Abstract: An underfed burner has an elongated cylindrical body closed at both ends and a feed tube connected between the ends for feeding an air and gas fuel mixture into the burner through an entry portal. A pressure dispersing baffle is formed within the entry portal integral with the body of the burner and deflected downwardly into the interior of the burner. The baffle is in the form of two flaps supported by a rib integral with the body of the burner and extending across the entry portal. The baffle is formed by a die and a punch carried by the die. The die forms a depression about the opening created by the deflected baffles to define the portals and extends gradually longitudinally away from the flaps while the punch cuts the material to form the portal, the rib and the baffle flaps. A pair of mandrels enter the body of the burner from respective ends to provide support for the die and punch.

Abstract: A compound hand held tool for use with the round pot belly type of barbeque grills that have circular grills made of heavy wire. While the primary purpose of the invention is to operate as a handle for such grills, it is also designed to be used to scrape grills to help clean them, to open and close hot air vents normally found on barbeque grills and to manipulate hot charcoal briquets. In the preferred embodiment this tool is made by machine working stainless steel and is provided with a heat resistant handle.

Abstract: A hot fluid generating apparatus includes a combustion chamber, a regenerative combustion burner, a fluid passage formed along a wall structure of the combustion chamber, and a device for causing fluid to flow in the fluid passage. The combustion chamber has a flame radiation heat transfer only as a heat transfer portion. A portion of the wall structure opposite to the burner is utilized as a radiation heat transfer portion. A portion of exhaust gas from the burner is recirculated to the supply air to suppress generation of NOx. A portion of the wall structure close to the burner is formed to be a cone.

Abstract: An intelligent burner control apparatus is provided for controlling the rate of air and fuel flow in a burner system from air and fuel supplies to a burner. The apparatus includes a peer-to-peer communication network including a plurality of network control modules that communicate with each other over the communication network. The apparatus further includes a brain module including one of said network control modules coupled to the communication network, air and fuel flow controllers including one of said network control modules coupled to the communication network, and air and fuel flow regulators including one of said network control modules coupled to the communication network. The brain module is configured to send air and fuel setpoint signals over the communication network to the air and fuel flow controllers.

Abstract: A flare tank (10) comprises a container (12) having a fluid inlet (14), a fluid outlet (16) and a fluid flow path between the inlet (14) and the outlet (16). A baffle plate (20) is provided in the container (12) between the inlet (14) and the outlet (16). The baffle plate (20) extends transversely relative to the flow path for forming at least a partial barrier to fluid flow in the flow path. A gas outlet, e.g., a chimney stack (18), is located on the container (12) for the discharge of gas separated from the fluid. A burner (46) is provided for the combustion of combustible gas passing through the outlet (18). A holding tank (201) may be provided for holding the fluid following passage through the flare tank. In addition, safety features (240, 244, 250, 206) can be provided to prevent or disable the explosion or rupture of the holding tank (201).

Abstract: A cooking machine control system for controlling the consumption of fuel by cooking machines, including cooking machines of the type used in restaurant kitchens, such as gas/barbecue broilers, and home cooking machines such as grills, and gas flow valves usable in such cooking machine control systems. The cooking machine control system controls the flow of gas to the burners of the cooking machine to maintain the cooking surface of the cooking machine at an appropriate standby temperature when no food is being cooked, to bring the cooking surface to an appropriate cooking temperature for a predetermined period of time when food is being cooked, and then to return the cooking surface to the standby temperature. In one embodiment, a valve in the gas pipe controls the flow of the gas to provide the desired cooking levels.

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: The present invention, a burner control system for use with a radiant tube heating system having a source of compressed air and compressed fuel, the burner control system includes a burner for combustion of an air/fuel mixture; a mixing block for receiving and mixing air and fuel and communicating the combustible air and fuel mixture to the burner; the source of compressed air communicating air under pressure to the mixing block and to an air regulator; the air regulator, receiving air from the source of compressed air and for discharging and communicating pressure controlled air to a fuel regulator; and the fuel regulator for receiving fuel under pressure and discharging and communicating a pressure regulated supply of fuel to the mixing block, the fuel regulator also communicating with and operably connected to the pressure controlled air, wherein the pressure of the fuel communicated to said mixing block is controlled by and a function of the pressure controlled air communicated to said fuel regulator.

Abstract: A sparking device, in one aspect, includes first and second electrodes for coupling with corresponding first and second electric potentials. The first electrode includes an elongate member having proximal and distal parts. The second electrode includes a body receiving the proximal part. A first insulation portion electrically insulates the proximal part of the elongate member from the body. The first electrode includes an end member connected with the distal part of the elongate member. The end member includes a first section with a plurality of first electrical contacts offset from a longitudinal axis of the device. The body includes a second section with a plurality of second electrical contacts offset from the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tinted flame lighter having a tank (1000) suitable for containing a mixture (L) under pressure of a tinting agent and of a flammable volatile liquid. The lighter includes a porous filter (1020) suitable for expanding the mixture delivered to the outside of the tank for burning while it is at least partially in the liquid state, and means for feeding the porous filter with the mixture in the liquid state.

Abstract: In a burner of the double cone type, at least one relief slit (30) is arranged in the front plate (18) locally between the regions having different axial expansions. The flexible connection remaining between the two outlet regions may be made integrally within the same casting or via a further welded-on part. Excessive thermal stresses are advantageously avoided thereby.

