A tool is used to remove a shell from the meat of a shellfish and includes a handle section having a rip element on one handle and a serrated pad on the same handle. The tool further includes arcuate sections having teeth so the shell can be cracked using the tool in the manner of pliers. Once the shell is cracked, the rip element is inserted between the shell and meat and forced forward to separate the shell from the meat. The shellfish is held in a stable manner on the tool by the serrated pad...

An animal isolation and caging system which maximizes cage density within a ventilated rack is provided. The rack includes at least one air exhaust plenum, and at least one canopy disposed within the rack for ventilation of the cages housed in a rack system. The rack is capable of supporting a first cage within the rack below a first canopy, and also positioning a second cage below a second canopy. The filter top of the first cage provided by the invention also provides a filter retainer having ...

An eviscerating member for processing a cluster of viscera of a slaughtered animal comprises two jaw parts to be moved at least partially into and out of the body cavity of the slaughtered animal. The jaw parts can move with respect to one another between an open position, in which a first jaw part is situated at a distance from the second jaw part, and a closed position, in which the first jaw part and the second jaw part substantially clamp onto part of the cluster of viscera. The eviscerating...

The present invention provides a novel collapsible pen that is used in combination with a widely available modular unit used in the shipping industry. The present invention is economical to use by virtue of the fact that the pen may be stored inexpensively in a minimum of space in a disassembled state, may be assembled quickly, and may be easily and readily disassembled to permit alternate uses of the modular freight unit. The present invention consists of a collapsible pen erected on a standard...

An air-bag in the form of an inflatable curtain has a plurality of zones each provided with vertically extending cells defined by seams. Uninflatable regions are provided, the uninflatable regions being provided with oval apertures. On deployment of the inflatable curtain, the oval apertures will distend to become circular, enabling the uninflated region effectively to stretch to moderate the tension generated between two anchoring points connected by straps to the lower edge of the air-bag.

The present invention provides a removable cap and bottle assembly having a cap having a curved side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface where the inner surface has at least two threads disposed thereon. A bottle is provided having a mouth portion having an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface has at least two threads disposed thereon corresponding to the threads disposed on the inner surface of the side wall of the cap, so that when the cap is screwed on to the mo...

A process and apparatus for removing or reducing the levels of pathogenic bacteria present on an eviscerated carcass. The process includes introducing the eviscerated carcass to a cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus generally includes a housing structure having an entrance and an exit. Disposed within the housing structure is a rotating brush assembly and a spray assembly. The brushing assembly provides brushing and massaging actions to the surfaces of the carcass whereas the spraying ass...

A milking apparatus for laboratory animals enables a milking operation to be performed on a laboratory animal (such as a rat) by a single experimenter, and also enables universal milking data to be obtained that is not influenced by individual difference among experimenters. A teat cup enables milking to be performed directly from the nipple of a relatively small and prolific laboratory animal such as a rat and mouse. The invention provides useful means for clarifying the influence of harmful ex...

An assembly consisting of a cylindrical inflator , a housing and a retainer by means of which the inflator can be fixed in the housing. The inflator has a longitudinal centerline and a cirumferential surface area and the retainer comprises a circular opening with an edge. Protruding from the edge into the opening are tabs which engage the circumferential surface area of the inflator to fix the latter in the opening.

An occupant judging apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a load sensor assembled to a seat body, a controller for calculating a detected load value based upon an output load value of the load sensor and for performing an occupant judgment based upon a difference between the detected load value and a predetermined judging threshold value, and human body detecting means for detecting a human body approximately in contact with the seat body. The controller controls the occupant judgment based upon...