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The frozen dessert machine of the present invention provides an inner core in its refrigeration chamber.
1. In a frozen dessert machine, including a freezing chamber having an outer heat transfer wall; a liquid inlet port in said freezing chamber; a dispenser port at the front of said freezing chamber for dispensing the frozen dessert from the freezing chamber; said inlet and dispenser ports being separate from each other such ttmt liquid may enter through the inlet port as product leaves through the dispenser port; a dasher for mixing the frozen dessert in the freezing chamber and for scraping tile frozen dessert off the outer heat transfer wall of the freezing chamber; and including a drive at tile back of said freezing chamber for driving said dasher; characterized in that:
said freezing chamber further includes an inner core extending from the back of the freezing chamber toward the front; a drive shaft extending from said drive at the back of said freezing chamber and connected to said dasher near the front of said freezing chamber; said drive shaft being enclosed by said inner core.
2. In a frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:
a seal located at the front of said freezing chamber for sealing between said drive shaft and said freezing chamber.
3. In a frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said seal includes a substantially toroidal body, having an inner surface, an outer surface and front and back surfaces, and including a seal on its inner surface for sealing against the drive shaft and another seal on one of its surfaces for sealing against the inner core of the freezing chamber.
4. In a frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 3, wherein said toroidal body includes threads for threading the toroidal body onto the inner core.
5. In a frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 1, wherein refrigerant circulates in said inner core, creating an inner heat transfer surface in said freezing chamber.
6. In a frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner core is substantially cylindrical.
7. In a frozen dessert machine, including a freezing chamber having an outer heat transfer wall; a liquid inlet port in said freezing chamber; a dispenser port at the front of said freezing chamber for dispensing the frozen dessert from the freezing chamber; said inlet and dispenser ports being separate from each other such that liquid may enter through the inlet port as product leaves through the dispenser port; a dasher for mixing the frozen dessert in the freezing chamber and for scraping the frozen dessert off the outer heat transfer wall of the freezing chamber; and including a drive at the back of said freezing chamber for driving said dasher; characterized in that:
said freezing chamber includes an inner core spaced from said outer heat transfer wall over substantially its entire length and extending substantially the length of said chamber; a drive shaft enclosed by said inner core and operatively connected to said drive at one end and to said dasher at the other end.
8. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 7 in which one end of said inner core abuts said outer heat transfer wall.
9. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 7, wherein said outer heat transfer wall is formed from a member which, on its outer surface, defines a groove, which is enclosed by a tubular member to form a spiral path so as to receive refrigerant.
10. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 7, and further comprising:
a mixing chamber upstream of said freezing chamber, said mixing chamber including a liquid inlet for receiving liquid frozen dessert mix; a gas inlet downstream of said liquid inlet for receiving gas to be mixed with the liquid; a tortuous path downstream of said gas inlet for mixing the gas and liquid together, breaking the gas into tiny bubbles; and a product outlet in fluid communication with the product inlet of the freezing chamber, so that the mixed gas/liquid product leaving the mixing chamber can enter the freezing chamber.
11. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 10, and further comprising a pump in fluid communication with said liquid inlet for pumping liquid into the mixing chamber.
12. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 11, and further comprising:
a small-diameter area in said mixing chamber in the area of said gas inlet, so as to increase the velocity of the liquid at the point where the gas is introduced.
13. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 12, and further comprising a bottle of pressurized gas in fluid communication with said gas inlet.
14. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 10, wherein said dispenser is fluid-operated.
15. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 12, wherein said dispenser is fluid-operated.
16. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 12, wherein the machine defines a product path from the liquid inlet of the mixing chamber to the dispenser which slopes toward the liquid inlet at all times, to facilitate drainage of fluids out of the machine for cleaning.
17. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 16, wherein the product path from the liquid inlet of the mixing chamber to the dispenser is a smooth path suitable for clean-in-place procedures.
18. A frozen dessert machine as recited in claim 7, and further comprising a leak detection tube from the inside of the inner core to the front of the machine, such that, if product leaks into the inner core, it will pass through the tube to the front of the machine, so it can be readily detected by the operator.
The present invention relates to freezers, and, in particular, to a freezer for making frozen desserts. This invention is related to three other concurrently-filed applications, entitled "FREEZER WITH GROOVED HEAT EXCHANGE SURFACE", "AERATOR FOR VISCOUS MATERIALS", and "DISPENSER FOR SOFT-SERVE FROZEN DESSERT MACHINE".
Frozen dessert machines include a freezing chamber and a dasher inside the freezing chamber for mixing the frozen dessert and scraping it from the surface of the freezer. The frozen dessert is dispensed from the front of the freezing chamber. In prior art soft-serve machines, the drive shaft for driving the dasher enters the back of the freezer, and the dasher connects to the drive shaft at the back of the freezer. The frozen dessert enters the freezer at the back and then moves to the front of the freezer to be dispensed out the front. There is a seal between the freezer and the drive shaft to prevent the liquid mix from making its way out of the freezer along the driveshaft. It is very common for that seal between the drive shaft and the freezer to leak, so liquid mix does make its way out of the freezer and falls somewhere in the back of the machine. That liquid mix then sits in the machine for an extended period of time, spoiling, attracting pests, and generally presenting an undesirable situation.
The freezer arrangement with the seal in the back of the machine also includes many nooks and crannies in the mechanism in which the product can accumulate. For that reason, health rules require the entire freezer to be taken apart piece by piece, washed, and reassembled every day. This is a very labor-intensive process. Also, since it does require so much work, some facilities do not do the required daily washing, thereby risking the health of their customers.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by substantially changing the design of the freezer.
The present invention has a freezer with an inner core, permitting the driveshaft to extend through the inner core of the freezer so the connection between the driveshaft and dasher can be made at the front of the machine.
The present invention eliminates the nooks and crannies which required the machine to be disassembled for cleaning and permits the machine to be cleaned in place, greatly reducing labor costs.
The present invention puts the seal at the front of the machine, where it can be inspected frequently and where it can easily be replaced by an operator, without requiring a service call.
The fact that there is a core in the center of the freezing chamber reduces the distance from the heat transfer surface to the product, which permits the freezer to freeze the entire product more quickly.
The present invention has no seals at the back of the freezer to permit leaking or to provide nooks and crannies for product to accumulate.
It is possible to create an additional heat exchange surface at the core, so that the frozen dessert can be chilled from both the outer heat exchange surface and the inner heat exchange surface.
The present invention provides a seal at the front of the machine which is very easy to replace.
The present invention provides a tube for directing any leaked material to the front of the machine so the operator can detect very quickly whether there is a leak in the seal.
The present invention provides a drive shaft portion which is easily removable from the machine so that, in the event of a leak, the inner core can readily be cleaned out.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the front of the frozen dessert machine of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view taken along the section 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view taken along the section 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mixing chamber of the machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of some of the spiral blades of the mixing chamber of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a right side sectional view of the freezing chamber of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a view taken along the section 7--7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the dasher portion of the freezer of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a top view of the dispenser portion of the machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is a front view of the dispenser portion of the machine of FIG. 1 partially in section;
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the dispenser control;
FIG. 12 shows a side sectional view of the freezer in a second embodiment of the invention in which refrigerant also circulates in the inner core of the freezing chamber;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the boxes of liquid mix shown in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 14 is a broken-away, enlarged view of a portion of the front of the machine of FIG. 1, showing the control buttons on the left side of the machine.
