Abstract: A chilled item server is disclosed including an outer barrel formed of thermoplastic material that has a generally cylindrical shape, substantially vertical sides, a generally flat, closed bottom, and an open top having an annular ledge. An inner liner fits within the outer barrel and has a generally elongated truncated pyramidal shape, a generally flat bottom, an open top with an extended rim formed to compliment the generally square opening shape of the outer barrel and to rest on the annular ledge. A chamber is located between the inner liner and the outer barrel and is filled with polystyrene foam. At least one freezer panel is formed of appropriate size and shape to fit within the inner liner. The freezer panel is formed of thermoplastic material and arranged in a syncline. The freezer panels have cavities within each freezer panel that is filled with 2% saline solution. Casters are mounted to the generally flat bottom of the outer barrel.

Abstract: An apparatus for serving a chilled beverage from a keg includes an insulated housing having two opposed side walls and a door hinged to one of the side walls. Support racks are spaced from one to permit fit a keg between the racks, which form slidable grooves for insertion and removal of chiller panels when the door is open. Casters on the housing permit mobility, and channels on the outside of the housing receive selectively replaceable graphic material. A spout on the housing connectable to a keg provides discharge of the keg contents. A pressurized gas canister connectable to a keg urges discharge of the keg contents through the spout. A plurality of chiller panels contain a freezable liquid and are adapted to be removeably mounted on the racks. The panels may be frozen in a freezer and loaded into the racks keep the keg and its contents cold.

Abstract: A first holding tank includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the base to define an open top. An inlet pipe provides raw sewage into tank. Tank is part of a sewage treatment plant comprised of a number of like sequentially interlinked tanks. Tank has an average depth of about 1½ meters and a surface area of about 60 hectares. After a predetermined volume of sewage and other fluids are contained within tank, the inflow is halted and a number of live fish, in the form of European carp, are introduced into tank. The inclusion of the fish allows the conversion of the sewage into fish manure that progressively builds up on the bottom of the tank. Moreover, the movement of the fish in tank assists the processing of the sewage by aeration.

Abstract: A point-of-sale display for selling containers of chilled food items includes a quadrilateral vessel having a bottom and end and side walls, the walls containing thermally insulating material. At least seven removable panels each of which contains a material that is liquid at room temperature and has a freezing point of about 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder are configured to fit together to form vertical walls about at least one interior chamber in the vessel and sized to be placed into the vessel with two panels on opposed vessel ends, two panels each on opposed vessel sides and one panel extending between the vessel sides spaced from each vessel end, the panel extending between the vessel sides extending fully between the vessel sides and the panels on each vessel side together not extending fully along the side. The panels can be placed in a freezer below the freezing point of the liquid until the liquid freezes and then placed in the vessel to form an interior chamber in the vessel.

Abstract: An improved point-of-sale product chiller that is modular in design and construction whereby the server may be readily produced in various sizes and capacities for point-of-sale display and sale of chilled products. An insulated enclosure includes a base panel, a pair of sidewall panels, and a plurality of modular end wall panels that form a chilled product cavity. The panels are formed of hollow, blow-molded thermoplastic with foam insulation panels inserted therein. A chiller of a desired size is produced by selecting a base panel of the desired size and assembling to it modular end wall panels and sidewall panels of the desired size. One or more insulated central divider panels may be assembled within the enclosure to form multiple chilled product cavities within the enclosure. Removable, flat cold cell panels having cooperating edges are inserted about the inner periphery of the enclosure to maintain product temperatures inside the cavities.

Abstract: An improved point-of-sale product chiller that is modular in design and construction whereby the server may be readily produced in various sizes and capacities for point-of-sale display and sale of chilled products. An insulated enclosure includes a base panel, a pair of sidewall panels, and a plurality of modular end wall panels that form a chilled product cavity. The panels are formed of hollow, blow-molded thermoplastic with foam insulation panels inserted therein. A chiller of a desired size is produced by selecting a base panel of the desired size and assembling to it modular end wall panels and sidewall panels of the desired size. One or more insulated central divider panels may be assembled within the enclosure to form multiple chilled product cavities within the enclosure. Removable, flat cold cell panels having cooperating edges are inserted about the inner periphery of the enclosure to maintain product temperatures inside the cavities.

Abstract: A point-of-sale display for selling containers of chilled food items includes a quadrilateral vessel having a bottom and end and side walls, the walls containing thermally insulating material. At least seven removable panels each of which contains a material that is liquid at room temperature and has a freezing point of about 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder are configured to fit together to form vertical walls about at least one interior chamber in the vessel and sized to be placed into the vessel with two panels on opposed vessel ends, two panels each on opposed vessel sides and one panel extending between the vessel sides spaced from each vessel end, the panel extending between the vessel sides extending fully between the vessel sides and the panels on each vessel side together not extending fully along the side. The panels can be placed in a freezer below the freezing point of the liquid until the liquid freezes and then placed in the vessel to form an interior chamber in the vessel.

