Abstract: A rack oven which comprises a baking chamber, a door providing access to the baking chamber, a combustion chamber containing a plurality of in-shot burners, a heat exchanger in combination with the combustion chamber containing a plurality of heat exchange tubes, a steam generator, one or more blower fans for circulating air in a closed path throughout the oven, and a ventor exhaust blower for expelling combustion gases.

Abstract: A food product slicing machine includes a coupling and associated interlock mechanism for connecting and disconnecting a carriage arm of the food slicing machine to and from a reciprocating carriage base mounted to the housing of the machine. The coupling includes a cylindrical mounting head which is rotatably mounted in the carriage base by a bracket. The mounting head contains a slot for slidably receiving a foot of the carriage arm, and the bracket also contains a slot with which the mounting head slot can be aligned through rotation of the mounting head within the bracket. The mounting head slot and bracket slot must be aligned in order to attach or remove the carriage arm's foot to or from the carriage base. The interlock mechanism is provided to prohibit the alignment of the slots when the gauge plate of the slicing machine is not in a safe position. Accordingly, the carriage arm may not be removed from the carriage base when the gauge plate is not in the safe position.

Abstract: The invention is a mixer-grinder for food processing. The unit is designed to provide both an ergonomically convenient position for the top of the hopper with respect to loading, for the discharge opening with respect to receiving the processed product and for the deepest point of the hopper with respect to cleaning. The apparatus includes a base; a hopper mounted on the base, the hopper being formed by a front wall, a rear wall and a curved bottom wall connecting the front wall and the rear wall; a trough formed in the bottom wall of the hopper; a discharge opening in the front wall at one end of the trough; a worm rotatably mounted in the trough for moving food toward the discharge opening; at least one paddle for mixing food in the hopper, the paddle being mounted on a rotatable shaft centrally positioned in the hopper; and a motor and transmission mounted on the base for driving the worm. The trough is preferably oriented such that a central axis thereof is upwardly inclined.

Abstract: The invention is a sharpener for a knife of a food slicer. The sharpener includes a base assembly and a sharpener assembly. The base assembly includes a lever mounted thereto on a pivot; the lever carrying a cam member which extends therefrom. The sharpener assembly includes a housing and a longitudinal cavity, a sharpening wheel mounted for rotation on an axle which reciprocates lengthwise in the cavity, a compression spring positioned in the cavity at the base of the axle, and an actuator which reciprocates in the cavity portion on the side of the spring opposite the axle. Upon moving the lever about its pivot, the cam contacts the actuator and moves the actuator in the direction of the axle and compresses the spring. The spring moves the plunger lengthwise within the cavity and urges the sharpening wheel against the knife.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying and turning trays loaded with utensils including a feed conveyor which conveys trays through and around a semi-circular turning track. The turning track is delimited laterally by stationary, curved rails and to the inside toward the central point of curvature by a continuous inner belt, and having removal devices at the top end. The inner belt is provided with uniformly spaced outwardly projecting rods. The feed conveyor is in the form of a continuously driven chain conveyor which is drawn through in one piece to the upper end of the turning track, guided in the region of the turning track by rails for the chains arranged on either side to more reliably guide the trays and in order to make the drive of the entire device more sturdy in design.

Abstract: The invention is an oven system for roasting, cooking, baking and regenerating, as well as for grilling foodstuffs by supplying heat into a cooking space of the oven. The oven system includes at least one slide-in frame movable into and out of the cooking space, respectively, the slide-in frame having at least two respectively connected rotating discs which are rotatably supported on the opposing inner sides of the slide-in frame. The oven system also includes receivers for the foodstuffs which are releasably attached to the rotating discs and at least one drive mechanism mounted on the oven for rotating a rotating disc. The drive is engageable with and disengageable from the rotating disc.

Abstract: The invention is a lock for the bowl support of a food mixing machine. After the bowl is raised into the mixing position, the lock ensures that the bowl maintains its position and is not subject to creep. The mixing machine comprises a mixing head, a mixing bowl support for supporting a mixing bowl under the mixing head, a gear train for moving the bowl support and mixing bowl into position beneath the mixing head, and a lock which engages the gear train to prevent the bowl support from moving out of position beneath the mixing head during mixing. The lock is preferably a pawl which engages one of the gears in the gear train, preventing the bowl and the bowl support from moving out of position.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for storing and supplying water for use in a unit of catering equipment, comprising means for controlling the supply of water from a mains source to a water storage tank and means adapted to supply a predetermined volume of water from the storage tank for use in the catering equipment unit, the control means being adapted to supply water so as to maintain the quantity of water within the storage tank substantially constant wherein the volume of the storage tank is equal to, or not less than, the predetermined volume so that the storage tank may be of sufficiently small dimensions as to be located within the housing the catering equipment unit, an air gap of predetermined dimensions being provided between the mains source and the storage tank.

