Other

Gehl's Guernsey Farms, Inc.

Arnold A Jahn

Carol J Nikolaus

John P Gehl

Tim Freeman

David A Borsheim

A device for sanitary dispensing from a flexible package a heated flowable material, such as cheese sauce, to be maintained at or above a predetermined temperature level after the package is opened. The dispensing device includes a housing defining heated compartment, a heating unit for maintaining the compartment at or above the predetermined temperature level, a package support in the compartment arranged to promote gravity flow of the material and a valve for selectively controlling flow of the material from the package and having a dispensing portion disposed substantially entirely in the compartment or the package support. The valve is removably connected to a package outlet and a valve member mounted in a valve body is moved from a closed position to an open position by an operator to discharge cheese sauce through a discharge opening in the housing. A second package of cheese sauce preferably is placed on top of the dispensing package to serve as a weight for promoting gravity flow from the dispensing package and to precondition the second package. In one embodiment, the package support is divided into a dispensing compartment and a preheating compartment which is arranged to hold a package in a configuration which permits the cheese sauce to be heated to an elevated temperature required by ANSI/NSF standards. The package support preferably is a one piece hopper molded from a synthetic thermoplastic or thermosetting material and packages in the dispensing and preheating compartments are heated by electrical heating elements molded into the hopper walls.

Device for dispensing flowable material from a flexible package

A novel and simplified system and apparatus is disclosed herein for efficiently collecting and utilizing solar energy. Fundamentally the invention employs a reflector-supporting medium or frame which is mounted for orbital travel through a circular path extending transversely (preferably horizontally) to the vertical. A large substantially parabolic reflector unit is mounted on said supporting medium for swinging or oscillation, during travel of said support, on an axis extending at least close to the horizontal. A stationary boiler or generator is immovably supported on an upstanding rigid post or tower and has a spherical, exterior, heat-absorptive surface so positioned with relation to the orbital travel of the reflector-supporting medium, and also the up and down swinging of the reflector unit, that all reflected solar rays will be focused and strike against some spherical segment of the absorptive surface throughout the sun's varying trajectory from sunrise to sunset. Preferably, a heat-insulated shield member is employed, surrounding most of the exterior of the spherical boiler and rigidly supported from the reflector unit. This shield has a circular exposure recess which constantly varies its position relative to the boiler exterior during full-day operation of the system. The shield is mounted for free sliding and oscillatory movement relative to the spherical boiler. Sun-sensor tracking media actuates the up and down swinging of the reflector unit in synchronism with the varying elevation of the sun in its daily trajectory.

Growing community of inventors

Menomee Falls, WI, United States of America

Arnold A Jahn