Abstract: A guard device for protecting the front panel of a smoke exhauster is provided. The device comprises generally a rectangular guard plate slidingly held in a pair of securing appendages which are respectively secured to the ends of the front panel and each has a sliding space, a fillet and a hook member therein. So that the guard plate is snap fitted and repeatedly slides about the sliding space in order to protect the front panel of the smoke exhauster from contaminated with oil and grime.

Abstract: A cooking griddle for use in combination with an outdoor grill that consists of a flat metal sheet unitarily formed to include opposite side walls, a rear splash panel, and a transverse grease trough formed along the front edge which extends to a right angle bend that aids in proper seating of the griddle on the grill.

Abstract: A radiant energy redirecting system comprising a radiant energy transmitting body structure; the structure comprising multiple elements, each of which acts as a radiant energy redirecting module, having on its cross-sectional perimeter an entry face to receive incidence of the energy into the interior of the perimeter, an exit face to pass the energy to the exterior of the perimeter in a direction towards the reverse side of the body from the side of the incidence, and a Totally Internally Reflecting face angled relative to the entry and exit faces to redirect towards the exit face the radiant energy incident from the entry face; the body structure generally redirecting incident radiant energy towards a predetermined target zone situated apart from and on the reverse side of the body relative to the side of the incidence; and lens structure associated with at least one of the faces for redirecting radiant energy passing between the entry and exit faces via the Totally Internally Reflecting face.

Abstract: The invention concerns a gas-heated apparatus, in particular a cooking appliance with at least one glass ceramic cooking surface with a gas heating means of conventional configuration and two mutually independent safety paths for monitoring the electronic control device. The one safety path monitors actuation for each consumer while the other safety path monitors the flow of current through said consumer. The control device can be of a particularly simple structure by virtue of being designed in the form of a digital circuit. The consumers to be monitored are the solenoid valves and/or gas burners.

Abstract: An rotating air fireplace comprising a pedestal section, a fire enclosure, a truncated conical hood, and an adjustable baffle assembly. Adjusting the position of the baffle alters the inlet and outlet annular vortex and the size and intensity of the fire. Air is drawn into the fire chamber through an air inlet means located along the top end of the cylindrical fire enclosure. An air directing means is aligned with the air inlet means to impart a downward tangential flow through the fire enclosure that keeps the glass fire enclosure cool and clean. A free standing wood holding means rests on the pedestal section and is centered within the fire enclosure.

Abstract: A direct vent gas fireplace is provided with a heat shield forming a combustion air expansion and distribution chamber covering a substantial portion of the upper surface of the firebox enclosure and having a circular combustion air inlet opening in its upper surface and being in communication with the lower portion of the firebox, and the products of combustion from the firebox are directed out of the fireplace through a pipe extending through the upper enclosure surface and out through the combustion air inlet opening in the heat shield with the axis of the pipe being offset from the center of the inlet opening so that when a combustion air inlet duct is sleeved over the pipe and connected to the inlet opening a portion of the combustion air path between the pipe and duct which feeds into the combustion air expansion and distribution chamber is substantially widened to provide space for the combustion air to expand outwardly rather than backing up the combustion air duct.

Abstract: A side table for a barbecue grill, comprising: a table member and means for rotatably supporting the table member on a vertical leg of the barbecue grill such that the table member is rotatable in horizontal plane about the vertical leg.

Abstract: A reflector screen for a fireplace consisting of a rectangular central screen of reflective material hingedly interconnected with first and second side panels of reflective material for placement in the rear of a fireplace in surround of the fire.

Abstract: A safety device for preventing uncontrolled burning in wick-fed liquid fuel burners employs a vapor closure system that contains vapors present around the removable tank (60). Also, a tank block mechanism is provided to prevent the reseating of the removable tank (60) into the fuel chamber (40) to its normal position when excess fuel is present in the fuel chamber.

Abstract: Shower apparatus (1) heated by solar apparatus radiation (3) used in open spaces, made of any type of material, and installed in a substantially vertical position, which comprises the structural configuration of the apparatus in addition to act as accumulation container (2) of water heated by sunbeam (3), so that the vertical cylinder (2) made of rigid material is used both as an accumulator storage of hot water and as a carrier structure for the apparatus. The storage cylinder may be coated with a protection cover which avoids the cooling produced by ambient air.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solar energy concentrating system that uses a combination of a circular arcuate primary reflector and a linear compound parabolic secondary collector. The secondary collector can track by swinging in a circular are above the primary.

Abstract: A restaurant sized convection oven has a single-sided blower wheel with forward curved fins. A pair of spaced parallel baffle plates are in front of the blower, each plate having a central hole or opening. A connecting duct extends a passageway for flue gas to pass into a space between the plates. The hole in the plate nearest the blower has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the hole in the plate nearest the baking cavity in order to create a suction in the connecting ducts for drawing in the flue gas. The ratio of flue gas to hot oven air is established primarily by the cross-sectional areas of the connecting duct and the two holes. One of the baffle plates has edge cut outs which eliminate the need for a blower scroll.