FIG. 1 shows the outside of the soft-serve frozen dessert machine 10, which includes an outer shell 12 and which rides on casters 14. Near the bottom of the shell 12 are vent openings 16, which permit air to flow through the bottom portion of the machine 10. In the front of the machine 10 are three dispensing nozzles 18, 20, 22. The nozzle 18 on the left dispenses frozen dessert from the left freezing chamber (shown in later figures), the nozzle 22 on the right dispenses frozen dessert from the right freezing chamber, and the nozzle 20 in the middle dispenses a mixture of the frozen desserts from both the left and right freezing chambers.
Above each dispenser 18, 20, 22 are four buttons 24 for selecting the various and adjustable portion sizes to be dispensed from each dispenser. One set of these buttons is shown more clearly in FIG. 14. There is also another set of buttons 25 on the left and right sides of the machine for controlling the operation of the machine for cleaning and maintenance. These buttons 25 are also shown more clearly in FIG. 14. Below the dispensers 18, 20, 22 is a tray 26, on which the machine operator can place cups, cones, or other containers for receiving the dessert from the dispensers. Below the tray 26 is a door 28, which opens into a refrigerated compartment, which will be described later. The lower portion of the refrigerator door 28 opens into an unrefrigerated compartment which houses bottled air (of course, any suitable bottled gas could be used), as will be described later. It should be noted that this machine 10 includes two soft-serve frozen dessert freezers, one on the left side and one on the right side, and the left and right sides of the machine are essentially mirror images of each other.
Looking now at FIG. 2, again we can see the outer shell 12, the dispenser 22, the tray 26, the buttons 24, and the refrigerator door 28. We can also now see the inside of the machine 10. The major components are as follows:
Near the top of the machine 10 are two freezing chambers 32. In this view, we see the right freezing chamber 32, which is aligned with the right dispenser 22. Behind each freezing chamber 32 is a gear drive 34, which is driven by an electric motor 36. Below the two freezing chambers 32 is a single refrigerated chamber 38, which extends across the entire width of the machine 10 and lies directly behind the door 28, which was shown in FIG. 1. Inside the refrigerated chamber 38 is an evaporator 37 through which coolant passes to cool the refrigerated chamber 38. A plurality of boxes 40 of liquid frozen dessert mix are located in the refrigerated chamber 38. When the frozen dessert mix is aerated and chilled, it will become the final frozen dessert product. This is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 13, illustrating the use of four boxes 40. The two boxes on the left feed the left freezer, and the two boxes on the right feed the right freezer. There is a switching valve 41 for each pair of boxes 40. The switching valves 41 sense when a vacuum is being pulled in a box 40, indicating that the box is empty, and then automatically switch over to the other box 40, at the same time turning on the "Add Mix/Low Product" light on the control panel 25. When the operator replaces the empty box 40, the operator also pushes the "Reset" button to turn off that light. In the back portion of the refrigerated chamber 38 are two mixing chambers 42, where the liquid mix 40 is mixed with air (or other gas), as will be described in detail later. Below the refrigerated chamber are two bottles 44 of medical-grade bottled gas. Both freezers 32 operate off of a single bottle of gas 44 at any given time, and a light on the control panel 25 indicates when the pressure in the bottle 44 is low so that an operator must switch the machine over to the other bottle 44, put in a fresh bottle 44 which is pressure controlled and which automatically resets the light on the control panel 25, thereby permitting continuous operation. We can see the right bottle 44 in FIG. 2. Behind the refrigerated chamber 38 are a number of solenoid valves 46, which control the flow of fluids in the machine 10. Below the refrigerated chamber 38 are two compressors. The large compressor 52 runs the refrigeration unit, which provides refrigerant to the freezers 32 and to the refrigerated chamber 38. The small compressor 50 compresses ambient air and provides it as a working fluid to drive the air-actuated dispensers 18, 20, 22.
There are several different fluid systems within the machine 10:
First, there is the frozen dessert system, which begins as a liquid in its respective mix box 40. Each box 40 is connected to an aseptic connector and valve 60, which connects by an individual tube to a switching valve 41. The liquid mix passes through the aseptic valving 41, 60 and the corresponding tubing. It is then pumped by its respective pump 62, which is driven by its respective motor 64. It is then aerated in its respective mixing chamber 42, as will be described in more detail later. Next, it is frozen in its respective freezer 32. Finally it is dispensed through its respective dispenser 18, 20, or 22. Any part of the machine which comes in contact with the frozen dessert system is food grade material. The seals which contact the frozen dessert system are food grade seals, and every part of the machine which comes into contact with the frozen dessert system is free of cracks or crevices where bacteria could grow and is designed to be cleaned in place. All parts of the machine which contact the frozen dessert from the pump 62 up to the freezer 32 are sloped toward the pump 62 to facilitate cleaning in place.
Second, there is the pure gas system. The pure gas is a dry, filtered, food grade gas, free of bacteria and other pathogens. The pure air (or other suitable gas) begins in the bottles 44, passes through a pressure regulator 45 and a flow meter with a needle valve 47, then through some of the solenoid valves 46, which direct it to the mixing chambers 42, where it is used to aerate the frozen dessert mix in the mixing chambers 42. The solenoid valves 46, controlled by the central processor 186, open the flow of pure gas to the mixing chamber 42 when the pump 62 is running and close off the flow of gas to the mixing chamber 42 when the pump 62 is off. The mixed pure gas/frozen dessert mix is chilled in the respective freezers 32, and is dispensed out of the freezers 32 through the dispensers 18, 20, or 22. The solenoid valves are constructed of food grade material with bubble tight sealing. In addition, all piping and fittings which come into contact with the pure gas are food grade material.
Third, there is a refrigerant loop which is used to chill the freezers 32 and the refrigerated chamber 38. The refrigerant also is used to prevent the product from freezing at the inlet of the freezer 32, to avoid plugging of product inlet, as will be described later. In the preferred embodiment, the refrigerant is HP62. Beginning at the compressor/condenser unit 52, the warm liquid refrigerant flows to the thawing chambers surrounding the product inlets of the freezers 32 (which will be described later), and then, as is well-known in the refrigerant industry, through a filter/drier (not shown), through one of the solenoid valves 46, and through an expansion valve (not shown). When the pressure of the refrigerant is reduced as it passes through the expansion valve, the refrigerant temperature drops. The refrigerant then goes through the evaporators of the freezers 32 and of the refrigerated chamber 38, passes through a heat exchanger to vaporize any remaining liquid refrigerant, and then goes back to the compressor/condenser 52 to begin the cycle again. As best seen in FIG. 3, fans 56 are located adjacent to the large compressor 52 to exhaust hot air from the compressor/condenser 52 and to bring in cool air.
Fourth, there is a control air system, in which ambient air is compressed by the small compressor 50, is stored in the small air tank 58, and passes through the solenoid valves 46, which control and direct the control air flow to the dispensers 18, 20, 22. The solenoid valves 46, which control the flow of working fluid to the dispensers, determine when and for how long the dispenser valves will open. The solenoid valves 46 are controlled by the central processor, which will be described in more detail later.
Referring again to FIG. 3, we can see the left and right freezers 32 at the top of the machine 10. Below them is the refrigerated chamber 38, which holds four boxes of liquid mix 40 and two mixing chambers 42, which lie at the back of the refrigerated chamber 38. Below the refrigerated chamber 38 are the left and right bottles of pure bottled gas 44. Below the bottles of pure gas 44 are the compressor/condenser 52, the fans 56, and the small compressor 50 for providing the control air.
