Abstract: A vertical storage and retrieval system has a light bar at the operator's station that visually indicates selected bins on a conveyor shelf. The light bar comprises an elongated rectangular tubing flush with the work surface. Several identical electric modules are connected end-to-end and inserted into the tubing. Each module has an array of parallel circuits, each containing a light emitting diode, connected to an electric source. Through circuits connect the terminal circuit of each array of parallel circuits to an electrical sink. A branch circuit of each parallel circuit connects with the corresponding parallel circuit on the adjacent module. The circuits are arranged such that the end module remote from the electric source and sink may be severed and a portion of the module discarded without affecting the operation of the light bar.

Abstract: A plastic dishwasher tub and support structure is disclosed. A single piece is formed into a rear frame that attaches to the door frame of the dishwasher. The rear frame is in an inverted U-shape with arms formed by bending a portion of the legs of the U out of the plane of the U. The bight of the U supports the rear of the tub while the arms attach to the door frame and serve as skids for the dishwasher. The plastic tub is formed with integral reinforcing ribs on the tub portion to bear against the rear frame. In addition, retention blocks are cantilevered from the tub bottom to extend below the reinforcing ribs. The bight of the rear frame sides into the space between the blocks and ribs during assembly and prevents up and down and fore and aft movement of the tub with respect to the frame. Strips are placed on the jambs of the door frame astride the counterbalance levers on the door. These strips limit the travel of the door in the open position.

Abstract: A pull rope type starting apparatus for small internal combustion engines comprises a rope reel having a hub portion adapted to be rotatably mounted on a shaft driven by the piston(s) of the engine. A pair of axially spaced, radial flanges project from the hub to define an annular, relatively narrow rope-receiving cavity on the reel. A pull rope has a looped inner end portion anchored within a generally U-shaped channel formed on the outer side of one of the flanges. The rope extends from its clamped inner end loop around the reel hub to form a half hitch configuration and then passes through the clamped loop and a first aperture formed in the flange to which the inner rope end is clamped to lie intermediate the two radial flanges of the reel for winding within the annular reel cavity.

Abstract: A retractable temperature control for refrigeration units includes a control panel pivoted for movement between an extended, accessible position and a retracted position in which it is enclosed within one of the insulated walls of the unit. Mounted on the panel are two operators, one of which controls the temperature of a thermostat and the other of which controls the position of a damper. Adjustment of the operator associated with the thermostat controls the temperature of one compartment in the refrigeration unit and adjustment of the other operator controls the position of a damper, and in turn controls the differential temperature between the two compartments provided by the refrigeration unit. The thermostat and the damper control are structured so that movement of the control panel between the retracted and extended positions does not affect the adjustment thereof.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet includes an outer metal shell supported on a separate base member having inwardly extending upper and lower flanges. The upper flange is secured to the bottom of said shell and a U-shaped bracket member is mounted in each corner of said base member to have an intermediate vertical portion abutting the vertical wall of said base member while upper and lower wall portions of the bracket member extend adjacent the upper and lower base flanges. A door is mounted on the front of the cabinet by hinge means including a lower hinge bracket which is clamped by fasteners through the base front wall to the intermediate portion of the bracket member. The lower wall of the bracket member serves to support a threaded leveling leg, while the upper wall of the bracket member serves to give pivotal support to a roller carrier which may be raised and lowered by an adjusting screw extending through the front wall of the base.

Abstract: A household refrigerator cabinet housing therein a plurality of vertically adjustable shelf assemblies each supporting a shelf for placing refrigerable items thereon. Each shelf assembly has a pair of cantilever arms with transverse clips on the front end for holding the front edge of a shelf, and hooks on the rear end for mounting the shelf assembly on a pair of ladder tracks attached to the rear wall of a refrigerator. A rigid wire spans the distance between the cantilever arms near their rear end and is rigidly connected thereto. A unitary shelf retainer having two perpendicularly disposed slots is press fit on the support wire. The first slot is defined by two walls extending in a converging manner from a third wall so as to firmly grasp the shelf when placed therein. The second slot is defined by two walls extending perpendicularly downwardly in a converging manner from the first slot and having spherical protrusions on their ends to firmly grasp the support wire when press fit thereon.

