Alwin Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Perfect Fit Industries, Inc.

Erie Manufacturing Company

Adobeair, Inc.

Sheldon P Carr

Daniel C Kananen

Lawrence R Hansen

Richard Zimmerer

Nick William Buettner

Michael R Schreiner

Larry Hansen

Gary S Jouas

Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a sheet material dispenser are described. Dispenser embodiments include drive and tension rollers supported within a housing forming a nip therebetween. Pulling of sheet material through the nip and against the drive roller rotates the drive roller. Dispenser embodiments may include a cutting mechanism powered by drive roller rotation with an improved carrier-supported blade permitting highly-efficient dispenser operation. Dispenser embodiments may include a sheet material tail length adjuster which permits the attendant to shorten or lengthen the tail length extending away from the dispenser. Dispenser embodiments may further include a sheet material conservation feature which imposes a delay between dispense cycles encouraging use of a single sheet of material and discouraging sheet material waste.

Sheet material dispenser

A drain pump assembly is provided for use with an evaporative cooler having a water reservoir and a circulating pump. The drain pump assembly includes a drain pump operative to pump accumulated water from the reservoir when the drain pump is turned on and a controller. The controller is operative to turn on the drain pump automatically after the circulating pump has operated for a predetermined circulate time period and also is operative to turn on the drain pump in response to actuation of a manual drain actuator. The controller turns on the drain pump for a drain time that is equal to or greater than a predetermined drain period. The controller can terminate operation of the drain pump and reset the drain time is power to the circulating pump is interrupted during operation of the circulating pump. The controller includes a processor and a data storage device operative to store data representing the accumulated circulate time when power to the circulating pump is interrupted. The processor is programmed to calculate an accumulated circulate time during which power is applied to the circulate pump; control the switch to operate the drain pump for a predefined drain period when the accumulated circulate time is equal to or greater than the predefined circulate period; monitor the actuation of the manual drain actuator; control the switch to operate the drain pump for the drain period in response to actuation of the manual drain actuator; and reset the drain time if power is removed from the drain pump during the drain pump operation.

Evaporative cooler drain pump

A power supply system for outputting low voltage electrical power from a high voltage power source includes an isolation-type power conversion device, such as a transformer having a primary high voltage side and an isolated secondary low voltage side. The low voltage side is interconnected with a power output arrangement, which is adapted to supply low voltage power to a load, which may be in the form of an electric blanket or the like. A switching arrangement is interconnected with the high voltage primary side of the power conversion device, for providing intermittent operation of the power conversion device. The period of intermittent operation of the power conversion device is controlled via a control arrangement, to vary the power output from the low voltage secondary side of the transformer and thereby to the electrical load. The control arrangement is preferably in the form of a pulse width modulation (PWM) control, which receives inputs from a controller that is powered from the isolated secondary low power output of the power conversion device via isolated primary and secondary circuits, to vary the duty cycle of the switching power conversion device. The power supply includes a burst logic circuit that provides high frequency intermittent operation of the power conversion device through the switching arrangement when the controller is off, to supply low voltage power to the controller which enables initial operation of the controller and thereby operation of the power conversion device. The low voltage output is interconnected with a load detection arrangement which disables the controller in the event the load is disconnected from the low voltage output. An over-voltage switch is also interconnected with the low voltage output, to shutdown the power supply in the event the voltage of power supplied to the low voltage output exceeds a predetermined low voltage threshold.

Low voltage power supply system for an electric blanket or the like

A heating arrangement includes a pliable member such as a blanket, mattress pad, throw, etc., having a heating element that is engageable with a power supply via a connection arrangement secured to the heating element and to the pliable member, and a connector from a power supply cord that extends from the power supply. The connection arrangement includes a housing within which the ends of the heating element are located, and a mounting member that surrounds the housing and is connected to the pliable member for maintaining the connection arrangement in place. The ends of the heating element include connector pins that are received within passages defined by the housing, and which are adapted for engagement by receivers associated with the power supply connector. A retainer arrangement is interposed between the power supply connector and the housing, for releasably maintaining the power supply connector in engagement with the housing. The housing includes a greater number of passages than connector pins, and the connector pins are engaged within the passages in a predetermined arrangement according to the parameters of the pliable member, e.g. size and desired heat output. The power supply connector of a compatible power supply includes a similar number of passages, and has receivers that are configured so as to correspond to the configuration of the heating element connector pins so as to ensure that the proper power supply is used for the pliable member.

Connector arrangement for an electric blanket or the like having a low voltage power supply

An electrically operated heating device, such as an electric blanket, mattress pad, heating pad or throw having a pliable member, includes heating elements located within an interior defined by the pliable member which are configured to prevent breakage or disconnection of the heating elements in the event the pliable member is subjected to a concentrated load that applies tension to the heating elements. The interior of the pliable member includes a series of passages within which the heating elements are located. The heating elements have a non-linear configuration such that the overall length of the heating element contained within each passage has a length greater than that of the passage, which enables the heating elements to stretch and flex when the blanket portion is subjected to a concentrated load. The ends of adjacent heating elements are connected, such that the heating elements are defined by a single length of heating wire that is placed in a back and forth manner throughout the surface area of the blanket portion. The heating wire defines ends which are engaged with a power input for supplying electrical power to the heating elements.

Heating element arrangement for an electric blanket or the like

A control unit for operating a valve system in a water conditioner system includes a drive motor having an output shaft coupled to the valve system, a valve position slide switch, an electronic regeneration controller, and a settable mechanical clock. The electronic controller can be programmed by the use of electrical jumpers/dip switches/control knobs. As the drive motor drives the output shaft coupled to the valve system, the drive motor also contemporaneously rotates a dual lead screw in the valve position slide switch. The dual lead screw drives an electrical contactor along a series of electrical contacts in a closed loop fashion. Each of the discrete electrical contacts corresponds to a position of the valve. The electronic controller controls the position of the valve in accordance with dwell times programmed into the electronic controller. If a demand regeneration scheme is desirable, a hardness setting rotary potentiometer can be used to provide analog electrical control.

Growing community of inventors

West Bend, WI, United States of America

Sheldon P Carr