Abstract: An ice maker for use in a domestic refrigerator makes clear ice bodies. The ice maker comprises a support arranged to have an ice body formed thereon. The support is refrigerated to a below-freezing temperature and a container adapted to hold a body of water is moved to move liquid water contained therein uniformly about the support suitable to cause a clear substantially symmetrical ice body to build up outwardly on the refrigerated support.

Abstract: An ice maker for use in a domestic refrigerator/freezer makes clear ice bodies. The ice maker comprises a support arranged to have an ice body formed thereon. The support is refrigerated to a below-freezing temperature and a container adapted to hold a body of water is moved to move liquid water contained therein uniformly about the support suitable to cause a clear substantially symmetrical ice body to build up outwardly on the refrigerated support.

Abstract: An air circulation system for a refrigeration apparatus provides a controllable baffle to selectively open or close an air outlet port. Particularly, the refrigeration apparatus includes an evaporator and an evaporator fan for providing flow of refrigerated air. A fresh food compartment is to be cooled by the refrigerated air. An air inlet passage is provided in communication with the fan and compartment for delivering refrigerated air to the compartment. An air outlet passage is provided in communication with the compartment and the fan for returning air from the compartment to the fan. A baffle is mounted at the compartment air outlet and has an open position allowing movement of air through the compartment, and a closed position preventing movement of air through the compartment. A control is provided for selectively opening the baffle in response to the compartment temperature being above a desired temperature, and to close the baffle when the compartment temperature is below the desired temperature.

Abstract: An air circulation system for a refrigeration apparatus provides a controllable baffle for selectively opening or closing dual output ports. Particularly, the refrigeration apparatus includes an evaporator and an evaporator fan providing flow of refrigerated air. The fresh food compartment is to be cooled by the refrigerated air. First and second air inlet passages are provided in communication with the fan and upper and lower zones in the compartment for delivering refrigerated air in the compartment. First and second air outlet passages are provided in communication with the compartment and the fan for returning air from the compartment upper and lower zones to the fan. A baffle is mounted at the first and second air outlets and has independent open positions for each outlet allowing movement of air through its associated zone, and a closed position for each outlet preventing movement of air through such zone.

Abstract: A refrigerator-freezer has a separate controlled temperature compartment and method that includes a freezer air siphon for drawing air from a horizontal mid-portion of the freezer and mixing the freezer air within a plenum with air circulating through the separate compartment. An air return is provided to the freezer from the separate compartment, while an inlet in the plenum, at which is mounted a temperature sensor for controlling a fan, draws air from the compartment into the plenum for mixing and for recirculation.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided which has a compartment to be chilled below the temperature of the remainder of the main refrigerator compartment and which has an openable container therein. The container is provided with apertures therethrough near the front wall such that a stream of temperature conditioned air is caused to flow around the outer surface of the container within the compartment and to flow through the interior of the container, particularly across the inside surface of the front wall, to provide a minimal temperature gradient within the container.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided with a separately cooled compartment having an air flow independent and segregated from an air flow which cools the main refrigerator compartment. A plate is positioned adjacent to the evaporator and one side of the plate forms a portion of an air passage for air being circulated with the separately cooled compartment. A condensate collection arrangement is provided to capture condensate from the side of the plate within the air passage and to direct the condensate into the condensate collection apparatus provided for the evaporator in the main refrigerator compartment so that only a single waste drain is required.

Abstract: A temperature responsive fuse is provided for use in a vacuum cleaner brush dowel drive clutch mechanism to prevent overheating of the clutch mechanism upon a continued rotation of the drive belt after the brush dowel has stalled due to jamming or similar occurances. The friction clutch is provided to prevent damage to the cog drive belt if the brush dowel becomes stalled and the fuse, which is a meltable spacer positioned between a loading spring and the engaging friction drive surfaces, is provided to prevent excessive heat build-up in the clutch mechanism in case a safety circuit, which normally detects stoppage of the brush dowel and deenergizes the dowel drive motor, should fail. The fuse spacer will melt at a temperature in the range of 300.degree. F. to 400.degree. F. to unload the spring thereby reducing friction between the engaging surfaces of the clutch mechanism and thus lowering the amount of heat generated.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner having an improved power drive utilizing a ball disc transmission. In one form, the transmission is self-centering for automatic return thereof to a position wherein the wheel drive is effectively locked. The transmission is arranged to permit free wheeling when desired by suitable manipulation of the control provided for controlling the transmission. In another illustrated form, the transmission is arranged to provide free wheeling when the transmission is returned to a minimum speed arrangement. The system provides a smooth, accurately controllable power drive of the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: According to the invention a baffle is provided in a dual inlet air conditioner blower wheel and is selectively movable within the blower wheel between the inlets to adjust the air delivery through the inlets while maintaining a substantially constant total volume delivery. The air mixture is adjustable is desired proportions between full volume indoor and full volume outdoor air and is presented to a blower wheel and centrifugally propelled into a space to be conditioned.

