Abstract: A tea pot is provided with a container having an upper reservoir, a lower reservoir, and an intermediate dividing member; a cavity formed with the dividing member and having an upper opening for communicating with the upper reservoir, and a lower opening for communicating with the lower reservoir; a receptacle in the upper reservoir and including a ball receiving well; a vent pipe partially positioned in the receptacle and having a passageway; a threaded recess extending outward from the cavity and being open to an outer surface of the container; a rotatable cylinder inserted through the recess into the cavity and including a hollow main body having surface openings; a nut secured to the recess; and a knob secured to the cylinder. Communication from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir through the openings of the main body can be open or closed by turning the knob.

Abstract: A low temperature melting furnace using an external cooling passage includes a wall including a plurality of metal sectors, each metal sector including a cooling passage formed along a longitudinal direction thereof, and an extension tube provided outwardly from the wall and connected to the cooling passage.

Abstract: There is disclosed a heater for an automotive vehicle or other article of manufacture. The heater typically includes a first conductive medium and a second conductive medium disposed upon a carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the first conductive medium includes a first section and a second section that are electrically connected by a second conductive medium. The second conductive medium preferably exhibits a positive thermal coefficient.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for welding uses a power circuit and a controller connected to the power circuit. The controller included a welding program having a limited term. The program may be part of a system, or a stand alone program. The controller has a data port and the welding program and/or an authorization is received by the controller on the data port in one embodiment. The welding program includes a limited time module, a limited time in use module, a limited arc start module, a controlled short circuit program, and/or a pulse program in various embodiments. A second welding program, without a limited term module, may be provided.

Abstract: A system may include a portable welding unit having an engine, a generator coupled to the engine, a compressor coupled to the engine, and a smart battery charger coupled to the generator. The smart battery charger may be configured to monitor a temperature of a battery, an ambient temperature, a battery charge time, or a combination thereof. The smart battery charger may also be configured to adjust an output based on a battery type, a battery voltage rating, a sensed feedback, a battery test, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A process is described for form locking joining of two components through plastic deformation of one of the two components. In order for the tool for forming the form locking connection not to get in direct contact with the plasticized area of the joining partners, a third component between the tool and the two components to be joined through form locking is being used, which simultaneously enters into an adhesive bond with one of the two components to be joined through form locking. The thermal energy for creating the plastic state of one of the joining partners and for developing the adhesive bond is applied through electromagnetic radiation through the third component.

Abstract: A method of delivering energy to an object in a cavity may include transmitting electromagnetic energy to the cavity at a plurality of frequencies. At each of the plurality of frequencies, the method may also include determining an efficiency of energy transfer into the object and adjusting power transmitted at each of the plurality of frequencies such that a multiplicative product of the efficiency and the power transmitted is substantially constant across each of the plurality of frequencies.

Abstract: A tortilla cartridge with fresh sealing capabilities and a tortilla conveying capabilities is disclosed. The tortilla cartridge allows for efficient conveying of tortillas through a tortilla warmer, and also provides for easy storage of the tortillas in a manner that keeps them fresh. The cartridge provides a stack of tortillas, ensuring that the top side a top tortilla is exposed at a top opening of the container at the appropriate time for the top tortilla to be removed from the cartridge, through the tortilla warmer. At a predetermined time interval from a previous top tortilla being removed from the container, the new top tortilla will be positioned at the top of the stack of tortillas in the cartridge, to be removed in the same manner. This configuration allows for automatic conveying of tortillas, in sequence, through the tortilla warmer.

Abstract: Conveyor griddle system allowing for a one-piece-flow, pull system of production holding a series of adjacent metal cooking plates, heated by several natural gas burners, electric, or infrared burners located immediately below said plates and running the length of the conveyor. The system is comprised of a drive assembly, a driven assembly, and one or more burner assemblies. Plates are located adjacent to one another, with the long dimension perpendicular to the direction of plate travel and therefore, the short dimension parallel to the direction of travel. Each plate constructed of cast iron or other metal surface suitable for commercial cooking equipment. Each plate has a single partition approximately midway through the plate that is approximately ½? high parallel to the short dimension and parallel to the direction of travel. Plates also contain a simple way to attach a clip or spike that is capable of holding a paper ticket.

Abstract: A resistance spot welder includes: a motor, having a shaft; a cylindrical casing; a hollow guide rod, inserted into the casing, and adapted to be moved linearly for moving a first electrode tip facing a second electrode tip provided at a gun arm; a ball nut, fixed in an inner circumference of the guide rod; a ball screw, fitted through the ball nut; a coupling, including a first fastening portion into which the shaft of the motor is inserted and a second fastening portion into which the ball screw is inserted and which is opposite to the first fastening portion; and a bearing, fitted between an outer circumference of the first fastening portion and an inner circumference of the casing. The guide rod is moved between a first point which is a motor side and a second point which is an electrode tip side. When the guide rod is positioned at the first point, the guide rod accommodates at least a part of the second fastening portion.

