Abstract: A three-dimensional fireplace insert which is intended to be placed in the firebox of a fireplace that is not in use and to substantially seal the opening to the fireplace. Such insert may be decorated to enhance the appearance characteristics by painting or printing decorative material on the exposed inside surfaces thereof and/or by placing a decorative object or objects therein. Various members of the fireplace insert may be formed in one piece from a suitably shaped blank of a suitable material by the folding of such blank, and a bi-axially extensible frame may be provided to be positioned within the opening of such an insert to facilitate the accurate positioning of the front edges of the insert with respect to the fireplace opening. Organic materials, such as thermoplastic materials and fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic materials may be used to advantage in the manufacture of the fireplace insert.

Abstract: A friction clutch whose diaphragm spring has equidistant prongs extending axially and radially from the energy-storing annular main section and being bolted directly to the flywheel on the crankshaft of an engine so that the spring normally biases a pressure plate against a clutch disc and the latter is thereby biased against the flywheel. The spring has alternating tongues and slots extending radially inwardly from the annular main section as well as an annulus of arcuate openings between the outermost portions of the slots and the prongs. The openings enhance the flexibility of the conical frustum which is constituted by the annular main section and the tongues with reference to the conical frustum including the prongs, and the openings thus prolong the useful life of the diaphragm spring.

Abstract: A surface-combustion radiant burner comprising a frame 1 of impermeable material supporting a porous element 2 permeable to gas and conduit means 7 to conduct a combustible gas mixture into a gas distributing space 5 enclosed by the frame 1 and the porous element 2, the porous element 2 being formed of metal particles of an alloy containing iron, chromium and aluminum and having the property of forming an alumina layer on heating in the presence of oxygen. And, a method of using such a burner for burning gas and air mixtures at high temperatures while minimizing nitrogen oxide production and burner corrosion.

Abstract: A cooking vessel suitable for being heated by an induction heat source includes a base of austenitic stainless steel. A heat distributing layer is bonded to the exterior of the base, the heat distributing layer being formed of a metal having a high thermal conductivity. A magnetizable layer is connected to the exterior of the heat distributing layer. At least two intermediate layers are provided between and connect the magnetizable layer and the heat distributing layer. Each of the intermediate layers is formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion value between the values of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials of the heat distributing layer and the magnetizable layer.

Abstract: A solar ray collecting device in which solar rays are focused by a lens and guided into an optical fiber and transmitted through the optical conductor onto an adequate desired portion for use in illumination or for others purposes. A solar ray collecting portion is comprised of a large number of lenses arranged on a common plane and optical fibers, the light-receiving edge of which are precisely positioned at the focal position of the respective lenses, a horizontal hollow shaft for rotatably supporting the solar ray collecting portion, and a vertical hollow rotating shaft elongated in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal hollow shaft and supporting the same unitarily. A drive means rotatably moves the solar ray collecting portion mounted on the horizontal hollow shaft around the same.

Abstract: A pinch valve device comprising a nipping element having a pair of nipping portions adapted to be brought nearer to and apart from each other and to nip a resilient tube therebetween when brought nearer with each other to thereby close a passage in the tube, and a stop element adapted to stop at least one of the nipping portions, tended to be apart from each other by the resilient repulsion of the resilient tube, at a predetermined spacing allowing to close the passage in the resilient tube when the nipping portions are brought nearer to each other than the predetermined spacing against the resilient repulsion of the resilient tube can surely close the passage in the resilient tube and reduce the degradation of the tube.

Abstract: A device for use in supporting the hinged cover of a barbecue brazier partially open at a selected position. An elongated planar support member mounts vertically on the rim of the brazier and is held in place by a mounting bracket formed adjacent its lower end. A plurality of upwardly oriented cover hooks are formed in the support member along its length and project therefrom to support the rim of the partially opened cover on a selected hook. The support member has a slot therethrough for receiving the end of a tool used for positioning the support member with safety when the support member has become hot through use. Two embodiments of the device are disclosed with differing support member mounting bracket designs.

Abstract: The insulated barbeque unit of the present invention is comprised of a rectangular box which is formed from two rectangular half boxes hinged along one of their edges. The unit can fold from a closed position wherein the two box halves are in the form of an enclosed rectangular box, to an open position wherein the two box halves are pivoted 180.degree. with respect to one another. The housing of the unit is formed from two spaced apart inner and outer walls which have insulative material therebetween. Foldable legs are attached to the device and may be moved from a stored position within the rectangular box to an operative position wherein they support the box in spaced relation above the supporting surface.

Abstract: An improved clamp for a fire hose which includes beveled and grooved jaws to reduce the chance of the hose kicking out of the clamp when the clamp jaws are opened for recharging of the hose.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a wick holder apparatus for a kerosene heater including a cylindrical guide wick tube erected on the bottom portion of an oil tank, a cylindrical outer wick tube disposed around the guide wick tube and a cylindrical wick concentrically disposed for vertical movements in an annular gap between the guide wick tube and the outer wick tube, and characterized in that there are further provided a wick holding tube releasably attached to the wick for movement in one unit, and a wick moving tube provided for vertical movement in the oil tank and releasably engaged with the wick holding tube, with the wick holding tube being provided with resilient engaging pieces which are engageable with corresponding engaging holes or apertures formed in the wick moving tube through rotation of the wick holding tube for facilitation of attaching or detaching of the wick.

