Abstract: The invention relates to a method for enhancing a metallic coating on a steel strip or steel plate, the coating being melted by heating to a temperature above the melting temperature of the material of the coating, the heating taking place by irradiation of the surface of the coating with electromagnetic radiation having a high power density over a limited irradiation time of not more than 10 ?s, and the mandated irradiation time and the energy density introduced into the coating by the electromagnetic radiation being selected such that the coating melts completely over its entire thickness down to the boundary layer with the steel strip, thereby forming a thin alloy layer at the boundary layer between the coating and the steel strip.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for enhancing a metallic coating on a steel strip or steel plate, the coating being melted by heating to a temperature above the melting temperature of the material of the coating, the heating taking place by irradiation of the surface of the coating with electromagnetic radiation having a high power density over a limited irradiation time of not more than 10 ?s, and the mandated irradiation time and the energy density introduced into the coating by the electromagnetic radiation being selected such that the coating melts completely over its entire thickness down to the boundary layer with the steel strip, thereby forming a thin alloy layer at the boundary layer between the coating and the steel strip.

Abstract: A plier-type can opener has two arms 1, 2 that are pivotally connected to one another. The rotatable parts required for the can opener to cut open a lid of a can and to advance the can are combined into preassembled units that are mountable to the arms. The rotatable parts include a cutting wheel 5, a feed wheel 7, a turning handle 4 and toothed wheels 6, 8. The rotatable parts included in the units are respectively mounted in respective cutouts on the arms 1, 2. The cutouts open toward each other and are provided on an inside edge portion of each arm so that after the units are pressed into respective cutouts, then during use of the can opener when the arms are closed to open a can, the closing of the arms enhances retention of the units in their respective cutouts.

Abstract: Mechanical sweeper with slotlike bearing bores with introduction slits in partition walls and outwardly open wheel recesses in the housing wherein the drive/running wheels are closed externally with a smooth surface and are retained by check plates and retaining pockets on the partition walls.

Abstract: A device for feeding potted plants, consisting of a plant pot comprising a slot for the introduction of a wick, the said wick being attached to a tongue forming part of an adapter, a device for varying the level of the plant pot arrangement in a re-potting unit and a level indicator.

Abstract: An arrangement for comminuting foodstuffs, such as potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, fruits and the like, has an elongated plate provided with a through-going opening in which one comminuting plate member can be accommodated so as to perform comminuting of a foodstuff. The elongated plate has a receptacle which is spaced from the through-going opening and is adapted to receive another comminuting plate member which is not utilized for comminuting at that very moment. The foodstuffs to be comminuted move relative to an upper surface of the base plate, whereas the receptacle for receiving the comminuting plate member which is not utilized, is formed in a lower surface of the base plate. A foodstuff holder is provided which is adapted to hold a foodstuff to be comminuted and to be placed on upper longitudinal walls of the base plate.

Abstract: A cylindrical brush is mounted in a housing of a carpet-sweeping device or the like for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the direction of movement of the device over the surface to be cleaned. Two dirt-collecting receptacles are located respectively at the front region of the housing and at the rear region of the housing as considered in the direction of movement of the receptacle over the surface being swept. The dirt-collecting receptacles are removably mounted on the housing, and arrested in their respective fully inserted positions. The dirt-collecting receptacle can be introduced into the housing from the side through one of the lateral portions, from the front, from the rear, from below or from above, depending on the particular construction of the housing. Various arrangements for arresting the dirt-collecting receptacle in its fully inserted position are disclosed.

Abstract: A cleaning device has a main brush which picks up dirt from a surface to be cleaned and deposits it in dirt-collecting receptacles as the cleaning device is moved over the surface to be cleaned. A pair of additional brushes is mounted in corner regions of the housing and delivers dirt toward the main brush. The additional brushes are rotated as the cleaning device is moved over the surface in opposite directions, and they are mounted in bearings for limited pivoting substantially in the opposite directions so that those portions of the bristles of the additional brushes which move toward the main brush are in contact with the surface to be cleaned. A driving wheel rotates the additional brushes in opposite angular directions depending on the direction of movement of the cleaning device, the additional brushes and the driving wheel being partly supported in a main portion of the housing, and partly in a cover which is connected to the main portion of the housing.

Abstract: A corkscrew includes a support consisting of a supporting ring adapted to engage a neck of a bottle, and a support bracket connected to the supporting ring. An elongated spindle having a cork-engaging helix at its leading end and a threaded portion at its trailing end is mounted on the support for turning relative thereto and also for longitudinal displacement. A nut engages the threaded portion of the spindle and has handgrip portions, and a locking element embraces the nut and is pivotable relative thereto between a locking position in which it connects the nut to the spindle for joint turning and longitudinal displacement, and an unlocking position in which it releases the spindle for longitudinal displacement during the further turning of the nut.

