Abstract: A method of creating food product, such as pizza, which will produce an illustrated, decorative personalized food product by using edible symbols and or edible granules and or edible powder. The edible symbols, granules or powder, which may have coloring, are applied to the surface of food product by using a symbol placement applicator that applies precut symbols and or a stencil placement applicator, which applies granulated or powdered edibles to form designs. The symbols and or granulated or powder design is fused to the food product during a thermal fusing process.

Abstract: In a process for the production of an electrode for cell, a three-dimensional porous metal substrate is filled with an active material filler containing an active material. Then, heat and ultrasonic vibration is applied in order to denature or deform the active material filler to the substrate at a predetermined point where a collector leading portion is formed to remove the active material filler.

Abstract: Vapor evaporated from plural mixing bowls are absorbed and exhausted by a box shaped vapor-exhausting chamber. The vapor-exhausting chamber is composed of an upper casing, a lower casing, and a panel provided with plural through-holes inserted between the upper and lower casings. The panel equalizes negative pressure applied to the plural mixing bowls, and functions as a filter for separating powdery material from vapor by making powdery material adhere to the panel. The powdery material-accumulated panel can be removed by disassembling the vapor-exhausting chamber, and cleaned up.

Abstract: A semiconducter battery that utilizes radioactive decay processes to produce electrical power by direct electrical current generation from these decay products. These batteries have extremely long half-lives. Each decay can produce on the order of 1,500,000 free electrons and 1,500,000 ions per each radioactive decay, so there is a tremendous multiplication factor for current generation. Production of these batteries by semiconductor processes greatly reduces battery cost compared to existing batteries that utilize radioactive decays. The battery comprises a n-type semiconducter layer, a radioactive semiconducter layer sandwiched between two adjacent layers of semiconducter material not containing radioactive material, and a p-type semiconducter layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a root vegetable, such as a radish. The apparatus includes a hopper, a track, and a cutting mechanism. The hopper includes a reciprocating chute for providing a radish from a plurality of radishes to the track. As the radish travels down the track, the radish is properly positioned and orientated such that a tip portion of the radish is disposed between spiral threads in the track. If the radish is not properly oriented, air pressure is applied against the radish to remove the radish from the track. If the radish is properly oriented, it reaches the cutting mechanism having a pair of belts that frictionally engage the radish. As the radish travels through the cutting mechanism, the radish encounters a first blade which cuts a bottom portion from the radish.

Abstract: A brew funnel has a selector thereon which can be set to indicate a desired batch size and type of coffee. Sensors on an associated coffee grinder and on an associated coffee brewer are capable of sensing the structure to grind an appropriate amount of coffee and to brew an appropriate amount of coffee, respectively, when the brew funnel is mounted thereon.

Abstract: An alkaline dry cell includes an anode inside a cathode. The anode includes a metal anode current collector inside an gel anode, which has zinc alloy powder as an active material. The cathode includes a cathode depolarizing mixture, which has electrolytic manganese dioxide as an active material, in a closed-end metal cathode can. Small amounts of the active materials can be used economically. A theoretical capacity ratio (NE/PE) between the anode and the cathode is in a range of 1.0 to 1.20. A contact area ratio (PA/NA) between an anode-opposed area of the cathode depolarizing mixture and a contact area of the anode current collector against the gel anode is in a range of 1.82 to 8.24. A short charge-up time makes the alkaline dry cell suitable to power the flash of a camera.

Abstract: This is a battery holder that is made up of two compartments, each compartment will house half of the battery. In other words, it takes the two compartments to make up the full battery housing. Each compartment is movably connected to the other so that the housing can be easily opened when adding or removing a battery.

Abstract: A device and method for incising a cylindrical shaped meat product in which a motor rotates a tubular shaped cutter housing around the longitudinal axis of the tubular housing. Inclined blades are mounted on the inner surface of the cutter housing. An injector transports the meat product into the rotating cutter housing inlet at a velocity V1 and an ejector transports the incised meat product from the rotating cutter housing at velocity V3. In operation, a cylindrical meat product is inserted into the injector which prevents the meat product from rotating and transports it into the rotating blades that incise a pattern of helical spiral cuts into the surface of the meat product. The action of the blades upon the meat product pushes the meat product along the longitudinal axis at a velocity V2. An ejector prevents the meat product from rotating and transports the incised meat product from the cutting blades.

Abstract: Flavoring, dietary minerals, vitamins, other nutritional supplements, or medicines may be dispensed in a filter assembly designed to cap a neck or open end of a bottle. A cap has a manual valve extending from the top thereof and operatively connected to the bottom thereof is an activated carbon block tubular filter having a porosity of between about 8-120 microns. Disposed within the tubular carbon block is a soluble solid porous element, having a porosity greater than that of the carbon block, and having a solubility between about one quarter and one-one hundredth of sucrose. The soluble element is at least in part a flavoring, vitamin, dietary mineral, nutritional supplement, or medicine. It also may be tubular, and substantially lining the soluble porous element may be a hydrophobic membrane which allows passage of water therethrough under pressure, but not under static pressure conditions.

