Abstract: An animated night-light and music-box combination comprises a housing, a pull-cord-type drive assembly mounted in the housing, a rotatable display disc having visual display thereon driven by the drive assembly and mounted in the housing, a music-box assembly driven by the drive assembly and mounted in the housing and a lighting assembly mounted in the housing. The combination device is operable by pulling a pull cord of the drive assembly to withdraw the pull cord from the housing and then releasing the pull cord to actuate the drive assembly. Upon actuation of the drive assembly, the display disc is rotated to animate the display thereon and the music-box assembly is actuated to produce music which accompanies the animated display. The lighting assembly is actuated to illuminate the animated display whenever the pull cord is withdrawn from the housing, and it is manually actuatable when the pull cord is recoiled in the housing on the drive assembly.

Abstract: An off-peak, electric, central air heating system for buildings incorporating a heat storage material that is used to store heat generated electrically during off-peak electrical power periods and to deliver heat on demand. The heat storage material is an alkaline metal or alkaline earth metal salt such as Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4, NaCl, CaCl.sub.2 and KCl individually or in combination with one another. Generation of heat during the off-peak electrical power periods is automatically controlled by an electronic time clock and time delay circuitry, and by selective variable temperature control. The heating unit is constructed with a casing having an inner jacket and an outer jacket with an air space between the two jackets. The storage material is surrounded by the inner jacket and the air space provides insulation as well as an air passage between the two jackets.