Abstract: A two-piece door handle for refrigerators and freezers is mounted on the edge of the doors by two fasteners. The handle includes a plastic molded part and a metal stamping. The plastic molded part provides a recess in which the entire metal stamping is positioned. Shoulders surrounding the recess engage all of the edges of the metal stamping, obscuring them from view and preventing user contact with such edges. The recessing of the metal stamping eliminates the need to provide a finish coating on the edges of the metal stamping. The molded plastic part provides a mounting flange portion positioned between a mounting flange portion on the metal stamping and the associated door. Therefore, metal-to-metal contact is prevented. The two pieces of the handle are easily snapped together as an assembly and are easily installed on the associated door.

Abstract: A launcher for launching pieces of sheet metal into a roll former is disclosed. The launcher includes laterally spaced conveyor belts having parallel upper reaches which support the piece of sheet metal and transport it to a launch position. While located in the launch position, opposed pushers engage opposite edges of the sheet and move it laterally into a predetermined lateral location in which it is centered and aligned with the roll former. Thereafter, longitudinally spaced gripper rolls engage and grip the opposite sides of the sheet at longitudinally spaced locations. The gripper rolls operate to feed the sheet and maintain gripping thereof until substantially the entire sheet enters the roll former. Therefore, proper alignment is maintained and uniform roll forming is produced. The pushers along one side of the sheet move to a fixed position to precisely locate the adjacent edge of the sheet.

Abstract: A rack in a household dishwasher has a folding fence movable between a folded position adjacent the bottom of the rack and an erect or operating position. The fence has a base wire extending along the bottom of the rack and a plurality of projecting wires or pins extending upwardly therefrom. The fence is mounted on a plurality of brackets which snap over lateral wires on the rack at a bend therein so that the brackets are secured against rotation. The brackets provide a journal bearing to allow the base wire of the fence to both rotate and move axially, and the brackets also provide a dentent in the form of a U-shaped wall member which engages one of the projecting wires by axial movement of the fence to hold the fence in the upright position.

Abstract: A gasket assembly for refrigerator or freezer doors includes a retainer and a flexible gasket. The retainer is mounted along the periphery of the door by screws which extend through the retainer, through the periphery of a door liner and into the door shell. Therefore, the mounting of the retainer also mounts the liner on the door. The retainer cooperates with the door to provide an outwardly open channel and provides an oppositely extending shoulder. The retainer is mounted on the door prior to the installation of the gasket, so full access is provided, permitting automated assembly. After the retainer is mounted, the gasket is installed by positioning an inwardly extending projection within the outwardly open channel and snapping a hooklike projection over the shoulder extending along the inside of the retainer. The gaskey provides a magnetic cavity containing a strip magnet and supported by flexible walls. A flap along the interior of the gasket engages the liner.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet has a metal outer shell with a one-piece, thermoplastic inner liner having a peripheral flange received in a groove formed in the outer shell. Foamed-in-place insulation is used between the liner and the shell and the cabinet has a partition separating the interior of the liner into an upper freezer and lower fresh food compartment. The partition is supported by inwardly projecting ribs formed integrally with the liner extending around the back and two sides and terminating adjacent the peripheral flange. The peripheral flange in the area of the partition has an offset portion extending away from the front face, forming a curved portion which cooperates with the projecting ribs in providing vertical compliance of the liner during thermal expansion and contraction to reduce the possibility of stress cracking.

