Abstract: An air to gas mixing valve is provided for fireplaces especially those having sealed combustion chambers as employed in direct vent fireplaces. The novel mixing valve comprises a channel shaped shutter which mounts on and is linearly slidable over a window or windows made a part of the gas mixing pipe which connects to the fireplace burner. An adjustment rod is rotatably coupled to an actuating arm on the channel shaped shutter and extends through at least one sealed panel and has a rotatable nut or screw for linearly moving the shutters over the windows from a remote position.

Abstract: A receptacle (20) for collecting wax drippings (504) from a candle (500) includes an annular-shaped sheet (22) which is generally in the form of a truncated conical surface having a first side (24) and an opposite second side (26). Sheet (22) has an opening (34) which defines two ends (36) and (38). An adhesive (40) is applied to first side (24) of sheet (22). The first (24) and second (26) sides of sheet (22) are overlapped and pressed together to form an inverted truncated conical shell or collar which is placed around the base of the candle (500) to collect the wax drippings (504).

Abstract: A recycling cooking oven providing a substantially closed environment, includes a thermal plenum for supplying a stream of hot air into a cooking chamber and for receiving a stream of hot air from the cooking chamber, the thermal plenum maintaining a reservoir of hot air therein. The cooking chamber of the oven supplies a stream of hot air into the thermal plenum and receives a stream of hot air from the thermal plenum, the cooking chamber cooking foods therein at least partially with a stream of hot air and such foods adding oxidizable components to the hot air of the stream. A blower and ducting cause the stream of hot air to circulate in substantially a continuous travel path including the thermal plenum and the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A smoke exhauster includes a housing having a top flue. A casing is secured to the housing and has an outlet communicating with the flue and has one or more front openings for engaging with one or more fan devices. A smoke guide is secured to the front portion of the housing and has a chamber for receiving and collecting smoke. The fan devices may draw the smoke in the smoke guide into the casing and outward through the outlet. The smoke guide 20 may receive and collect and guide the smoke for allowing the smoke to be effectively drawn by the fan devices.

Abstract: A solar powered cigarette lighter comprising a hollow tube fitted at one end with a light gathering lens and near the other end of the tube with a rod, the tip of which rod holds a light reflective substance positioned at the focal point of the lens to indicate where the end of a cigarette inserted transversely through a port the side of the tube should be positioned so as to ignite the cigarette.

Abstract: A nonimaging solar collector. A method and article of manufacture of a solar collector includes an outer housing transparent to light, a reflector element positioned asymmetrically within the outer housing, an absorber disposed within the outer housing, and a heat conduction fin coupled to the absorber and having a wedge shape which tapers to a smaller thickness as a function of increasing radial separation from the absorber. The heat conductor fin can be positioned at a variety of angular positions.

Abstract: It comprises a telescopic assembly formed by a first internal body (1A) and a second external body (2A-2E), the piezoelectric assembly being housed inside and wherein is fixed a piezoelectric crystal which, when struck by the striker hammer (3) appropriately movably guided within the internal telescopic body (1A), produces the gas lighting spark. The second external telescopic body (2A-2E) is closed externally in order to avoid the incoming of foreign elements which could cause problems to the operation of the mechanism The diametral projections of the striker (3) are actuated by first (25) and second (28) ramps, as well as by longitudinal voids (32) provided in opposite walls of said external telescopic body (2A-2E), said ramps guiding the striker (3) both in the assembly process and in the triggering resetting of said striker.

Abstract: A deep-frying device comprising a reservoir, a discharge channel for discharging fumes, and a converter for converting volatile organic compounds into carbon dioxide and water, has a passage for the admixture of ambient air to the fumes exuded during deep-frying. This provides an improved odour reduction. In the case of upstream admixture additional oxygen is available, as a result of which a more complete conversion is achieved. In the case of downstream admixture, conversion is possible at a higher temperature without a corresponding rise in the temperature of the discharged mixture.

Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustion chamber with a liquid and/or gaseous fuel (12, 16), the combustion air (7) required for this purpose is directed through tangential air-inlet ducts (5, 6) into an interior space of the burner. This directing of the flow results in a swirl flow in the interior space, which swirl flow induces a backflow zone at the outlet of the burner. In order to stabilize the flame front forming there, at least one zone (27) is provided at each sectional body (1, 2) forming the burner, within which zone (27) inlet openings (29) are provided for the injection of supplementary air (32) into the swirl flow (7a). Due to this injection, a film forms at the inner wall of the sectional bodies (1, 2), which film prevents the flame from being able to flashback along the inner wall of the sectional bodies (1, 2) into the interior space of the burner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a heating device (100) employing catalytic combustion of gas, especially of petroleum gases, comprising:a flat combustion enclosure (110) delimited by two parallel large plane walls (111, 112), at least one of which is a heater plate made of a metallic material, the said combustion enclosure (110) being provided with at least one gas inlet (130a, 132a, 132b, 134a) and one outlet (111a, 111b),a gas circulation circuit, devised inside the said combustion enclosure (110) between each gas inlet and each outlet, the gas circulation circuit passing through at least one catalytic contact surface (121a, 122a, 123a, 124a).

Abstract: A flame torch includes a body for receiving a lighter therein, a cap mounted to the body with a frame disposed thereto, a nozzle disposed to a front end of the cap with a pipe assembly connected between the lighter and the nozzle, an ignition device received in the cap and being operated by a button member which is movably disposed to a rear end of the cap, a connecting plate movably connected between the button member and a pushing plate of the lighter. The ignition device has a spark tube extending to the nozzle so as to produce a spark when pushing the button member to release gas in the lighter from the pipe assembly. The gas injected from the pipe assembly is ignited by the spark.