Abstract: A lighter of the disposable type, ignition of which requires depression of an actuator that is resistant to the manipulations of unintended users. The lighter is normally maintained in a position that prevents depression of the actuator through the incorporation of a mechanism that increases the difficulty of operation. The actuation inhibiting mechanism requires a downward displacement and a tilted displacement in order to allow full depression of the actuator and activation of an ignition mechanism. Preferably, at least one biasing element is provided so that when the actuator is displaced through the application of force by a user, it returns to the initial blocking position when the force is removed.

Abstract: A solar receiver (10; 110) for a solar thermal power plant comprises an elongated supply chamber (16; 118) for a heat carrier medium flowing in the supply chamber (16; 118) at a small loss of pressure, an elongated absorber (13; 113), the inlet areas (21; 119) thereof extending in a longitudinal direction and limiting the supply chamber (16; 118), and a drain chamber (18; 125) extending in a longitudinal direction and being contained in the supply chamber (16; 118) for the heated heat carrier medium and being limited by at least one outlet area (22; 124) extending in a longitudinal direction, the inlet area (21; 119) and the outlet area (22; 124) being offset against each other in a transverse direction. This is why the heat carrier medium flows in a transverse direction to the absorber (13; 113) so that the flow causing a loss of pressure is limited on a relatively short path and the heat carrier medium being heated flows towards the increasing intensity of incident radiation.

Abstract: The invention has a container (50) for a fuel (W) with at least a partial cover (55) in which there is a non-combustible wick (52) in a wick holder (100). Above the container (50) near the wick holder there is at least one roller or upright body (RK) or in the container (50) there is a disc of solid fuel (W) around the wick holder (100), whereby the fuel of the roller and upright body (RK) or of the disc is melted by the flame and cover heat and collected by the container (50) and/or by the wick holder (100) as supplementary fuel. The wick holder (100) is suspended in an aperture (56) of the container cover (55), so that the wick holder (100) is not in direct heat-tansmitting contact with the container base (50b).

Abstract: A gas light assembly having an electronic control system that monitors the surrounding ambient light conditions to detect the transition from a light to a dark state is disclosed. Upon detection of the transition of the ambient light to a dark state, the electronic control system opens a gas flow control valve to allow the flow of gas from a gas supply line through a mixing chamber wherein the gas is mixed with air to form a combustible gas mixture that passes through a venturi tube and a burner head assembly, exiting the burner head assembly at mantels. A spark is generated to ignite the combustible gas mixture passing out of the mantels, and a sensor detects and verifies the ignition of the combustible gas mixture at the mantels so as to verify to the system that the lamp of the gas light assembly is lit during dark conditions and is unlit and the flow of gas shut off during light conditions.

Abstract: A catalytic combustor utilizes radioactive heat with a high efficiency, has a radiation wavelength distribution rich in visible ray components, and is excellent in complete combustibility and visual confirmability even in a standby combustion condition. The present invention forms a thin film coat of metal or metal oxide which transmits rays having short wavelengths and reflects rays having long wavelengths on a surface of a transmission window disposed opposite to an upstream surface of a catalyst body. The catalyst body is composed of a metal wire structure having a high aperture ratio and is disposed in a combustion chamber. Furthermore, an auxiliary catalyst body which has a high aperture ratio and a small capacity is disposed in the vicinity of a mixed gas injection port at a location in contact with the mixed gas when the flow rate of the mixed gas is less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A flare stack with increased control of flow velocity of gases. The flare stack includes a pipe having a flare tip. The flare tip is provided with orifices and a sliding sleeve that opens and closes at least some of the orifices under control of an actuator. The actuator is pressure controlled. Nozzles extend from the orifices, parallel to each other. A central nozzle produces a stabilized flame. The nozzles which are controlled by the sliding sleeve are arranged in rings axially offset from each other along the pipe, so that the sleeve may open or close the nozzles in a ring as desired. The nozzles are symmetrically disposed, and terminate at the same plane, with the nozzles being disposed sufficiently close to each other that gas exiting any nozzle tends to draw in and merge with gas exiting from any adjacent nozzle.

Abstract: A cooking machine control system for controlling the consumption of fuel by gas cooking machines, and gas flow valves usable in such cooking machine control systems. The cooking machine control system maintains the cooking surface of the cooking machine at an appropriate standby temperature when no food is being cooked, brings the cooking surface to an appropriate temperature to cook the food, and then returns the cooking surface to the standby gas flow rate. The system can be returned to the standby gas flow rate either after the cooking gas flow rate has been provided for sufficient time for the food to have cooked or after the temperature of the food has reached the desired level. With the cooking machine control system in the standby mode, when food is to be cooked a switch is actuated, applying a start signal to cause a valve to open the cooking flow rate path to cook the food, following which the valve returns the system to the standby mode.

Abstract: An exhauster for cooking includes a cooking smoke suction port disposed at the rear of a gas range on a cooking table, a vertical downward pipe with one end thereof connected to the suction port, an empty box connected to the other end of the downward pipe, the empty box having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the downward pipe, and a sirocco fan connected to the empty box, the exhaust port of the sirocco fan communicating with the outdoors.

Abstract: A dual pressure gas supply controller system is disclosed which provides apparatus and methods for supplying gas from a gas supply source to one or more gas-burning apparatus requiring two different gas pressure levels. According to the invention, a first gas pressure is supplied the gas-burning apparatus during a first time period, while a second lower gas pressure is supplied to the gas-burning apparatus during a second time period for the purpose of conserving gas. This is accomplished through the use of first and second gas pressure regulators coupled in parallel between the gas supply source and the gas-burning apparatus. A gas pressure control valve is utilized to stop the flow of gas from the first gas pressure regulator and enable the flow of gas from the second gas pressure regulator during the second time period.