FIG. 4 shows one of the mixing chambers 42 in more detail. The mixing chamber 42 is where the gas and liquid are mixed together before entering the freezer. The mixing chamber 42 is preferably made out of two pieces of molded plastic 66, which, when bonded together, form a tube 68. The tube 68 is designed so that it is always inclined downward, toward the pump 62 mounted at the bottom of the mixing chamber 42. The mixing chamber 42 is made with no crevices or areas to trap product, so that it can be cleaned in place. The tube 68 has a small-diameter portion 70, near the bottom. At the top of the tube 68 is an internally-threaded opening 72, which permits the mixing chamber tube 68 to be connected to additional tubing to transport the frozen dessert mix to the freezer 32. At the bottom of the mixing chamber tube 68 is another internally-threaded opening 74, which permits the mixing chamber tube 68 to be connected to additional tubing 76 coming from the pump 62. At the small diameter portion 70, is a gas inlet opening 78 in the back of the mixing chamber, which is also internally threaded and which receives the pressurized pure gas from one of the gas bottles 44 through the tube 80. Inside the mixing chamber tube 68 are mixing blades 82. The mixing blades 82 are stationary spiral blades which are set at right angles to each other, as shown in FIG. 5, so that liquid travelling along the path defined by the surface of one blade will be cut by the next blade as the liquid flows past the mixing blades 82 through the mixing chamber tube 68. Thus, the mixing blades 82, which are stationary in the mixing chamber tube 68, provide a plurality of cutting edges 83, causing the gas bubbles to break up into very tiny bubbles. The mixing blades 82 are installed by pressing them between the two halves 66 of the mixing chamber when the halves are bonded together.
The mixing chamber is constructed so as to minimize the occurrence of crevices, cracks, porosity or small internal radii which could harbor bacteria, and to facilitate in-place cleaning. All passages in the mixing chamber slope back toward the pump 62, so that any liquid can be drained during the cleaning process.
Sensors 49, 51 are located at the back of the mixing chamber near the top to sense the pressure of the liquid/gas mixture as it leaves the mixing chamber. These sensors indicate when to turn the pump 62 on and off to maintain the pressure of the mix in the system. They also indicate when the pressure is much too low (i.e. due to a broken line) and cause the system to shut down in that event, turning on the "System Fault" light on the control panel 25 in the process.
Looking now at the flow of fluids in the mixing chamber 42, as the liquid dessert mix is pumped into the bottom opening 74 of the mixing chamber 42, it enters a venturi section or small-diameter portion 70 of the mixing tube 68, the geometry of which imparts a high velocity to the mix. At the small-diameter portion 70, the pressurized pure gas is also introduced through the opening 78. The gas and liquid then mix together in the static mixer, which is made up of the mixing chamber tube 68 with mixing blades 82 inside the tube. The mixing blades 82, confined by the mixing chamber tube 68, form a tortuous path and a plurality of cutting edges which break up the gas into tiny bubbles. The tortuous path is not the zig-zag path of the mixing chamber tube 68 but rather the path the liquid inside the tube 68 must take in order to get past the blades 82. The purpose of the zig-zag path of the tube 68 is simply to get a long stretch of tube in a short vertical distance--not to cause the gas and liquid to mix. The amount of gas put into the mix is controlled by controlling the speed of the pump 62 which pumps the liquid mix and by controlling the pressure and flow rate of the gas coming from the bottle 44. The pressure and flow rate of the gas are controlled by the pressure regulator 45 on the bottle 44 and by the adjustable needle valve 47 in the gas line between the bottle 44 and the mixing chamber 42. Also, one of the solenoid valves 46 turns the gas flow on and off. When the gas/liquid mixture leaves the mixing chamber 42 through the outlet 72, the air and liquid are very well-mixed. This reduces the need for mixing of the gas and liquid in the freezer 32. In tests which have been conducted on this equipment, it has been found that the average bubble size of the mixture coming out of the mixing chamber is under 100 microns in diameter.
FIG. 6 shows the freezer 32 in more detail. The freezer 32 is made up of a member 84, which has a substantially cylindrical inner surface 86 and a spiral groove in its outer surface 88. The member 84 is preferably cast, although it could be machined or made by other known methods. A tube 89 is shrunk over the outer surface 88 of the member 84 to create a spiral passageway for the refrigerant. This is accomplished by first heating the tube 89 so that it expands and then slipping the expanded tube over the member 84 from back to front until it reaches the front flange 91 of the casting 84. Then, when the tube 89 cools, it shrinks around the casting 84 so that the refrigerant cannot slip through any space between the tube 89 and the casting 84 and must follow the spiral path 88.
The assembled member 84 containing the spiral groove 88 together with the outer tube 89 are then heated so that they expand, and then they are slipped over the inner core 94 until they abut the rear flange 96 of the inner core. There is an annular area 95 in which the member 84 has an interference fit with the inner core 94. The diameter of the inner core in that annular area 95 is actually 0.003 inches larger than the diameter of the member 84 in that annular area when the member 84 and the inner core 94 are at the same temperature, before the member 84 is heated and slipped over the inner core 94. When the member 84 and the inner core 94 cool off again, they are rigidly connected together with an interference fit, and there is no gap left between them to trap product. There are radiused corners 97 on the member 84 and the core 94 just forward of the annular joint 95, again avoiding square corners or any place which could trap product.
The refrigerant enters the freezer 32 at the refrigerant inlet 90, at the back of the freezer 32, passes through the spiral passageway 88, and leaves through the refrigerant outlet 92, near the front of the freezer 32. This arrangement minimizes the expense in making the freezer and provides for good heat transfer from the refrigerant to the product (avoiding problems of gaps between the coil which holds the refrigerant and the body of the freezer which are common in prior art designs), thereby improving the efficiency of the present evaporator over prior art evaporators. (It may be desirable to make the casting 84 out of a material which transfers heat well, which may not be a food-grade material, and to line the casting 84 with a food-grade material.)
The inner core 94 includes a rear flange 96, which abuts the rear wall of the member 84 and closes the back end of the freezer 32. The inner core 94 projects forward inside the member 84 almost to the front end of the freezer 32, creating a product chamber 98 in the space between the inner core 94 and the casting 84. The product chamber 98 has a doughnut-shaped cross-section (shown best in FIG. 7).
An outer tube 100 is fitted around the outside of the freezer 32, enclosing the rear flange 96 and the front flange 91 (the front flange 91 being part of the casting 84), and forming an air space 101. The control air line 102 extends through that air space 101 and projects out through the front flange 91 to bring pressurized air to the right dispenser 22, for controlling that dispenser, as will be described later. Two control air lines also extend through the front flange 91 of the left freezer 32 for controlling the left and center dispenser 18, 20.
Behind each freezer 32 is a gear box 34, which has a drive shaft 104 that projects inside the inner core 94 of the freezer 32 and is enclosed by the inner core 94. The drive shaft 104 is keyed to a coupling 106 at a first keyway 108, and the coupling 106 is then keyed to a second drive shaft 110 at a second keyway 112, so that, as the motor 36 drives the drive shaft 104, it causes the second driveshaft 110 to rotate. The second shaft 110 extends through rear and front bushings 114, 116, which are press fit into the inner surface of the inner core 94. Thus, the drive shafts 104, 110 collectively extend through the entire length of the inner core 94.
At the front end of the inner core 94 is a seal 118, which includes a substantially toroidal body 119 that includes two O-ring seals 120 on its inner surface that seal against the second shaft 110 and one O-ring seal 122 or a sanitary seal/gasket on its back surface which is pressed between the seal flange 126 and the front face of the inner core 94 as the seal 118 is threaded onto the inner core 94. Unlike prior art designs, in which the seal between the drive shaft and the freezer is located at the back of the freezer, this seal 126, located at the front of the freezer 32, is easy to remove and replace. To remove the seal 126, the face plate 146 on the front of the freezer 32 must be removed, the dasher 132 is pulled out the front of the freezer 32, and then the seal 126 is rotated to unthread it from the core 94 and is removed out the front of the machine. Once the seal 126 is removed, the second drive shaft 110 can then be pulled out the front of the freezer 32 to clean out the inside of the core 94.
