Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7882734 | Utilizing motor current variations to control mixer operation A mixing system comprising a bowl, mixing element and motor. A mixing element is located within the bowl and is driven by a motor to impart mechanical energy to the foodstuff being mixed upon contact. A method for predicting instantaneous loading on the mixing syste... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7354511 | Hydraulic unit for industrial trucks A hydraulic unit for industrial trucks, comprising a motor pump unit which is directly attached to a tank, a reflux filter which has an elongate filter casing for a filtering element adapted to be introduced into the tank through an opening, a hose coupling, and an ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7191895 | Conveyor induct system with probability estimator A conveyor system, such as an induction subsystem for supplying articles to a sortation subsystem, and method of conveying articles includes providing a conveying surface for conveying a series of articles and at least one sensor for sensing the articles on the conv... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7172335 | Automatic mashed potato system An automatic mashed potato system for efficiently and automatically creating seasoned mashed potatoes. The automatic mashed potato system includes a housing unit having an upper cavity with a closure, a seasoning unit within the closure, a fluid collection tray remo... | 02/06/2007 |
| 6947152 | High speed laser micrometer A large profile, high speed laser micrometer is formed from a light source unit comprised of a plurality of emitter modules that combine to emit a laser sheet and a detector array comprised of a plurality of detector modules. The laser micrometer also includes a dat... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6250147 | Device and method for analyzing starch-containing product A suspension of a starch-containing product in heated during agitation, whereby the viscosity is registered as a function of the temperature. A curve over the relationship between viscosity an temperature is treated as a property profile for the sample an... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6240839 | Device for proofing dough A device and method for storing dough as the dough rises, wherein an indication is provided when the dough has risen to the proper volume. A batch of leavened dough is placed in a container. A lid is provided for covering the leavened dough in the contain... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6058762 | Sample preparation unit The sprout damage testing apparatus of the present invention includes a housing with a mixing cup for receiving a grain sample therein. A first tank supplies a first reagent through a conduit to the mixing cup and a mixer mixes the first reagent and sampl... | 05/09/2000 |
| 5766373 | Method and apparatus for determining the doubling of the volume of rising dough Method and apparatus for determining the doubling in volume of a rising dough includes a horizontal beam placed across the edge of the bowl which has a retaining notch for a vertical calibrated stick whose end is placed on the top of the dough to ascertai... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5694809 | Dough sheet sensor A dough sheet sensor comprises a sensing roller, a pivot, a roller support arm and an adjustable counterweight. The sensing roller is displaceable in a first direction as a function of tension in a dough sheet. The roller support arm supports the sensing ... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5682324 | Method and arrangement for determining the ability of wheatflour to bind water The invention relates to a method and apparatus for test determining the optimal water-binding ability of wheat flour in order to bake bread with a desired baking result. A predetermined quantity of wheat flour is mixed with water and prepared by working ... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5591461 | Forming apparatus for a powdery sample A powdery sample forming apparatus, which is used for measuring a water content of powder and in which all operations from powder supply to powder discharge are automated, includes a vertically elongated housing which has a sample inlet port at an upper p... | 01/07/1997 |
| 5577410 | Method and apparatus for testing snack product ingredients A method for testing the ingredients of fabricated snack products includes the steps of; producing snack product test pieces using a test ingredient; evaluating certain characteristics of the test pieces; and then using this information to predict the cha... | 11/26/1996 |
| 5515718 | Method and apparatus for determining toughness of baked products Apparatus (10) is provided for measurement of the toughness of edible products such as breads and cheeses. The apparatus (10) preferably includes a texture analyzer (12) equipped with a load cell crossarm (18); a special sample holding device (14) is moun... | 05/14/1996 |
| 5311768 | Multi-faced probe and method of measuring the stickiness of cooked string pasta products A testing apparatus (20) and a corresponding method are provided for validly measuring the stickiness or adhesiveness of a sample (52) such as cooked pasta. The apparatus (20) includes a support surface (42) on which the sample (52) is placed, an aperture... | 05/17/1994 |
| 5280717 | Adhesion testing apparatus and method for flowable materials such as wheat doughs An improved adhesion testing apparatus (20) for the accurate, quantitative measurement of adhesion of coherent flowable materials such as doughs is provided which includes an extrusion-type sample holding device (42) together with a shiftable probe (38). ... | 01/25/1994 |
