Abstract: A multifunctional chest has a pair of lateral plates, a rear plate disposed between the lateral plates, a cover plate disposed between the lateral plates, a lower drawer disposed between the lateral plates, and a front plate disposed between the lateral plates. Each lateral plate has a longitudinal guide groove to receive the rear plate, an upper rail to receive the cover plate, a lower rail, and a plurality of sockets to receive a plurality of connection rods. The cover plate has a pair of racks to receive the upper drawer.

Abstract: A set of interchangeable adapters for coupling an evaporation head of a pipe freezer apparatus with pipes of different diameters is described. Each adapter includes a thermally conductive body having a first surface defining a first channel shaped and sized to securely and releasably receive the evaporation head. The body of each adapter also has at least one pipe-engaging surface defining a substantially semicircular pipe channel conforming to a selected standard pipe diameter. In a preferred embodiment, the set includes a plurality of adapter pairs, each adapter of a pair having pipe channels of the same radii as its mate and each pair having pipe channels of different radii than those of the other pairs. Thus, the set of interchangeable adapters is well suited for holding a pair of evaporation heads in thermal communication with pipes of several different diameters.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hard metal or cermet body with a hard material phase consisting of WC and/or at least one carbide, nitride, carbonitride and/or oxicarbonitride of at least one of the elements from group IVa, Va, or VIa of the periodic table and a binding metal phase consisting of Fe, Co and/or Ni, said binding metal phase making up 3 to 25 mass %. In particular, WC crystallites should protrude beyond the hard metal or cermet surface of the by 2 to 20 &mgr;m in order to improve the adhesion of surface layers that are applied.

Abstract: A portable pipe freezer apparatus includes a condenser/compressor unit and a pair of flexible coaxial hoses each connected to an evaporator head with a set of interchangeable adapters configured with one or more nearly semicircular channels conforming to a standard pipe diameter. The adapters hold the evaporation chamber in a position such that the length axis of the chamber is aligned parallel to the axis of the pipe and the hose coupling is oriented perpendicular to the length axis of the chamber. Inside the chamber, a baffle placed between the outlet of the inner tube of the hose and the return to the outer tube forces refrigerant sprayed out of the inner tube to migrate from essentially the midway point of the chamber to an end wall and then back toward the midway point before entering the outer tube.

Abstract: A hard metal or cermet body, especially as a cutting insert, has a WC content in the hard phase making up at least 10% and at most 96% thereof and three layers or zones between the interior of the body and the surface formed by the heat treatment to which the sinterable body is subjected. In the outermost layer hard material with limited binder content can be formed underlain by an intermediate layer of a substantially pure WC--Co composition, the innermost layer having a tungsten content falling to the value in the body interior and a binder phase and Group IVa and Group Va metal which increased progressively to the levels in the body interior.

Abstract: An evaporator has an outer surface and inner chamber. The outer surface having at least two pipe receiving surfaces and a pair of ends. The evaporator has a bore extending from one of the ends to the inner chamber. A tube extends into the bore sealing the chamber, such that a refrigerant flows into the inner chamber through an inner tube and out of the inner chamber through the tube. Each of the pipe receiving surfaces having a distinct surface adapted for receiving different size pipes.