Abstract: A machine for making coffee, soup or other hot beverages has a housing for a pressure-resistant container which can receive a supply of water or another liquid. The bottom wall of the container constitutes or supports an insulating carrier for one or more thick film conductors which can be connected by several relays so as to cause heated liquid to flow to the holder in pulsating fashion. One of the relays receives signals from a thermometer which monitors the temperature of heated liquid in the conduit. A second heater employing one or more thick film conductors is used to heat a warming plate for a vessel which can be placed onto a leg of the housing beneath the holder to receive hot beverage when the outlet of the holder is open. The conduit includes a riser with an inlet at its lower end, and a pipe connecting the upper end of the riser with an outlet for heated liquid.

Abstract: An electromechanical scale wherein the platform transmits a load to lateral surfaces at one end of the carrier of a strain gauge and the other end of the carrier is affixed to the base of the scale. This contributes to a reduction of overall height of the scale. The carrier has a median portion with a web in the central symmetry plane of the carrier, and such web supports one or more strip-shaped resistors or semiconductors of the strain gauge. The ends of the carrier can be permanently or separably connected to the platform and/or to the base.

Abstract: An espresso machine wherein a steam supplying first conduit is separably coupled to a second conduit having an air admitting inlet and an air discharging outlet. When the first conduit admits steam into the second conduit between the inlet and the outlet, such steam draws atmospheric air by way of the inlet and the resulting steam-air mixture is discharged by way of the outlet to frothe milk in a vessel into which the outlet of the second conduit extends. The rate of admission of air into the inlet of the second conduit is regulated by a valving element which is mounted on the second conduit and can be rotated by a handle so as to move a hole of the valving element relative to the inlet and to thus alter the cross-sectional area of the path for the flow of air into the second conduit. If the inlet of the second conduit is completely sealed from the atmosphere, the outlet discharges only steam which can be used to heat cups prior to pouring of espresso coffee.

Abstract: A tea making machine wherein the bottom wall of an upper vessel can be used to seal the open top of a lower vessel which contains a supply of water. The upper vessel contains a supply of tea leaves and its bottom wall has an upright tubular portion for a riser with an open upper end in the upper vessel and an open lower end in the lower vessel. The riser is adjustable so that its lower end can be moved to any one of a number of different levels above the bottom of the lower vessel. When the supply of water in the lower vessel is heated, the pressure in the lower vessel rises and boiling water is compelled to flow up the riser and into the upper vessel where it contacts the tea leaves. When the level of the supply of water in the lower vessel descends below the lower end of the riser, such water must be evaporated in order to rise into the upper vessel. The interval which elapses for evaporation determines the steeping time in the upper vessel.

Abstract: An electric shaver wherein the motor housing carries a separable frame for confinement of the cutter and the frame carries a separable casing for an apertured foil which overlies the cutter in assembled condition of the shaver. The frame has a window which is adjacent one side of the cutter and serves for insertion of the casing so that the latter can be attached to or detached form the frame only when the frame is separated from the motor housing. The coupling between the frame and the casing has complementary male and female coupling elements which are designed to confine the casing to movements at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the motor housing. The latter carries a reciprocable slide for a trimmer which can be moved to several positions with reference to the apex of the foil but remains in the general plane of the slide.

Abstract: An electric iron wherein a cermic sole plate transmits infrared light and is heated by one or more halogen lamps within a reflector in the housing of the iron whose concave surface faces the lamp or lamps and reflects heat upon the sole plate. The reflector further effects the heating of water which is admitted into a steam chamber in the housing of the iron between the reflector and the ceramic sole plate, and the resulting steam is conveyed to nozzles extending into openings in the sole plate.

Abstract: A portable fan heater wherein the housing has a front opening in register with a ceramic panel which transmits infrared radiation. The panel is located in front of one or more halogen lamps, such as quartz lamps, whose radiation is directed toward the panel by a reflector having a concave side facing the lamp or lamps and having its center of curvature in or close to the panel. One lamp (or the single lamp) is located at the focal point of the reflector. The housing contains a rotary fan which is driven by an electric motor and serves to convey currents of air from several inlets in the rear wall of the housing toward and into the opening. The currents flow through constricted channels which are defined by the outer side of the reflector and the adjacent inwardly convexly curved walls of the housing.