Abstract: A chilled item server is disclosed including an outer barrel formed of thermoplastic material that has a generally cylindrical shape, substantially vertical sides, a generally flat, closed bottom, and an open top having an annular ledge. An inner liner fits within the outer barrel and has a generally elongated truncated pyramidal shape, a generally flat bottom, an open top with an extended rim formed to compliment the generally square opening shape of the outer barrel and to rest on the annular ledge. A chamber is located between the inner liner and the outer barrel and is filled with polystyrene foam. At least one freezer panel is formed of appropriate size and shape to fit within the inner liner. The freezer panel is formed of thermoplastic material and arranged in a syncline. The freezer panels have cavities within each freezer panel that is filled with 2% saline solution. Casters are mounted to the generally flat bottom of the outer barrel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining a process parameter of a material in a processing system having two containers. The material being monitored is disposed in one container and a single thermal energy control device is applied to both containers. The heat flux of each container is determined while the single thermal control device is applied to both containers. The process parameter is determined in accordance with the determined heat flux. The thermal energy control device may be a single heating surface for warming the two containers, or a cooling device such as a refrigerator. The process parameter may be the drying rate of the material and the drying rate can be determined during the processing of the material. The drying rate and the percent of drying can be displayed and the thermal energy level of the containers can be controlled according to the determined drying rate. A calibration procedure for calibrating the apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: One or more sensors located on or surrounding a dangerous condition anticipate when an individual is approaching a hazard zone associated with the dangerous condition and then arms an alarm and activates an interactive protective system which protects an individual from exposure to the dangerous condition. The interactive system comprises a protective garment adapted to be worn by the individual. The protective garment includes a sensor for sensing when the protective garment is being worn and a signalling device responsive to the sensor for generating a signal indicating when the protective garment is being worn. A detector and control device responsive to the signal from the signalling device triggers an alarm sensible to the individual when it is activated by the motion sensor and does not sense the signal from the signalling device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining a process parameter of a material in a processing system having two containers. The material being monitored is disposed in one container and a single thermal energy control device is applied to both containers. The heat flux of each container is determined while the single thermal control device is applied to both containers. The process parameter is determined in accordance with the determined heat flux. The thermal energy control device may be a single heating surface for warming the two containers, or a cooling device such as a refrigerator. The process parameter may be the drying rate of the material and the drying rate can be determined during the processing of the material. The drying rate and the percent of drying can be displayed and the thermal energy level of the containers can be controlled according to the determined drying rate. A calibration procedure for calibrating the apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the moisture in materials is provided. The apparatus allows the accurate determination of moisture in a sample as small as 1 mg with a sensitivity of less than 1 microgram of moisture. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber which can be cooled to below -150.degree. C. or heated to about 100.degree. C. The vacuum chamber is connected in series with a moisture trap which can be cooled to below -150.degree. C. The moisture trap is connected in series with a combination of mechanical and diffusion vacuum pumps capable of reducing the pressure in the apparatus to below 1.times.10.sup.-5 Torr. A sample is placed in the vacuum chamber, cooled to below -150.degree. C., the apparatus is evacuated to a pressure of below 1.times.10.sup.-5 Torr by the vacuum pumps. Thereafter, the moisture trap is cooled to below -150.degree. C. while the sample is heated to about 100.degree. C. to transfer moisture from the sample to the trap.

Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in a container for measuring discrete quantities of poured-out liquid, which comprises a primary storage container, a measuring head, and a modified pour-spout, formed as a unitary body. The improvements include a first embodiment having a single pour-out mouth, also serving as a filler opening, wherein a removable insert plug formed integrally with the modified pour-spout is interposed into the neck between the measuring head and the primary container. In a second embodiment including a single pour-out opening, and a removable plug between the measuring head and the primary storage container, the modified pour-spout is formed integrally at the back of the measuring head by a compression-molding process. In another embodiment, having a single pour-out opening, an annular bulge interposed in the neck between the measuring head and the primary storage container provides an orifice for filling, and is collapsed to provide closure.

Abstract: Integrated structures of various combinations of inductors, capacitors and resistors are formed by bonded laminations of films of electrical conductors of desired configurations and electrical properties separated by films of dielectric material. Electrical terminals extending from appropriate ones of the conductors may be interconnected selectively to provide various single, series and parallel circuit component arrangements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the low temperature characteristics of materials measures the resistivity of a sample material and the resistivity of a comparision material and plots the ratio of the resistivity of the comparision material to the resistivity of the sample material versus the temperature of the sample material. In addition, the method and apparatus measures the temperature of the sample and the temperature of a reference material and plots the difference there between as a function of the temperature of the reference material. The method and apparatus is usable in monitoring and/or controlling lyophilization appartus in order to increase the efficiency of the freeze drying process, that is, increasing product yield while reducing processing time.

Abstract: Technique and apparatus for measuring liquids and granular material comprises a combination including a measuring vessel attached adjacent to the top and communicating with the primary container through the modifying pour spout of the latter. The measuring vessel includes an outwardly directed dispensing mouth having a removable closure, and a second upwardly directed opening vertically aligned with the pour spout of the primary vessel. In a preferred embodiment, the modifying pour spout of the primary container serves as a handle for the combination. After the primary container is filled through a tube extended through the second opening of the measuring vessel, this opening is either sealed, or a manually-operable valve is interposed into the opening. The manually-operable valve may alternatively take the form of a flap valve, or a piston valve, either of which operates to open and close communication through the modifying pour spout between the measuring vessel and the primary container.

Abstract: A technique and apparatus for measuring liquids and granular materials comprising a measuring head which may either take the form of an attachment to or an integral part of a conventional primary container. The measuring head comprises two elements: (1) an upwardly extended modifying pour spout seated on the mouth of the primary container and disposed at an acute clockwise angle to the axis of the primary container; and (2) a measuring vessel which encloses or is coupled to the modifying pour spout of the primary container, and which has its own dispensing mouth disposed at a counterclockwise angle relative to the axis of the primary container. The pour angle of the primary container is so modified relative to the dispensing mouth of the measuring vessel that the filled contents of the measuring vessel can be completely dispensed without any of the contents of the primary container escaping into the measuring vessel.

Abstract: An electrical inductance coil, having a central opening therethrough, is surrounded by a spaced shield of magnetic metal, and a screw of magnetic metal is mounted in engagement with one side of the shield for adjustable extension through the central opening in the coil for varying the spacing between the inner end of the screw and the confronting, opposite side of the shield.