Abstract: An electric steam iron wherein the path for the flow of water from a permanently installed or detachable water tank to the heater contains a supply of water softening agent which can be observed from the exterior of the housing and can be replaced, when necessary, or discarded jointly with an expandible tank or with a perforable envelope or an apertured cartridge.

Abstract: An electric coffee or tea maker wherein a supply of water softening agent is installed in the region of the outlet of a water tank so that the stream of water which is discharged by the tank when the maker is in use is acted upon by the softening agent before it enters the conduit or conduits which convey the stream through an electric heater and thereupon into a receptacle for comminuted coffee beans or tea leaves. This prevents gradual clogging of the conduits with boiler scale. The supply of softening agent can be replenished or replaced. This is determined by looking through an observation window so as to ascertain the color of the softening agent. The color is indicative of the condition of the softening agent, i.e., whether or not the softening agent is still capable of performing its water-softening function.

Abstract: An espresso machine wherein a steam supplying first conduit is separably coupled to a second conduit having an air admitting inlet and an air discharging outlet. When the first conduit admits steam into the second conduit between the inlet and the outlet, such steam draws atmospheric air by way of the inlet and the resulting steam-air mixture is discharged by way of the outlet to frothe milk in a vessel into which the outlet of the second conduit extends. The rate of admission of air into the inlet of the second conduit is regulated by a valving element which is mounted on the second conduit and can be rotated by a handle so as to move a hole of the valving element relative to the inlet and to thus alter the cross-sectional area of the path for the flow of air into the second conduit. If the inlet of the second conduit is completely sealed from the atmosphere, the outlet discharges only steam which can be used to heat cups prior to pouring of espresso coffee.

Abstract: An espresso machine with an attachment for the making of cappuccino wherein the attachment has a pipe with an open air admitting inlet at its upper end and an open air discharging outlet at its lower end. The steam conduit of the espresso machine has an orifice for steam at its lower end, and the outlet of the pipe is positioned in such a way that steam issuing from the orifice draws air into the pipe and out by way of the outlet to mix with steam and to froth a quantity of milk when the resulting mixture is admitted into a body of milk in a cup or another vessel. The pipe can be a separately produced part which is separably and adjustably or integrally connected to the conduit. It is also possible to provide the conduit with an integral portion which serves as an air supplying pipe and to provide a coupling to separably connect the upper end of the conduit to the source of steam.

Abstract: An electric hair dryer wherein a collapsible hood defines one or more plenum chambers for heated air and has a foraminous inner panel which is adjacent to the hair when the hood is placed over the head of the wearer. The hood has a hollow extension which is adjacent to the chest of the wearer and is separably connectable with the slotted detachable cover of a housing for the electric motor which drives a rotor for supplying heated air into the plenum chamber or chambers. The rotor is installed in the cover and is disposed downstream of an air heating unit which is mounted in the interior of a hollow cylindrical or frustoconical air guide and surrounds a tube for admission of cool atmospheric air into the space around the motor. The bottom wall, the front wall and the two lateral walls of the housing are formed with ports which admit atmospheric air into the air guide as well as into the tube.