Abstract: A beverage brewing apparatus for brewing beverage concentrates and mixing these concentrates with dilution water prior to being disposed into a common decanter. A common fill basin is provided to supply the water requirements for both the brewing of the concentrate as well as the dilution of the concentrate. Brewing is initiated upon filling the basin to a predetermined level, after which, at a second predetermined level, dilution water is permitted to flow. At a first predetermined basin level, the brewing water ceases to be transported to the beverage brewing substance, however, the dilution water continues to flow until the basin is drained.

Abstract: Apparatus for melting and heating shortening includes a housing having a top, a bottom and sidewalls; a heating grid mounted in the housing and spaced above the bottom thereof for melting shortening and allowing melted shortening to pass therethrough toward the bottom of the housing. A door is mounted to the housing for introducing a block of shortening onto the heating grid. A bottom heater is mounted adjacent the housing bottom for maintaining the melted shortening at a desired temperature. A control circuit maintains control of the operation of both the heating grid and the bottom heater in a predetermined fashion for initially melting a block of shortening introduced onto the heating grid while substantially preventing smoking of the same, and for maintaining melted shortening at the desired temperature.

Abstract: An electromagnetic shielding device for use along gaps between relatively movable surfaces of doors, access panels, drawers, and cabinets, etc., includes an electrically conductive shielding strip formed of longitudinally arranged segments integrally connected by a carrier strip. Each segment is mounted on a corresponding segment of a mount track which is adapted to securely lock the shielding strip in place. The design of the electromagnetic shielding device of the present invention provides enhanced capabilities of electromagnetic shielding as well as improvements in structural rigidity and mechanical durability. The design also facilitates installation of shielding in confined areas and repair of damaged shielding.

Abstract: An open circuit measuring system (10) for discerning the vertical distance between selected locations is provided. The system includes first and further members, each having a base portion (14) with a bottom (16), and an upright tube (18) which contains liquid. The tube (18) is open at its top, and extends upwardly from the base portion (14). Fluid communication is provided between the tubes proximate their lower portions (22). A scale is carried by the tubes along their lengths, such that a user can discern, as marked by the level of liquid in the tube (18), the distance in selected units of measure between the bottoms of the first and further base portions.

Abstract: A trailer measuring system (10') for leveling a trailer during setup and for indicating deviations from an initial position of level of a trailer is provided. The device (10') includes a reservoir (16') and a plurality of measuring tubes (18') which can be secured to the frame (12) of a trailer (14) at horizontally spaced locations. Fluid communication is provided between the measuring tubes (18') proximate their lower end portions by tubing (20') and between their upper end portions by tubing (22) which connects the measuring tubes (18') in series or series/parallel to form a closed system. Fluid communication is selectively provided between the upper and lower end portions of the measuring tubes (18') and the upper and lower portions of the reservoir (16'), respectively.

Abstract: A beverage (tea and coffee) making appliance of the type having a reservoir wherein a supply of hot water for brewing is maintained and from which a volume of the hot water is displaced by an equal volume of a batch of cold water discharged by gravity from a cold water basin through a fill tube into the bottom of the reservoir. The displaced hot water is discharged into a brewing funnel lined with a filter on which the beverage forming material (ground coffee or tea leaves) is placed. The cold water basin is equipped with a removable standpipe-like fitting on the upper end of the fill tube through which cold water enters as long as the level of water in the cold water basin is above the upper end or entrance opening in the fill tube. The fill basin has a second drain opening to which is connected one end of a tube the other end of which discharges into a portion of the brewing funnel which is partitioned off from the filter lined portion.

Abstract: Beverage brewing apparatus capable of discharging brewed beverage either into a carafe disposed directly beneath the brewing funnel or into a container substantially taller than a carafe and too tall to fit directly under the funnel. The apparatus comprises a beverage brewer of the type in which brewed beverage discharges from a brewing funnel into a carafe supported directly below and a kit for converting the beverage brewer so as to permit brewed beverage to discharge into either a carafe or a container, such as an air pot which is too tall to fit directly under the funnel. The kit comprises legs to support the beverage brewer in an elevated position, an elongated spigot, and means for readily attaching and detaching the spigot to a discharge fitting of the brewing funnel. The spigot extends laterally to one side of the brewer so as to discharge into a tall container disposed at one side of the brewer.

Abstract: A convertible beverage (coffee and tea) making machine which as manufactured is a manual cold water pour-in machine and which is readily convertible "in the field" to an automatic cold water inlet machine, with or without a separate hot water faucet, by installing the contents of a conversion kit. If desired, the machine can be re-converted from an automatic back to a manual cold water pour-in machine. Separate and apart from being convertible from pour-in to automatic, the beverage making machine incorporates structural features which readily permit the following optional changes: the brewing funnel support rails can be re-positioned to allow the brewing funnel to be inserted and withdrawn from either the right or left side instead of from the front; the electric switch "buttons" can be re-positioned from the front to either the right or left sides; and, a hot water faucet, when added, can be mounted on either the right or left sides.