Abstract: A cylindrical brush is mounted in a housing of a carpet-sweeping device for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the direction of movement of the device over the surface to be cleaned. Two dirt-collecting receptacles are located respectively at a front region of the housing and at a rear region of the housing as considered along this direction. Each dirt-collecting receptacle has an opening bounded on all sides by a plurality of walls and each receptacle is mounted for pivoting movement on the housing between a filling position in which the respective opening is located in a path in which dirt from the surface being swept travels into the receptacle, and a discharging position in which the opening is located out of the path so as to permit discharging of any deposited dirt from the receptacle.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cylindrical brush which is mounted in a housing for rotation about an axis transverse to the direction of movement of the cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned. The brush has at least two sections which are independently driven into rotation about their axis by wheels which are also mounted in the housing. Motion is transmitted between the wheels and the two sections of the brush so that, when wheels on one side of the housing rotate at a different speed than the wheels on the other side of the housing, the rotations of the two sections of the brush about the axis are also different. A connecting element connects the two end portions of the sections of the brush which are adjacent to one another. Such connecting element may be connected to one of the sections of the brush for shared rotation therewith, or may connect the respective end portions with freedom of rotation relative thereto.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a housing having a frame including longitudinally spaced front and rear wall portions and transversely spaced lateral portions, and a plurality of support walls which extend in substantial parallelism with the lateral wall portions, on the one hand and with the front wall portion, on the other hand, and with spacing therefrom. The support walls are formed with bearing recesses which have open ends facing toward the surface to be cleaned when the cleaning device is in use, and at least one cover is provided which has respective closing portions which close the open ends of the bearing recesses and circumferentially complement the latter. The device further includes a plurality of wheels which engage the surface to be cleaned, and at least one cleaning body, such as a brush, which is mounted on the housing for rotation and driven into rotation in response to rotation of the wheels during the engagement of the latter with the surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: A drive for rotating a corner-sweeping brush of a sweeping device includes a gear on the brush, and a translation member provided with teeth engaging the gear and rotating the same about its axis with attendant rotation of the brush when the housing of the sweeping device comes into contact with an obstruction during its forward movement. An actuating member is connected to the translation member under interposition of a time-delay unit, and moves the translation member into engagement with the gear and subsequently toward an extended position thereof with concomitant rotation of the brush so that dirt is removed from the corner region of the surface being swept, even after the housing of the sweeping device has come to a standstill. The actuating member may be connected to a handle of the sweeping device, or it may be a discrete element projecting forwardly or upwardly out of the housing.

Abstract: A hanger has an elongated hanger body which includes a pair of shell-shaped hanger halves which are separated from one another along a longitudinal plane of symmetry of the hanger body. Male and female connecting elements in form of pins and sleeves for receiving the pins extend across the plane of symmetry and engage one another when the two hanger halves are assembled. The marginal portions of the hanger halves are formed with grooves and bulges, the bulges being received with snap action into the grooves of the associated one of the hanger halves when the two hanger halves are assembled with one another. The hanger halves are formed with partial bearings which together form a full bearing for receiving a support portion of a shaft of a suspension element of hook-shaped configuration, which bearing is adjacent to and communicates with an opening which leads to the exterior of the assembled hanger body.

Abstract: A housing has an open front side, and one or more arms are provided, each having two ends and a length sufficient to permit a plurality of adjacent ties to be hung from the respective arm. Pivot pins mount these arms at one end within the housing so that the arms can be pivoted outwardly of the housing to an access position and can be pivoted into the housing to a storage position in which the opposite ends of the respective arms are supported on a portion of the housing.

Abstract: A floor or carpet sweeper has a hollow housing provided on its lower side with a plurality of floor-engaging wheels. The bottom of the housing is closed by means of a cover plate which is pivoted on the housing about an axis perpendicular to the forward and backward direction of travel of the housing during sweeping. This cover plate is formed with a throughgoing hole and is provided with upwardly bent tabs on which a cylindrical brush is rotatably mounted, this brush extending through the hole in the plate. In addition the ends of the brush are engageable with the wheels when the cover plate is closed on the housing so that the brush is rotatably driven by these wheels. A magnet holds the cover plate in place on the bottom of the housing and engages against an inclined surface on this cover plate. This magnet can be moved along the inclined surfaces so as to vary the height setting of the brush.