Abstract: A flare gas burner is provided which is less susceptible to damage caused by internal and/or external burning. An internal protective liner is attached within the burner and an external protective covering is attached over the exterior of the burner and conduits associated therewith whereby the burner is shielded from flame impingement and excessive heat and an aerodynamically improved exterior surface is provided on the burner.

Abstract: To minimize damage to the surrounding environment, a drip coffeemaker, adapted for use as either an under-the-cabinet unit or a counter-top unit and including a carafe, has a closed system during and following a brewing cycle with a venting arrangement being provided to vent heated vapor or steam back to a water reservoir of the system, the reservoir being fillable by a pull-out drawer. The carafe is a glass vessel having a plastic collar mounted thereon in which is supported a coffee basket. A cover for the carafe has an annular groove provided in its top surface with a series of ports formed in the bottom of the groove in a spreader configuration. The coffeemaker also includes a cabinet-type housing having a carafe-receiving cavity with a ported shower plate floatingly mounted in the top of the cavity for sealing engagement with the top of the carafe cover when the carafe is inserted into the cavity. The venting arrangement is provided, in part, in the shower plate.

Abstract: A compact appliance for rapidly electrically heating small quantities of water and dispensing the heated water into vessel includes a housing enclosing a water heating reservoir provided with an electric heating element and connected to a manually actuated water dispensing valve. The housing is provided with a single manually operable lever which is movable in a first direction to close a normally open, manually closed, thermostatic switch is series with the heating element and responsive to the temperature of the reservoir to initiate the water heating operation. After the water is heated, the lever is movable in the opposite direction to actuate the valve to dispense heated water. The valve is integrated with the wall of the housing to minimize the number of parts and simplify the design.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for combusting fuel-air mixtures while inhibiting the formation of nitrogen oxides are provided. The fuel is discharged from one or more nozzles disposed within a housing, air is caused to flow into the housing whereby it mixes with the fuel and the resulting fuel-air mixture is ignited and combusted. The nozzle or nozzles each include one or more ignition orifices for discharging a first portion of fuel in an ignition zone, one or more primary combustion orifices for discharging a second portion of fuel in a primary combustion zone containing excess air and one or more secondary combustion orifices arranged for discharging the remaining portion of fuel in the form of high velocity jets shielded by slower moving fuel within the downstream of the primary combustion zone whereby the fuel is burned in a secondary combustion zone substantially isolated from direct contact with incoming air by the primary combustion zone.

Abstract: A travel iron having a handle which pivots sideways between an upright "use" position and a flat "storage" position wherein the handle is pivotally mounted on the main body portion of the iron at its rear end only and wherein cam ramp and pin means provide longitudinal forward and rearward movement of the handle during its pivotal movement whereby to stabilize both ends of the handle when the handle is in its upright "use" position. A pump actuator mounted in the main body portion of the iron is actuated by a plunger slidably mounted in the handle. A dual-voltage sole plate heating circuit has a pair of identical heating elements connected in series in one voltage position of a dual-voltage switch and in parallel in the other voltage position with the output wattage being the same in both voltage positions of the switch.

Abstract: A flare gas burner is provided which is less susceptible to damage caused by internal and/or external burning. An internal protective liner is attached within the burner and an external protective covering is attached over the exterior of the burner and conduits associated therewith whereby the burner is shielded from flame impingement and excessive heat and an aerodynamically improved exterior surface is provided on the burner.

Abstract: A smoke suppressing flare gas burner is provided which is less susceptible to damage caused by internal and/or external burning. An external protective covering is attached over the exterior of the burner as well as smoke suppressant and pilot flame conduits associated therewith whereby the burner is shielded from flame impingement and excessive heat and an aerodynamically improved exterior surface is provided on the burner.

Abstract: A food preparation appliance including a housing, an electric motor supported in said housing and adapted to receive alternating current. A tachometer senses rotation of said electric motor and feeds a tachometer signal to a frequency to voltage converter. A conversion ratio between said tachometer input signal and an output signal of said frequency to voltage converter is alterable by actuating a timer which causes a speed of the electric motor to decrease. The output signal of the frequency to voltage converter is supplied to an error amplifier where it is compared with a setpoint signal to generate an error signal supplied to a triac which controls a flow of electric power through the electric motor.

Abstract: A flare gas burner is provided which is less susceptible to damage caused by internal and/or external burning. An external protective covering is attached over the exterior wall surfaces of the burner and an internal protective covering is attached within the interior of the burner. Conduits associated with pilot flame burners and ignitors are disposed within the flare gas burner and within the internal covering therein whereby they are shielded from flame impingement and excessive heat.

Abstract: In the combustion of waste mineral-bearing liquid streams, an improved type of construction for the combustion chamber, for the combustion of waste mineral-bearing liquid streams which permits continuous removal of solid particulate waste. An annular water channel is fitted inside of the outer shell of the combustion chamber at the bottom. The bottom of the chamber is closed off with a funnel-shaped, inverted conical floor, having a drain outlet at its center. An opening is provided in the side of the combustion chamber just above the bottom, for the exit of downflowing products of combustion. Water is supplied to the annular channel and flows through a longitudinal gap in the inner wall, to fall onto the funnel-shaped floor plate, to wash down all of the particulate matter that collects on the bottom plate, into the drain. Thus, the waste is removed as it is formed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for combusting particulated ash producing solids are provided. The methods include the steps of conveying the solids to an elongated cylindrical combustion chamber, combining air with the solids to form an air-solids mixture and longitudinally injecting the mixture into the combustion chamber wherein the solids are ignited and combusted. One or more streams of relatively cool gas are tangentially injected into the interior of the combustion chamber in directions transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof so that a helical vortex is created within and along the length of the combustion chamber and the flame, ash and hot gaseous products of combustion produced therein are caused to flow through the central portion of the combustion chamber surrounded by a sleeve of cooler gas. The ash and hot gases are cooled in the combustion chamber to solidify tacky or molten ash therein and the resulting solidify ash and gases are withdrawn from the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A low NO.sub.x burner for a furnace and a method of operating the burner involving a primary and secondary combustion zone wherein staged fuel and air to both combustion zones is provided. By injection of from about 40 to 60% of the liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon fuel along with about 90% of the total air required to a first reaction zone and injection of the remaining fuel with the remaining 10% of the air to a secondary reaction zone the formation of NO.sub.x is significantly suppressed. Such a burner is useful in minimizing NO.sub.x emissions for a variety of furnace types including both natural draft and forced draft furnaces.

Abstract: Flare stack burning of waste gases utilizes available low pressure steam by sequential steam injection as a function of the demand for smokeless combustion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of converting hazardous waste fluids into non-hazardous effluent gases within a boiler environment.