| 5172193 | Method of predicting cut-time of milk coagulum in cheese-making process An apparatus for predicting milk coagulum cut-time in a cheese making process includes a light source, a sensor or detector for sensing diffuse reflectance of light from said milk and a controller for analyzing the diffuse reflectance and accurately predi... | 12/15/1992 |
| 5157254 | Reflective electro-luminescent measurement adapter for quality control of baked and fried goods The present invention relates to a method and a device for measuring vividness by means of the light reflected from the surface of baked and fried goods. The adapter establishes a controlled environment for measuring the light reflected from such surfaces... | 10/20/1992 |
| 4953401 | Method for determining the quality of gluten in wheat The quality of gluten in wheat is determined by centrifuging a gluten sample taken from a wheat dough against a sieve. Upon completion of the centrifugation process, it is determined how large a proportion of the sample has remained in the sieve, without ... | 09/04/1990 |
| 4905512 | Method of continuously measuring a successively conveyed lengthy body A method of continuously measuring a successively conveyed lengthy body. Light sensors are located above and laterally of the conveying path of a conveyor and measure the distances from the sensors to various points on the surface of the lengthy body whil... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4838081 | Method and apparatus for improving the reliability for dough testing results An apparatus and method improves the reliability and reduces the variability of test results using a Alveographe testing appartus for dough. Dough samples are prepared and the qualities of the flour and/or doughs used are measurable by biaxially stretchin... | 06/13/1989 |
| 4766766 | Method and apparatus for preparing dough A method of preparing dough for bread or fancy cakes can be carried out more quickly, precisely and reliably, dispensing with subjective judgements of the dough during and/or after the mixing, in such a manner that the state of the dough is monitored with... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4565703 | Method for preparing bread dough Disclosed is a method and apparatus for optimizing the rising of bread dough, in home bread baking. The apparatus includes a bread board which is preferably foldable and which is electrically heated to a temperature between 78° and 85° whereby dough kne... | 01/21/1986 |
| 4565089 | Consistometer An improved consistometer has a vertically-movable rod for imparting a precisely-measurable amount of energy on initial impact to a dough sample. Simultaneously, a precise measurement of vertical drop is obtained from a cooperating dial displacement indic... | 01/21/1986 |
| 4542645 | Apparatus and methods for measuring milk coagulation time and rigidity in the manufacture of fermented dairy products Apparatus and methods for measuring milk coagulation time and rigidity in the manufacture of fermented dairy products such as cheese. The apparatus includes a substantially flat, disc-shaped probe which is suspended from a wire into a fermented dairy prod... | 09/24/1985 |
| 4513614 | Method and device for filtering lubricating oil for a dough divider machine A method and device for use in connection with a dough divider machine which continuously uses mineral oil for lubrication. The method comprises capturing mineral oil, flour, and dough contaminants which becomes mixed as the dough divider operates and fil... | 04/30/1985 |
| 4495798 | Method and apparatus for measuring consistency of non-Newtonian fluids A method and device for determining the consistency of a non-Newtonian fluid in accordance with USDA Bostwick consistency standards comprises diverting a partial stream from a main production stream of the fluid. The flowrate of this partial stream in wei... | 01/29/1985 |
| 4437337 | Viscoelastometer A viscoelastometer for measuring and displaying a viscoelastic effect in a liquid such as water, oils, paints, blood or thickened liquids or suspensions including types commonly used as foods or pharmaceuticals as a reproducible force time signature. The ... | 03/20/1984 |
| 4332538 | Dough divider Dough which is to be formed into small volumes for later baking into bread, etc. is moved from a mass of dough in the lower portion of a hopper by a pair of helical screws, through a conduit, first to a metering means and then through a dispensing nozzle.... | 06/01/1982 |
| 4262024 | Method for testing baking strength of flour A procedure is described for determining the overall performance of a flour in baked goods, i.e. for determining the baking strength of the flour so that a baker may compensate for the same when preparing baked goods with the flour.... | 04/14/1981 |
| 4210020 | Pasta testing device A pasta testing device consisting of a pair of flat elongate transparent plates whose sides stand normal to the flat surfaces and have edges sufficiently clean and sharp to impinge or bite into the softened hydrated surface portion of a strand of pasta to... | 07/01/1980 |
| 3966973 | Process for determining and controlling the moisture of food products In the present invention the moisture content of foods is determined and controlled by moving the product continuously past one or both of two sensing devices; a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor and a vector impedance sensor which measures the impedance ... | 06/29/1976 |
