Abstract: In some aspects, what is disclosed relates to a processor-based payment method for transferring user-provided payment data through a router that parses the payment data and transfers the parsed data to a plurality of receivers in distinct locations, detecting the parsed data at each of the plurality of receivers, and originating an ACH debit against the user, or an e-check, based on the parsed data.

Abstract: A system for operating an automotive liftgate includes a motor drive adapted for positioning the liftgate, and at least one telescopic strut positioned between the liftgate and an adjacent body structure. A controller operates the motor drive so as to place the liftgate in a predetermined position, such as a fully closed or fully opened position, in the event that a sensor detects unintended movement of the liftgate.

Abstract: There is a dispensing container. The dispensing container has a head, a body, and a closure. The head has a neck and a shoulder. The neck also has a bore extending longitudinally therethrough. The neck defines one or more external threads. The head has an indentation extending therein and circumferentially therearound proximal to the junction of the neck and the shoulder. The indentation is bounded by a tapered surface tapering outward with respect to the neck towards a top surface of the shoulder. The body is connected to the shoulder. The body has a chamber therein adapted to retain a product. The bore is in communication with the chamber. The closure defines one or more internal threads therein. The one or more internal threads are intermated with the one or more external threads. The closure has a skirt having a leading edge. The indentation in the head receives the leading edge. The leading edge contacts the tapered surface. The closure is openable and reclosable with respect to the head.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly is equipped with paddles, each having a radially outer extremity adjacent the impeller assembly, a radially inner extremity, and a face therebetween facing the rotational direction of the impeller assembly. According to preferred aspects of the invention, removable posts radially extend from the radially outer extremity of each paddle, and/or the face of each paddle has grooves transverse to a radial of the impeller assembly.

Abstract: In some aspects, what is disclosed relates to a processor-based payment method for transferring user-provided payment data through a router that parses the payment data and transfers the parsed data to a plurality of receivers in distinct locations, detecting the parsed data at each of the plurality of receivers, and originating an ACH debit against the user, or an e-check, based on the parsed data.

Abstract: A system for operating an automotive liftgate includes a motor drive adapted for positioning the liftgate, and at least one telescopic strut positioned between the liftgate and an adjacent body structure. A controller operates the motor drive so as to place the liftgate in a predetermined position, such as a fully closed or fully opened position, in the event that a sensor detects unintended movement of the liftgate.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The knife has a cutting edge at a radially innermost extremity and a radially outer face that defines a trajectory plane for slices removed from the products by the cutting edge. The knife is clamped to the cutting head with a clamping feature that provides clearance for slices when traveling the trajectory plane of the knife.

Abstract: A system for decoratively covering a support surface is provided. The system comprises a plurality of panels. Each panel includes a top, a bottom, and first and second ends. Each panel includes a nailing hem for mounting the panel to the support surface. Each panel also includes first and second rows of decorative portions simulating building materials. A riser interconnects the first and second rows. Each panel further includes a flap extending from the riser at the first end and a catch extending from the riser at the second end. The flap and catch mate with a corresponding catch and flap of horizontally adjacent panels. The flap and catch are both sloped upwardly toward the top at an acute angle to provide a mating fit between corresponding flaps and catches.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing decorative panels having a variegated appearance. The system includes a painting station, a wiping station, and a curing station for creating the variegated appearance on the panel. The painting station applies paint onto a front surface of the panel and the wiping station smears the paint along the peaks while avoiding the paint in the valleys. The wiper moves laterally across the panel, i.e., from edge to edge, generally in the same lateral direction as the peaks and valleys, while the panel is advanced through the wiping station in a longitudinal direction. The panel is then passed to the curing station to cure the paint with a UV light source.

Abstract: There is a dispensing container. The dispensing container has a head, a body, and a closure. The head has a neck and a shoulder. The neck also has a bore extending longitudinally therethrough. The neck defines one or more external threads. The head has an indentation extending therein and circumferentially therearound proximal to the junction of the neck and the shoulder. The indentation is bounded by a tapered surface tapering outward with respect to the neck towards a top surface of the shoulder. The body is connected to the shoulder. The body has a chamber therein adapted to retain a product. The bore is in communication with the chamber. The closure defines one or more internal threads therein. The one or more internal threads are intermated with the one or more external threads. The closure has a skirt having a leading edge. The indentation in the head receives the leading edge. The leading edge contacts the tapered surface. The closure is openable and reclosable with respect to the head.

Abstract: There is a one-piece closure for a dispensing container. The closure has a base and a lid. The base is adapted to be attached to the dispensing container. The base has two or more orifices therein. The two or more orifices of the base each define a different shape. The base has one or more raised portions thereon. The lid is connected to the base via a detachable hinge. The lid has an orifice therein. The lid is rotatably attachable to the base when detached from the base. The orifice of the lid is coextensive and alignable with each of the two or more orifices of the base and the one or more raised portions of the base. The lid is in lockable position with the base when the orifice of the lid is in alignment with one of the raised portions of the base. The closure is in the form of a unitary, integral piece. There is another embodiment for a one-piece closure for a dispensing container.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting food product. The apparatus includes a cutting device and housing thereabove that defines a passage with an opening in proximity to the cutting device for delivering the food product to the cutting device. The apparatus is preferably adapted to cut food products in a substantially horizontal plane, and as such the cutting device is preferably oriented to make a substantially horizontal cut through a food product. A lower portion of the housing has a lower extremity that defines the opening of the passage. The apparatus is equipped with various features that improve the operation of the apparatus and the consistency of the sliced product, particularly if the delivered food product varies in shape and size and may contain embedded stones.

