Abstract: An improved utility knife with an ergonomically shaped handle having a cavity and a working blade holder slidably disposed within the cavity is described. A bottom release lever and a top drive lever are pivotally mounted to the handle and movable with respect to the handle for releasing and moving the working blade holder, respectively. The knife includes an extra blade holder slidably mounted to the handle and movable with respect to the handle within the cavity. The extra blade holder includes a front support end for engagement with a working blade, whereby slidable displacement of the extra blade holder disengages the support end from the working blade to allow removal and replacement of the working blade from the utility knife.

Abstract: A battery operated, handheld fluid dispenser comprises a supply container having a body portion and a narrow neck extending upwardly therefrom. A pump and discharge unit is mounted on the upper end of the neck and comprises a pump diaphragm and pump chamber for pumping liquid from the container to a discharge nozzle. A battery powered pump drive unit is mounted on the container and comprises an electric motor having an output shaft coupled with the pump diaphragm through a cam and cam follower arrangement to displace the diaphragm through a pump stroke when the motor is energized. The cam is rotatably driven by the motor, and the cam follower is attached to the diaphragm, whereby rotation of said cam axially displaces the diaphragm, and the cam and cam follower have interengaging dual cam faces for balancing lateral forces therebetween during rotation of said cam relative to said cam follower.

Abstract: An improved stackable charcoal briquet has a convex bottom and a concave top and is packaged in a stacked compact boxed package. A charcoal briquet having improved burning characteristics and also improved shipping and retailing characteristics is thereby provided.

Abstract: A projector having a polymeric housing containing an electrical light source, an image medium support assembly aligned in the light path of the light source, and a lens through which light emanating from the light source exits the housing after passing through an image medium disposed in the image support assembly. The projector is preferably adjustably mounted on a support member comprising a tubular section containing a transformer. The projector can be made with an electric motor inside the housing that causes a wheel comprising multiple fixed images to continuously or intermittently rotate the same or different images sequentially through the light path of the projector. A projector assembly is also disclosed in which a projector is mounted in a frame assembly in combination with a rotating mirror ball that simultaneously redirects the projected image in many different directions and continuously changes the image being projected onto a particular spot on surrounding viewing surfaces.

Abstract: An improved stackable charcoal briquet has a convex bottom and a concave top and is packaged in a stacked compact boxed package. A charcoal briquet having improved burning characteristics and also improved shipping and retailing characteristics is thereby provided.

Abstract: An improved utility knife with an ergonomically shaped handle having a cavity and a working blade holder slidably disposed within the cavity is described. A bottom release lever and a top drive lever are pivotally mounted to the handle and movable with respect to the handle for releasing and moving the working blade holder, respectively. The knife includes an extra blade holder slidably mounted to the handle and movable with respect to the handle within the cavity. The extra blade holder includes a front support end for engagement with a working blade, whereby slidable displacement of the extra blade holder disengages the support end from the working blade to allow removal and replacement of the working blade from the utility knife.

Abstract: A house appliance for making soft serve ice cream comprises a motor driven auger in a housing. The auger, which has spiral land, is contained in a work chamber having longitudinal grooves or longitudinal ribs upon which the lands ride. Recirculation and mixing of ingredients produces a smooth, soft serve product.

Abstract: An expansible container is provided for use during the cooking of food in a radiant energy device such as a microwave oven, with the container being configured or otherwise designed to provide entertainment to onlookers as the container expands in size during the relative rapid cooking of food in the container and/or with the fully expanded container of cooked food providing an interesting article, character, figure or configuration that is of novel, interesting or entertaining appearance. The container is formed from relatively flexible materials that define a closed chamber which contains food to be cooked. In its deflated form, the container is collapsed to assume a relatively flat, thin configuration which, in most preferred practice, displays or is configured to provide an entertaining or amusing shape.

