A beverage warmer is provided which has a surface element for supporting a fluid container or vessel thereon and for transferring heat directed thereto by a heating element to the fluid container. The beverage warmer also has an annular upwardly projecting member contiguous with the surface element for reducing the amount of heat loss to the surrounding atmosphere.

Light emitting diode testing apparatus and method sequentially couples a common voltage source to a number of diodes equal to the reciprocal of their duty cycle and applies to them a voltage magnitude to produce a current equal to the reciprocal of the duty cycle times the average current rate to thereby effectively test the diodes for poor die attaches or lead bonding.

A coffee filter having a square bottom sealed to four upright sides to form an open topped canister. The bottom and sides are scored by cooperating fold lines whereby the filter may be collapsed to a flat shape. The bottom has one or more perforations and is covered by a sheet of filter paper on the inside.

A cover and knob assembly for a coffee percolator; the cover having an opening for the knob. The knob comprises a hollow body closed at one end and open at its other and has its closed end section projecting from and overlying the edges of the cover opening and its open end section extending through the cover opening. The open end section has oppositely laterally facing detent projections at its bottom. A U-shaped spring clip having arcuate sides with the altitude of the arcs greater than the di...

A flow control device comprising a housing formed with a valve chamber including a seat on which a tiltable valve is adapted to be disposed in sealing engagement therewith. A controlled opening of the valve is achieved by an actuator operatively connected to the stem portion of the valve so as to effect a tilting of the head portion thereof relative to the valve seat. The design of the individual components comprising the valve assembly enables their fabrication from plastic materials by modern ...

A filter is provided for beverage machines such as coffee machines. The filter material is a layer of woven or molded polymeric plastic having a mesh size of between about 52 and 70 microns. Filter material is supported by a coarse support grid which in turn is supported by a carrier.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in electrical heating units, and more particularly to improvements in electrical heating units of the type employing wafer-like material or sheets such as mica having an electrical heating coil associated therewith. The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein includes thin coplanar sheets of heat resistant, electrically non-conductive material such as mica, the outer peripheries of which in the aggregate generally define a circle. Diam...

A lever mechanism for exerting variable torque about the axis of a valve spindle in which a stationary abutment member, a movable abutment member rotatable with the spindle, and a pivot pin are mounted on a valve with a lever arm which provides an initial mechanical advantage between the lever and the spindle until after some rotation has occurred, spindle and lever move in unison with a final mechanical advantage, the initial mechanical advantage being greater than the final mechanical advantag...

A fluid flow control valve is operated to close and at least partially open an aperture defined in a wall dividing the casing of the valve. A closure member covers the aperture thereby preventing a fluid communication through the wall when the valve is in a closed position, and may be rotated to either a fully or partially opened position to allow fluid communication. A means is provided for causing rotation of the closure member and includes motion transfer means for coupling an externally appl...

A simple and economical light circuit tester for use with a set of Christmas tree lights is provided. The circuit tester is composed of a plug having a single wire electrical lead connected to one prong of the plug. The single wire lead is connected in series with a light bulb mounted in a Christmas tree light socket. The light bulb is connected in series with a probe by means of the same single wire lead.