Abstract: A torsion bar assembly for a dishwasher door having a stainless steel torsion bar enclosed in an elongated stainless steel tube such that the bar rotates within the tube as the door is moved between an open and a closed position. One end of the bar and tube are fixedly disposed in a rectangular boss which is fixedly attached to the dishwasher door; and a second end of the tube and bar are releasably disposed in a cylindrical boss which is welded to a door hinge. The bosses are attached on opposite sides of the interior door panel, so that the torsion bar extends substantially the width of the door. The torsion bar is protected from water by the corrosion-resistant tube, and by a pair of quad-rings which are disposed in recesses in the cylindrical boss. The quad-rings prevent water from seeping through the boss and reaching the torsion bar. When the ends of the torsion bar are disposed in the bosses, the bar is spaced within the tube to permit the bar to rotate independently of the tube.

Abstract: The invention is a printer for labels which can determine when the label stock is in position for printing. The printer comprises a print head and label stock having labels on a first side and indicator stripes printed on a second side. The printer uses an emitter for producing infrared light and a detector for receiving the light. A mirror is used to focus and reflect the light, the mirror is positioned with respect to the emitter, detector and label stock so as to reflect light originating at the emitter to the label stock and from the label stock to the detector. The invention is also drawn to the cassette used in the label printer comprising a base, a retainer on the base containing a roll of label stock, a guide plate having a window therein for conveying the label stock, a concave mirror mounted on the cassette adjacent the window, and a sensor hole on the base of the cassette through which light from an emitter and detector passes.

Abstract: A food mixer comprises a base, a supporting structure or column upstanding from the base and an arm projecting from the upper end of the column and carrying a mounting member for a mixing tool. The column is provided with a vertically extending V-section channel on its bowl-facing side which, in use, receives part of the periphery of the mixing bowl so that the necessary horizontal extensions of the head from the column is minimized. The mixing bowl is supported on a mixing bowl support vertically movable on the column to bring the bowl up to the mixing tool and lower the bowl therefrom. Except in the fully lowered position of the bowl support, the bowl is held captive on the bowl support by a pin which is extended upwardly through a hole in a flange of the bowl, the flange being received in a slot in the bowl carrier.

Abstract: In a dish washing unit for trays loaded with dishes having a separating stage with a turning device, a delivery and removal stage and a washing stage, the supply conveyor is a transverse conveyor belt with a right-angle deflector. Additionally, the inner conveyor belt of the turning conveyor is a lattice belt which in the discharge direction has a substantially pear-shaped eccentric rotating path and is guided at its outer edge. The outer belt is a double-chain conveyor belt, the outer and inner strands of which are spaced and guided substantially parallel to one another and to the turning semicircle. Removing belts are present in the same number as the items to be washed of different dimensions. Finally, washing transport belts are provided in vertical superimposed parallel arrangement in the washing station such that they respectively cooperate with one of the removing belts and further convey the flatly lying items to be washed through the washing, rinsing and drying zones.

Abstract: A method for rinsing ware in a warewashing machine comprising the steps of: adding fresh rinse water to a wash chamber of the warewashing machine to rinse said ware in a rinse cycle; detecting the water level in the wash chamber; upon detecting a level below a predetermined volume, continuing to add rinse water to said chamber; and upon detecting a level of water equal to said predetermined volume, discontinuing the step of adding rinse water to said chamber.

Abstract: A power supply for a large or dual vacuum fluorescent display having a DC source coupled to a switching regulator to generate a stepped up DC voltage. A -5 volt regulator is coupled to the switching regulator output, to provide a second DC voltage. A grid and segment driver is supplied with the regulator output. The driver is coupled to a microprocessor, and selectively drives the grid and plate segments to display data from the microprocessor. An oscillator circuit is also coupled to the DC source to generate an AC signal. The AC signal is coupled to an inverter to generate a second phase-shifted AC signal. The AC signals are provided to a pair of output drivers which amplify and output each signal to opposite ends of the filaments to heat the display filaments.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying and turning trays loaded with utensils including a feed conveyor which conveys trays through and around a semi-circular turning track. The turning track is delimited laterally by stationary, curved rails and to the inside toward the central point of curvature by a continuous inner belt, and having removal devices at the top end. The inner belt is provided with uniformly spaced outwardly projecting rods. The feed conveyor is in the form of a continuously driven chain conveyor which is drawn through in one piece to the upper end of the turning track, guided in the region of the turning track by rails for the chains arranged on either side to more reliably guide the trays and in order to make the drive of the entire device more sturdy in design.

Abstract: A stream generator for use in a convection oven comprising a plurality of first and second spherically shaped heat accumulator elements arranged alternately in a substantially vertical plane in which the first layer contains at least one row of the heat accumulating elements integrally joined together at a central axis and the second layer contains at least two rows of the heat accumulating elements integrally joined together at a central axis, and a convection oven employing the steam generator are disclosed.