Abstract: Equipment for holding or staging a bicompartmented sandwich package is disclosed. The equipment comprises supporting structure for supporting several packages, and heating elements for applying heat to only a part of the package. The support includes an uninterrupted floor supporting the warmed or hot compartment of the package, and shelving structure for supporting the unwarmed or cool package compartment. Heaters are disposed above and below the hot compartment. The support structure is arranged to retain the heat around the warmed or hot compartment. One embodiment, the floor structure is inclined so as to urge packages in the structure to slide downwardly to a pre-determined pick-up point.

Abstract: An apparatus for effecting two-sided cooking of food products, such as frozen hamburger patties, is disclosed which has been configured for highly desirable efficiency, versatility, and consistency in food product preparation. The apparatus includes a housing upon which is mounted a substantially horizontal lower platen assembly, with the apparatus further including one or more upper platen assemblies each mounted on a respective pivotal support arm for movement between a lowered inactive position and a raised active position with respect to the lower platen assembly. The apparatus includes a mounting arrangement for permitting limited relative movement of each upper platen assembly with respect to its support arm, and further includes mechanisms for maintaining a predetermined minimum spacing between the upper and lower platens for avoiding undue compaction of the food products. Automatic controls effect upward movement of the upper platen for precise cooking control.

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: An apparatus for preparing scrambled eggs on a grill surface, wherein liquid scrambled eggs mix are placed within egg rings, each having a lower edge portion in intimate contact with a heated grill surface, and the egg rings are moved repeatedly to and fro, preferably in a reciprocating motion, while maintaining the lower edge portions of the egg ring in intimate contact with the grill surface. The egg mix is rapidly moved within the confines of the egg rings, and that rapid movement is continued until the egg mix in each ring has congealed into a mass of cooked scrambled egg. A carriage mounts at least two such egg rings, and each egg ring mounts a comb-like interceptor member which engages, moves, and mixes the eggs in the egg ring as the egg ring moves to and fro. The to and fro movement which is preferably reciprocating movement, is such that it produces a wave-like motion of the liquid eggs during a first portion of the cycle of rapid movement of the eggs in the egg ring.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooking an egg is disclosed wherein a grill surface is provided for supporting an egg thereon and wherein a steam containment enclosure is provided to cover the grill surface. A shelled egg is placed on the grill surface under the steam containment enclosure. The grill surface is heated by, and steam is injected within the steam containment enclosure from, a single source of pressurized steam whereby at least the bottom portion of the egg is grilled or fried with an upper portion of the egg being simultaneously basted with steam.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for maintaining the crispness and sensory appeal of fried food products after they are fried, but before they are served. The invention contemplates that freshly fried food products are positioned in a product holding area which is at least partially defined by a foraminous surface, such as a perforated plate, upon which the food products are placed. The food products are subjected to forced hot air circulation provided by a suitable blower and heating arrangement so that hot air circulates about the food products to evaporate moisture from their surfaces which migrates from their moist interiors, this moisture migration otherwise tending to render the food products undesirably uncrispy or soggy within a relatively short time. The present invention is particularly suited for use in the food service industry since a consistently high quality product can be served, with desired flexibility provided in the preparation of the product.

Abstract: A portable apparatus is provided for cooking eggs on a heated cooking surface or grill and includes a frame with a plurality of rings carried on the frame. Each ring is adapted to be disposed on the grill and to receive a shelled egg therein. A peripheral wall means is provided for enclosing the rings. A removable closure assembly is provided for being positioned over the rings and includes (1) a cover at least coextensive with the peripheral wall means and adapted to engage the peripheral wall means, (2) an open top container mounted on the cover and defining a reservoir for receiving a predetermined quantity of water therein, and (3) means for defining an unobstructed orifice through the cover and communicating with the interior of the container for metering the water at a predetermined rate onto the grill.