In prior art machines, if the seal at the back of the freezer leaks, the product goes out of the freezer into the back of the machine, where it can accumulate. In this machine, if the seal 126 leaks, it will let product into the inside of the core 94. The product will follow the driveshafts 110, 104 back to the back of the inner core 94 and will pass down through a gap 139 in the back of the freezer 32 which communicates with the bottom of the inside of the core 94 and with an outlet opening 141 which is connected to a tube (shown in FIG. 2) running to the front of the machine, so that a leak would quickly be seen by the machine operator as it drips onto the tray 26 at the front of the machine.
Having detected a leak, the machine operator would then run a clean-in-place cycle (which will be described later) to clean the product out of the freezer, open up the face plate 146, remove the dasher 132, the seal 126, and the second shaft 110, would clean out the inside of the core 94 and the drip tube running to the front of the machine, would replace the second shaft 110, put in a new seal 126, replace the dasher 132 and the face plate 146, and the freezer 32 would then be ready to run again, with the leak having been promptly repaired.
The front-most portion 130 of the second shaft 110 has a hexagonal cross-section. The dasher 132 includes a front plate 134 with a hexagonal cross-section hole 136 in its center, which fits onto the hexagonal end 130 of the second shaft 110 so that the dasher 132 can be driven by the motor 36. The rest of the dasher projects back into the product chamber 98 to scrape the product which sticks to the cylindrical surface 86 of the casting 84 as the liquid mix freezes and to mix the product and move the product forward toward the dispensers. The dasher 132 is shown in more detail in FIG. 8.
The dasher 132 has a very different shape from prior art dashers, because it has to have an opening at one end which leads to a hollow center portion that fits over the core 94 of the freezer 32. In the present invention, because of the small bubble size of the aerated liquid entering the freezer 32, the dasher 132 does not have to do as much mixing and can operate at a much slower speed than do the dashers of the prior art. The dasher of the present invention preferably rotates in the range of 25-50 rpm (most preferably about 35 rpm), as compared with speeds of 100 rpm or greater in the prior art. This saves energy, because it requires less work to rotate the dasher at a slower speed.
There is a product inlet 138 at the bottom and back of the freezer 32, which permits the aerated liquid mix to enter the back of the product chamber 98. In order to avoid the problem of the product inlet 138 freezing up and plugging, there is an inlet heater 140 surrounding the inlet 138. As is shown in more detail in FIG. 7, the inlet heater 140 includes a tube 142 which carries refrigerant to a chamber 144, which surrounds the product inlet 138. The refrigerant which goes through the tube 142 and the chamber 144 is at the point in the refrigeration cycle before it has been expanded, causing its temperature to drop. It is not so warm that it would warm up the product as it enters the freezer 32, but it is warm enough to prevent the product from freezing up at the inlet and plugging the inlet. As the product moves from the inlet 138 at the back of the freezer 32 toward the front of the freezer 32, the product is frozen. The dasher 132 scrapes the product off of the inner surface 86 of the casting 84 and propels the product toward the front of the freezer 32. The product inside the freezer 32 is under pressure, due to the pump 62, so that, when a dispenser opens, the product will automatically move to the low pressure outside the dispenser.
As shown in FIG. 6, at the front of the freezer 32 is a face plate 146 which is bolted to the front of the casting 84 and is sealed against the front face of the casting 84 by means of O-ring seals 148 and 150 or sanitary seals/gaskets. The large O-ring 148 seals around the product chamber 98, and the small O-ring 150 seals around the control air opening 152, which brings the control air to the dispenser. The control air enters the dispenser chamber at the opening 153. As shown in FIG. 9, the face plate 146 has nine openings toward the casting 84--three top openings 154 for receiving pressurized air to control the three dispensers, four bottom openings 155 for letting frozen dessert into the dispensers (one bottom opening for each of the left and right dispensers 18, 22 and two bottom openings for the center dispenser 20, which dispenses from both freezers 32), and two openings 182 leading from the top of the two product chambers 98 to the vent lines 187, for venting air out of the freezers 32 as they are initially filled with product or with cleaning fluid. One of the top openings and one of the bottom openings are shown in FIG. 6. The top opening 154 is aligned with the control air opening 152 in the casting 84, and the bottom opening 155 opens into the bottom of the product chamber 98 so as to receive product from the freezer 32. The other openings are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, which will be discussed later. There is a bore 156 in the face plate 146, which receives a bushing 158 that supports the end of the second shaft 110 so the shaft 110 does not float axially as it rotates.
FIG. 6 shows the right dispenser 22. The left and center dispensers 18, 20 are identical to the right dispenser 22, except that the center dispenser 20 receives product from both freezers 32. The dispenser 22 includes a plunger 160, which is biased downward by means of a helical spring 162. The helical spring 162 lies in the plunger chamber 164 and abuts the top surface of the plunger 160. The plunger 160 is sealed against the cylindrical inner wall of the plunger chamber 164 by means of an O-ring 166 and is attached to a plunger shaft 168, which extends down into a smaller diameter dispenser tube 170, which terminates at the dispenser opening 172, where the product leaves the machine 10. The plunger shaft 168 is sealed against the smaller diameter dispenser tube 170 by means of O-rings 174.
When the plunger 160 is in the resting position, biased downward by the spring 162, the O-rings 174 on the plunger shaft 168 which are positioned above and below the bottom opening 155, prevent the product from leaving the freezer 32. When a button 24 is pushed, telling the central processor that the operator wants to dispense frozen dessert from that dispenser, control air from the control air system enters through aligned openings 152 and 154 into the upper portion of the dispensing tube 170 and pushes against the bottom surface of the plunger 160, causing the plunger 160 to move up until the plunger shaft 168 and O-rings 174 lie above the product opening 155. This allows product to flow out of the freezer 32, into the dispenser tube 170, and out of the machine 10 through the dispenser opening 172. When one of the solenoid valves 46 vents the control air, air pressure is removed from the plunger 160. The dispenser valve 22 then closes again due to the biasing action of the spring 162, so that no more product is dispensed. The product sits in the product chamber 98 of the freezer until the machine operator again pushes a button 24, sending a signal to the central controller to send control air to the dispenser valve again. The motor 36 continues to run, whether or not product is being dispensed, but the flow of refrigerant to the freezer 38 is turned on and off based on the viscosity of the product in the freezer (which is measured by measuring the amperage drawn by the motor 64). The pump 62 is turned on as necessary to maintain the product pressure, sensed by the sensor 49, as was explained earlier. The control of the dispensers will be described in more detail in the description of FIG. 11.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show the dasher 132, including scraper blades 133, which scrape frozen dessert off of the wall 86 of the freezer 32, and angled blades 135, which mix the frozen dessert and propel it toward the front of the freezer 32.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show the dispensers 18, 20, 22 and the associated flow paths, inlets and outlets. The left and right dispensers 18, 22 function as described above. The center dispenser 20 functions in essentially the same way, except that it receives frozen dessert from both the left and right freezers 32 along the paths 176, 178. The control air line which controls the center dispenser 20 runs in the air space 101 of the left freezer 32.
It should also be noted that there is an additional plunger 180 associated with each of the left and right dispensers 18, 22 (not with the center dispenser 20). These additional plungers 180 are manually controlled and are for the purpose of purging air from the freezers 32 when the freezers are initially filled with mix or when the freezers are cleaned in place (whenever it is necessary to purge air or gas from the freezer 32 in order to fill it with liquid). The plungers 180 each have a stem 181, provided with a pair of spaced O-rings 183 abutting the wall of the plunger chamber 185. Each plunger chamber 185 includes an opening 189 to a passageway 187, which leads to the top of the product chamber 98 of the respective freezer 32. When a plunger 180 is in the resting position, its O-rings 183 lie above and below that opening 189, closing it off. When a plunger 180 is manually lifted up, the O-rings 183 lie above the opening 189, permitting air or other fluid from the product chamber 98 to be vented out the bottom opening 191 of the plunger chamber 185.