Abstract: Capless retractable sealed marking instruments have a single piece elastomeric seal incorporated in a marker casing. The seal includes an annular rim and a concave disk with cooperative sealing disk halves having lateral sealing surfaces which are moved out of contact by a linearly advanced marker nib to open the seal for extension of the marker nib. The concave configuration of the disk provides maximum sealing force between the lateral sealing surfaces of the disk halves. Retraction of the marker nib draws the disk halves back into the concave sealed configuration to protect the marker nib and cartridge from atmospheric degradation.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing hot melt adhesive or other materials. The apparatus includes a container and an outlet. The container has a first material (the material to be dispensed) disposed therein, which changes from a solid state or a state of high viscosity to a state of low viscosity when heated above a predetermined temperature. The container also has a second material disposed therein, which is adapted to be heated above a predetermined temperature when subjected to microwaves for at least a predetermined period of time. The second material can be an inner layer of the container, can be applied to a microwave transparent sheet surrounding the first material, or can be embedded in a silicone tube surrounding the first material. The second material is in a heat transfer relationship with the first material. While the dispenser is being subjected to microwaves, the second material converts the microwave energy into heat and transfers the heat to the first material.

Abstract: A battery operated, hand-held fluid dispenser comprises a supply container having a body portion and a narrow neck extending upwardly therefrom. A pump and discharge unit is mounted on the upper end of the neck and comprises a pump diaphragm and pump chamber for pumping liquid from the container to a discharge nozzle. A battery powered pump drive unit is removably mounted on the container and comprises an electric motor having an output shaft coupled with the pump diaphragm to displace the latter through a pump stroke when the motor is energized. The pump drive unit is interconnected with the pump and discharge unit and with the body portion of the container and either alone or together with the neck provides a handle for holding the container during a dispensing operation. Removability of the pump drive unit provides for the latter to be usable with supply containers having different fluids to be dispensed.

Abstract: A manually operable sprayer mountable on a supply container comprises a pump cylinder supporting a cylindrical, rollable pump diaphragm having a closed end coaxial with the cylinder and linearly axially displaceable toward and away from the cylinder by a trigger and pump actuator assembly including a pivotal trigger interconnected with a pump actuator for pivotal displacement of the trigger to be translated into linear axial displacement of the actuator which is connected to the end wall of the pump diaphragm. The component parts are enclosed in a housing defined by a pair of hingedly connected housing members, and a retainer member by which the sprayer is mountable on a supply container by a threaded cap either supports the component parts as a unitary assembly or interengages with the housing to cooperatively support the component parts therewith.

Abstract: A confection dispenser for dispensing confectionery pieces in a visually interesting and unique manner. The confection dispenser includes a confection chamber which holds the confectionery pieces and further includes a conveyance mechanism which transports the confectionery pieces from the confection chamber to an opening in the dispenser in a unique and interesting way. The confectionery dispenser may be sized such that it is portable and/or can include a bank wherein a user deposits a coin into the dispenser to activate the dispenser thereby obtaining confectionery pieces and further saving money for further use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvements in the design and construction of apparatus for dispensing microwaveable hot melt adhesives and other heat sensitive materials. The apparatus comprises a dispenser which is heated by microwaves and then used to dispense a material therefrom. The dispenser is specifically designed to convert microwave energy into heat and to transfer the heat to the material to be dispensed in a more efficient and/or safe manner.

Abstract: A tethered flying toy includes a ring-like frame rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the toy. The frame extends outwardly and upwardly from the plane of the toy away from the axis and has a downwardly extending skirt around the periphery thereof. The frame includes an inner circumferential edge defining an opening and the skirt includes an outer circumferential edge defining a border. The outer circumferential edge of the skirt extends in a plane parallel to but in upwardly offset relation from the plane of the inner circumferential edge. The frame also includes an S-shaped cross member interconnecting diametrically opposed portions of the frame. A tether line extends through an aperture formed in the cross member to a wrist strap which can be located around the arm of the thrower. An elastic band portion interconnects the wrist strap and the tether to provide elasticity for the tether during the flight of the toy.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for dispensing hot melt adhesive or other materials. The apparatus includes a container and an outlet. The container has a first material (the material to be dispensed) disposed therein, which changes from a solid state or a state of high viscosity to a state of low viscosity when heated above a predetermined temperature. The container also has a second material disposed therein, which is adapted to be heated above a predetermined temperature when subjected to microwaves for at least a predetermined period of time. The second material is in a heat transfer relationship with the first material. While the dispenser is being subjected to microwaves, the second material converts the microwave energy into heat and transfers the heat to the first material. The first material then changes to a state of low viscosity and can be dispensed from the container through the outlet.