Abstract: A cooking appliance and method for cooking food articles by means of a heated cooking liquid, includes a liquid container for receiving a quantity of the cooking liquid; an electrical heater for heating the cooking liquid; a perforated rotary drum for receiving the food articles to be cooked; and an electrical drive for rotating the rotary drum. The liquid container is selectively movable to a raised position, wherein the cooking liquid therein directly contacts food articles in the drum, or to a lowered position wherein the cooking liquid therein is spaced below the food articles in the drum. The lowered position of the liquid container may be used for steam-heating the food articles, or for pre-heating the food articles before being fried by moving the liquid container to its raised position.

Abstract: A cooking appliance and method for cooking food articles by means of a heated cooking liquid, includes a liquid container for receiving a quantity of the cooking liquid; an electrical heater for heating the cooking liquid; a perforated rotary drum for receiving the food articles to be cooked; and an electrical drive for rotating the rotary drum. The liquid container is selectively movable to a raised position, wherein the cooking liquid therein directly contacts food articles in the drum, or to a lowered position wherein the cooking liquid therein is spaced below the food articles in the drum. The lowered position of the liquid container may be used for steam-heating the food articles, or for pre-heating the food articles before being fried by moving the liquid container to its raised position.

Abstract: A grilling appliance includes a housing having a vertical food compartment for receiving a food article in a vertical position, a heated first grill plate mounted in a vertical position in one side of the food compartment, a heated second grill plate mounted in a vertical position in the opposite side of the food compartment, and a non-electrical drive for driving the second grill plate to an extended position towards the first grill pate, or to a retracted position away from the first grill plate. In one disclosed embodiment, the drive is pneumatically actuated, and in a second disclosed embodiment, the drive employs a screw, gear, and electromagnetic clutch mechanism. Also described are food holders particularly useful with such grilling appliance.

Abstract: A grilling appliance includes a housing having a vertical food compartment for receiving a food article in a vertical position, a heated first grill- plate mounted in a vertical position in one side of the food compartment, a heated second grill plate mounted in a vertical position in the opposite side of the food compartment, and a drive for driving the second grill plate to an extended position towards the first grill plate, or to a retracted position away from the first grill plate. Also described are food holders particularly useful with such grilling appliance.

Abstract: A grilling appliance includes a housing having a vertical food compartment for receiving a food article in a vertical position, a heated first grill plate mounted in a vertical position in one side of the food compartment, a heated second grill plate mounted in a vertical position in the opposite side of the food compartment, and a drive for driving the second grill plate to an extended position towards the first grill plate, or to a retracted position away from the first grill plate. Also described are food holders particularly useful with such grilling appliance.

Abstract: A grilling appliance, includes a vertical impaling member of thermally-conductive material mounted vertically within a grilling compartment for impaling a food article to be grilled; a rotary drive for rotating the vertical impaling member about a vertical axis; a heater located within the vertical impaling member for heating the interior of the food article to be grilled; and a heater located laterally of the vertical impaling member for heating the exterior of the food article to be grilled.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a drum for receiving the food articles to be cooked and formed with a plurality of openings smaller than the size of the food articles. The drum is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis in the cooking compartment of the appliance such that only the lower part of the drum is immersed in the hot liquid therein, e.g., a frying oil. Also described is a method of frying food articles which includes immersing the bottom of a drum, having the food articles therein, in a quantity of hot cooking oil, and rotating the drum such that the food articles tumble into and out of the cooking oil to cause the food articles to become fried to a crisp without absorbing significant quantities of the cooking oil.

Abstract: An electric grilling appliance includes a pair of infrared radiation emitting heaters disposed within a housing on opposite sides of a food holder. The food holder includes a pair of metal food holder plates of a size and configuration to directly contact, on their inner surfaces, substantially the complete outer surface of the food article to be grilled. The outer surfaces of the metal food holder plates are blackened to absorb the infrared radiation emitted by the heaters. Springs urging the metal food holder plates towards each other into firm contact with the food article to be grilled.

Abstract: A machine for making ice cream or other frozen comestible from a liquid. The machine includes an outer housing in which is inserted a removable freezing chamber which can be independently frozen and replaced in the chamber. Internally of the freezing chamber is a compartment in which can be placed a rotary assembly including a plurality of radially extending blades rotatable with the compartment. The blades include slits at their outer edges defining fingers for atomizing, aerating and moving the frozen liquid through the freezing chamber to its outlet. The blades are of a hard, elastic, low friction material with the outer tips of their fingers lying on an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the freezing compartment. The blades are then stressed when inserted into the freezing chamber to forceably engage the inner cylindrical surface of the freezing chamber and are twisted like a helix towards the outlet of the freezing chamber.

Abstract: A grilling appliance having a lower housing section containing a lower grill plate and an upper housing section containing an upper grill plate. The upper section is movable between an open position for placing a food article to be grilled on the lower grill plate, and a closed position defining with the lower housing section a heating chamber containing the two grill plates for grilling therebetween food articles. A water container is included in one of the housing sections for receiving water to saturate the heating chamber with water vapor during the grilling of the food article.

Abstract: An ice-cream making machine, comprises a receptacle for receiving the liquid ingredients to be used for making the ice-cream, a cooling duct conveying the ingredients from the receptacle to an ice-cream outlet of the machine, an air inlet into the cooling duct, a rotor including a plurality of blades rotatably driven within the cooling duct and effective to atomize the liquid ingredients as particles mixed in air and to direct freezing, and a valve controlling the rate of flow of the air from the air inlet to the cooling duct thereby enabling the machine to vary the density of the ice-cream produced. The machine includes a further valve for controlling the rate of flow of the liquid ingredients from the receptacle to the cooling duct to selectively effect a first rate of flow for producing ice-cream, a lower rate of flow for producing ices, or a higher rate of flow for producing cooled beverages.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are described for handling a pressurized fluid inletted from a pressurized fluid supply line into a container and outletted therefrom through a pressurized outlet line in order to avoid pressurizing the container. According to the described method and apparatus, the energy of the fluid inletted from the pressurized fluid supply line into the container is utilized for driving a motor, thereby reducing the pressure of the fluid stored in the container; and the motor is utilized for driving a pump which increases the pressure of the fluid outletted from the container to the pressurized fluid outlet line. The invention is described particularly with respect to hot water supply systems in order to avoid the need of making the storage tank of pressurized construction.

Abstract: A solar collector is described including a backing plate to be disposed at an incline, and a darkened heat-absorbing pliable film loosely lying over the backing plate in direct contact with it, the side edges of the film being unsecured for free and unrestrained movement on the backing plate. The solar collector further includes an inlet for introducing a light mineral oil between the backing plate and the darkened heat-absorbing film such that the light mineral oil flows downwardly by gravity in the form of a thin uniform coating between the film and the backing plate.