Abstract: A device for the simultaneous viewing of numerous photographic slides has two rows of periodic ridges spaced parallel to each other. The ridges are shaped so that one can grasp a stack of slides between the thumb and forefinger and spread them along the ridges in a single sweeping motion. In one embodiment, a light source is included in between the ridges.

Abstract: An electromagnetic shield includes electrically conductive walls arranged to form a closed boundry. The walls include pins projecting from a lower edge to secure the shield on a printed circuit board and to provide a connection to a conducting layer in the printed circuit board and engagement prongs on the upper edge to engage a cover plate.

Abstract: Extracellular enzymes can be recovered from a whole fermentation beer by adding to the whole beer a mixture of a polymer and an inorganic salt. This total mixture produces an enzyme-rich polymer phase and a cell debris-containing, enzyme-poor salt phase which can be separated to produce an enzyme-rich product from the polymer phase.

Abstract: This invention contemplates a novel process for the preparation of solution stable alpha-amylase obtained from Bacillus licheniformis, and to the high potency liquid enzyme product prepared by this process. Typically, the enzyme-containing solution from a fermentation is concentrated and starch is added to the concentrate. Alternatively, a precipitation agent such as salt is added to the solution, and a cake containing the enzyme precipitates. The cake is then contacted with an aqueous solution containing starch to extract the enzyme out of the cake to provide a stable liquid enzyme product.

Abstract: A structure leveling sytem comprises a plurality of portable members each including a base having a bottom and a transparent tube open at its having a bottom and a transparent tube open at its top and upstanding from the base and provided with graduations at intervals along its length. The graduations on all tubes correspond, whereby like graduations on the tubes denote identical distances above the bottoms of the bases. The system also comprises flexible tubing interconnecting the bottoms of the tubes with each other. Liquid, such as water, is introduced into the system through the top of one of the tubes and the structure to be leveled in manipulated until the liquid level in all tubes is at corresponding graduations, thus denoting that the bottoms of the bases are at a common elevation and hence that the structure is level.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel process for the recovery of enzyme crystals. The enzymes may be obtained from any enzyme-producing microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The invention contemplates supersaturation and/or crystallization to obtain enzymes in the crystalline form, and is particularly effective for the recovery of heat stable alpha-amylase in a crystal form.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electromagnetic shielding device. Further, the present invention relates to a arrangement for electromagnetic shielding of two adjacent relatively movable members having opposed surfaces with a space therebetween. The electromagnetic shielding device includes a resilient cap portion having a center portion and a plurality of segments extending radially outwardly therefrom. An arrangement for retaining the cap portion on one of the surfaces is provided. The retaining arrangement includes a thin disk adapted to be received between the segments of the cap portion and resilient tongues extending radially inwardly from an outer end of each of the segments. The cap portion in a free state has a height which is greater than the distance of the space between the opposed surfaces to be shielded. In this way, the cap portion is compressed to fit within the space upon movement of the members toward one another to ensure electrical connection between the two opposed surfaces.

Abstract: Extracellular protease and amylase coproduced during the fermentation of a microorganism capable of producing them are separated by the addition of polyethyleneglycol and a cationic epihalohydrin/polyamine copolymer or dextran polymer to the fermentation medium and allowing the polymers to phase separate to form a protease rich phase and an amylase rich phase.

Abstract: An artificial leg has a ball and socket ankle joint, the socket of which has upper and lower portions. They are connected together and clamped over the ball by a turnbuckle ring. This provides an adjustable shin and foot connection which permits use of a rubber-encased ball of sufficient size, without taking up too much shape within the ankle region. Also disclosed is a movable patella member and a vertically jointed two part foam covering.

Abstract: An improved artificial leg has a ball and socket ankle joint (3) connecting a foot (2) to a shin member (1). The ankle joint comprises a two-part socket (5A, 5B) enclosing a part-spherical ball member (4) with an elastic sleeve (6) sandwiched between the socket and the ball member (4) to allow resilient flexion of the foot (2) relative to the shin member (1). In order to provide relatively more resistance to dorsi-flexion than to plantar-flexion, an elastic buffer in the form of a ring (11) is disposed around a coupling shank portion (4A) of the ball member (4) to engage a downwardly extending anterior skirt portion (12) of the socket. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the skirt portion (12) also extends around each side of the ring (11) to provide resistance to medial and lateral flexion.

Abstract: A microphone mounting device has a shaft emulative of a microphone handle and a structure, for holding the microphone, attached to the shaft. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the structure includes a ring having a central axis that is attached to the shaft in such a way that the central axis is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In this embodiment there are disposed around the ring a plurality of elastic loops that releasably hold the microphone in place.