Abstract: An apparatus and system, as well as corresponding methods of operation and treatment of air, are provided which make use of a rotatable desiccant bed such as to permit the effective and selective alternative reduction of humidity of incoming air or recovery of heat from air to be discarded.

Abstract: A recycling cooking oven for cooking food at least in part by hot air flow and providing a substantially closed but vented environment includes a cooking chamber for receiving a stream of hot air from an upstream thermal plenum via a plurality of openings in the cooking chamber, the cooking chamber cooking food therein at least partially with hot air from the plurality of openings and the cooking of such foods adding oxidizable components to the hot air. A blower circulates the stream of hot air in substantially a continuous travel path including the thermal plenum, the plurality of openings and the cooking chamber. A main catalytic converter is disposed in the continuous travel path for flamelessly oxidizing the oxidizable components leaving the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A self-powered forced or induced draft water heater is provided including a tank adapted for storing hot water, a sealed combustion chamber, a powered burner, a thermoelectric module, and a through-chamber heat sink having a base portion and a pin portion. The combustion chamber has a common wall with the tank at a lower zone of the tank. The powered natural gas burner has a blower which delivers air to the burner through an inlet duct and forces combustion products out a flue. The thermoelectric module generates operating power for the burner blower. The thermoelectric module has a hot side in thermal communication with a combustion zone of the burner and a cold side attached to the heat sink base portion. The pin portion of the heat sink is conically shaped and extends through an opening in the common wall to the interior of the tank. The base portion of the heat sink is removably attached to the common wall and is provided with an o-ring or other means to seal the wall opening.

Abstract: An improved air recirculation and conditioning system for recirculating and dehumidifying air within a living space is disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention the system diverts a portion of the air recirculated through a return and removes moisture from that portion of the air before mixing the drier air with the air in the return. In accordance with another aspect of the invention the system makes use of a standard water heater as a source of heat to heat a regenerative air stream to regenerate a desiccant wheel of the system. Finally, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the system externally draws all of the air for the regenerative air stream and exhausts the regenerative air stream to an air space external of the living space within which the air is being treated.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: A two-compartment, automated apparatus and a semi-batch process for achieving rapid and complete thawing of a frozen food product, such as french fry potatoes, prior to cooking are disclosed. This invention results in a rapid, economical thawing of frozen food that is especially compatible with automated, commercial-scale deep frying operations.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing steam for humidification of residential and commercial buildings by electrical induction heating of water are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a readily-removable non-magnetic water tank containing a magnetic target in contact with the water and an electrically powered induction coil located outside the water tank but in close proximity to the magnetic target.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: A system for and method of storing and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of one or more food products from closed containers is described. The system preferably includes multi-compartment containers carried by a carrousel assembly and moved by a dispensing mechanism for automatically selecting the appropriate container and compartment for which food is dispensed. By using a control with memory for keeping inventory, the system can dispense any one of several food products on demand.

Abstract: An automated system for storing and cooking french fried potatoes includes a refrigeration and storage assembly and unique transport system which is easily used with fryers of a commercial type. The transport system includes a horizontal and vertical transport assembly for moving baskets of fries to and from the one or more fryers, with the vertical transport assembly being adapted to lower the basket into the fryer as well as support the basket above the fryer after cooking so as to allow the basket to drain. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention the refrigeration system is such and the strips are oriented all in substantially the same direction before being loaded into a basket so as to enable the fries to be cooked with little or no sticking without requiring the operator to shake the potatoes during or following cooking.

Abstract: This invention is an indirect fired gas burning device having typically two gas burner assemblies, a radiant heat assembly and a convection heat assembly. The combustion products of both burner assemblies are kept separate from the convection air which is circulated through the oven. The device is adapted to be mounted within or attached to a gas stove, having an oven therein and which provides an improved gas stove which can perform the functions of: (1) bake (with controllable cooking air flow rates); (b) broil using a radiant heat assembly such as a screen broiler "looking" through or transparent to the radiant heat generated by the broiler such as an infrared window (also a new low profile screen burner assembly is disclosed); (c) steam which is possible because of the very low vent rate of the oven, i.e.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a flame switchable gas burning device, adapted to be mounted or attached within the oven cavity of a gas stove, which provides an improved gas stove having control of the flame switching air and the convection cooking air. Such control is achieved by providing a shunt air path which may have one or more controlled dampers and a blower with variable and controllable speed. In another embodiment the combustion gases and the cooking air are kept separate by incorporation of a counterflow heat exchanger making the device indirect fired. In the indirect fired embodiment steam may be controllably introduced into the oven cavity to further speed the baking/cooking time. The improved gas oven can, within the one oven cavity, operate in the broil, bake, steam cook, and self-clean mode without the need for multiple burners or multiple oven cavities and without the need for manually operated baffles or dampers.

Abstract: A clothes dryer having a cylndrical lint screen connected to and extending from the rear of a rotating clothes drum having a perforated front annulus and a rear air inlet. An air duct has a mouth at one end positioned adjacent to the perforated annulus and a blower is connected to the opposite end. The blower creates an induced draft on a burner located adjacent to a portion of the lint screen by drawing air from the burner into the drum air inlet and out the perforated annulus into the duct. From the blower, the air is forced into a plenum which is separated into two compartments by the rotating lint screen filter. In passing from one compartment through the lint screen filter to the other compartment from which it is exhausted, airborne lint in the air is collected on the lint screen filter. Rotation of the lint screen filter moves the lint into the flames of the burner where the lint is incinerated.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method of and apparatus or device for flame switching in order to associate a flame and the energy of the flame with different and distinct energy using systems. The flame switchable gas burning device, when adapted to be mounted or attached within the oven cavity of a gas stove, provides an improved gas stove which can, within the one oven cavity, operate in the broil, bake and self-clean mode without the need for multiple burners or multiple oven cavities and without the need for manually operated baffles or dampers.

Abstract: The packer includes an elongated tubular casing, and a metal ring is disposed in its entirety within an annular recess in the casing. The recess has a circumferential opening extending entirely around the peripheral outer surface of the casing. Hydraulic fluid is flowed into the recess to apply pressure to the inner peripheral surface of the metal ring to expand the ring radially outwardly and force its outer peripheral surface through the circumferential opening and into annular sealing engagement with the opposed surface of the well casing.