Unlike other soft-serve frozen dessert machines, which must be taken completely apart, the pieces washed, and then reassembled every day, the machine of the present invention can be cleaned in place because it does not have cracks or crevices that can harbor stagnant product. In order to clean the machine 10 in place, the following procedure is followed.
First, the person operating the machine pushes the off button, which is one of the buttons on the panel 25. This turns off the system, including the refrigeration unit and the pump 62. To keep from damaging the dasher due to highly viscous product, the dasher remains on and is turned off only after the first clean cycle has been completed. Then, the person disconnects the product boxes 40 from their valving 60, and connects the valving 60 to a rinse solution. The rinse solution may be in a bucket, in which case the valving 60 is submerged in the bucket, or it may be in a box identical to the product boxes 40, in which case the valves 60 would be connected to the rinse boxes in the same way as they were connected to the product boxes 40.
The respective dispensing heads 18, 20, 22 may be connected to discharge hoses leading to a sink or drain, or a bucket may be put under the dispensing heads 18, 20, 22 to catch the rinse solution which comes out of the dispensing heads. The operator then pushes the "clean" button on the control panel 25 (again, there is a separate control panel 25 for each freezer 32, so the operator may be pushing the "clean" buttons on both panels 25 to clean both freezers at the same time). The "clean" button communicates with the central processor 186, which then runs the machine through a timed cycle. At the beginning of the clean cycle, the "clean" button is pressed, and the central processor then initiates the product pump-out sequence. In this sequence, the pump operates in the reverse direction for a certain time period, during which all liquid product is pumped back into the box 40. Also, during this sequence, the respective dispensing head 18 or 22 must be opened to allow the ice cream to be pumped out (so the pump is not trying to pull a vacuum). Then, the vent valves 180 must be manually lifted up to permit the gas in the freezers 32 to escape until the freezers 32 fill up with rinse solution. Then the vent valves 180 are closed.
The timed cycle runs the pumps 62 and the motors 36, running the rinse solution through the entire path that the product takes, from the valving 60 through to the dispensers 18, 20, 22. The timed cycle includes opening and closing the dispenser valves 18, 20, 22 so that rinse solution goes through the entire system. Then, the pumps 62 run in reverse to drain the rinse solution out of the machine. Then a light on the "clean" button flashes to tell the operator that it is time to start the next part of the cleaning process.
Next, the rinse solution is disconnected from the valves 60 and is replaced with cleaning solution, the "clean" buttons are pushed again, starting the second cleaning cycle. The vent valves 180 are lifted until the freezers fill up, and the central processor goes through the same procedure as was used with the rinse solution but with cleaning solution. The cleaning solution is agitated in the freezer 32, goes out the dispensers, and, at the end of the timed cycle, the pump 62 is reversed, to drain cleaning solution out of the machine. Then, the "clean" light flashes again.
Next, the cleaning solution is disconnected from the valves 60, and a sanitizing solution is connected to the valves 60. The "clean" button or buttons are pushed again, starting the sanitizer part of the cleaning cycle, and the vent valves 180 lifted up again until sanitizing solution squirts out the openings 191, at which point the vent valves 180 are closed again, and the timed sequence repeats, turning the pump on and off, opening and closing the dispenser valves, agitating the sanitizing solution with the damper, and so forth, until the sanitizing solution is pumped back out. Again, the "clean" light flashes, telling the operator that another step must be taken.
Next, the operator disconnects the sanitizing solution, connects a cold water rinse, pushes the "clean" button again and the machine then goes through the whole timed sequence again. At the end of this final sequence, the "clean" light goes out.
Now, the product path is clean. The machine may be stored at this point, or it may be reconnected to product boxes 40. The connectors 60 should be dipped into sanitizer solution prior to being connected to new product. The "on" button must be pushed to start the machine up again.
Since the liquid mix is kept refrigerated at all times and is connected aseptically to the machine 10, and since the gas that is mixed with the liquid mix is pure, uncontaminated gas, the product is very clean and can stay in the machine for a much longer period of time than can prior art soft-serve machines before any bacteria begins to build up in the product. Therefore, it is anticipated that these machines will be able to operate for a much longer time than prior art machines before they need to be cleaned. When they do need to be cleaned, the cleaning is a very simple process, as described above, which does not require disassembly of the machine. This will save a tremendous amount of labor and will ensure that the machines actually are cleaned as they should be in order to maintain a clean product.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the control for the dispensers 18, 20, 22. The control panel on the front of the machine includes the three sets of dispenser control buttons 24 and two sets of machine control buttons 25. The sensors 184 are connected to their respective drive motors 36, which drive the dashers in the freezers. The sensors 184 sense the amount of current that is drawn by the motors 36 as they drive the dashers 132. The amount of current drawn by the motors corresponds to the viscosity of the product in the freezer, so, when the product becomes very viscous and it is difficult to drive the dasher, the current draw increases, and the sensor 184 tells the central processor 186 that it should close the solenoid valve which controls the flow of refrigerant to that freezer. If the solenoid valves to both freezers are closed, the central processor 186 will stop the condensing unit. When the product begins to thaw and become less viscous, the current draw drops back down, and the sensors 184 tell the central processor 186 to open in the refrigerant solenoid valve and start the condensing unit if it is not already on. The dispensing heads 18, 20, 22 dispense frozen dessert from the machine. The central, programmable controller 186 controls the dispensing of the frozen dessert from the dispensing heads. The compressor and air tank 50 provide the working fluid for controlling the dispensers. Among the solenoid valves 46 are air valves 188, which provide the compressed air to the dispensing valves 18, 20, 22 and vent air from the dispensing valves 18, 20, 22 to control the dispensing of the frozen dessert.
When the machine operator wants to dispense product from one of the dispensers 18, 20, 22, the operator pushes one of the buttons 24. When the controller 186 receives a signal from one of the buttons 24, it knows which dispenser to open and how long to hold the dispenser open in order to dispense the desired amount. Then, the controller 186 causes the appropriate air valve 188 to open, allowing pressurized working air from the compressor and tank to flow into a particular dispenser, causing that dispenser to open. The controller will keep the dispenser open for a preset period of time and will then close the air valve 188 and allow the pressurized air in the dispenser to be vented, thereby closing the dispensing valve. The portion size for any given button 24 can easily be reprogrammed by the machine operator by holding the continuous flow button and the small, medium or large button for the desired amount of time. That new time will be put in memory and will not change until the operator repeats that procedure. This permits the operator to have tight control over the portion size for any given frozen dessert product.
The dispenser buttons 24 are labelled "small", "medium", "large", and "flow". The small, medium and large are programmed portion sizes, and "flow" is a continuous flow button, which might be used to fill a very large container with product, for example. The continuous flow button holds open the dispensing head as long as it is depressed. It is also used to program the other buttons as described above.
Some of the machine control buttons 25 have already been described. The "low product" light comes on when the switching valve 41 switches from one box of mix 40 to another, telling the operator that one box of mix 40 is empty and must be replaced. When the operator replaces the box 40, he pushes the reset button to turn off the "low product" light.
When the pressure sensor on the bottled gas senses a drop in pressure in the bottle, it communicates with the central controller 186, which turns on the "low product air" light. The operator then switches the machine over to the other bottle of gas, and the pressure switch is reset because of adequate pressure from the new bottle.
If the product temperature in the refrigerated compartment gets too high, the product temperature light will come on, shutting the machine down and requiring maintenance. If a hose breaks or some other problem occurs, causing a pressure drop, the "system fault" light will come on, shutting the machine down and requiring maintenance.
