Abstract: An improved automatic french frying machine and method uses a supply of cooking oil which remains in a cooking vat during normal operation and is heated directly in the cooking vat. A system of thermostats combines with a heating element within the cooking vat to ensure proper cooking temperature and safe operation. An automatic initialization and monitoring system ensures safe startup and operation. Preferred embodiments also include an automatic flushing cycle which is activated at predetermined intervals to clean the cooking vat and replenish the cooking oil within the vat. A specially shaped cooking vat ensures that food particles will be removed from the vat during the flushing cycle. Oil degradation is minimized by either an open-topped cooking vat or a cooking vat having a lid which remains open during cooking.

Abstract: A cooker for continuous grilling of hamburger patties and the like uses a shiftable grid which intermittently lifts the patties off a stationary grid and effects advancement after each lift-off until a U-shaped path is traversed extending initially through and terminating beyond one end of the cooker exteriorly thereof. The patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a first pair of legs of the grids and then upwardly and arcuately with respect to a pair of first grid quadrants, whereupon they invert and drop such as to travel upwardly and arcuately with respect to a pair of second grid quadrants. Finally, the patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a pair of legs of the grids forming the final stretch of the travel.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for crushing differently shaped and/or sized containers of waste material without disassembly of the device. A mold, having an inner cavity sized so as to accommodate a larger container, has a sleeve located therein which can be locked to the mold for simultaneous operation. The sleeve has an inner cavity of a shape and size so as to contain the smaller container and also to allow a ram to move through the sleeve cavity and compress the smaller container. The ram also has a structure for locking the sleeve to the ram so as to permit the sleeve ram combination to crush a larger container which has been located in the mold cavity. The locking and unlocking of the mold/sleeve or sleeve/ram as well as the mold movement and ram movement are all remotely controlled so as to permit crushing of various sized and shaped containers without disassembly of the press and the consequent exposure of workers to possible hazardous conditions.

Abstract: A manually-operated device specifically for crushing cans, such as aluminum cans, includes a relatively heavy tramping element which is connected to an elongated handle, whereby when the tramping element is held over a can and driven downward, the can is crushed.The tramping element may include either a groove or rib for venting air that may become compressed in the can as the can is crushed.

Abstract: A bundling device is disclosed for providing bundle units of waste paper or other articles. The device comprises (a) a quantity of serially dispensable, flexible, elongated ties of a length sufficient to encompass a stack of articles to be bundled, (b) means for maintaining the ties in a predetermined position relative to said stack of articles and, optionally, (c) an article-receiving receptacle with means (b) being attached to the base of the receptacle at a preselected site thereon and, optionally when said article-receiving receptacle (c) is provided, (d) means for attaching the terminal portions of ties (a) to a preselected site on the walls of the receptacle.

Abstract: A food heating apparatus placeable over boiling water, the apparatus comprising a plate including a generally planar upper surface and a lower surface generally parallel to the upper surface, the plate having therethrough a plurality of steam passages extending between the lower surface and the upper surface, each of the steam passages communicating with the upper surface through a first opening having a first area and communicating with the lower surface through a second opening having a second area substantially greater than the first area.

Abstract: A waste transfer packer having a horizontally reciprocable ram operating in a hollow spigot to deliver and compress waste material from a chute or hopper, has a spigot adapted to extend into a container through a pair of doors hinged about horizontal axes. Problems can arise on disconnection of the container from the packer due to re-expansion of the load within the container.The invention provides a spigot extending almost to the position of maximum penetration of the ram so as to continue to support the load while the ram is withdrawn and during disconnection of the container. The spigot shape can provide a sloping or stepped by a suitable profiling of the spigot front face.

Abstract: A round baler having a single bale forming chamber is provided with an electronic control circuit which makes its operation automatic except for the operator-controlled functions of starting and stopping forward motion of the baler. Under the circuit control the baler forms a bale, wraps it with twine, cuts the twine, raises the tailgate, ejects the wrapped bale and closes the tailgate. The control circuit energizes a first indicator when the tailgate closes to signal the operator to begin forward motion of the baler. When a point is reached in the bailing cycle at which the wrapping of the bale is to commence, the circuit energizes a second indicator to signal the operator to stop forward motion of the baler. The circuit also detects certain malfunctions and energizes a third indicator to signal the operator that a malfunction has occurred.

Abstract: A method for crushing metal cans into rectangular blocks or bales wherein cans are fed through a precrusher, which flattens and rips open the cans to drain liquids therefrom and leaves protruding torn tabs and flaps that facilitate bonding of the cans into a self-sustaining bale. The flattened cans are collected in a charging bin until a predetermined weight is reached; then the cans are released into a bale-forming chamber, which is closed by a hinged door forming an initial compression member. A ram then compresses the cans longitudinally in the chamber, the ram having ribs on the compression face to form grooves in the bale for future stack-retaining straps. A sliding door opens the end of the baling chamber for ejection of the formed bale by continued extension of the ram.

Abstract: A compact two-sided cooking device is disclosed for use with an existing grill to permit two-sided cooking of food products, such as hamburger patties, on a relatively limited basis. The device includes a cooking assembly having an electrically-powered cooking platen which can be selectively positioned on food products on the grill for effecting accelerated two-sided cooking thereof. The present cooking device has been particularly configured for use in conjunction with, and for rocking movement on, a commercially-sized restaurant grill, and provides greatly reduced cooking times so that a customer's order can be freshly and efficiently prepared even during relatively slow business hours.

