Abstract: A stacked array of inclined flumes interconnected in consecutive zig-zag fashion for cooling canned comestibles upon discharge from a canning cooker. The hot cans are introduced seriatim in a prone or rolling aspect into the upper end of the uppermost flume. Gravity and cooling water combine to transport the parallel, submerged cans down the flumes in transverse register. The rolling action continuously exposes successive portions of the cans to the heat-absorptive water and similarly mixes the cans' contents to effect even cooling. Means is provided for selective removal of heated water from the flumes and reintroduction of cooled water into the flumes at predetermined points to ensure generally uniform water temperature throughout the flumes.

Abstract: A resilient tube of predetermined length, inside diameter and outside diameter has embedded therein, in axial relation, a helical winding of substantially non-resilient material. The helix is effective to resist forces exerted on the walls of the tube by internal fluid pressure tending to change the inside and outside diameters of the tube but is ineffective to resist the forces tending to lengthen the tube as the internal fluid pressure is increased or to resist the resilience of the tube material in restoring the tube toward original length as internal fluid pressure is decreased.By using the tube as an enclosure to define an opening, the area of the opening can be selectively varied by establishing fluid pressure within the tube at the required values; and by varying the extent of the opening as a function of sample height, an accurate core sample can be obtained when the variable opening device is used in conjunction with a sampler for bulk loads of fruits or vegetables.