Abstract: A salad spinner has a housing with a lid, a rotatable basket, and a drive mechanism in the lid for rotating the basket to spin water off salad in the basket. The drive mechanism has a manual actuator and a gear train for transmitting drive from the actuator to rotate the basket. The actuator lies on an outer surface of the lid and is movable along the outer surface in opposite directions between first and second positions to rotate the basket in a single direction. A ratchet assembly in driving engagement with the gear train enables transmission of rotational drive only in the single direction. A braking mechanism is included for braking spinning of the basket, and has a manual operator and two braking shoes for movement by the operator to brake spinning of the basket by friction.

Abstract: A can opener has two pivotable handle members and a traction wheel and a rotary cutter movable by the handle members respectively between an inoperative position in which the wheel and cutter are spaced apart for mounting onto a can and an operative position in which they are close together for turning and cutting the can. An operating lever is pivotable back and forth. A first ratchet assembly is driven by the lever upon pivotal movement in one direction for rotating the wheel in one direction. There is also a second ratchet assembly driven by the lever upon pivotal movement in the opposite direction for rotating the wheel in the same direction. Upon pivotal reciprocation, the lever rotates the wheel in the direction operating the wheel and cutter continuously, turning and cutting the can.

Abstract: A self-cleaning litter apparatus (30) comprises a base (31); a turntable (32), rotatably mounted within the base; a pan (33), for holding a quantity of animal litter, the pan being rotatably driven with the turntable; a rake assembly (36), providing a rake movable through the animal litter; a waste receptacle (37) for receipt of animal waste deposited in the litter, the receptacle providing a door (155) selectively moving to open and close the receptacle relative to movement of the rake assembly; a sensing mechanism (120) for determining the presence of an animal in the pan; a drive mechanism (170) for rotating the turntable, driving the rake assembly and operating movement of the door and, a controller (259) having a timer, and selectively providing power to the sensing mechanism and the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A hair trimming device is disclosed as including a first body part and a second body part, the first body part having a first end pivotally secured with a first end of the second body part for relative pivotal movement, the first body part including a brush portion at a second end distal from its first end, the brush portion including a recess, the second body part having a lever and a ruler pivotally engaged with each other, in which the ruler is receivable within the recess of the brush portion for holding hair between the brush portion and the ruler for trimming.