Abstract: According to one embodiment, a shovel for excavating material within a utility location includes a blade made from a non-metal material. The blade has an overall thickness and a leading edge with a blunt surface and a beveled surface. The overall thickness of the blade includes a combined thickness of the blunt and beveled surfaces. The thickness of the blunt surface is between about 25% and about 75% of the overall thickness of the blade. The shovel also includes a neck coupled to the blade, as well as a handle coupled to the neck.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a shovel for excavating material within a utility location includes a blade made from a non-metal material. The blade has an overall thickness and a leading edge with a blunt surface and a beveled surface. The overall thickness of the blade includes a combined thickness of the blunt and beveled surfaces. The thickness of the blunt surface is between about 25% and about 75% of the overall thickness of the blade. The shovel also includes a neck coupled to the blade, as well as a handle coupled to the neck.

Abstract: An applicator for a meltable product comprising: a case, a reservoir for holding a quantity of the product, the reservoir having an outlet opening and being made at least in part of a thermally conductive material, heating device in thermal communication with the reservoir, and an applicator roller disposed in the outlet opening, wherein the applicator roller comprises a core composed at least partly of thermally conductive material and a layer of plastic material surrounding the core. An applicator in combination with an extraction gripper for gripping the roller, the gripper comprising two arms which extend substantially parallel to one another, each arm having a projecting finger positioned such that the projecting finger on one of the arms faces the projecting finger on the other one of the arms, the projecting fingers being located and configured to cooperate with the engagement elements of the roller in order to grip the roller.

Abstract: An applicator for a meltable product comprising: a case, a reservoir for holding a quantity of the product, the reservoir having an outlet opening and being made at least in part of a thermally conductive material, heating means in thermal communication with the reservoir, and an applicator roller disposed in the outlet opening, wherein the applicator roller comprises a core composed at least partly of thermally conductive material and a layer of plastic material surrounding the core. An applicator in combination with an extraction gripper for gripping the roller, the gripper comprising two arms which extend substantially parallel to one another, each arm having a projecting finger positioned such that the projecting finger on one of the arms faces the projecting finger on the other one of the arms, the projecting fingers being located and configured to cooperate with the engagement elements of the roller in order to grip the roller.

Abstract: An applicator for a meltable product comprising: a case, a reservoir for holding a quantity of the product, the reservoir having an outlet opening and being made at least in part of a thermally conductive material, heating means in thermal communication with the reservoir, and an applicator roller disposed in the outlet opening, wherein the applicator roller comprises a core composed at least partly of thermally conductive material and a layer of plastic material surrounding the core. An applicator in combination with an extraction gripper for gripping the roller, the gripper comprising two arms which extend substantially parallel to one another, each arm having a projecting finger positioned such that the projecting finger on one of the arms faces the projecting finger on the other one of the arms, the projecting fingers being located and configured to cooperate with the engagement elements of the roller in order to grip the roller.

Abstract: In an apparatus such as an electric coffee-maker, a filter (5) is placed at the bottom of a vessel (3) containing the product to be treated such as ground coffee. Resilient tongues (18) cut in the filter are disposed at uniform intervals about the center so as to form normally-closed orifices (17). When a predetermined pressure of liquid such as hot water is attained within the vessel, the orifices are freed to a sufficient extent to permit filtration of the liquid which has been in contact with the product.