Abstract: A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product includes a housing structure adapted to support the roller grill; a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to a pre-cooked food product; a plurality of tube gears, at least one tube gear mounted on an end of a corresponding tube; and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a motor having a shaft adapted to rotate at a first rotational speed; and a plurality of idler gears mounted to a portion of the housing structure and contactingly engaged with the plurality of tube gears, the idler gears adapted to transfer a rotational power from the motor to the plurality of tube gears at a second rotational speed.

Abstract: A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product includes a housing structure adapted to support the roller grill; a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to the pre-cooked food product; a plurality of non-metallic gears, each non-metallic gear mounted on an end of a corresponding tube; a motor including a motor shaft and adapted to generate a rotational power through the motor shaft at a first rotational speed; and a drive sub-assembly adapted to transfer the rotational power from the shaft to the plurality of non-metallic gears at a second rotational speed.

Abstract: A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product includes a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to the pre-cooked food product; a plurality of spur gears, each spur gear mounted on an end of a corresponding tube; and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a motor; a timing pulley coupled to a shaft having a plurality of worm gears mounted thereon; and a timing belt coupled to the motor and the timing pulley and adapted to transfer rotary motion generated by the motor into rotary motion of the tubes through contacting engagement of the worm gears with the spur gears.

Abstract: A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product includes a housing structure adapted to support the roller grill; a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to a pre-cooked food product; a plurality of tube gears, at least one tube gear mounted on an end of a corresponding tube; and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a motor having a shaft adapted to rotate at a first rotational speed; and a plurality of idler gears mounted to a portion of the housing structure and contactingly engaged with the plurality of tube gears, the idler gears adapted to transfer a rotational power from the motor to the plurality of tube gears at a second rotational speed.

Abstract: A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product includes a housing structure adapted to support the roller grill; a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to the pre-cooked food product; a plurality of non-metallic gears, each non-metallic gear mounted on an end of a corresponding tube; a motor including a motor shaft and adapted to generate a rotational power through the motor shaft at a first rotational speed; and a drive sub-assembly adapted to transfer the rotational power from the shaft to the plurality of non-metallic gears at a second rotational speed.

Abstract: A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product includes a housing structure adapted to support the roller grill; a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to the pre-cooked food product; a plurality of timing pulleys, each timing pulley mounted on an end of a corresponding tube and including a notched circumferential surface; and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a motor including a shaft, the motor adapted to generate rotational power through the shaft at a first rotational speed; and a timing belt coupled to the motor and contactingly engaged with the notched circumferential surfaces of the timing pulleys, the timing belt adapted to transfer the rotational power generated by the motor to the tubes at a second rotational speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for draining reservoirs includes a pump disposed in contact with a lower surface of the vessel to be drained, wherein the pump is connected to a discharge pipe inserted into the vessel through an insertion tube connected to a retrofit assembly of the vessel. The apparatus also includes seals within the insertion tube and within the discharge pipe to prevent gases from within the vessel from passing through the insertion tube and discharge pipe and into the atmosphere. An expansion joint unit attaches to the discharge pipe to prevent the rotation of the pump relative to the discharge pipe. The expansion joint unit also maintains the pump in substantial contact with the lower surface of the vessel even when thermal expansion causes the vessel to expand and the position of the discharge pipe to lift.

Abstract: In a palletizing machine, cases of goods are received from a production line and are arranged into patterned layers. The palletizing machine stacks the patterned layers one on top of another to form a stacked load that can be easily transported by machine. During arrangement of the cases into the patterned layers, some cases may need to be turned to change their orientation relative to their direction of travel. The cases can be turned simultaneously in groups of two, three, or more cases, to minimize the contact of the palletizing machine with the cases during turning. The turning device which bears against the case during turning may also be provided with a component of movement in the direction of case travel so as to effect the speed of the collision when the cases contact the turning device and effect the net speed between the cases and the turning device during turning.

Abstract: The invention provides a hoist drive system for controlling the position of a hoist platform in a palletizer. In an embodiment of the invention, a hoist drive system comprises two electrical motors with dual output shafts. One motor may have an encoder for taking measurements relating to the rotation of the motor. A common shaft with a spring set safety brake ties the motors together. The two motors may be flux vector motors controlled with input from the encoder. The motors drive two gearboxes, thereby enabling vertical displacement of a hoist platform coupled to the drive system.

Abstract: In a palletizing machine, cases of goods are received from a production line and are arranged into patterned layers. The palletizing machine stacks the patterned layers one on top of another to form a stacked load that can be easily transported by machine. During arrangement of the cases into the patterned layers, some cases may need to be turned to change their orientation relative to their direction of travel. The cases can be turned simultaneously in groups of two, three, or more cases, to minimize the contact of the palletizing machine with the cases during turning. The turning device which bears against the case during turning may also be provided with a component of movement in the direction of case travel so as to effect the speed of the collision when the cases contact the turning device and effect the net speed between the cases and the turning device during turning.

Abstract: The invention provides a hoist drive system for controlling the position of a hoist platform in a palletizer. In an embodiment of the invention, a hoist drive system comprises two electrical motors with dual output shafts. One motor has an encoder and as one motor rotates clockwise, the other motor rotates counter clockwise. A common shaft with a spring set safety break ties the motors together. The two motors are tied together electronically with a flux vector motor controller with input from the encoder. The flux vector motor controller controls the operation of the two motors, which drive two gearboxes, thereby enabling vertical displacement of a hoist platform coupled to the drive system.

Abstract: A toilet ventilation system moves air from within a toilet bowl and through a filter, or alternatively, out of the building by means of an exhaust pipe or duct. The ventilation system provides a toilet seat assembly having an air channel defined by the lower surface of the seat. An air channel cover is removably held in place on the lower surface of the toilet seat, covering the air channel. By removing the air channel cover the user may easily clean the air channel. A bowl-mounted base and enclosure is attached to the toilet bowl by means of the standard mounting bolts used to attach toilet seats. The toilet seat and lid are pivotally carried by the bowl-mounted base. A reservoir with a drain opening prevents the passage of liquid into a fan and filter housing. The fan and filter housing, carried by the bowl-mounted base, contains a fan powered by a direct current electrical system and an activated charcoal filter.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for automatically revising a hypertext document stored within a server connected to a computer network via an e-mail message. An e-mail message containing revisions to a hypertext document is generated and includes identification of a markup tag contained within the hypertext document. The e-mail message is transmitted to the server hosting the hypertext document via the computer network. After the e-mail message is authenticated, an identified markup tag within the hypertext document is replaced with revisions contained within the e-mail message. The revised hypertext document is then stored in a directory on the server.

Abstract: A water-based drilling mud additive comprising a pre-blended combination of about 2 parts of high softening point uintaite, about 1 part of a lower softening point uintaite, about 1 part of causticized lignite, and a strongly lipophilic, non-ionic surfactant is disclosed. This composition decreases shale sloughing and borehole instability during drilling of wells.

Abstract: A water-based drilling mud additive comprising a preblended combination of about 2 parts of high softening point uintaite, about 1 part of a lower softening point uintaite, about 1 part of causticized lignite, and a strongly lipophilic, non-ionic surfactant is disclosed. This composition decreases shale sloughing and bore-hole instability during drilling of wells.