In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 12, the freezer 32 is essentially the same as the freezer shown in FIG. 6, except that refrigerant also circulates in a coil 190 in the inner core 94, creating an inner heat transfer surface 192 in the product chamber 98 of the freezer 32.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the machine described above may be modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Citas de patentes
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text:
There is no better publication that I am aware of that is so accurate and on top of any news and developments in our industry. I personally recommend it to many people that want to know and understand more about our industry. For the most part, shop-eat-surf.com gets the stories first. As a matter of fact, I require all the executives in our company to read it.- By Hezy Shaked, President & CEO, Tilly's
"Shop-Eat-Surf" is now officially, the first stop in the morning for industry news. Accurate reporting, no sensationalism, and just the facts. Refreshing support to an incredible industry with a very bright future. Tiffany has cemented her role in the industry....the site is thought provoking, and inspirational. Learning the stories of others is incredibly useful. Great way to connect the retail community with the wholesale and financial, instantly and nationwide. ... And the Executive Edition rules.- By Bob Hurley, Chairman, Hurley International
CIT: West Coast team featured in Fashion Manuscript.
FSG LAWYERS: Represented Loomworks Apparel (P.J. Salvage) on its acquisiton by Delta Galil.
Details on Industry Insight.
To read more, please Login as an Executive Member

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Marijuana effects on each person depend on the user's experience,
as well as: how strong the marijuana is (how much THC it has); what
the user expects to happen; where (the place) the drug is used;
how it is taken; and whether the user is drinking alcohol or using
other drugs.
Some people feel nothing at all when they smoke marijuana. Some
users suffer bad effects from marijuana. They may suffer sudden
feelings of anxiety and have paranoid thoughts. This is more likely
to happen when a more potent variety of marijuana is used.
If someone is high on marijuana, he or she might seem dizzy and
have trouble walking; seem silly and giggly for no reason; have
a hard time remembering things that just happened; distorted perception;
trouble with thinking and problem-solving; and loss of coordination.
When the early effects fade, over a few hours, the user can become
very sleepy.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NIH Publication Number 98-4037


text:
efforts; salvage compensation was awarded solely for success in saving vessels or cargo in distress by those under no legal obligation to do so. If the cargo or vessel were lost despite the best efforts of the salvor, no award was made—thus, the adage ''no cure, no pay,'' which was reflected in contracts for salvage services such as Lloyd's Open Form (LOF).
The LOF was modified in 1980 following the Amoco Cadiz casualty to provide for reimbursement of expenses incurred by salvors to minimize or prevent pollution, even if the salvor was eligible for no other award. In 1990, reflecting the Salvage Convention of 1989, the LOF was again modified to reward salvors' efforts to prevent or minimize pollution. The salvor's skill and efforts in preventing and minimizing pollution were added to the criteria for fixing the reward. Additionally, the 1990 changes provided that the salvor was entitled to special compensation, up to 130 percent of the salvor's expenses (200 percent in special circumstances) for efforts to prevent or minimize pollution in the event that the salvor's award otherwise would be less than the special compensation. An award for a salvage operation undertaken under an LOF 90 has already been granted. This was in the case of the 1991 grounding of the Yinka Folawayo off the coast of Spain. Salvors were paid under the contract for their salvage and pollution prevention efforts; compensation was granted despite the total loss of the vessel.
Although U.S. salvage companies tend to be more willing than foreign salvors to work under terms other than the LOF, the philosophy that produced the changes in the LOF will have an effect on all future salvage contracts, even in the United States.
In the United States, environmental and coastal concerns led to passage of OPA 90 and related state statutes. OPA 90 imposes new and expanded responsibilities on the oil-carrying vessels of the marine transportation industry to prevent, plan for, and respond to oil spills. Regulations stemming from the act also require oil-carrying vessels to make response plans that identify and plan for salvage resources. In addition, port-area contingency plans must identify and plan for deployment of salvage resources. Thus, OPA 90 fosters increased awareness of the role of salvage in pollution prevention and mitigation, presumably a positive influence on the future of salvage resources in the United States. The terms "salvor" and "salvage resources" in the regulations have yet to be defined.
The 1982 NRC report, Marine Salvage in the United States, contains various conclusions and recommendations. Those recommendations and related changes enacted to date are shown in Table 2-1.
Conclusions in the 1982 NRC report, Marine Salvage in the United States, reflected various regional concerns about salvage capability. These concerns are summarized below.
East Coast
Major salvage incidents in this region were too infrequent to justify maintenance of a dedicated commercial salvage ship.
Salvage was expected to continue to involve improvised assemblies of assets on an incident-by-incident basis.
Actions taken to stabilize distressed vessels, such as flooding control and dewatering (removing water from cargo tanks), were in regular use using state-of-the-art equipment.


text:
WTSP is in the process of moving our transmitter from Holiday to Riverview. This will help improve the over the air reception for many viewers in the Tampa Bay area because we will now be co-located with the other Tampa stations.
There will be a brief interruption of service for over the air customers as we make the switch. We will go off the air tonight after Letterman at 12:35 a.m. and expect to be back on the air by 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
With the move to our temporary antenna, we will be broadcasting at half our usual power until we get our permanent antenna installed in Riverview. This could affect viewers that receive our signal over the air with marginal reception. That could be viewers using indoor, set-top antennas or those who are distant from the Holiday/Tarpon Springs area where our current transmit tower is.
After the move is complete, those who have never been able to receive Ch. 10 over the air with their antenna systems may need to rescan their TVs and converter boxes.
Here are a few important things to note:
Most cable and satellite customers will not be affected at anytime by this transition. WTSP provides dedicated feeds to Bright House, Verizon, Comcast, Knology, Direct TV and Dish Network in the greater Tampa Bay area. However, there are a few smaller cable systems that still pick us up over the air that will have to make adjustments. Contact your cable provider if you notice a problem.
If you lose Ch. 10 reception after the move, try rescanning your TV or converter box.
If you are still experiencing problems after adjusting your antenna and rescanning your TV or converter box, you can call us at 727-577-8510 or click here to email us.
10 News Engineering


text:
Created: 01/18/2013 2:57 PM KSTP.com By: Leslie Dyste
A federal appeals court ruling upholding Wisconsin's law effectively ending collective bargaining for public workers is leading to a call for the state to pass a right to work law.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld the law passed in 2011, while other court challenges are pending.
Still, National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix says the ruling should motivate the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass a right to work law like was done in Michigan last month.
He says "No Wisconsin public worker should ever be forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment."
Gov. Scott Walker has said he won't pursue right to work this year.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


text: (Elective for Finance concentration.) (Elective for International Business concentration.) This course covers advanced topics in financial management of the multinational firm. Topics include financial goals of the MNE, interest rate and currency derivatives, foreign direct investment and capital budgeting, working capital management, tax and accounting issues, import-export transactions and trade financing, and risk management in the global firm. Prerequisites: MBA 617 or MBA 6109 or MBAI 5002 or MBA 6019 Degree restricted to Master of Business Admin. Restricted to Graduate level; Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, and Business Administration majors


text:
When learning songs, do you actually memorize the number of bars in each part, or do you go by feel?
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"Uncle Larry"
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: In beautiful Bucks County, PA
Posts: 15,527
Re: When learning songs, do you actually memorize the number of bars in each part, or do you go by f
I honestly don't know how anyone can play and count bars. I listen to the chord progression. I listen to the rhythm guitar or the bass or the keys. I do write out the arrangement like this:
I = intro
V = verse
B = bridge
C = chorus
L = lead, which usually follows the same chord progressions as the verse and/or bridge and chorus
E = ending, which a lot of times is the same as the intro.