Abstract: A radiant energy redirecting system, comprising at least two light-emitting sources, each emitting different frequency light; an optical cavity receiving light output from the sources, to mix therein, and act as a secondary emitter; a light receiver positioned to be illuminated by light from the secondary emitter.

Abstract: A burn rate control valve for gas fired heaters in the form of a 1/4 turn ball valve having two flow passages through the valve member in which one flow passage is for full gas flow and the other flow passage is smaller in diameter for low gas flow in order to provide a full burn rate or a low burn rate. The two passages are dimensioned and angularly related such that the larger or full burn rate passage essentially provides unrestricted flow when aligned with related ports or piping with the smaller or low burn rate passage being angularly related to the larger passage at an angle less than 90.degree. in order to maintain a flow passageway when the ball valve member is moved to a position with the larger passage perpendicular to the associated ports. This angular relation assures that the smaller flow passage will be opened before the larger flow passage closes too much in order that the burner will not cease to operate and not provide a lower burn rate than intended.

Abstract: A pocket tool is disclosed. A mount panel of the pocket tool has a hollow coupling projection for pivoting varieties of tool members as well as for fixing the mount panel to the other mount panel. A turn-up scissors are interposed between the opposed mount panels and coupled to the hollow coupling projection. The scissors have a return spring at the cross for automatically opening the scissors, the return spring being placed in a space defined by slots formed about cross coupling holes and fitted over a cross coupling pin at the cross of the scissors such that the return spring is out of view and improves the appearance of the pocket tool. The scissors are also free from any trouble and achieve the recent trend of compactness.

Abstract: An appliance backsplash assembly includes a cover with a face having an opening for viewing and setting a clock. Top and bottom walls extend rearward of the face. An upper rear wall projects downward from the top wall and a lower rear wall projects upward from the bottom wall. A pair of mounting clips are positioned in the backsplash on each side of the opening. Each clip has a base extending vertically along the face, with a top arm and a bottom arm extending rearward along the top and bottom walls respectively. The clock includes a housing sized to overlie the opening and overlap the clips. Threaded connectors mount the clock housing to the clips and flex the clips to cause the clip bases to firmly engage the cover face and the top and bottom arms to firmly engage the top and bottom walls. The top arms include distal ends which engage the upper rear wall and the bottom arms include distal ends received in slots in the lower rear wall.

Abstract: A portable heater comprising a fire chamber vessel, an outer enclosure container around the vessel for retaining it, the container bottom being spaced below the vessel bottom to define a vertical space therebetween, the container breadth being sufficiently greater than the vessel breadth to cause the container peripheral wall and the vessel peripheral wall to define a circumferential space therebetween, an upright air flow control member in the circumferential space spaced from the container peripheral wall to create convection air-flow, heat-insulating space between the control member and container peripheral wall, and having an upper discharge outlet; the control member being spaced from the vessel peripheral wall and oriented to create an upwardly convergent convection heat exchange air flow conduit between the flow control member and the vessel peripheral wall, and an upper heat outlet between said control member and said vessel for discharge of heated air; air flow inlet openings in the container adjacen

Abstract: A fuel-fired, forced air, draft induced heating furnace is provided with NOx reduction apparatus associated with a plurality of combustor tubes forming a portion of its heat exchanger structure. In-shot type fuel burners are spaced apart from and face the open inlet ends of horizontal combustion sections of the combustor tubes. The NOx reduction apparatus includes a plurality of metal mesh tubes having diameters substantially less than the internal diameters of the combustion tubes. Each metal mesh tube is coaxially anchored to and telescopingly over the outlet end of one of the burners and extends therefrom coaxially into the associated combustion tube.

Abstract: The invention relates to a latent store with a photosensitive storage medium and a regenerating agent. To this end, an organic storage substance with at least two stable stereoisomeric configurations is used, the first of which is photosensitive and can be converted into the second configuration by photoisomerisation with the release of energy, while the second configuration can be reconverted into the first by contact with a solar radiation absorbing, stereoselective regenerating agent with energy absorption.

Abstract: The present invention provides reusable warmers of the supersaturated solution type that are substantially free of saddlebagging. The warmers also exhibit a more sustained period of time during which the heat pack remains within a therapeutically useful temperature range. The reusable warmers of the present invention also maintain a substantial degree of flexibility during their useful heat cycle. The reusable warmers comprise a flexible container, and located within said container, a supercooled salt solution, an activator for initiating crystallization of said supercooled salt solution, and a gelling agent, said gelling agent being present in sufficient quantity to convert said salt solution to a gel.