Abstract: A meat packaging apparatus includes a tray containing a modified atmosphere and meat product, a film sealed to the tray and including an opening, and a two-piece label attached to the film and covering the opening. The two-piece label including a first layer removably attached to a second layer, which is attached to the film. The second layer is made of a highly oxygen permeable material to allow oxygen to enter the tray when the top layer is removed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for rotating an item, particularly an edible item. The edible item may be a confectionary product and preferably is a frozen dessert. The device includes a lower handle intended as a holder, an intermediate pinion inside a box, and a support assembly that supports the edible product. The support assembly is integral with the intermediate pinion and rotates freely with respect to the lower handle. The edible product is rotated by inserting a slender rack between the pinion and the inner face of the box in such a way that it meshes with the pinion so that its transverse movement gives rise to a rotation of the pinion and, consequently, rotation of the edible product supported on the support assembly.

Abstract: A servo driven peach pitter mechanism with a servo motor (100) for a gripper mechanism head assembly (60) and a servo motor (118) for a selective knife (56), to achieve unlimited control flexibility in rotation of gripper mechanisms (62) and selective knife (56). Servo motor (100) controls rotation of a tubular housing (69) of the head assembly (60), which in turn rotates the gripper mechanism (62). Servo motor (118) includes a 90 degree gear box (114) which connects with a spindle (112) that carries the selective knife (56).

Abstract: A package for storing oxygen-sensitive goods (such as meat) which contains a gas impermeable tray wrapped in a gas permeable film, a barrier bag within which the wrapped tray is disposed, a closure for closing an open end of the barrier bag, and two one-way valves. One of the one-way valves is located on the inside of one side of the barrier bag, and the other of the one-way valves is located on the outside of the other side of the barrier bag.

Abstract: Sealed packages of foodstuffs which are biological materials, particularly fruit, are vented by a temperature-sensitive control unit. The control unit covers an aperture in a wall of the package. The control unit includes a barrier member which is secured over the aperture by a layer of temperature sensitive adhesive, and a force member which lifts the barrier member away from the aperture when an increase in temperature weakens the adhesive. The force member is preferably elastically deformed.

Abstract: A method of forming consumer portions from a block of frozen foodstuff is described, in which similarly sized sections of the frozen block are removed by severing for shaping into the differently shaped consumer portions under pressure between tooling of a forming press. Each section is of a similar size and volume so that when the press is operated the severed section is formed into a consumer portion of known volume. Each consumer portion is ejected for further processing after the tooling separates. The surface of each severed section of frozen foodstuff is wetted with a liquid (typically water) just before the pressing operation.

Abstract: Methods for producing cooked sweetpotato products suitable for freezing, baking or frying comprising adding to a cooked sweetpotato purée additional edible dry matter, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, a gelling agent and a calcium salt-water suspension sufficient to cause gelling, mixing the aforementioned ingredients together and forming the resulting mixture into desired shapes are disclosed. Structured sweetpotato food products comprising sweetpotato purée, added edible dry matter, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, alginate, added sucrose, added calcium and added water which can be frozen, baked or fried are also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for transferring heat between a heat transfer liquid and a plurality of moving containers of food product. The containers are conveyed by a perforated conveyor at least partially submerged in a pool of the heat transfer liquid and are showered at the same time with the heat transfer liquid. The pool of heat transfer liquid continuously drains and recirculates through either a heater or a chiller. A vibrator unit vibrates the pool of heat transfer liquid, the conveyor and the containers during the heat transfer operation.

Abstract: An integrated poultry and meat cooking apparatus is provided having a collecting pan and a vertical steaming tube permanently fixed thereto upon which the poultry or meat is supported in an upright position during cooking. The steaming tube has a well which contains liquid seasonings, such as water, beer or wine. During cooking, the fatty juices in the poultry or meat are secreted out of and away from the poultry or meat because of its upright position and are collected in the collecting pan. The liquid seasonings in the steaming tube are vaporized and enter the poultry or meat to replace the loss of the fatty juices and thereby maintain the moistness of the poultry or meat while adding flavor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a number of screening methods for evaluating compounds capable of suppressing cytokine production either in vitro or in vivo. The methods generally involve stimulating the production of a cytokine in a cell, exposing a portion of the cells to a putative cytokine modulating agent and determining subsequent levels of cytokine production in the cells. Additionally, the present invention provides certain compounds identified by this method.