Abstract: A control for a thermal oven having a manually settable timer for establishing preselected broiling and baking times. The control includes an alarm and circuitry for sounding the alarm at the end of the timed cooking period. The control further de-energizes the heating elements a short preselected time after the time period set by the user in the event the user does not take affirmative steps in response to the alarm. The control continues to provide a reminder alarm operation at predetermined intervals, such as five-minute intervals, until such time as the user provides the affirmative input to terminate the control operation and reset the system.

Abstract: Apparatus for the cooking of foods, includes a chamber for holding a volume of cooking oil and defining a cooking region therein for receiving food to be cooked. The chamber includes a wall having an opening therethrough for placement of food into the cooking region of the chamber and removal of the food therefrom. Displacement means are provided within the chamber adjacent the cooking region and movable between (a) a first oil displacing position wherein, in use, with a selected amount of cooking oil in the chamber, the upper level of the oil is sufficiently high that the oil substantially surrounds the food to be cooked; and (b) a second substantially non-oil displacing position wherein the upper level of the selected amount of oil is below both the lower extremities of the opening and the food. The wall opening is positioned and arranged such that, in use, the food may be inserted and removed from the cooking region of the chamber in a lateral or horizontal direction.

Abstract: An improvement in an automatic cooking apparatus having a rotating wide-mouthed vessel closed with a lid and driven from the end opposite the open end of the vessel. Heating means are provided along a portion of the vessel circumference and are controlled to maintain food contained within the vessel at a predetermined temperature for a preset time. Means are provided to supply a predetermined quantity of heat to the cooking vessel without the need for a temperature sensing means.

Abstract: Food articles are heated by radiation in the near infrared wavelength range of 0.72 .mu.m to 2.5 .mu.m. Food articles can be thawed, heated or fully cooked direct from the frozen condition in this way. Hamburger patties are cooked in a conveyor cooker between rows of sources of such radiation. The sources are energized at half voltage during standby periods so that the conveyor is held at a temperature such that it has a searing effect on patties cooked by exposure to the radiation. Full energization is effected by operation of a switch in response to placement of a patty on the conveyor through a flap connected with the switch. A separate conveyor carries hamburger bun halves beneath a third row of the sources. In a static area employing sources of the radiation, reflector and screening arrangements provide even diffuse radiation in the heating zone and control of the heating effect is obtained by selective energization of the sources for selectively variable periods.

Abstract: An electric oven toaster construction wherein an interrupt mechanism is provided for interrupting operation of a toast timer controller when the oven toaster door is opened. An interrupt lever is positioned between a door operated rod and a heat-up/cool-down bi-metal timer controller so that when the door is opened the interrupt lever moves the toasting period controller to its off position. Thus, when the door is opened during a toasting cycle operation, the toasting period controller is returned to its off position so that a user is required to reset a new full-toast cycle when the door is reclosed. This arrangement prevents undertoasted bread that could result if fresh bread is inserted in the middle of a toasting cycle.

Abstract: The means shown and described in the specifications to activate the covers can be modified and/or varied using different means. A year of evaluating and testing a working model of a toaster using the disclosed design proved it to be economically alnd practically superior over other means being considered. Its means of operation prevented damaging of food which, for any reason, protruded out of the toaster's receptacles. The normal operation of the toaster is not affected. The covers do not interfere with the pop up of the toaster. The versatility of the covers' design permits it to be utilized to cover the receptacles to keep the toast warm after toasting without the use of electrical energy, and to cover the receptacles when the toaster is not being used. Better tasting toast is produced as the result of convection toasting effected by the covering of the receptacles.

Abstract: A method of controlling the application of heat in a food heating apparatus comprising a first heating-control mode such that the heat is applied to an object to be heated until an infrared detecting device detects that a surface temperature of the object has reached at least one predetermined temperature. A second heating-control mode effects at least one of the first heating mode wherein the heat is turned on and off repeatedly and a second heating mode wherein the output of the heat source is decreased gradually. A third heating-control mode is also provided for terminating the application of heat to the object.

Abstract: A toaster for toasting a slice of bread comprises a casing in which a reciprocable carriage is located and is movable towards and away from an aperture defined by the casing through which aperture a slice of bread when mounted on the carriage can pass. A pair of enclosed electric bar heating elements is disposed within the casing respectively adjacent opposed side edges of the casing defining the aperture. A motor arrangement is provided for the carriage which can thereby be driven from a first position remote from the aperture into a second position at a predetermined speed. In this way a slice of bread mounted on the carriage can be made to pass between the elements to toast both sides of the slice progressively as the slice passes out of the casing through the aperture. The degree of toasting is determined by the speed of movement of the carriage.

Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out a method of producing a cracker from a raw material such as rice or the like comprises steps of compressing and heating for a predetermined time the raw material contained within a hermetically closed chamber defind in upper and lower baking molds, expanding instantaneously the compressed and heated raw material by opening the baking molds and concurrently discharging steam produced within the chamber during the compression under heating, and compressing again the expanded material by means of the baking molds thereby shaping the material in a cracker of a desired form in a self-sustaining structure.

Abstract: A drum of meat, consisting of an assembly of layers of meat chunks is rotated on a vertical spit, cooked by radiant heat supplied by a plurality of heating elements, and sliced by an automatically advancing paring apparatus. Certain of the heating elements are moved automatically toward the spit axis, and certain groups of heating elements are automatically deenergized as the diameter of the meat drum decreases.