Abstract: Compactor apparatus comprises a conveyor for supplying articles to a hopper positioned alongside the upper end of a compression chamber in which a platen powered by a hydraulic cylinder is adapted to be reciprocated. The hopper is mounted at one end of a beam balance, the displacement of the other end of which measures the weight of a charge in the hopper. When the presence of a specified charge in the hopper is sensed, the conveyor is disabled, the hopper and hydraulic cylinder with the platen in the retracted position are swung laterally to bring the hopper over the compression chamber to dump the contained articles into the chamber. The hopper and cylinder are then returned to their initial positions, the cylinder is actuated to cause the platen to compress the dumped articles, and the conveyor is again enabled to supply articles to the hopper.

Abstract: A double pass, double conveyor broiler apparatus and method for efficiently cooking large numbers of relatively large hamburger patties is disclosed. The apparatus includes two burners and two conveyors, with one conveyor conveying patties past one burner for cooking one side of the patties and flipping over the partially cooked patties, and with the other conveyor conveying the patties past the other burner for cooking the other side. The patties on the second conveyor are sandwiched between the belts of the two conveyors, which flattens the patties to counteract the tendency of large patties to swell at the center and curl at the edges.

Abstract: A so-called round baler has baling and wrapping chambers (3, 4), defined in part by flexible endless belts (1, 2). A bale formed in the chamber (3) may be transferred to the chamber (4) after separating the juxtaposed portions (12, 22) of working runs of the belt (FIG. 5).

Abstract: A reciprocating ram crushes cans along their longitudinal axis. First and second cams move with the ram and operate first and second holding members which feed the cans one by one into a ram passageway for crushing. A valve actuator is movable with the ram for alternately operating a switching valve for directing hydraulic fluid alternately to opposite ends of the ram to operate it in opposite directions during its cycle of operation.

Abstract: A press efficently dewaters a mass of wet fibrous material on all six sides by compressing the mass with a second ram against a plurality of liners arranged on a front face of the second ram, on a rear face of a door, and on a top wall, a bottom wall, and two opposing side walls of a press box. Before entering the press box, a quantity of the mass of wet fibrous material is selected by a first ram which is guided a predetermined distance beneath a hopper of wet fibrous material by a pair of piston rods and cylinders arranged on opposite external sides of the first ram. On one side edge of the front face of the second ram and also on one side wall of the press box, there are positioned four-edged knives which cut off a selected quantity of wet fibrous material after such material is fed into the compression chamber but before such material is pushed into the press box by the second ram. A method for operating the dewatering press is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a double band press each of the press belts has an associated pressure chamber in which fluid pressure medium acts to pressurize the sheet form material passed between the press belts. Each pressure chamber is formed by a pressure plate, the associted press belt and a sliding surface seal mounted in a groove in the pressure plate with the seal in sliding contact with the press belt. The sliding surface seal is secured within a retaining member fitted with narrow play into a groove in the pressure plate. Each press belt extends horizontally between a pair of spaced rollers. The retaining member is vertically displaceable within the groove. Support members located within the pressure chamber secure the retaining member to the pressure plate. A groove seal in the form of an O-ring is located between the base of the groove and the retaining member and is in contact with the opposite sides of the groove.

Abstract: A piston system is used as a pressure-independent flow-volume-regulating valve in which the piston divides the piston chamber into two sections which communicate with one another via a flow-throttling zone and, dependent upon pressures applied which are opposed on the piston by restoring forces, affects control orifices. The restoring force for the piston is guided over a compensating member for temperature-dependent expansions.

Abstract: A method for wrapping a bale or the like with a wire or band held together by a tubular seal is described wherein wire is pushed through a metal tube held in readiness, then looped around the bale, and the free end of the wire is again moved through the metal tube. After the wire has been passed twice through the metal tube held in readiness; the wire feed is arrested by means of a limit switch; the portion of the wire end projecting out of the crimping jaws is bent around the metal tube; and tightening around the band is completed. Then the seal is produced by moving the crimping jaws toward each other and simultaneously severing the band from the supply coil. The wrapping operation takes place fully automatically. For this purpose, an apparatus is provided which holds the respectively next needed metal tube exactly into the path of movement of the wire to be extended around the bale.

Abstract: A tortilla maker includes a frame which comprises a base (10), and two vertical spine members (32,34) which are secured to the rear edge of the base (10) and extend upwardly therefrom. A lower tortilla-making element (42) is rotatably connected to the two spine members (32, 34). An intermediate tortilla-making element (86) is also connected to the two spine members (32, 34) and includes a lower surface (89) which is at an angle relative to the upper surface of the lower tortilla-making element (42). A handle (18) is rotatably mounted to the base (10) and is operative to raise the lower element against the lower surface (89) of the intermediate element (86). An upper tortilla-making element (92) is positioned on top of the intermediate element (86), upon which tortillas which have been formed and precooked may be placed, if necessary, for completion of cooking.

Abstract: A barbeque cooking and smoking apparatus of the type having a separate oven and an adjacent firebox with a smoke passage opening between the firebox and oven for passage of smoke and heat from the firebox into the oven having a positive mechanical gate operated by the oven door which blocks the smoke passage opening when the oven door is open and opens the smoke passage opening when the oven door is closed.