Abstract: An absorption refrigerating unit for refrigerating plural refrigerating compartments. A single pathway of coolant includes a coolant vapor generator, a vapor condenser at the top of the unit, a first partial evaporator for partially evaporating the liquid coolant by absorption of heat, a second partial evaporator, following the first partial evaporator in the coolant pathway, also for partially evaporating the liquid coolant by further absorption of heat. A first of a plurality of secondary cooling systems includes a chamber located at the first partial evaporator at which vapor form second coolant is cooled to liquid form and that liquid second coolant is delivered in a coolant pathway to a first of the refrigerating compartments to be cooled, there to absorb heat and be revaporized to return to the chamber around the first partial evaporator. A separate second one of the secondary cooling systems includes its own chamber and communication to the second refrigerating compartment for cooling the same.

Abstract: A vessel containing a refrigerated liquid is provided with a plurality of support platforms which can be elevated and depressed for immersing items to be chilled and then raising them for use. The support platforms may be the upper ends of pressurized fluid-operated vertically extensible and retractable bellows. The operating fluid for the bellows may be the refrigerated liquid in the vessel. The vessel may include an apertured plate through which the items are lowered and raised, with the apertures being perimetrically provided with wipers for wiping liquid from the sides of the items as the items are raised on the platforms after being chilled by immersion in the refrigerated liquid.

Abstract: A locking apparatus intended to be anchored in the bore of an element and to receive rotatably by snap-in closure a mating element provided with an undercut head. The locking apparatus according to the invention includes a substantially cylindrical body having first and second ends. Outwardly directed gripping means are arranged in the peripheral surface of the body at its first end. The body has a coaxially arranged cavity which narrows toward an opening in the first end. The cavity extends to the second end of the body and the body is provided there with an inwardly directed flange. The body is expansible or flexible at the first end.

Abstract: A refrigeration unit for coin-operated, food item vending machines having box-like metal cabinets with substantially flat, vertical front panels; substantially flat, horizontal top panels; coin mechanisms within the cabinets; food item supporting, transporting and dispensing mechanisms within the cabinets; item selecting and operating mechanisms; and, item discharge ducts extending through and accessible at the exterior of said front panels. The refrigeration unit operates to recirculate and cool the air within the cabinets and to maintain food items therein at desired, safe, low temperatures. The refrigeration unit includes a horizontal, downwardly opening box-like base supported atop the top panel of a related machine with said top panel closing the bottom thereof. The base has a vertical partition extending transverse its interior and defining a downwardly opening air delivery chamber and a downwardly opening air return chamber.

Abstract: Multi-effect regenerative absorption cycles which provide a high coefficient of performance (COP) at relatively high input temperatures. An absorber-coupled double-effect regenerative cycle (ADR cycle) (10) is provided having a single-effect absorption cycle (SEA cycle) (11) as a topping subcycle and a single-effect regenerative absorption cycle (1R cycle) (12) as a bottoming subcycle. The SEA cycle (11) includes a boiler (13), a condenser (21), an expansion device (28), an evaporator (31), and an absorber (40), all operatively connected together. The 1R cycle (12) includes a multistage boiler (48), a multi-stage resorber (51), a multisection regenerator (49) and also uses the condenser (21), expansion device (28) and evaporator (31) of the SEA topping subcycle (11), all operatively connected together. External heat is applied to the SEA boiler (13) for operation up to about 500 degrees F.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of supplying desired quantities of heat, generated from selected inexpensive fuel burns in the firebox of a boiler, to an electric heat pump's refrigerant, while operating in its heating cycle. This supply of heat can be of sufficient quantities to satisfy the total ouput of the heat pump, minimizing its use of electricity, thereby creating a substantial savings, as the cost of the heat generated by the inexpensive fuel used by the boiler is much less than the cost of electricity.