Abstract: A combustor for a heat engine, such as a Stirling cycle heat engine, incorporating a number of nozzles mounted between a pair of plates. Fuel is introduced from above the plates into mixing chambers within the nozzles. Combustion inlet air passing between the plates is introduced into the mixing chambers and create a swirling motion in the fuel/air mixture. The fuel/air mixture passes through an expansion chamber before being discharged to a common combustion chamber. The combustor has been designed to allow the use of high temperature combustion inlet air and to have low NOx emission characteristics.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for a cooking chamber extends around a ventilator fan of the cooking chamber and has a burner tube connected to one end of a first portion of the heat exchanger and has a reverse bend so a second portion extends parallel to the first portion in the opposite direction. The tube is mounted by the burner and the opposite end so that the reverse bends allows for compensation of thermal expansion in the tube during a heating process.

Abstract: An atmospheric, low emission gas burner within the combustion chamber of a hot water heater in which the combustion chamber is sealed against entry of air except for the air/gas mixture entering through the burner. The burner comprises a venturi through which gas and air enter and a diffuser disposed about the venturi, the diffuser and venturi constructed to take advantage of the high thermal buoyancy within the water heater. The burner operates at low manifold pressure and creates low emissions of NOx and CO. The burner diffuser has a multiplicity of small slots disposed on the upper surface which is covered by a course mesh fabric material having relatively large openings designed to keep the flame front above and off the diffuser while maintaining a stable flame that does not flashback.

Abstract: A radiant gas heater includes a first ceramic plaque burner and an adjacent and larger second plaque burner. A valve spindle is movable to establish in series "Low," "Medium" and "High" heat positions by first supplying gas in the vicinity of the first burner, then supplying gas in the vicinity of the second burner while momentarily maintaining the flow of gas to the first burner, next discontinuing the flow of gas to the first burner and finally by reestablishing the flow of gas to the first burner while maintaining the flow of gas to the second burner.

Abstract: A gas burner adapted to discharge said fuel at its the periphery for combustion, includes upper and lower concave plates secured together to define a chamber and an outer periphery having a plurality of burner ports. The upper plate preferably has a periphery extending radially at least as far as the lower plate. The periphery of the upper plate is downwardly angled, preferably more steeply than the periphery of the lower plate. The peripheral edge of at least one or the other of the top or bottom burner plates extends radially outwardly from the central axis a distance beyond the location of the burner ports and into the path of burning gases issuing from the ports whereby the temperature of said burning gases is reduced. Preferably, the periphery of the upper plate extends downwardly to an elevation below the upper edges of the burner ports, so that gases emerging from the ports are caused to impinge against the periphery, thus cooling the gases and thereby reducing the NO.sub.

Abstract: A ventilation system having a hood located above cooking equipment which generates heat and fumes due to cooking. The hood has an inclined air filter at the back of the hood which rests on a flange extending along the length of the hood at the top thereof and the bottom of the inclined air filter rests on a grease collector extending along the length of the hood. The grease collector is located at a given distance downwardly from the top of the hood. The back of the inclined air filter defines an exhaust area, and the hood also includes an exhaust duct being in direct communication with the exhaust area and a fan for drawing the contaminated air out of the exhaust area. The hood also has a fresh air output that is connected to a fresh air duct including a fan and located along the length of the hood at the front thereof, this fresh air output being designed to inject fresh air into the hood.

Abstract: A dual oxidant burner having an inner conduit with a passage communicating with a source of fuel, an outer conduit over the inner conduit and an intermediate conduit between the inner and outer conduits. The three conduits form an inner passage between the inner and intermediate conduits communicating with a source of oxygen, and an outer passage between the intermediate and outer conduits communicating with a source of air. The fuel and the two oxidants are mixed in a furnace or other combustion zone beyond the outlet of the nozzle and the two passages and their flow amounts are individually adjusted to establish the burner flame.

Abstract: A new cooking range control panel protection attachment for protecting the control panel of a cooking range from the accumulation thereon of dirt and grease. The inventive device includes a generally rectangular elongate panel member having a pair of faces, a pair of opposite ends and a pair of sides extending between the ends of the panel member. One of the faces of the panel member is designed for positioning adjacent a control panel of a cooking range such that the panel member covers the control panel of the cooking range. The panel member has a number of spaced apart holes therethrough extending between the faces of the panel member. Each of the holes is designed for extending a rotating shaft of a control knob of a control panel of a cooking range therethrough.

Abstract: A combustion apparatus has a fuel feed unit, a blower for supplying combustion air, a mixing unit of fuel and combustion air, a first catalyst provided downstream of the mixing unit, a first heat receiving unit adjacent to the first catalyst, a second catalyst with a large geometrical surface area than that of the first catalyst provided downstream in the flow direction of the first catalyst, an electric heater for heating the catalyst provided downstream of the second catalyst, an air permeable insulator provided downstream of the electric heater, and a second heat receiving unit provided downstream of the air permeable insulator, wherein power is supplied to the electric heater when starting combustion to heat the second catalyst over the reaction temperature of catalyst, a mixed gas of fuel and air is fed to start catalytic combustion of second catalyst, the downstream portion in flow direction of the first catalyst is heated over the reaction temperature of catalyst by the combustion heat of the second ca