Abstract: A sandwich oven comprising, a base plate having a first plurality of sandwich sized mold indentations therein, a top plate pivotally mounted to said base plate having a second plurality of sandwich sized mold indentations therein, corresponding to said first plurality of indentations in said base plate, and a heating device connected to said top and base plates. The first and second indentations define a plurality of sandwich molds when the top plate is pivoted into its closed position with the base plate. The heating device heats the plurality of sandwich molds causing a sandwich construction therein to be cooked. A timer is connected to the heat means for determining the duration of heating of the molds and a resistive heating element with a selected configuration is provided in the base of each indentation in at least one of the top and base plates. The resistance heating element is energized, causing a branding or marking of the sandwich with the selected configuration.

Abstract: An economical energy saving toasting apparatus includes a housing with an interior baffle defining a toasting chamber therein and an inlet for the introduction of the product to be toasted into the chamber. The housing also includes an outlet through which the toasted product is dispensed. A conveying assembly for conveying the product from the inlet through the toasting chamber to the outlet is also included within the housing. Mounted within the toasting chamber is a first set of resistive heating elements that are electrically connected in a circuit and continuously energized during the operation of the heating apparatus. A second set of heating elements is also included in the heating chamber and connected to a timer in order to be energized for only selected periods of time.

Abstract: A rice cooker having a kettle for containing rice, an inner case surrounding and supporting the kettle, first and second heaters separated from each other and mounted within the inner case and adjacent the outside surface of the kettle for heating the kettle and the contents thereof and first and second switches electrically connected to the heaters to control the energization and deenergization of the heaters so as to heat the kettle by three heating stages to obtain boiled rice of most excellent taste.

Abstract: In an electric rice cooker, an electric heater for heating a kettle containing a quantity of rice and water is firstly energized through a first contact of a switch sensitive to the temperature of the kettle. When cooking operation completes the switch transfers to a second contact to start a timer. After a predetermined time, the timer reenergizes the heater through the second contact for a definite interval.

Abstract: A sandwich grill includes a base support housing having a vertical support member supporting a fixed die and a movable die disposed for cooperative opposed relationship for confining a sandwich therebetween. The dies include shearing elements for shearing excess sandwich material from the dies and are supported on arms that also provide shearing action for shearing the material to permit it to drop into a scrap or waste tray disposed beneath the dies. The dies are heated by electrical heating elements connected in a control circuit including thermostatic and timing controls for selecting temperature and time on the grill. The movable die is operated by a lever and cam arrangement which moves the movable die in a vertical path and then in a pivotal path for moving the die vertically away from the fixed die and pivoting backwards out of the way.

Abstract: An oven, which maintains food at a low temperature to preserve its properties for subsequent unattended cooking at high oven temperatures, is cooled and heated by a flowing liquid thermal exchange fluid which is cooled and heated by flowing through thermal sources separate from the oven. Within a food processing compartment of the oven, heat is exchanged between an enclosed chamber heat exchanger and the food by air convection.In a preferred embodiment, the oven is one of a plurality of domestic appliances similarly heated and cooled by a liquid thermal exchange fluid. The oven and the other appliances share in common an assembly of thermal reservoirs which provides thermal exchange fluid under pressure at substantially the temperatures of the thermal reservoirs which include a hot and a cold reservoir.

Abstract: A toast load selector mechanism for use with toasters accommodating varying toast loads of from one to a plurality of bread slices or other food items for toasting and having a toasting time interval timer including a manually operable brownness control knob for adjusting the toasting time interval, the brownness control movable through an adjustment range between a first position setting a minimum time interval for toasting a minimum toast load to the lightest brown condition and a second position setting a maximum time interval for toasting the maximum toast load to the darkest brown condition. The toast load selector mechanism comprises a toast load selector member which is mounted concentrically with the brownness control knob, the toast load selector member defining first and second stops limiting the adjustment range of the brownness control to a subrange applicable to a given toast load selected by the toast load selector member.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus employing a purging device.In the apparatus, an exhaust gas which is produced from food being cooked in a cooking chamber is passed through the purging device and is exhausted to the exterior of the chamber at a temperature of 130.degree. C or at a discharge rate of higher than 0.5 m/sec thereby being purged sufficiently.

Abstract: A cooking device for quickly and uniformly cooking food products, especially meat products, and for warming rolls and other bread products.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooking various food items. The apparatus includes an enclosed cooking compartment disposed a spaced distance above a reservoir which contains a quantity of cooking oil. A rack is provided for suspending the items of food at spaced apart distances one from the other within the cooking compartment. The oil is heated and forced through nozzles which are uniformly spaced about the interior of the cooking compartment thus forming a mist from the hot cooking oil which saturates the interior space of the cooking commpartment. Thus, the suspended items of food become suffused with the mist of hot oil which effectively accomplishes the cooking process of the food.

Abstract: A food warming appliance having base and cover structures defining a portable case. A pair of opposed heating panels are mounted, one in each of the structures, and biased toward each other so as to firmly engage food positioned therebetween when the structures are closed. Foods and food trays of a wide variety of sizes, shapes and thicknesses can be positioned between the panels and firmly gripped so as to be warmed through a gentle conductive heat transfer. The heating compartment is well insulated and has the capability of serving as a cold food storage area to keep frozen foods frozen for substantial periods of time. A safety electrical interlock system normally de-energizes the heating panels when the appliance is open. An interlock by-pass plug and cord permit open case operation where the appliance is to be used to keep foods warm during serving.

Abstract: An electronic digital timer for an electronic range wherein the desired time of cooking is determined by a time setter; the time of cooking thus set is indicated in a digital fashion; a counter counts the number of pulses generated when the electronic range commences heating; and the heating operation is brought to an end when coincidence takes place between the number of counts made by the counter and a number determined corresponding to the preset time.