Other

Positioning Devices, Incorporated

Patents Licensing International, Ltd.

James J Souder, Jr

Lindsey E Waldorf

Merlin D Fox

Edward D Scarborough, Jr

P Paul Hysen

Donald R Rettich

Lindsay E Waldorf

Robert L Mason

A support arm system for selectively positioning relatively heavy objects such as television sets consisting of articulated forward and rear arms each comprised of parallelogram linkages which are each sprung to counterbalance the load weight. A special mounting of the forward arm springs enables a compact configuration, but which introduces slight unbalance conditions in some arm positions. An adjustable friction brake arrangement is incorporated in a pivot point of each linkage which applies a braking force to insure stable positioning of each of the arms in any position throughout the motion of the arm system notwithstanding unbalanced conditions. Also disclosed is a quick connect feature for mounting the supported load to the forward arm, which is combined with a parking lock securing the forward arm in a folded position, which parking lock is released during the connecting feature. An access opening enables convenient adjustment of the forward arm spring force to precisely balance a given supported load weight.

Spring counterbalanced support arm system

An equipoising arm structure which can support relatively heavy objects, yet is compact in shape, and which can be counterbalanced by commercially available springs. The mechanism employs conventional parallelogram linkages for its lower and upper arms, with the lower arm being connected between a base bracket and a floating bracket, and the upper arm being connected between the floating bracket and a support bracket for the object. The upper arm includes a unique springing arrangement in which the ends of the springs attached to the brackets are connected beyond the conventional point of connections so as to maximize the lift of the springs when the upper arm is horizontally disposed. Means are provided for compensating for the non-linearity of such a springing arrangement over the range of angles of the upper arm that would otherwise normally occur.

Equipoised articulated support arm

A food holder arrangement is disclosed for use in delivering meals including both hot and cold food items to points of consumption remote from the point of preparation with the hot and cold food temperatures maintained. The food holder arrangement includes a flat tray having a heat retaining insert extending over a portion of the area of the tray. A pair of covers are also provided, one extending over the area occupied by the heat retaining insert, the other extending over a remaining area of the tray, with this other cover having in its top a heat absorbing insert. This location of the respective inserts is such that upon preheating and prechilling of the inserts, convection currents result within the respective covers which are augmented by conductive and radiation heat transfer effects so as to maintain the hot and cold food temperatures. These inserts are disclosed as either materials having a high heat capacity or substances which have an appropriate phase change at the approximate food temperatures which are to be maintained. Also disclosed is an improved insert arrangement for maintaining the hot foods at relatively level, moderately hot temperatures, the insert including a non-toxic substance which undergoes a change of state at temperatures on the order of 125.degree.-200.degree. F. so that the heat released in undergoing such change of state may be utilized to maintain the food temperatures. Examples of such substances are given as waxy organic crystalline substances such as paraffin, stearic acid, and palmitic acid or mixtures of the same.

Food holder temperature maintenance system

A method and apparatus are disclosed for heating discrete areas of a surface bearing a thermoplastic or heat-activated adhesive or coating for the purpose of producing a thermal sealing of the surface with respect to another contacted surface as in the thermal sealing of flaps of paperboard containers. The method consists of the utilization of a radiant energy source focused onto the seal area to be activated. The radiant energy source is selected to have characteristics enhancing the focusability of its emissions, i.e., approximating a point source and having a relatively high proportion of visible and near visible range wavelength emissions. The method further includes treating of the discrete surface area with a marking absorbent of the focused radiant energy placed on the surface or by pigmenting the thermoplastic adhesive or coating itself, with the remainder of the surface being reflective to the focused radiant energy so as to control the absorption pattern of the focused radiant energy to thus cause it to be maximized in the confines of the discrete area. The focusing of the radiant energy pattern size is controlled in order to readily vary the size of the surface area upon which the radiant energy is focused so as to vary the area heated and/or to vary the intensity of heating of the area. The power output of the radiant energy source is also disclosed as being varied in accordance with the intensity of the heat energy required for the particular conditions under which the heating process is carried out, such as the speed with which the sheet material is moved past the radiant energy source, the absorbtivity or the pattern size required.

Method and apparatus for selectively heating discrete areas of surfaces

Meals for institutional feeding are arranged on trays in a central commissary with hot and cold food portions in separate containers. The containers for the hot items have bases formed with metallic plates and thermally insulated covers with internal metallic heat radiators. The trays are arranged in stacks in a refrigerated transport cart having spaced shelves which extend between the trays and include induction heating coils which produce heat generating currents in the metallic elements of the bases and covers of the hot food containers, heating these food portions while the other items are refrigerated. The hot food containers are provided in a variety of configurations each of which is heated at a different rate by the coils so the serving temperature of the food is determined by the type of its container.

Method and apparatus for heating food

Meals for institutional feeding are arranged on trays in a central commissary with hot and cold food portions in separate containers. The containers for the hot items have bases formed with metallic plates and thermally insulated covers with internal metallic heat radiators. The trays are arranged in stacks in a refrigerated transport cart having spaced shelves which extend between the trays and include induction heating coils which produce heat generating currents in the metallic elements of the bases and covers of the hot food containers, heating these food portions while the other items are refrigerated. The hot food containers are provided in a variety of configurations each of which is heated at a different rate by the coils so the serving temperature of the food is determined by the type of its container. An alternative stationary heating mechanism has spaced shelves containing induction heating coils adapted to receive a plurality of stacked trays supported on a mobile cart. After the trays are interleaved with the stationary shelves, sections of the shelves are moved vertically to bring the coils into proximity to the metallic elements of the hot food containers. Alternative means are disclosed for heating the base and cover plates by other than inductive heating means.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

James J Souder, Jr