Abstract: A safety cover for a duplex electrical outlet is described as having (i) an inner plate which is secured to the outlet, and (ii) an outer plate which is detachably hinged to the inner plate so that electrical plugs with metal prongs can be easily inserted into the outlets and removed therefrom as the outer plate is rotated from the inner plate. Further, the outer plate is completely removable from the inner plate as a safety feature so that tripping over an electrical cord, extending from the safety cover, is practically impossible because of this quick release feature of the safety cover. The inner and outer plates are uniquely hinged together by a hinge that is secured to one of the plates while being releasably joined to the other of the plates. The outer plate is designed to accommodate a conventional electrical plug. Further, the outer plate is provided with a special slot through which an electrical cord, attached to the plug, passes exteriorly of the cover.

Abstract: A device is described for holding a paint brush or roller in wet storage in the sealed chamber of a container. The chamber is designed to hold a paint dissolving solvent which creates an atmosphere in which a paint ladened brush or roller remains soft and pliable until it can be thoroughly cleaned, or until it is reused. The device includes an open top container which is provided with a cover for sealing the chamber, within the container, from the ambient atmosphere. The cover, in turn, is provided with a relatively small opening from which a number of slits, cut through the cover, extend in radial directions. The slits form a plurality of flexible, pie-shaped segments which coact with the opening to readily adapt to receiving various size handles of the paint brush or roller.

Abstract: A golf practicing device is described as being a golf ball which is tethered to a casting-type fishing reel which is attached to a portable bracket which, in turn, is detachably mounted adjacent the handgrip on the shaft of a golf club, such as a chipping iron or putter. A pair of eyelets are provided on the bracket opposite and, in line, with the fishing reel to guide the line from the reel as it pays out from the reel upon stroking or hitting the ball with the club head. Thus, after putting or hitting the ball, the player only need rewind the reel to return the ball for another practice shot.

Abstract: Phosphogypsum is mixed with fine coal, balled, and charged to a travelling grate where the charge is heated under reducing conditions to evolve sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide for conversion into sulfuric acid.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of reducing the swelling characteristics and bed characteristics of a pelletized fuel during a sintering operation. The method comprises the steps of pulverizing the coal to form a powdery mass, forming the mass into discrete pellets, providing a coating on the pellets with soluble salts, burnt lime, or hydrated lime, and heating the pellets to a temperature exceeding 800.degree. F.

Abstract: A cross fire stoker adapted to burn a difficultly ignited fuel is disclosed, together with a method of operating the stoker. The stoker is adapted to burn such fuel in a furnace not having large front or rear arches and includes a horizontal traveling grate within the furnace which is adapted to convey a bed of solid carbonaceous fuel from a charging zone, through an ignition zone, through a firing zone, and to an ash discharging zone. A suction fan is provided at the initial windbox to downdraft an oxygen-containing fuel to the bed at an ignition zone closely adjacent said charging zone. The remainder of the bed is subjected to updrafting for firing the bed to reduce it to ash.

Abstract: A fixed sulfur fuel is produced by proportioning sulfur-bearing coal and limestone in amounts which will cause the calcium in the limestone to react with a large amount of sulfur in the coal. The proportioned mixture is ground and blended and then balled or compacted to form pellets. By means of either a carbonizing or pyrolyzing technique conducted in a traveling grate machine, where the pellets are heated to at least 800.degree. F., the coal is pyrolyzed or carbonized, the limestone is calcined, and the sulfur is fixed in a calcium compound which remains stable in the ash after the pellets are burned as a fuel.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for gasifying pelletized coal to produce a low Btu gas containing large amounts of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Advantageously, the process is carried out on a circular traveling grate machine on a continuous basis. A horizontally moving, quiescent, gas-permeable bed of coal is formed by depositing at least one layer of a sized recycle charge of coal and at least one layer of fresh coal. To initiate an oxidizing reaction zone, the surface of one of the layers is ignited and the zone travels as a wave downwardly into the layer and upwardly into any superposed layer. Air and steam or air and carbon dioxide are either updrafted or downdrafted through the bed to control combustion. The coal is reduced in zones ahead of the advancing zone or zones of oxidation, and the reactions are terminated before the oxidation zone reaches both outermost surfaces of the bed to minimize the formation of carbon dioxide. Unreacted coal is separated from fine ash and is used as the recycle feed.

Abstract: A method of educting oil from fine, high carbon oil shales is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a burden of oil bearing shale having a high fixed carbon content and charging the shale in the traveling grate machine, preferably a circular traveling grate machine. The burden is moved in a horizontal plane into a retorting zone, where the shale is heated to an oil-educating temperature of at least 800 degrees F. Oil and a medium BTU gas is educted from the burden, and the burden is then moved to a gasifying zone, where steam and air are downdrafted through the burden to raise the temperature of the burden to a temperature in excess of 1800 degrees F. Such a temperature converts substantial amounts of residual carbon in the burden to carbonaceous gases, and promotes substantial agglomeration or clinkering of the spent shale to enable a separation recyling process. The spent shale is cooled and the spent agglomerated shale is discharged from the machine.

Abstract: A fixed sulfur fuel is produced by proportioning sulfur-bearing coal and limestone in amounts which will cause the calcium in the limestone to react with a large amount of sulfur in the coal. The proportioned mixture is ground and blended and then balled or compacted to form pellets. By means of either a carbonizing or pyrolyzing technique conducted in a traveling grate machine, where the pellets are heated to at least 800.degree. F., the coal is pyrolyzed or carbonized, the limestone is calcined, and the sulfur is fixed in a calcium compound which remains stable in the ash after the pellets are burned as a fuel.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of oil from oil-bearing shale and for employing the oil-depleted shale as a combustible heat source. The oil-bearing shale is charged on a traveling grate to form a burden. A bed of oil-depleted shale having uncombusted carbon and hydrocarbons is provided, and those uncombusted materials are combusted to raise the temperature of the bed to above about 1000.degree. F. A reducing atmosphere is passed through the oil-depleted and combusted bed to raise the temperature of the reducing atmosphere. The heated reducing atmosphere is then passed through the burden to raise the temperature of the oil shale to at least 800.degree. F. and to thereby educt oil from the oil shale. In another embodiment, the combusted oil-depleted material is layered onto the oil-bearing and the reducing atmosphere is passed sequentially through the oil-depleted and oil-bearing material.

Abstract: A circular traveling grate machine is disclosed, which is particularly suitable for educting oil from oil shale. The machine includes generally circular inner and outer walls mounted for movement along a trackway and which carry a plurality of burden conveying pallets, hinged to the outer wall and releasably connected to the inner wall. As each pallet approaches and enters a burden discharge station, the connection between the pallet and the inner wall is released. The pallet is then guided downwardly to a discharge position by a piston and cylinder as each pallet is pivoted on its hinge under the influence of gravity. Each lowered pallet is raised by a piston and cylinder and latched in a burden carrying position to the inner wall. The pallets and walls are supported for rotation along the trackway by water cooled supporting grid to minimize differential expansion and contraction of component parts of the machine as they are subjected to differential temperatures.

Abstract: There is provided an improved process for preparing a charge composition for a smelting furnace in accordance with which a deficiency of nonagglomerating carbonaceous material is utilized within pellets formed from iron oxide ore with or without an added flux material, and these pellets sintered on a traveling grate machine in the presence of externally supplied carbonaceous material in the sinter bed sufficient to make up the deficiency within the pellets.