Abstract: A method for preparing scrambled eggs on a grill surface, wherein liquid scrambled eggs mix are placed within an egg ring having a lower edge portion in intimate contact with a heated grill surface and the egg ring is moved repeatedly to and fro, preferably in a reciprocating motion, while maintaining the lower edge portion of the egg ring in intimate contact with the grill surface. The egg mix is rapidly moved within the confines of the egg ring, and that rapid movement is continued until the egg mix has congealed into a mass of cooked scrambled egg. Desirably a carriage mounts a plurality of egg rings, and each mounts a comb-like member which engages, moves, and mixes the eggs in the egg ring as the egg ring moves to and fro. The to and fro movement is such that it produces a wave-like motion of the liquid eggs during a first portion of the cycle of rapid movement of the eggs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for cooking scrambled eggs wherein a container is provided for holding a charge of uncooked, shelled eggs and is adapted to be matingly and sealingly engaged with a cover assembly around a projecting cylindrical, multi-orificed, steam injection conduit. A plurality of jets of steam and air are injected at spaced locations into the interior of the charge of eggs to agitate and cook the eggs. A disc-like baffle plate is secured to, and concentric with, the injection conduit and is adapted to be received in a free space of the container above the charge of eggs for inhibiting the upward spattering of the eggs during steam injection. A vent passage is provided above the cover plate and communicates with the container during cooking of the eggs via an annular aperture in the cover plate concentric with the steam conduit to allow steam and air to escape from the container during cooking to maintain the interior volume of the container at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A fry basket for supporting food items, such as pies and fish filets, to be cooked in an immersed position in a cooking medium. The fry basket has a generally rigid frame presenting parallel, spaced-apart transverse support members. A unitary sheet of low heat capacity flexible material is supported from the transverse frame members to form a plurality of pouches. Each pouch has a pair of opposed sidewalls and a bottom portion with each of the sidewalls of each pouch hanging from a transverse frame member of define, together with the pouch bottom portion, a pouch having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for cooking frozen french fries in which a supply of frozen potato pieces is held in a hopper and in which the potato pieces are continuously fed from the hopper at a predetermined, adjustable rate, by means of an upwardly slanting endless conveyor, into an enclosed bath of hot cooking liquid. Water vapor generated when the frozen potato pieces contact the hot liquid is removed by a vapor extraction system. A second endless conveyor is provided within the cooking liquid to carry the potato pieces submerged within the liquid while being cooked. The speed of the potato pieces through the cooking liquid is continuously adjusted, in response to cooking liquid temperature fluctuations, as necessary to provide french fries consistently cooked to the same degree. The french fries are automatically discharged from the apparatus.

Abstract: A method is provided for cooking scrambled eggs wherein a container is provided for holding a charge of uncooked, shelled eggs and is adapted to be matingly and sealingly engaged with a cover assembly around a projecting cylindrical, multi-orificed, steam injection conduit. A plurality of jets of steam and air are injected at spaced locations into the interior of the charge of eggs to agitate and cook the eggs. A disc-like baffle plate is secured to, and concentric with, the injection conduit and is adapted to be received in a free space of the container above the charge of eggs for inhibiting the upward spattering of the eggs during steam injection. A vent passage is provided above the cover plate and communicates with the container during cooking of the eggs via an annular aperture in the cover plate concentric with the steam conduit to allow steam and air to escape from the container during cooking to maintain the interior volume of the container at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A coffee brewing and serving machine is provided with an upper housing portion from which hot water is dispensed in a downwardly flowing stream through a removably mounted, large funnel containing a large foraminous basket in which is disposed filter paper and coffee grounds. Below the outlet of the funnel is a lower housing portion containing a coffee tank having a vertical wall dividing the tank into two substantially equal sized coffee holding urns. An urn cover is supported on an upper portion of the lower housing portion over the coffee tank. The urn cover has an orifice in vertical alignment with, and below, the funnel outlet. Further there is a channel-shaped diverter trough on the underside of the cover below, and in alignment with, the cover orifice.

Abstract: A foam sandwich package having a dish section and a cover section and a latching mechanism comprising a forwardly projecting latching tongue extending into a latching aperture. The tongue is biased forwardly by the dish section and the aperture is formed in the cover portion. The dish section may be hingedly connected to the cover section, and score lines in the hinge section may be so arranged that they assist in maintaining a bias of the latching tongue forwardly.

Abstract: A clamshell type grill having an upper cooking platen mounted on a platen support arm for swinging movement between a lower cook position overlying a lower cooking platen and a raised position inclined upwardly from the lower cooking platen. The upper platen is manually operable to its lower cook position in which an arm stop in the arm engages an arm stop abutment and a pneumatic clamp cylinder is arranged to press and hold the platen support arm in its lower cook position. The upper platen is mounted on the platen support arm for limited floating movement in a direction perpendicular to the upper platen and adjustable platen stops on the platen support arm are arranged to engage platen stop abutments on the upper platen to limit downward movement of the upper platen to a preset lower position relative to the platen support arm and thereby control spacing of the upper platen from the lower platen.