Abstract: An electrically operated coffee making machine wherein a filter holder for a removable filter is mounted in the housing for pivotal movement about a vertical axis between operative and inoperative positions. The handle of the filter in the filter holder is received in a recess of the housing when the filter holder assumes its operative position in which the outlet of a riser discharges hot water into the supply of comminuted coffee beans in a bag within the filter. The bottom wall of the filter has an outlet which permits freshly brewed coffee to flow through the centrally located opening of a flat cover into a coffee pot when the latter rests on a heating platform on the base of the housing. A pivotable valving element is biased by a spring to seal the outlet in the bottom wall of the filter when the pot and its cover are removed, and a pivotable actuator is mounted in the housing below the recess to pivot the valving element to open position as soon as it is engaged by the flat upper side of the cover, i.e.

Abstract: An espresso machine with an attachment for the making of cappuccino wherein the attachment has a pipe with an open air admitting inlet at its upper end and an open air discharging outlet at its lower end. The steam conduit of the espresso machine has an orifice for steam at its lower end, and the outlet of the pipe is positioned in such a way that steam issuing from the orifice draws air into the pipe and out by way of the outlet to mix with steam and to froth a quantity of milk when the resulting mixture is admitted into a body of milk in a cup or another vessel. The pipe can be a separately produced part which is separably and adjustably or integrally connected to the conduit. It is also possible to provide the conduit with an integral portion which serves as an air supplying pipe and to provide a coupling to separably connect the upper end of the conduit to the source of steam.

Abstract: An electric toaster wherein the housing defines a toasting chamber for slices of bread or other goods and the chamber has an outlet for toasted goods at or close to its lowermost portion. The chamber is flanked by two ceramic panels which can store substantial amounts of heat and transmit infrared radiation. Each panel defines with a semicylindrical reflector a compartment for one or more halogen lamps which emit radiation directly against the respective panel or indirectly as a result of deflection by the corresponding reflector. Gravitational descent of goods from the chamber can be blocked by a gate- or rod-like barrier which is movable into the outlet by hand or automatically in response to completion of a toasting operation.

Abstract: The housing of a machine for brewing coffee, tea or other hot beverages confines or carries a water container, a riser which conveys water from the container past an electric heater and into a manifold, and a filter holder. The manifold has two sections which are separably connected to each other to define an inlet connected with the riser, a first outlet which can deliver hot water to the filter holder, and a second outlet which can return water into the container. A disc-shaped valving element has a central portion clamped between the two sections of the manifold and a marginal portion which can snap over from a first position, in which the valving element seals the inlet of the manifold from the first outlet, to a second position in which the valving element seals the inlet from the second outlet of the manifold.

Abstract: A scale wherein a platform is mounted on and is movable and/or deformable with reference to a base in response to the application of a load, such as the weight of a person standing on the platform. A strain gauge is mounted on a plate-like carrier on the base or directly at the underside of the platform, and its resistor is a thick film conductor whose resistance changes proportionally with the magnitude of the load which is applied to the platform. Such change of resistance is used to change the position of a pointer with reference to a scale which is calibrated to indicate the magnitude of the applied load.

Abstract: A food processor wherein the output member of the prime mover extends vertically upwardly into a removable bowl and drives a rotary torque transmitting member having at its upper end a set of teeth arranged to mate with the teeth of a gear provided in a rotary juice extractor which is installed in a receptacle on top of the bowl. The torque transmitting member is a single-purpose part or it can constitute an adapter with additional external teeth arranged to drive a tool at a level below a cover which replaces the receptacle or a tool at a level directly or closely above the bottom portion of the bowl. The receptacle has a perforated bottom wall which permits juice to descend into the bowl, and the juice extractor rotates in the receptacle about an axis which is parallel to and remote from the axis of the torque transmitting member.