Abstract: Door mounting structure for pivotally mounting a door to a cabinet for selectively closing an access opening of the cabinet and permitting the door to be opened from either side, as desired. The door mounting structure includes locking structure for effectively positively retaining the opposite side of the door in latched association with the hinge structure of the cabinet when the door is opened from either side. Operating structure is provided for closing a latch member from an open position as an incident of closing movement of the door portion carrying the latch. The door mounting structure is mounted within the upper and lower portions of the door for selective latched association with hinge pins mounted to the top and bottom of the cabinet.

Abstract: A wet carpet cleaning apparatus having a nozzle movable over the surface to be cleaned. Structure is associated with the nozzle for selectively delivering cleaning liquid to a cleaning portion of the nozzle. A suction apparatus is removably mounted to the nozzle for removing liquid including dirt-laden water from the surface being cleaned. The suction apparatus comprises a removable suction fan or blower module which may be employed to advantage in a number of other applications. A jet pump is associated with the nozzle for discharging removed dirt-laden liquid as to a drain. The cleaning liquid is obtained from a pressurized water supply through an elongated flexible duct and the discharge to drain is through an elongated flexible duct which may be of similar construction. Manually controlled structure is provided for selectively introducing detergent into the cleaning liquid to permit selective cleaning and rinsing operations with the supplied pressurized water.

Abstract: A refrigerant apparatus having an accumulator for receiving binary refrigerant from the evaporator of the apparatus. An expansion valve is connected in parallel with a capillary duct for increasing the refrigerant delivery from a preselected minimum determined by the capillary tube to controlledly flood the evaporator. The lower boiling point component of the binary refrigerant is caused to be separated in the accumulator for delivery to the compressor during flooded operation of the apparatus so as to increase the proportion of the low boiling point component in the binary refrigerant to provide increased refrigeration capacity to meet the increased demand. Upon decrease in the demand, the accumulated liquid refrigerant in the accumulator is gasified for returning the system to the normal ratio of components of the binary refrigerant. The expansion valve is caused to operate as a function of the temperature of the space refrigerated by the evaporator in effecting the desired flooding operation.

Abstract: A variable capacity binary refrigerant refrigeration apparatus providing improved energy usage efficiency in an operation of a dual evaporator system. One evaporator is used for refrigerating an above-freezing fresh food zone and the other evaporator is used for refrigerating a below-freezing freezer zone. The fluid system includes a rectifier, a separator, and an auxiliary condenser, together with suitable valves for controlling the operation of the apparatus. The system further utilizes control of the cold air circulating fans in effecting the desired improved operation.

Abstract: A compact and lightweight rotary heat exchanger for transferring heat from a hot gas flow to a cold gas flow has a low mass matrix in the form of a wheel. The matrix is rotated at high speed into continuous consecutive contact with the respective hot and cold flows. A fixed splitter runs along a diameter of the inner circumference of the matrix in order to segregate the flows as they pass radially across the matrix. In combination with a domestic clothes dryer, the matrix is rotated directly on the drive shaft for the dryer's blower. The matrix wheel rotates between heated dryer exhaust air and incoming room air to preheat the dryer intake air.

Abstract: A conveyor belt for use in an ice body maker adapted to transfer the formed ice bodies from a collecting space to a dispensing space. The conveyor belt is arranged to pick up the ice bodies temporarily stored in the collecting space and drop them into a suitable guide chute leading to an upper portion of the dispensing space so that a receiver disposed in the dispensing space may receive the desired qauantity of ice bodies for subsequent disposition as desired. The belt is formed of a plurality of link plates articulated by cooperating knuckles with each plate having a forward edge provided with upstanding cleats and a rearward edge provided with upstanding cleats. The cleats on the forward edge extend at an angle of less than 90.degree. to the plane of the plate and the cleats on the rearward edge may extend at a greater angle to the plane of the plates. In the illustrated embodiment, the forward cleats extend at an angle of approximately 60.degree.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for dispensing discrete elements from a container defining a storage space containing the elements into a transport apparatus for transporting the elements to a discharge location. The dispensing apparatus defines a recess opening generally horizontally to the storage space at a lower portion thereof. The elements are guided into the recess which preferably has a height substantially equal to the greatest transverse dimension of the elements. A transferring structure is provided to be disposable selectively subjacent the recess for receiving the elements from the recess and transferring the received elements to a discharge position. In one embodiment, the apparatus dispenses ice bodies into an air-operated transport system. An agitator for agitating the elements in the storage space may be utilized to effect the desired guiding of the elements into the recess.