Abstract: An induction cooking system with an induction heating system, a cooktop, and cool touch cookware that has a target layer that is heated by induction. An absolute cookware temperature is directly sensed at one or more locations of the cookware. A relative cookware temperature can be determined based on the value of an electrical variable of a circuit that includes the target layer. The cookware can include a layer of thermal insulation directly below and spaced from the target layer by a gap. The insulation and gap act as the major heat insulating elements to keep the outer surface of the cookware cool. The cooktop can be cooled by placing a cooling chamber just below the cooktop and drawing air through the cooling chamber. The induction coil can be located in the cooling chamber.

Abstract: An Espresso making device includes a brew chamber for enclosing a quantity of coffee grind, and a tube for supplying pressurized hot water to the brew chamber. Espresso is obtained by conducting the hot water through the coffee grind, where the water and the coffee grind are forced to interact. During an Espresso making process, a pressure of the water in the water supplying tube is monitored and compared to a predetermined pressure. In case the measured pressure appears to deviate from the predetermined pressure, a size of an internal volume of the brewing chamber is adjusted, so that an extent to which the coffee grind is compressed and a flow through resistance of the coffee grind are adjusted. Due to this, it is possible to adjust the pressure in such a way that the predetermined pressure is reached.

Abstract: A disclosed substrate processing apparatus comprises a heat exchange plate configured to heat and/or cool the substrate; plural protrusions provided on the heat exchange plate so as to allow the substrate to be placed on the plural protrusions, leaving a gap between the substrate and the heat exchange plate; a suction portion configured to attract the substrate onto the plural protrusion by suction through plural holes formed in the heat exchange plate; and a partition member that is provided on the heat exchange plate and lower than the plural protrusions, wherein the partition member is configured to divide the gap into two or more regions including at least one of the holes so that at least one of the two or more regions is two-dimensionally closed by the partition member.

Abstract: Opposing, paired and positionally adjustable serrated water-cooled copper welding shoes, run-off tabs, and sumps affixed at the junction of workpieces to be welded with an Electroslag or Electrogas welding system. The serrated water-cooled copper welding shoes are capable of being controlled between 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the welding flux plating over the serrations reduces over-chill to the molten weld puddle while also reducing the amount of heat that the serrated water-cooled shoe removes from the surface of the work piece. This reduction in base material heat allows the welding operator to reduce the weld voltage to dramatically decrease the size of the weld nugget and, in turn, to decrease the heat input from the welding process into the work piece. These significant thermo-dynamic improvements to the Electroslag or Electrogas welding process provide a smaller weld grain structure and much stronger bond in the weld fusion zone.

Abstract: A method of controlling arc welding, which method shifting the speed of welding operation continuously and mildly. By so doing, a sharp change in the speed of weld wire supply, which is caused as the result of efforts to try to comply with an abrupt change in operation speed, can be moderated. This helps keeping a welding operation under a stable control.

Abstract: This robot system includes a robot, a laser emitting portion moved by the robot, emitting a laser beam to a target workpiece, and a control portion controlling the laser emitting portion to emit the laser beam on the basis of information regarding an arbitrarily-shaped work locus and movement information of the laser emitting portion.

Abstract: A combination microwave and refrigerator system is constructed having a single plug input supply. The microwave oven is adapted to provide power to a refrigerator, and to auxiliary receptacles adapted for low power operation. The current to the low power receptacles and the refrigerator is controlled by the controller for the microwave oven according to the duty cycles of the connected appliances to avoid overload conditions.

Abstract: A charcoal cooker employs a grill for cooking steaks and a rotisserie for slower cooking of ribs, chicken, turkey, or the like. A tubular spit rod has spike rings that can interchange with a grill basket assembly. The spit rod is hollow tubular stainless steel, with a thicker central portion and smaller diameter end portions. These serve as handles and remain cool to the touch, so the rotisserie spit can be lifted out by grasping the ends to remove the cooked meat for serving. A chain drive engages a sprocket on one end of the spit rod for rotating the spit. Detachable spit support arms mount on the cooker body to hold the spit rod when loading the meat. An external fire box attachment fits onto a coal chute port, so the cooker can be used as an oven for baking or roasting. The legs, lid, grills, and other parts can be detached for cleaning.

Abstract: A commercial cooking apparatus is provided for simultaneous steaming and two-sided grilling of food items having non-uniform thickness and/or variations in nominal thickness. The apparatus includes a compressible, heat-resistant ring member, and optionally a flexible, non-stick, heat-resistant film material associated with the ring member to form a cavity defined by the inner perimeter of the ring member. A cooking method is also disclosed, wherein a food item and a quantity of water are introduced into the cavity, and the food item is simultaneously cooked by the heated upper and lower platens of a conventional clamshell grill or similar apparatus and by steam generated by heating the water.

Abstract: The present invention is a self-inflating heat sanitizer, which uses convective heat transfer to eradicate bed bugs within an item. The heater unit propagates and reheats the air within the present invention as the heated air flows through the present invention. The heat chamber enclosure is a compartment that allows the heated air to circulate around the item and raise the temperature of the item to above 140° F. The structure of the heat chamber enclosure is inflatable walls, which are pressurized when the heated air flows into the heat chamber enclosure. The heated air will then vent out of the inflatable walls into the treatment volume, where the item is located. The insulated ducts lead the heated air from the heater unit into the inflatable walls and lead the heated air from the treatment volume back to the heater unit.