Abstract: An electromagnetically operable fluid control valve includes a valve member slidable in a bore coupled to the armature of an electromagnetic device which includes a stator structure. The armature is of cup shaped form and is coupled to the valve member by a flange on the armature which is trapped between a pair of spaced plates carried by the valve member. The distance between the plates is determined by a spacer slightly thicker than the flange and smaller than the flange to allow for slight misalignment of the armature and the valve member.

Abstract: A catalytic stove comprised of a housing having a fuel burning chamber and an effluent chamber separated by a domed common wall. An air inlet port is located in the fuel burning chamber and draft air is introduced to burning fuel through an apertured thermal control unit which detects changes in stove temperature. A closure flap is rotatable across the aperture. The thermal control unit, the flap and the aperture cooperate to ensure that the effective area of the aperture changes by an amount approximately proportional to the square of the magnitude of any change in the stove temperature detected by the thermal control unit. Effluent from the fuel flows substantially directly and smoothly from the fuel to a finned holder at the top of the domed wall. The fins then create turbulence in the combustible gases emanating from the burning fuel.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electromagnetic energy collector assembly in which a transparent cylindrical glass tube made from common glass tubing lengths is sealed under vacuum at one end to an inner cylindrical energy absorber having a plurality of grooves on the exterior surface. The inner absorber may be constructed of glass, metal, or other material and the energy absorbing surfaces have grooves which may be helical, or parallel or longitudinal to the normal axis of the absorber. One or more of energy collectors are connected into a manifold for circulation of a fluid working media, e.g., gas or water, which is eventually utilized in any application of thermal energy, e.g., heating, cooling or driving a turbine. The collector assembly is particularly useful in the collection of solar energy.

Abstract: A pot-type oil burner is disclosed which is capable of stabilizing the vaporization rate of fuel oil in a pot to accomplish the stable complete combustion with a good efficiency. The oil burner is constructed to arrange a heat-resistant fabric on the bottom surface of the pot to vaporize fuel oil with a constant rate. The oil burner is also capable of significantly reducing retention of tar in the pot and facilitates removing tar from the pot as desired.

Abstract: A highly effective modular passive solar energy heating unit for heating an enclosed space employs phase change heat storage material, which is optically transparent to visible light when in high-stored-energy liquid state enabling a viewer to see through clearly and which is translucent milky white when in low-stored-energy solid state for providing pleasant illumination to the enclosed space when first illuminated by sunlight in the morning. This phase change material, in a sealed container having two opposite surface areas transparent to sunlight, is polyethylene glycol having a heat of fusion of about 33 to 37 cal./gm. (4,170 to 4,670 Btu's per cubic ft.), a melting point of about 13.degree. to 25.degree. C. (55.degree. F. to 77.degree. F.), a specific gravity of about 1,125 at 20.degree. C., and desirable isotropic freezing and melting characteristics with only very modest volume change during phase change.

Abstract: A valve having a tubular body with a valve seat and valve member controlled by a valve operator with provisions for latching the valve operator with the valve member in partially open position utilizing a snap ring which is propped out into a groove in the body and provides a stop maintaining the valve partially open against a spring and in which the valve operator has a receiving groove which receives the snap ring and maintains it in an out-of-the-way position upon movement of the valve operator toward full valve-open position.

Abstract: A valve body includes a chamber for the flow of fluid between an inlet and an outlet thereto. The chamber includes an upper portion with an opening therethrough and a lower portion including a valve seat between the inlet and outlet. A bonnet is positioned in the chamber upper portion and is connected to the valve body and extends upwardly therefrom. The bonnet includes a passageway, and a stem is positioned in the passageway for longitudinal movement into and out of sealing relation with the valve seat. An air operator is connected to the upper end of the stem and is connected to a source of fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, which is supplied by remote control to the air operator to control reciprocation of the stem to open and close the valve. The air operator includes a base connected to the bonnet in surrounding relation with the stem and positioned in spaced relation with a piston connected to the upper end of the stem to thereby form a fluid chamber.

Abstract: A burner apparatus for a smelting furnace comprising a burner body having a tip insertable into and withdrawable from a burner inserting bore in the wall of the furnace, a seal bar insertable into and withdrawable from the bore for closing the bore, shifting means for alternatively positioning the tip or the seal bar in alignment with the bore, and means for driving the tip and the seal bar into and out of the bore. When the burner is not used for auxiliary combustion, the seal bar is inserted into the bore to prevent the bore and the burner nozzles from clogging with splashes of molten metal and slag.

Abstract: An apparatus for attracting insects to an insect trapping device. The apparatus includes: a source of combustible fluid; a burner communicating with the fluid source for igniting the fluid in an exothermic reaction generating carbon dioxide, moisture and heat; and a catalyst for catalytically sustaining the reaction.

Abstract: An apparatus for the collection of solar heat energy and a solar collector for use therewith in which a fluid media is conducted to flow in heat exchange relation with a heat absorber that can be selectively activated and deactivated for use without disassembly of the apparatus and in which the heat absorber is enclosed within a heat exchanger having a plurality of chambers at least one of which is in the path of the direct rays of the sun, but which permits an exchange and equalization of temperatures in all of the chambers while the whole is enclosed in an outer housing.