Abstract: An appliance for thawing snow or ice, comprising a container defining an interior space, a rod-form element extending longitudinally into the interior space of the container and spaced from walls of the container about its entire circumference, whereby an external surface of the rod-form element is exposed to material in the interior space, wherein the rod-form element is hollow and defines a passage that is open at an exterior surface of the container, the rod-form element having an end within the interior space of the container and at which the passage is closed, and a heating tool including a heating element sized to fit closely within the passage defined by the rod-form element, whereby heat dissipated in the heating element is transferred through the rod-form element to the material in the interior space of the container.

Abstract: A voltage indicating coupling for metal conduit systems to indicate the presence or absence of voltage on a wire enclosed by a section of electrical conduit for a grounded AC power distribution system. Through the use of two opposing rectifiers the National Electrical Code requirement that the entire metal conduit system be grounded is met. The voltage indicating coupling comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD), a static suppression resistor, two opposing rectifiers for grounding purposes, a plastic block housing and two clamping screws with corresponding wire terminals. At least one “hot” conductor enclosed by the section of electrical conduit is capacitively coupled to the conduit creating a complete circuit through the liquid crystal display (LCD), the static suppression resistor and the opposing rectifiers. The path around the circuit is completed by a ground connection on the grounded part of the conduit system, and the ground connection at the transformer.

Abstract: A voltage indicator for mounting on a power cord (FIG. 3) for indicating the presence or absence of a single-phase AC voltage potential on a monitored power cord for a grounded AC power distribution system. The indicator comprises; a housing (16,18), an electronic display (10), a static suppression resistor (12), a first conductive element (14) in physical proximity to the monitored power cord, and a second conductive element (22) meant to be touched by a human being to provide a visual indication of the presence or absence of a voltage potential on the monitored power cord. A capacitive coupling (FIG. 1) takes place between the “hot” conductor of the power cord and the first conductive element (14) of the indicator. This causes a voltage drop across the display (10) and the resistor (12) in parallel with the display (10). The current flow from the display (10) and the resistor (12) merge together to return to ground through a human being touching a second conductive element (22).

Abstract: An indicator for mounting on a power cord (FIG. 3) for almost instantaneously indicating the presence or absence of a single-phase AC voltage potential on a monitored power cord for a grounded AC power distribution system. The indicator comprises a housing (16, 18, 20, 26), an electronic display (10), a static suppression resistor (12), a first conductive element (14) in physical proximity to the monitored power cord, and a second conductive element (22) meant to be touched by a human being to provide a visual indication on the electronic display (10) of the presence or absence of a voltage potential on the monitored conductor or power cord. The hot conductor being part of a power cord is capacitively coupled (FIG. 1) to an electronic display (10) in parallel with a static suppression resistor (12). A current flow due to the capacitive coupling between the hot conductor and first conductive element (14) causes a voltage drop across the display (10) and the resistor (12).