 98) and a pet-access position wherein the dish (34, 102) is pivoted away from the container (32, 98) and presents a sustenance cavity (90, 174). When the dish (34, 102) is in the swung-away pet-access position, the sustenance within the container (32, 98) flows under the influence of gravity into the dish (34, 102). The dish (34, 102) and container (32, 98) are configured to prevent communication therebetween when the dish (34, 102) is in the retracted position thereof.

Abstract: A mechanic's creeper is disclosed as including a body along with a fixed wheel assembly, a caster wheel assembly and a brake assembly coupled to the body. The body has a middle section with a fixed wheel assembly positioned below and end sections, separated by the middle section, with the caster wheel and brake assemblies positioned below separate end sections. The creeper has a rolling and turning mechanism where one end section is forced down to engage the fixed wheel and caster wheel assemblies with the ground. The creeper also has a braking mechanism where the other end section is forced down to engage the fixed wheel and brake assemblies with the ground.

Abstract: A spouted container (10) constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention and configured for storing fluids and transferring the stored fluids to a fluid receiving receptacle such as a lawn mower fluid reservoir (R) is disclosed. The illustrated spouted container (10) broadly includes a storage container (12), a self-venting spout (14) removably coupled to the container (12), a collar (16) for removably coupling the spout (14) to the container (12), and a cap (18) for closing the spout (14) and/or the container (12). The collar (16) cooperates with an inventive sealing disc (32) and a neck (24) to create a gasket-less seal between the spout (14) and the storage container (12) that is adjustable yet prevents undesirable fluid leakage when the spout (14) is in either a pour or a storage position. The spout (14) is a self-venting spout that includes an air-venting passageway (34) formed in part by a flange (60).