Abstract: A tubular dispensing container has a head whose shoulder is joined to a tubular body. The head and shoulder can be thin because they are provided with a plurality of ribs that extend axially from the neck to the lower end of the shoulder and rigidify the head. A head for a tubular dispensing container is provided having the above-mentioned ribs. Apparatus for forming the head has male or female tooling with axially grooves formed therein to form the ribs on the inside or outside surface of the head. Methods involve flowing moldable material along the grooves to provide the lower end of the shoulder of the head with enough moldable material at elevated temperature and pressure to form a good bond of the shoulder with the tubular body.

Abstract: A pump assembly includes a cam member arranged to rotate about an axis, and a piston pump having a cylinder body with a biased piston drivingly displaceable within the cylinder body and engageable with the cam member such that rotation of the cam member corresponds to reciprocating movement of the piston. The pump assembly is arranged for use in a food cutting machine for transporting cooling fluid from a reservoir to at least one bearing arrangement provided to support a rotating shaft.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for continuously producing elongated siding panels is disclosed. The apparatus includes a conveyor, a plurality of mold plates, and a die for extruding a sheet of material onto the mold plates. The mold plates are formed of a rigid material and positioned adjacent one another and supported by the conveyor for forming the elongated siding panels. Each of the mold plates has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion with an intermediate portion therebetween. The intermediate portion has an aesthetic pattern for imparting the pattern to the sheet of material with the adjacent mold plates having different aesthetic patterns. The lower edge portion has a lower leg extending substantially perpendicular from the intermediate portion defining a horizontal plane and a projection portion between the lower edge portion and the intermediate portion extends beyond the horizontal plane for imparting a jagged pattern to the intermediate portion.

Abstract: A sheet of plastics material is continuously extruded onto the upper run of an endless conveyor which carries aluminum vacuum mold plates each defining a cavity with a shingle pattern. The sheet is progressively vacuum-formed into the mold plate cavities, and opposite longitudinal upper and lower portions of the sheet are progressively vacuum-formed, with traveling plug assist in one embodiment, to define shingle panels with hook-shaped lower portions and upper portions defining grooves for receiving the lower portions. The upper portion of the sheet is punched with longitudinally spaced slots to form a nailing flange, and the sheet is then cut laterally at longitudinally spaced intervals to produce elongated siding panels each having integrally connected shingle panels. The shingle panels may have different bottom configurations or profiles and are interchangeable.

Abstract: A ceiling fan cooling system comprising an A/C condenser unit, preferably mounted above/beyond the ceiling of a room, and an associated evaporator unit which is mounted in a housing on the inside of the ceiling or flush with the ceiling of the room. The evaporator unit draws room air in and blows it downwardly, over the evaporator coils, toward the blades of a conventional ceiling fan. The air is thus cooled by the evaporator coils and circulated throughout the room by the ceiling fan. The lower surface of the evaporator housing is configured to receive the mounting plate of a conventional off-the-shelf ceiling fan. The system may also be configured as a heating system, for example, using a heat pump or electrical heating elements incorporated into the evaporator housing, allowing the fan to blow air over them.

Abstract: A claims and repair process including collecting accident information at birth of an accident, electronic communication to a remote site, and posting information for selecting repair and supplier parties, such as by a bid process. Any of a PDA, a mapping system, or a data collection system installed on the vehicle collects accident information at the accident site, on a tow truck, or at a facility. A PDA with a digital camera may be provided for collecting digital images. Wireless communications may be used to transfer accident information for expedited processing. A preliminary claims estimate may be made by a claims adjustor or claims wizard. An aggregate database may be employed by the claims wizard to facilitate damage assessment. The claims wizard may work interactively with a PDA device for improved data collection. Tow trucks may be dispatched to transport rental, damaged and repaired vehicles to reduce insured's involvement.

Abstract: A mounting system for plastic siding comprises an elongated nailing strip from which a siding panel is suspended by means of interlocking channels which permit longitudinal relative movement resulting from differential thermal expansion or contraction. A predetermined amount of horizontal overlap of adjacent panels is assured by the provision of a notch adjacent each end of the panel, which notch is intended to be vertically aligned with the end of the adjacent panel. The same notches provide a guide for centering the nailing strip on its associated panel. Unintended disassembly of each strip-panel pair is presented by dimple-like deformations near the end of each strip cahnnel, which function to limit the longitudinal travel of the associated panel channel therein.

Abstract: A method and a kit for testing the biocide concentration of a liquid containing a biocide of the type which breaks down in acidic aqueous solution to liberate formaldehyde. A strong aqueous acid is added to the liquid, and a modified Schiff's reagent is also added. Time is given for color to develop, and then the color intensity of the solution is read. In instances where oil-water emulsions or latices are involved, the emulsion is broken before adding the Schiff's reagent.