Abstract: A front opening household dishwasher has an upper rack having wheels that roll inside a C-shaped support channel, which in turn is mounted on support rollers attached to the inside of the tub. Each end of the channel is closed off by end caps to prevent the rack wheels from escaping from the channel, and to limit sliding movement of the channel with respect to the support rollers. Each end cap is a unitary structure having a body portion abutting the end of the channel and extending above and below the upper and lower edges of the channel. An arm portion is integral with the body portion and is connected thereto by a hinge portion at one side, and the arm extends through a pair of aligned openings at the upper and lower walls of the channel to engage a flexible detent hook on the other side of the channel to allow the end cap to be easily assembled and disassembled from the channel.

Abstract: In a rotary dyeing system for dyeing hosiery articles, a rotary cylinder is divided into a plurality of compartments for receiving bundles of dry articles therein. Each compartment is provided with a pivotable plate means which, upon wetting of the articles and shrinkage thereof, is forced during the dyeing cycle against the articles to maintain them compact and stationary to prevent tangling thereof.

Abstract: A portable, hand-held blower/vacuum unit has a housing structure defined by an upper engine shroud removably connected to the top wall of a lower impeller housing. Disposed within the shroud is a small internal combustion engine having a vertical crankshaft which extends downwardly through a depending well section formed on the top wall of the impeller housing, the lower shaft end being drivingly connected to a centrifugal fan impeller positioned within the impeller housing and operative to force a flow of ambient air therethrough. The engine is resiliently and floatingly mounted within the shroud by a resilient support system which prevents rigid contact between the engine and the shroud or the impeller housing to thereby substantially reduce engine vibration transmitted to the housing structure, and permit deflection of the engine relative to the housing structure to lessen the possiblity of engine damage caused by impeller impact from ingested objects.

Abstract: A wet/dry vacuum cleaner including a tank for the collection of liquid, an inlet socket for connection to a suction head, a cover for closing the top of the tank, and a centrifugal vacuum blower mounted on the cover with an axial air inlet opening to the interior of the tank. A solid matter filter is located in the tank and covers the axial air inlet to the blower. The unit includes a float valve assembly that utilizes an annular seal gasket secured to the bottom of the cover and a bowl-shaped float suspended in the tank below the gasket and having an upwardly facing annular rim adapted to sealingly engage the gasket. The float is shaped to define a downwardly extending recess adapted to surround the filter element so that when the liquid level in the tank reaches a predetermined level, the float is buoyed upwardly until its annular rim engages the seal gasket to interrupt the flow of air to the blower inlet.

Abstract: A water inlet nozzle is mounted to a clothes washer so that water exiting therefrom during the spray rinse cycle is directed onto a load of clothes which has circumferentially accumulated near the bottom of the wash basket during the drain and spin cycle. The water inlet nozzle has an upper member joined to a lower member which forms a dispersion chamber therebetween. The lower member includes an inclined bottom wall which tends to cause water flowing into the inlet nozzle to disperse laterally. The lower member also includes a cascade portion which is curved downwardly and has a transversely convex crown formed within its radius of curvature which induces some water to flow toward the lateral side walls of the lower member. The upper member has a curved forward wall and a front lip which is angled downwardly and rearwardly. A discharge orifice is formed between the terminal edges of the cascade portion and the front lip which is narrower near its center than it is at its edges.

Abstract: A compact, light weight, structurally simplified bump-feed type cutting head for a flexible line trimmer is formed from only six components--a hollow cylindrical hub having an open lower end; an annular cover member releasably securable over the lower hub end; a threaded arbor press-fitted into the hub to secure it to the trimmer drive shaft for rotation therewith; a hollow tubular release button member slidably extended through the central cover member opening and axially movable between downwardly extended and upwardly retracted positions; a line storage spool rotatable carried by the release button member within the hub; and a cylindrically coiled compression spring captively retained within the release button and biasing it toward its downwardly extended position. During high speed rotation of the hub about its axis, an outer end portion of flexible line coiled on the spool and passing outwardly through a hub side aperture is whirled through a transverse cutting plane to trim adjacent vegetation.

Abstract: A string trimmer providing an incremental indexing of line when the head is stopped and started. The preferred embodiment of the string trimmer head includes a spool member within the body member, the spool member being coaxially positioned within the body member and being rotatable therewith. The spool member includes a grooved end face with a cam channel having at least one switchback and one arcuate segment. A connecting means attached to the body member includes a connector which runs within the cam channel. Upon starting the rotation, the connector runs along an arcuate segment of the cam channel (permitting relative rotation between the spool member and the body member thereby indexing a length of line) until contacting a switchback stopping point. The connector is biased to move along the switchback and resets along the switchback upon stopping of rotation.

Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaners, and is more in particular directed to the provision of a battery powered upright vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: An ice maker for use in freezing compartments of refrigerators and freezers provides a thermal cut-out or fuse to prevent damage in the event of overtemperature conditions. The thermal fuse is located in a closed compartment where it cannot be accidentally damaged or moved. A leaf spring provides an end engaging the thermal fuse to reliably hold the thermal fuse in good heat exchange relationship with the mold in which the ice cubes are formed. The ice maker also provides an improved mounting structure permitting support fasteners to be partially threaded into the wall of the freezer compartment before the ice maker is moved to its mounted position.

Abstract: A close-trim discharge deflector for a lawn mower is disclosed. The deflector is pivotable both horizontally and vertically at its leading edge using a T-shaped swivel. The shaft of the T provides one hinge pin and the cross piece incorporates the other. A single spring attached between the mower deck and the deflector biases the deflector in a horizontal and extended position. During mowing, objects that contact the deflector either swing it back or up out of the way. Also, the deflector may be swung up out of the way of a bagger attachment. In addition, the deflector may be latched back to take up less storage space.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner has a nozzle with an opening and a vacuum pump connected to draw dirt laden air into the opening from exteriorly of said vacuum cleaner. A shield is movably mounted to the vacuum cleaner to have a first position at which a first part of the opening is blocked from passing air and a second position at which a second part of the opening is blocked from passing air. The first part of the opening may be downwardly directed and the second part may be forwardly directed. The shield may be pivotally mounted to the nozzle.

Abstract: A control arrangement for translating substantially linear motion includes a control device, a controlled device, and a mechanical link interconnected between said control device and said controlled device. The mechanical link comprises a spring strip having an arcuate cross section. The control device comprises an arrangement for moving the strip substantially linearly in a given direction at the control device. The control arrangement further comprises at least one guide arrangement for bending the strip in at least one region between the control device and controlled device, to extend in a direction other than the given direction. The strip extends without support by lateral forces in at least one region between the control device and controlled device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for the gradual reduction of heat in a clothes dryer. The heater runs until a high limit is reached. The heater is then turned off and the high limit reduced by a factor. The heater is turned on when a low limit is reached and the low limit is reduced by a factor. This continues until the high and low limits reach minimum values. The values of all these temperatures may be varied according to the fabric being dried.

Abstract: A hand-held cordless grass/weed trimmer having a plurality of detachable hub assemblies holding the cutting element by compression, and a rake-like guard member for the rotating cutting element which prevents large size obstacles from entering into the cutting path.

Abstract: A bagger attachment for grass mowers provides a powered auger having an inlet adjacent to the mower deck discharge opening and an outlet adjacent to the upper ends of bags mounted on hoop-like supports. The auger is shaped to produce a dense column of clippings and the like which densely fill first the bag adjacent to the auger discharge and subsequently the bag remote from the auger discharge. Air entrained with the clippings is exhausted before the columns are discharged, the upper ends of the bags are open and accessible to the mower operator so that he can observe the filling thereof and also insert stones and the like. The mower deck is provided with a raised wall portion and a baffle arranged to create optimum flow of the clippings into the auger. The upper side of the auger tube is provided with a hinged cover permitting access to the auger. Such cover is shaped to resist rotation of the clippings and improve auger efficiency.

Abstract: A crisper drawer support shelf for refrigerators assembled from four components. The assembly includes a molded plastic, generally rectangular frame having a tunnel along the front edge thereof. An extruded aluminum I-beam is press-fitted into the tunnel to provide strength along the front edge of the shelf. A transparent cover member is positioned within an opening defined by the frame. A sheet metal trim strip is snapped into its mounted position across the front of the shelf. The assembly can be installed as a unit. The I-beam provides sufficient strength to support crisper drawers carried by the support shelf.

Abstract: A hinged door panel for refrigerators and freezers includes a rectangular shell having hinge bearing members mounted on each corner. Each hinge bearing defines a generally cylindrical opening proportioned to receive a hinge pin of a hinge mounted on the main cabinet of the refrigerator or freezer. The inner walls of the hinge pins are formed with a plurality of vent openings which allow gases to escape during the foaming of the insulation. The vent passages are sized so that they freely pass the gases and air contained within the cavity during the foaming but prevent insulating material from entering the hinge pin passage.

Abstract: A refrigerator has upper and lower compartments each closed by separate doors mounted on the cabinet and separated from each other by a partition. At the front of the partition is a mullion assembly including a mullion cover arranged flush with the front face of the cabinet and behind the mullion cover is a mullion strap having end portions at each end projecting beyond the mullion cover behind the front face of the cabinet where screws clamp the mullion strap ends to the rear of the front face of the cabinet to provide a brace between the two sides of the cabinet and another set of screws secure the mullion cover to the mullion strap adjacent each end. The mullion strap has a flat center section for flexibility during assembly, while each end portion is in the form of a forward opening channel which forms a box construction with the mullion cover.