Abstract: A combined air gap and dispensing device is adapted to be mounted on a sink, and comprises an internal air gap between inlet and outlet waste tubes. A liquid carrying pipe, such as a hot water pipe, also extends through the device to a faucet for being dispensed. A pair of fiber optic cables have exposed ends at the upper end of the device, and are coupled to a control system for valving liquid to the dispensing pipe. The control circuit may include a light source directed to one of the fiber optic cables, a photo sensor connected to the fiber optic cable to receive reflected light, and amplifying and demodulating circuitry, as well as a logic circuit responsive to determined conditions at the upper ends of the fiber optic cables for controlling the flow of liquid to the dispensing pipe. A pneumatic tube and pneumatic actuator may be provided instead of the optic cables and associated optic devices.

Abstract: A motor-pump assembly for an agitator-type clothes washing machine includes a motor with a vertical drive shaft having upper and lower ends that extend above and below the top and bottom end bells of the motor casing. The lower end of the drive shaft carries a pulley for rotating the input shaft of a belt driven transmission actuating an associated agitator and spin tub. The upper end of the drive shaft carries a water pump impeller contained within a pump casing that rests on a dishlike drip shield, the shield in turn resting on the top end bell of the motor casing. The pump casing, the drip shield, and the top end bell of the motor casing are maintained in vertical alignment with each other by a pair of springlike metal clips that can be easily removed to allow for pump replacement.

Abstract: A vertical storage and retrieval system has a light bar at the operator's station that visually indicates selected bins on a conveyor shelf. The light bar comprises an elongated rectangular tubing flush with the work surface. Several identical electric modules are connected end-to-end and inserted into the tubing. Each module has an array of parallel circuits, each containing a light emitting diode, connected to an electric source. Through circuits connect the terminal circuit of each array of parallel circuits to an electrical sink. A branch circuit of each parallel circuit connects with the corresponding parallel circuit on the adjacent module. The circuit are arraged such that the end module remote from the electric source and sink may be severed and a portion of the module discarded without affecting the operation of the light bar.

Abstract: A flexible line trimmer is provided with an automatic line feeding cutting head portion which utilizes a generally U-shaped, centrifugally actuated balancing arm member to maintain the free end cutting length of the line at a predetermined length during trimmer operation. The balancing arm is rotatably mounted within the head by means of a coil spring element which is installed on one of the leg portions of the balancing arm and press-fitted into a plastic pocket portion of the head to serve as a bearing for the balancing arm. The outer end of the spring-carrying leg has a transverse pigtail portion which may be selectively sized to predeterminably vary the controlled cutting length of the line. The opposite leg of the balancing arm, which is engaged by the line during trimmer operation, is received within spool flange notches when the arm is in its line locking position to prevent undesirable bending of the arm due to cutting line forces thereon.

Abstract: An infinitely adjustable control switch for controlling electric heaters in a domestic cooking range is disclosed. The control suited provides a boxlike housing which encloses two power switches and a switch for an indicator light. All of the switch components are supported by terminals positioned in a row along one side wall of the housing. Therefore, a unitary multiconductor can be used to simultaneously connect and disconnect all of the terminals. The terminals are installed in grooves formed in the side wall of the housing by lateral straight-end movement through lateral openings and without any movement lengthwise of the terminals. The terminals are then staked and a locking bar is installed to complete the mounting of the terminals and the switch components. Some of the terminals are provided with extension to support switch components at remote locations. Further the housing is provided with projections which position such extensions.

Abstract: A screw mount control and adapter combination permits the screw mount control to be converted to a bushing mount control. The control cover is provided with a pair of openings therein through which screws are threaded when the control is mounted in its screw mount configuration. A bushing mount adapter is installed on the screw mount control by pressing projections on the adapter into the screw openings in the screw mount control. The material of the adapter is softer and more ductile than the material defining the screw openings in the control so that a simple press-in assembly is provided.

Abstract: An anti-tip anchor bracket for a major home appliance, such as an electric or gas range with a front opening oven. The bracket is mounted on the floor and is provided with opposite side flanges to which the levelling feet of the appliance are slid under, thus preventing the appliance from tipping when an open oven door extending horizontal to the floor is stepped on or has excessive weight placed upon it. The bracket is also provided with a front flange which prevents the appliance from being inserted within the mounting bracket in an incorrect manner.