Abstract: A controlled atmosphere broiler has a horizontal tunnel mounted on a frame and enclosing one run of a continuous, open-work conveyor traveling from an inlet end toward an outlet end. An air fan near the inlet end supplies air through a supply air duct to nozzles near the outlet end and discharging into the tunnel, both from above and from below, toward the conveyor. The supply air duct air is heated and provided with hot water vapor. The air is further heated by infrared heaters in the tunnel above and below the conveyor. Infrared radiation is reflected toward the conveyor by a reflector, preferably a common wall between the tunnel and the supply air duct. Air from the tunnel is aspirated through a return air duct by the fan. There is a damper control vent from the tunnel to the atmosphere, and air flow in the supply air duct is also controlled by a damper. The conveyor is supported by water-cooled cross tubes, and there is a drain pan below the conveyor.

Abstract: A device for cooking meatballs has a frame supporting an open-ended drum for rotation on the frame about a substantially horizontal axis. The drum is open at both its inlet end and its outlet end and has for part of its length an outer wall together with the inner wall forming a jacket. Heating oil is brought into the jacket through an axial rotary joint and discharged from the jacket through a similar axial rotary joint. Within the drum is a plurality of helical fins spaced apart circumferentially. The fins are of a sufficient height to propel axially of the drum meatballs introduced thereto through the inlet end and to carry the meatballs to the outlet end for discharge therethrough. Extending axially a short distance away from the inner wall and preferably carried by adjacent portions of the fins are tumbling bars. These are effective to lift and release the meatballs.

Abstract: A patty cooker particularly for use in finishing precooked meat patties having a predetermined transverse dimension has a frame on which a conveyor made up of rather widely spaced, small diameter cross bars advances in a predetermined direction. A nozzle or preferably a plurality of nozzles having outlet openings elongated in the direction of conveyor advance are arranged side by side transversely of the conveyor and close to the patty. A jet of hot air issues from each nozzle and impinges upon the patty in a restricted area. The jets leave untouched zones between such areas. The effect is to provide browned or seared marks or parallel stripes on the patty like grill marks. Preferably nozzles are arranged above and below the conveyor and directed toward the patty from opposite directions, simultaneously to provide sear marks both top and bottom.

Abstract: A cooker for meatballs and the like has a semi-cylindrical trough mounted on a frame for rotation about its own substantially horizontal but slightly inclined axis. The trough is rocked to and fro by a controlled driving device to swing between extreme positions and optionally to stop between the extreme positions. The trough has a meatball inlet at one end and a meatball outlet at the other end. Between those ends the trough has interrupted, interior, helical vanes staggered with respect to each other on opposite sides of the center of the trough to impell the meatballs from one end to the other as the trough rocks. The trough includes a jacket having inlet and outlet connections for heating oil and may also have radiant heaters directed toward the inside of the trough.

Abstract: An air handler especially for use with a produce storage room has a housing with an air inlet near the bottom and an air outlet near the top. A fan or blower supplies air above atmospheric pressure to the inlet for flow through the housing and discharge from the top thereof and through a duct leading to the storage room. Adjacent the housing there is a water cooler, usually operated in a refrigerator circuit, into which water is introduced from a collector near the bottom of the housing and from which the cooled water is discharged into a distributor in the housing near the top thereof. The distributor, preferably a number of sprays, discharges the cooled water to fall over and through a water and air baffle unit within the housing between the inlet and the outlet thereof and into the collector.

Abstract: An electric broiler for hamburgers and the like has a supporting frame on which an endless bar conveyor is arranged to advance longitudinally with the conveyor upper run and the conveyor lower run in generally horizontal planes. A set of upper electric heating rods extends longitudinally and transversely of the frame above the upper run, and a set of lower electric heating rods extends horizontally and transversely of the frame below the lower run. Below the lower heating rods on the frame are longitudinally extending radiation baffle boxes generally rectangular in cross-section and arranged with their diagonals substantially vertical and spaced apart transversely to allow drippings to pass between them. There are radiation reflecting dihedral plates extending horizontally and longitudinally on the frame above the upper rods, the dihedral plates being supplemented by top plates supported by the dihedral plates but being largely spaced above the dihedral plates to provide dead air spaces.

Abstract: A splicer for a heat cohering belt has a base supporting a lower platen frame. A heated lower platen is vertically liftable in the lower platen frame by means of an expansible envelope therebetween. An upper platen frame on the base supports a heated upper platen for movement toward and away from the lower platen. A rotatable cam on the base is effective to lift the upper platen, and a bail on the base is effective to hold the upper platen against lifting above a chosen point. Both platens are centrally supported for expansion in two directions away therefrom, and the lower platen is made flexible by a number of transverse gaps therein.

Abstract: A meatball cooker has a frame on which a pair of generally cylindrical rollers are mounted alongside each other to extend horizontally with their axes parallel to each other. At least one of the rollers, and preferably both, includes a helical groove concentric with the respective axis, the groove being of a character to engage the customary meatball. The rollers are heated internally, and preferably externally also, and are rotated relative to each other about their respective axes and preferably in the same directions with the helical grooves of the same hand to advance and turn the meatballs. There is an enclosure around the rollers and a grease pan beneath. Conveniently there is a feeding chute for introducing the meatballs to the device and a receiving chute for carrying away processed meatballs.

Abstract: A sliding patty griller has a frame on which are horizontally mounted a lower heated platen and an upper heated platen parallel to each other and partially overlapped in plan. A conveyor slides patties first over the lower platen, then between the two platens and finally under the upper platen. The patties are supported, when off the lower platen but still under the upper platen, on a bar grid providing drainage. The conveyor has cross bars acting as pushers and in one instance the bars are scalloped to conform to the trailing wall of each patty. Weight bars over the initial portion of the lower platen hold the patties thereon in close contact therewith.