Abstract: An electrically heated water kettle comprises a vessel for holding a liquid for extraction of tea, coffee or other food material. The vessel includes a partially open immersible container sized to allow the passage of water between the walls of the vessel. The container is capable of holding the material while an opening in the container allows the entrance of water into the container upon immersion of the container in the water. The heated kettle incorporates structure to hold the container out of the water until the water reaches an appropriate extraction temperature and to immerse or withdraw the container into or from the water as is necessary to accomplish the extraction.

Abstract: A food slicer comprises a fan-cooled electrically powered motor driving a slicer blade. The motor is mounted within an enclosure which comprises at least one air intake port and at least one exhaust port on opposite sides of one nominally air-tight first partitioning wall within the enclosure to confine the flow of cooling air from the air intake port through the enclosure, then into intimate contact with the electrical windings and components within the frame of the motor. The motor frame is sealed into a closely conforming contacting aperture in the first partitioning wall. The fan is mounted immediately adjacent to a non-contacting aperture in a second partitioning wall within the enclosure juxtaposed the exhaust port.

Abstract: A knife sharpener is provided which is capable of precision sharpening of hunting and similar knives that have a first and second blade face, each of which terminates at a facet that meets the corresponding facet to create the knife edge. At least the first of the blade faces has a lower distinct planar or concave section adjacent the edge facet with the lower planar or concave section of the face being set at an angle to the center line of the blade thickness that is different from the angle of the adjoining upper section of the same blade face located adjacent to the back of the blade. The sharpener includes a sharpening member such as one having an abrasive coated surface. The sharpener also includes a planar angle knife guide surface of a knife guide which is designed for intimate sliding and sustaining contact with the second face of the blade in order to position an edge facet on the first of the faces into precise angular relation with the sharpening surface.

Abstract: A vessel for the preparation of heated water or other liquid based material includes a container for the liquid, an electric heater and a temperature sensing probe mounted through a wall or base of the container. The probe includes an efficient heat transferring structure in direct thermal contact with and wet by the liquid inside the container. An electrical sensor within the probe is an intimate thermal contact with the efficient heat transfer structure and has electrical properties which directly correlate with the temperature of the heat transferring structure.

Abstract: A wide range of knives and blades, including Western, Asian or traditional Japanese style blades that have a primary edge facet on at least one side of the knife edge are sharpened through use of an electric knife sharpener having a first sharpening stage with at least one rotating abrasive surface disk and a knife angle guide to position the blade's facet at a first relative angle of approximately 15 degrees as it contacts the moving abrasive surface. The knife sharpener includes a second sharpening stage with at least one rotating abrasive surfaced disk and a knife angle guide to position the blade's facet at a second relative angle of approximately 20 degrees as it contacts the rotating abrasive surface.

Abstract: A knife edge enhancing apparatus includes a support having a support surface and knife blade clamping structure mounted to the support and located above the support surface. An object having a knife edge modifying surface which could be abrasive or non-abrasive is mounted to a holder which is freely slidable on the support surface so that the object surface can be manually moved into contact with a knife edge facet. At least one of the clamping structure and the object surface is angularly adjustable to control the angle of contact of the object surface with the knife edge facet.

Abstract: A multi-stage sharpener includes at least one motor driven abrasive sharpening stage and one non-motor driven conditioning stage. The conditioning stage has a non-abrasive hardened surface and at least one precision knife guide which has a planar guide surface for creating a microscopic serration along the edge of a blade which had been sharpened in the first stage sharpening station. The sharpener may also include a third stage motor driven finishing stage. Alternatively, the conditioning stage can be incorporated as the knife edge modifying stage of a manual sharpener.

Abstract: Various forms of knife guides are provided for knife sharpeners to minimize damage to the knife blade. The knife guides include the provision of flexible fibers on the guide surface and further include rings, such as O-rings on an array of rollers when the rollers are used to form the guide surface. Other forms of knife guides are non-contact optical arrangements.

Abstract: A modified truncated cone-shaped disk is molded onto a plastic hub which is mounted on a motor driven shaft. The hub has an axial bore of a size to fit with very close clearance on the shaft while still permitting the disk to freely slide against a low spring force.

Abstract: An electric baking oven includes an open mesh vertically oriented baking basket to hold food while the food is baked in air by a programmed combination of radiant and convective and conductive energy transfer. An electrical programming control controls the energy from vertically oriented toaster heating elements located juxtaposed to the large vertical faces of the basket and from at least one elongated heating member located below the vertical baking basket with the axis of the elongated heating member oriented nominally horizontal and parallel to the longer horizontal axis of the vertically oriented baking basket.

Abstract: Various forms of knife guides are provided for knife sharpeners to minimize damage to the knife blade. One of the forms of knife guides comprises non-contact optical arrangements which includes a light source, at least one light detector and an indicator that monitors and displays the intensity of light reflected from the blade surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for purifying and dispensing water of a quality suitable for human consumption comprises a first reservoir for holding unfiltered water. The water moves by the force of gravity downward through a water filtering and purifying cartridge into a second lower reservoir. An electrically powered hydraulic pump and associated electrical controls and plumbing enable the pump to periodically lift water from the second reservoir to the first reservoir to permit its return through the filter thereby enhancing the purity of the water before it is dispensed. The apparatus may include first, second and third reservoirs wherein the first reservoir is nominally at the same level as the second reservoir with the unfiltered or filtered water being pumped from the first reservoir and passed through the filter into the second reservoir.

Abstract: A knife sharpener is provided which is capable of precision sharpening of hunting and similar knives that have a first and second blade face, each of which terminates at a facet that meets the corresponding facet to create the knife edge. At least the first of the blade faces has a lower distinct planar or concave section adjacent the edge facet with the lower planar or concave section of the face being set at an angle to the center line of the blade thickness that is different from the angle of the adjoining upper section of the same blade face located adjacent to the back of the blade. The sharpener includes a sharpening member such as one having an abrasive coated surface. The sharpener also includes a planar angle knife guide surface of a knife guide which is designed for intimate sliding and sustaining contact with the second face of the blade in order to position an edge facet on the first of the faces into precise angular relation with the sharpening surface.

Abstract: A sharpener to sharpen the edge of a food slicer blade includes a non-planar abrasive surfaced rotatable disk mounted on a supporting structure. The supporting structure includes one or more surfaces designed to align with at least one of a push bar, thickness control plate and the surface of the food carriage of the food slicer when the abrasive surface of the disk is in contact with the edge of the slicer blade.

Abstract: Various forms of knife guides are provided for knife sharpeners to minimize damage to the knife blade. One of the forms of knife guides comprises non-contact optical arrangements which includes a light source, at least one light detector and an indicator that monitors and displays the intensity of light reflected from the blade surface.