Abstract: A pasta cooking apparatus includes a generally rectangular cabinet including an upright cooking tank and a sauce heating chamber with a common wall, with an opening permitting water flow therebetween. The cooking water temperature and the sauce heating water are separately temperature controlled for heating thereof. A sauce chamber abuts the heating chamber and includes various sauce containers. Transfer hoses extend from the containers, through the heating chamber into nozzles located above the cooking tank. A self-contained conveyor unit within the cooking tank has an endless chain with equi-spaced pasta baskets. The cover has a top run above the tank. The baskets are pivotally mounted. The baskets are inverted in the upper run and then reset. A dish table rotates beneath the horizontal run and successive baskets drop the pasta into an aligned dish which then rotates beneath the nozzles. The unit has a 34 inch width to allow it to move through conventional doorways in small fast food restaurants.

Abstract: A pasta cooking apparatus includes a generally rectangular cabinet including an upright cooking tank and a sauce heating chamber with a common wall, with an opening permitting water flow therebetween. The cooking water temperature and the sauce heating water are separately temperature controlled for heating thereof. A sauce chamber abuts the heating chamber and includes various sauce containers. Transfer hoses extend from the containers, through the heating chamber into nozzles located above the cooking tank. A self-contained conveyor unit within the cooking tank has an endless chain with equi-spaced pasta baskets. The cover has a top run above the tank. The baskets are pivotally mounted. The baskets are inverted in the upper run and then reset. A dish table rotates beneath the horizontal run and successive baskets drop the pasta into an aligned dish which then rotates beneath the nozzles. The unit has a 34 inch width to allow it to move through conventional doorways in small fast food restaurants.

Abstract: A pasta cooking apparatus includes a generally rectangular cabinet including an upright cooking tank and a sauce heating chamber with a common wall, with an opening permitting water flow therebetween. The cooking water temperature and the sauce heating water are separately temperature controlled for heating thereof. A sauce chamber abuts the heating chamber and includes various sauce containers. Transfer hoses extend from the containers, through the heating chamber into nozzles located above the cooking tank. A self-contained conveyor unit within the cooking tank has an endless chain with equi-spaced pasta baskets. The cover has a top run above the tank. The baskets are pivotally mounted. The baskets are inverted in the upper run and then reset. A dish table rotates beneath the horizontal run and successive baskets drop the pasta into an aligned dish which then rotates beneath the nozzles. The unit has a 34 inch width to allow it to move through conventional doorways in small fast food restaurants.

Abstract: An automobile bumper mounted wheelchair carrier includes an extendible hydraulic cylinder secured to a known trailer-type bumper hitch. The piston member is vertically movable and includes a bottom chair support plate projecting outwardly of the bumper. In the lowered position, the support plate is located to receive the two rear wheels, or safety roller provided on the wheelchair. Upper lock members are aligned with the side frames of the wheelchair and one is releasably attached to the frame. The wheelchair is mounted in the in-use state. A pressurized hydraulic supply, either hand or electrically operated, is mounted in the vehicle trunk with lines releasably connected to the cylinder for raising and lowering of the support and wheelchair.

Abstract: A lift mechanism apparatus for transferring of persons of limited mobility to and from a restricted area such as a raised tub-like water treating facility and in particular such an apparatus which is particularly adapted for transfer from and to a wheelchair without requirement of the individual standing during the transfer process.

Abstract: A granulated meat applicator deposits granulated meat onto a series of pizza shells. A shell or crust conveyor is located beneath a meat conveyor to transfer sauce covered shells beneath the meat conveyor. Frozen shredded meat is deposited onto the infeed end of the meat conveyor and discharged therefrom onto the shells carried by the shell conveyor. A meat recovery conveyor means receives shredded meat which falls through the shell conveyor and returns it to the meat conveyor. The total assembly is enclosed within an outer enclosure having side walls and a top wall with appropriate conveyor openings. A pair of cooling means are alternately operated and defrosted to create a continuous flow of cool air upwardly to the top of the enclosure and then downwardly over the conveyors and the meat and the shells. Auxiliary cooling plates may be located adjacent to the meat conveyors to further insure that the granulated meat remains frozen.

Abstract: A pizza shell forming machine has a bed with a heating unit and an overlying press die unit. Preformed dough balls are supplied to a reciprocating transfer mechanism having confining walls. A pusher moves the dough ball onto the bed when aligned with the die unit. A confining forward wall is movable vertically such that when the ball is located beneath a die unit, the wall is raised for withdrawal. A projecting thin plate is secured forwardly of the wall and moves and discharges it to top surface piercing unit and then into a baking unit. The piercing unit includes a tined wheel overlying a conveyor belt. Hold down rods hold the shell to the belt during piercing. A heating unit is mounted in an opening in the bed. A movable die unit also includes a heating unit to create a baking temperature on the order of 325.degree. F. Die closure is of the order of 1-5,000 psi. Alternatively, a conveyor plate is longitudinally movable through the press for removing a shell.

Abstract: A cheese cubing apparatus divides blocks of cheese into relatively small cubes which are then shredded for depositing on pizza crusts. A pair of parallel inclined conveyors having similarly opposed cutters secured to the upper end. Each conveyor is driven by a hydraulic motor in a timed manner to locate the cheese block and to then hesitate. A laterally extending hydraulic piston unit forces the cheese block outwardly through a stationary cutting element defined by spaced wires in the discharge path to form cubes which drop into the cheese shredders mounted therebetween. Each conveyor has a belt formed of stainless steel slats interconnected by suitable pin means and spaced plates to carry the cheese blocks. Conveyor sidewalls are releasably secured to a box-like frame and to each other to permit ready exposure of the operating components for cleaning. Each of the shredders includes a rotating support disc with an apertured basket releasably secured thereto.

Abstract: A high pressure press including a cup-shaped die member having a relatively narrow, essentially rigidly fixed outer confining lip movable into engagement with a flat bed to define a closed fluid tight cavity for compressing a dough patty into a flat shell. The die and bed are heated to 360.degree.F to bake the dough and generate gases trapped within the cavity. Any of the dough escaping between the lip and bed is compressed to a very thin, film-like connection which becomes brittle on final baking and easily removed. Just prior to raising the die, the holding pressure is eliminated which releases the gases without noticeable adverse effect on the characteristic of the shell. A plate-like vacuum chamber is moved between the die and bed with a bottom perforated plate is superimposed overlying relationship to the shell and dropped down onto the shell to attract the shell for removal from the die. A plurality of piercing pins are provided on the underface of the perforated plate to perforate the top of the shell.

Abstract: A pizza apparatus transfer plate having metering openings is selectively coupled to a pressurized meat source to form and apply meat patties. An air passageway is coupled to the meter openings and selectively wipe the meat from the plate. An air chamber is mounted on top of the meat chamber and connected by air tubes to bottom opening in the meat chamber. Alternatively, the metering plate openings is aligned with a metering piston having a concentric air passageway which is appropriately opened to wipe the meat from the plate. The metering plate is thus coupled to a meat source to fill the openings and then coupled to the air passageway to positively force the patties onto the bases. Individual patty forming and applying units are preferably provided and mounted in a pattern to directly correspond to the meat pattern on the completed pizza.