Then there's stops, breakdowns and other parts that you make up names for as needed.
Listening to where am in the chord progressions of the various parts is how I do it. It should be something you don't have to think about, you should instinctively know where you are by your ears, and you should know what's coming up next because you memorized the arrangement that you wrote out.
Sucking all the fun right out of life....
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Six Tips for Learning New Skills (and Retaining Them)
A large part of achieving your professional goals is learning new skills, new techniques, new information. All of this is knowledge that you can then apply to your overall growth. I want to share with you what I've learned about learning. »


text:
FWC's aquatic plant management program mission is to reduce negative impacts from invasive plants such as water hyacinth, water lettuce and hydrilla to conserve the multiple uses and functions of public lakes and rivers. Invasive plants infest 96% of Florida's 457 public waters inventoried in 2014 which comprise 1.25 million acres of fresh water. Once established, invasive plants are difficult or impossible to eradicate and very expensive to manage; therefore, continuous maintenance is critical to keep them at low levels to sustain amenities such as navigation, flood control and recreation while conserving native plant habitat for fish and wildlife.
A summary of plants controlled in sovereignty public waters and on FWC managed areas (Fish Management Areas and Wildlife Management Areas), and associated expenditures contracted or monitored by the FWC during Fiscal Year 2013-2014 is presented in the Annual Report of Activities Conducted under the Cooperative Aquatic Plant Control Program in Florida Public Waters for Fiscal Year 2013-2014.
Additionally, the FWC files an Annual Report of Pollutant Discharges to the Surface Waters of the State from the Application of Pesticides to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection summarizing herbicide use to control aquatic plants in waters of the U.S. This report is required as a condition of Generic Permit FLG510039-IWPG issued to FWC pursuant to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
See Archived Annual Reports
Last updated: 09 February 2015


text:
As the U.S. government continues weighing the possibility of military intervention in Syria, there are reports that the largest city in Syria has lost all internet access. "Aleppo, a city in Northern Syria that has been the site of intense fighting between rebel forces and the Assad regime, and the surrounding area" appear to have gone offline last night/ Andrea Peterson at the WaPo has technical details and context.
As US weighs possible strikes, Syria's largest city goes offline
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What they're saying about Stephen Strasburg's debut
Jun 8, 2010, 10:50 AM EDT
This is normally a retrospective feature, not an anticipatory one, but we all know what's going to happen tonight: a normal baseball game in which Strasburg will either pitch well or he won't but in either case all of the magic pixie dust will be gone and the hard business of actually, you know, forging his major league baseball career will be in front of him.
But that's tomorrow. As of today anything is possible, so let's capture that irrational exuberance for posterity!
- Kevin Reiss: "Zod kneels before Strasburg."
- Pirates' outfielder Delwyn Young: "I really couldn't care less, to be honest with you. I got
nothing to say, really. It's just another pitcher . . . Hey, Mark Prior."
- Carolyn Johnson Thomas: "I like everything I read about him. He's got great potential, and I
hope that he's with Washington for 20 years, as my dad was." [BTW: Ms. Thomas' dad was Walter Johnson. He pitched a little.]
- DangerNat of Nationals Inquisition: "After that first pitch tonight it is going to be
something to see thousands of Nats fans have a Strasgasm all at once."
- Ken Burns: "This kid has a lot riding on his shoulders tomorrow night. It's now
moved out of historical precedent and into kind of The Natural;
archetypal fiction in which we endow our baseball players with certain
superhuman capabilities that transcend the game and life itself."
- Natasha Jasso: "Natstown is gonna be like church on Christmas and Easter; So many there– with so few who understand."
Confession time: I want Strasburg to do well long-term because I love pitching and I want baseball in D.C. to be a success. But still, the hype is getting a bit much for me. When I woke up this morning I started thinking about how cool it would be if the Pirates came out and hung six runs on the kid as a little initiation to the big leagues.
Probably asking too much, sure, but this is baseball and all of the commotion is getting a bit too footbally for me.
- Jeff V. - Jun 8, 2010 at 11:21 AM
"Phil Wood, D.C. baseball historian: "Joe Hardy is the only thing that rivals Strasburg in Washington baseball history, and Hardy was a fictional character.""
So this Phil Wood fellow thinks that Strasburg (and Joe Hardy for that matter) is a bigger deal then Walter Johnson?
Wow, just wow, talk about living in the now. One would think that a baseball historian would have a better grasp of, you know, history.
- YankeesfanLen - Jun 8, 2010 at 11:25 AM
On Ken Burns comment:
Nice, you made me throw up in my mouth and it tasted like maple syrup. Bring in the violins and sepia tones. Or have Floyd the Barber give you your daily Opie haircut-with-a-bowl and tell him about it.
- Jamie - Jun 8, 2010 at 11:43 AM
"…that transcend the game and life itself." Really, Ken Burns? Life itself?
- Natsochist - Jun 8, 2010 at 12:02 PM
I think it's pretty clear that Ken Burns was making the absurd exaggeration to point out how out of control the hype has become… If you don't believe me, look at the quote in full context-
"I also mentioned the occasional Jeezus references about Strasburg, and asked Burns if that nickname has a historical precedent in baseball circles.
"Hilarious," Burns said. "I don't know whether there's a specific precedent, but you've got that hyperbole that always attends the phenom, and then you set the kid up for failure, which is unfair to him and, in many ways, unfair to ourselves…..
"This kid has a lot riding on his shoulders tomorrow night. It's now moved out of historical precedent and into kind of The Natural; archetypal fiction in which we endow our baseball players with certain superhuman capabilities that transcend the game and life itself."
I asked Burns why he wasn't bringing the camera crews, and he said he was confident the media contingent would handle the challenge.
"I think maybe someone else will be covering it," he joked. "Just don't pay too much attention to the guy throwing out the first pitch."
- Bill@TDS - Jun 8, 2010 at 12:05 PM
Mention needs to be made here of Pat Lackey's (@whygavs) excellent Twitter-poetic epic, "How the Bucs Stole Strasmas."
- Omega - Jun 8, 2010 at 12:05 PM
I just hope the Nationals don't get overzealous with this kid and run him into the ground.
I wasn't going to comment, but couldn't pass up the capture phrase of 'uniform suction'
- Church of the Perpetually Outraged - Jun 8, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Rumor is they are going to shut him down at 100IP. Whether that's to save his arm (Verducci Rule) or ensure he doesn't get Super 2 status, is anyone's guess.
- Scott - Jun 8, 2010 at 12:22 PM
I don't like how people say Washington is so desperate for a star when we have a 25-year old third baseman who was 9th in WAR last year among batters and 5th so far this year.
That being said, I am NOT turning down my free ticket tonight.
- JK - Jun 8, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Strasburg will hold the ball like an egg and McCutchen will scramble it.
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Welcome to Hugh Laurie Fan, an unofficial website exclusively dedicated to supporting and promoting the career of British actor Hugh Laurie. You will find the latest news, pictures and media. Your input and contributions are always Welcome! ~ The Staff
Two Canadian shows have been added to Hugh's upcoming tour, stopping in Toronto, ON on October 20th and Montreal, QC on October 21st. Unfortunately due to scheduling difficulties, there will no longer be an Ann Arbor show.
Attention to all US fans of Hugh, here you have Hugh's tour dates in your country:
Oct 13th: Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Oct 15th: Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
Oct 16th: Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
Oct 17th: Homestead, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Oct 19th: Kent, OH - Kent Stage Kent
Oct 20th: Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre
Oct 23rd: Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
Oct 25th: New York, NY - Town Hall Theatre
Oct 26th: Tonawanda, NY – Riviera Theater
Oct 27th: Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Centre
Oct 29th: Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre
Oct 30th: Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
Nov 1st: Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre
Nov 2nd: Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
Nov 3rd: Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
Actor Hugh Laurie, whose 2011 PBS "Great Performances" concert celebrated New Orleans and New Orleans music, will return to the topic in an August concert special saluting Professor Longhair.