Abstract: A two-part front mounted receptacle for a quick-release fastener is disclosed. The receptacle has a body part (10) having a first, substantially planar, front element (11) with an aperture (13) therethrough, and a pair of leg elements (14,18) depending from the ends of the front element (11). A first one (14) of the leg elements has a sprung barb or barbs (15) in use engaging the rear face of the support (30) in which the receptacle is mounted. The receptacle also has a substantially U-shaped spring retainer (20), one side (21) of which is arranged to be engaged and held to each of the legs of the body part and which projects beyond the end of the body part remote from the first leg (14), and the second side (22) of which has a retention mechanism (27,28) for engaging and retaining in use a stud (2) connected therewith.

Abstract: Binary solution compressive heat pump or refrigeration machine, consisting of an evaporator (12) connected by a pipeline branch (18) to at least one inserted solvent pump (36) and by a second pipeline branch (30) to an inserted throttling member (32) with a condenser (20) to form a solution circuit. Between the pipeline branches (18; 30) heat is transferred by means of a temperature exchanger (38) from the rich solution flowing from the condenser (20) to the evaporator (12) to the poor solution flowing from the evaporator (12) to the condenser (20). Furthermore, heat contained in the rich solution issuing from the temperature exchanger is used for the additional evaporation of the poor solution fed to the temperature exchanger. The gaseous refrigerant expelled from the rich solution in the evaporator (12) is pumped by a compressor (24) with pressure elevation to the condenser and there resorbed in the poor solution.

Abstract: A plastic primary pan assembly for use in conjunction with an air conditioning system, wherein a channeled supporting bracket is utilized to tightly engage and effectively support a plastic pan which includes a drain plastic pan and a plastic support plate which contains a C-shaped circumferential portion and a C-shaped extending portion thereof, the channeled supporting bracket having a plurality of elongated apertures being mounted on a motor and a fan cover, whereby the plastic primary pan assembly can be easily associated with and separate from the air conditioning system and easily adjusted to incline the plastic primary pan for drawing condensate water through an outlet disposed in the plastic primary pan.

Abstract: A beverage cooler insert is set forth wherein a first support tray is reciprocatably mounted relative to a second support tray with each support tray provided with an individual "U" shaped suppport bracket to be received within an associated container cooler arrangement. The first and second support trays are reciprocatably mounted relative to one another utilizing support posts telescopingly received within support sleeves and biased outwardly relative to one another to effect engagement of the sides of the beverage cooler container by the support trays. Each support tray 12 is provided with series of cylindrical cavities provided with slots through side walls of the cavity to effect contact of a cooling medium with containers positioned within the cavities.

Abstract: One-piece latches or door-retenting devices of elastomeric material of specified parameters, are constructed for disposition in the surface of a door or other supporting panel so that at least one lip projects outwardly from the edge or surface in elastically deformable relation to engage a striker bar or surface. A first type includes and elongated lip projecting or depending from one edge, the inner surface of the lip forming a slot which just accommodates the striker bar upon closure of the latch, the adjacent outer surface of the lip projecting in angular relation to the slot providing resilient latching action against the striker bar when the latch is opened or closed. Latch shapes of this type include "D" shape, "C" shape, round, square, polygonal and line configurations. A second type comprises a bellows-like latching member closed at one end with a protuberance in the form of an elastomeric bulb which is constructed to be elastically deformed by the striker bar or latching surface.

Abstract: A magnetocaloric inductor circuit operates either as a monostable or bi-stable device. Mirror symmetrical permanent magnets each include first and second poles. A pole shoe is connected to the first pole of each magnet. A control core with control coil is connected between the pole shoes. The opposite poles of the first and second permanent magnets are either connected to each other by a shunt or a second set of pole shoes with their own control core. A monocrystalline metamagnetic disk is connected to an end of each pole shoe or shunt. Yoke cores are connected between the disks for each permanent magnet. An induction coil is engaged around each yoke core. A leakage flux compensation core is also connected between the ends of the yoke core for accommodating leakage flux. By controlling the current through the control coil, the field intensity at the metamagnetic disk can be altered. The metamagnetic disks have a characteristic threshold field intensity above which they become ferromagnetically conductive.

Abstract: A rapid freezing apparatus utilizes a flexible bag surrounding a cooling chamber for containing solid carbon dioxide formed in situ.