In a Thursday (July 25) PBS news release, Laurie calls "Hugh Laurie: Live on the Queen Mary" – in which he re-creates Longhair's beloved LP of the same title — as "a very holy undertaking."
The special will premiere on WYES at 6 p.m. Aug. 4, with multiple repeats.
The complete PBS release:
On March 26, 2013 a dream came true for Hugh Laurie — a dream born from a moment in his youth when he first heard Professor Longhair's album Live On The Queen Mary. Recorded in 1975, it was to change Longhair's life, catapulting him back into the limelight once again after years in the blues wilderness. It also changed Hugh Laurie's life, for it was at the moment he heard it that his musical journey began. Now Hugh Laurie marks the climax of his personal musical odyssey with a tribute to the man who is his greatest inspiration. HUGH LAURIE – LIVE ON THE QUEEN MARY is part of special programming premiering on PBS stations beginning August 3, 2013 (check local listings).
"Ever since I heard a recording of that show — my life changed too," says Laurie. "The hairs went up on the back of my neck and I knew this music was for me. Not one day has passed since then when I have not either listened to Professor Longhair's music, or to someone else singing his songs or tried to play them myself."
For this special, Laurie is joined by the legendary Copper Bottom Band in the exact same room, on the exact same stage where Longhair delivered his master class to put on a unique, once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable performance.
"For me the second coming took place on the Queen Mary in 1975. My view of life — in fact my life — was shaped by the sounds and stories of Professor Longhair."
Surrounded by the art deco grandeur of this extraordinary ship and featuring classic Longhair favorites "Tipitina" and "Mardi Gras In New Orleans," and Hugh's own renditions of blues classics such as "Staggerlee," "Junco Partner," "Kiss Of Fire" and "Wild Honey," this is a show like no other.
As Laurie concludes, "This feels like a very holy place and a very holy undertaking."
HUGH LAURIE – LIVE ON THE QUEEN MARY features these performances:
• "Junco Partner"
• "Evenin'"
• "Kiss of Fire"
• "Staggerlee"
• "Day and Night"
• "Weed Smoker's Dream"
• "Didn't It Rain"
• "Tipitina"
• "Go to the Mardi Gras"
Encore: "Changes"
Hugh is scheduled to play in a Loreal Paris event next Friday, may 17th in Cannes. More info here.
Oct 15th: Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
Oct 16th: Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
Oct 17th: Homestead, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Oct 19th: Kent, OH - Kent Stage Kent
Oct 20th: Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
Oct 21st: Montreal, QC - Maison Symphonique
Oct 22nd: Blu-Ray Release - Hugh Laurie: Live on the Queen Mary
Oct 23rd: Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
Oct 25th: New York, NY - Town Hall Theatre
Oct 26th: Tonawanda, NY - Riviera Theater
Oct 27th: Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Centre
Oct 29th: Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
Oct 30th: Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
Nov 1st: Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre
Nov 2nd: Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
Nov 3rd: Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
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Quinoa Salad
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is higher in protein, iron, zinc, calcium and other micronutrients than most other grains. Its high lysine content gives it an excellent amino acid profile. Quinoa is gluten-free and thus very useful for people with gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy.
Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove the naturally occurring bitter resin which coats the grain. Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water and salt. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until water is all absorbed. Let cool completely.
Salad Ingredients
Prepare vegetables and toss in a large bowl with cooked and cooled quinoa.
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix dressing in a jar. Toss salad with dressing and serve.
Variations: Other grains can be used in place of or in addition to quinoa. An excellent choice is wild rice. Sprouted grains also work well. Add any vegetables you like. Instead of tomatoes and cucumbers, try corn and carrots or broccoli and red onions.
Green Salad
Green salad should be a dietary staple. Move from eating small portions of salads as a side dish to eating large portions of salad (the size you would generally serve a family of 6) – this is the one food it is OK to supersize! Add legumes, nuts and avocados to provide a complete meal.
Note: Vegetables can be omitted or substituted with other vegetables, as desired. Avocado or toasted nuts and seeds can be added just before dressing.
Makes 6 large side-dish servings.
Spinach Salad
or 2 cups strawberries, sliced
Makes 8 servings.
This is a delicious combination of wild rice and greens that was passed on to me from my dear friend, Ketti Goudey.
Makes 8 servings.
Hot Tofu with Cool Greens
This salad is quite a pleasant surprise. The hot tofu or beans are wonderful compliment to salad.
Cool Greens
Prepare salad in a large bowl. Be sure to dry greens well.
Hot Tofu
Instead of hot tofu with cool greens, try hot beans with cool greens. Heat seasoned black, red, kidney or any other beans and use in place of tofu.
Makes 4 servings.
Grated Beet and Watermelon Radish Salad
We subscribe to a fabulous organic delivery service called Urban Harvest in Kelowna. One of the foods that they introduced to us was watermelon radishes. They are very large radishes with a hot pink color inside. They are mild and crunchy. We add them to green salads, and grate them into salads such as this.
*If you have a food processor, use it to grate beets and watermelon radish, as beets can be very messy. If you can't get watermelon radishes, kolrabi or carrots both work well.
Makes 4 servings.
Grated Carrot and Apple Salad
Variation: Substitute apples for 2 cups of fresh, chopped pineapple or 1 x 15 oz canned unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained.
Makes 4 servings.
Yam, Black Bean and Greens Salad
This is a beautiful color combination, and a delicious full meal salad.
cubes (4 cups)(let cool before cutting)
Makes 8 servings.
Spicy Thai Noodle Peanut Salad
This salad is a favorite at potlucks!
Note: If refrigerated before eating, extra liquid may be needed as the pasta soaks up dressing. Use water or a little sesame oil and Braggs or tamari sauce.
Liquid Gold Dressing
This delicious dressing was developed by Brenda's writing partner, Vesanto Melina. It is great for use on salads, baked potatoes, rice, steamed broccoli and other veggies. We gave it the name "Liquid Gold", and not just because of the color! Two tablespoons provides 5 g of omega-3 fatty acids (your days' supply, and then some) along with 40% of your B12 for the day, when it's made with Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast. This creamy dressing is packed with riboflavin and other B vitamins. If you add ground flaxseed, use the larger amount of water (1/2 cup/125 mL); if not use 1/3 cup (85 mL) water. You'll find when made with ground flaxseed, the dressing thickens over time.
Vegetarian Support Formula)
Dressing can be kept in a jar with lid and refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Makes 1-1/2 cups.
Variation: Replace mustard and cumin with 1 cup of fresh herbs (basil, oregano and parsley work very well), and 3 cloves of minced garlic.
Low-fat Variation - reduce flax oil to 2 Tbsp and use add one small zucchini to the recipe.
Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing
2 Tbsp Essential Balance oil (optional)
¼ cup lemon or lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
1/3 cup tahini
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp agave syrup or other sweetener
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix on high speed for a few seconds. If you don't have a blender, place ingredients in a jar and shake well.
2. Refrigerate until using.
Walnut Sunflower Dressing
This dressing is a staple in our home. It uses minimal oil, with maximum nutrition.
1 tsp evaporated cane juice
Peanut Dressing
This dressing is great for oriental-style salads and salads with steamed yams. I opt for organic peanut butter as peanuts tend to be heavily sprayed.
1/2 cup organic peanut butter
Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well.
Tomato Miso Dressing
1 Tbsp tamari
1 cup water
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
Sesame Dressing
Coconut Mayonnaise