Abstract: The invention refers to an arrangement at a refrigerator cabinet (10) having an absorption refrigerating apparatus (16,18) operated by a heating cartridge (40) from at least one electric current source or by a gas burner (38). The arrangement shows a control apparatus (74) which automatically starts the gas burner (38) when the supply of current to the heating cartridge (40) ceases. The refrigerating apparatus (18) is with exception of its evaporator (16) enclosed in a heat insulated chamber (20) through which surrounding air circulates for cooling of the refrigerating apparatus (18).

Abstract: An improved refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant vapor is compressed, condensed and then evaporated for cooling purposes by direct contact with a liquid to be cooled, the improvement comprising feeding a refrigerant vapor to an aqueous liquid sealed compressor; feeding compressor sealing aqueous liquid to the compressor; compressing the refrigerant vapor in the compressor and removing a mixture of compressed refrigerant vapor and aqueous liquid from the compressor; separating aqueous liquid from the refrigerant vapor and returning the aqueous liquid to the compressor; condensing the refrigerant vapor to a liquid, directly contacting the liquefied refrigerant with a liquid to be cooled; and, returning the refrigerant vapor to the compressor.

Abstract: A manual air damper control for a refrigerator is provided to convert rotary motion of a control knob disposed on a front panel in the refrigerator compartment into linear motion of an air damper disposed at the rear of the refrigerator compartment to operate the air damper in a limited space. The control includes a cam having a cam shaft on which the control knob is mounted and having a cam surface engaged by a cam following fork formed in one end of a pivot arm. The opposite end of the pivot arm engages a connecting rod which extends from the front of the refrigerator compartment to the rear thereof where the connecting rod engages the air damper to slide the air damper toward and away from the front of the refrigerator compartment.

Abstract: A device for actively maintaining the temperature of a beverage in a container has a housing with a compartment that is configured to receive the beverage container. A solid state heat pump that is mounted to the housing is selectively energized to provide either a heating or cooling environment in the compartment for controlling the beverage temperature.

Abstract: A lockable buckle includes a body member, a latch member, and a rotary locking member. The body member includes a pair of locking side slots. The latch member includes a pair of resilient arms having raised tab portions thereon for releasably engaging the opposed locking side slots of the body member. The rotary locking member is disposed in the body member and is adapted for rotation therein between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the raised tab portions are permitted to bend inwardly so as to allow insertion or removal of the latch member from the body member. In the second position, the raised tab portions are prevented from bending inwardly, thereby inhibiting disengagement of the latching member from the body member.

Abstract: A countertop cooler for standard size water bottles where the plastic bottle has a spigot at the lower front end of said bottle which allows withdrawal of water, said water bottle enclodes in a refrigeration case for cooling; said refrigeration case having a removable top in which said bottle and removable top section of said cooler is held in place by a means for securing said removable section in place to close the refrigeration case. Within the refrigeration case is a metal conductive cooling surface member extending from the rear of said case extending along at least a substantial portion of the bottom and sides of said refrigeration case, cooling said water bottle by conduction, with a cooling means preferably thermoelectric incorporated within said cooler; and in engagement with the metal cooling surface member. The cooler preferably has foldable or extendable legs for selectively permitting the mounting of the cooler under kitchen cabinets, or raised for easier filling of tall receptacles.

Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus comprises a switching valve for switching the flowing direction of a refrigerant discharged from a compressor to carry out either cooling operation, heating operation or defrosting operation; an outdoor heat exchanger for receiving the refrigerant supplied by the compressor through the switching valve to make the refrigerant heat exchange with air to be heat exchanged; an indoor heat exchanger for making the refrigerant heat exchange with a fluid to be heat exchanged; an oil separator which is arranged in a discharging side refrigerant pipe connecting the switching valve and the discharge port of the compressor to separate the refrigerant and a refrigerating machine oil which are discharged from the compressor; a first and second accumulators which are connected in series in an intake side refrigerant pipe connecting the switching valve and the intake port of the compressor; a first bypass passage for connecting the oil separator and the second accumulator through a solenoid valv