Abstract: A closed-loop air cooking system includes: a) a closed-loop air duct assembly; b) a cooking basket means mounted for rotation within the air duct assembly; c) fan means for forcing air through the air duct assembly; d) heating means for heating air that circulates within the air duct assembly; and e) separator means for removing entrained particulates from the air stream that circulates within the air duct assembly.

Abstract: A closed-loop air cooking system for use in a vending machine that vends french fried potatoes and the like, including: a) a closed-loop air duct assembly; b) a cooking basket mounted for rotation within the air duct assembly; c) a fan for forcing air through the air duct assembly; d) a separator for removing entrained particulates from the air stream within the air duct assembly; and e) a heater for heating air that circulates within the air duct assembly. In addition, the cooking system includes a separator for removing oil and other particulates from the closed-loop air stream.

Abstract: One end of a valve assembly has a first check valve arrangement and is positioned in a channel connecting a variable volume reservoir and a second chamber. The other end of the valve assembly has a second check valve and is attached to a movable wall of the variable volume reservoir. Each check valve includes an element which opens in response to pressure changes in the variable volume reservoir: the first check valve opening in response to pressure increases while the second check valve opens in response to pressure decreases. The valve assembly is bodily movable with the wall of the variable volume reservoir such that the first check valve reciprocates in the channel.

Abstract: Skin is removed from an edible material by passing the edible material through a skin removal zone of an ablative removal apparatus. In the skin removal zone, skin is ablatively removed by the action of a continuous wave carbon dioxide laser beam which rapidly traverses the skin removal zone in a direction substantially transverse to the edible material movement. The edible material may be skinned regardless of whether it is fresh, frozen, thawed, or cooked. Skin vaporized by the laser light beam generates a gaseous plume which is removed from the skin removal zone by causing a current of air to traverse that zone.

Abstract: Raw potatoes are heated throughout to a temperature of 130-145.degree. F and then are hydraulically passed through a knife device provided with strip cutter members.

Abstract: Chopped or ground sausage meat or like material is extruded as a continuous column into the path of action of a set of wipers which individually sweep across different fractional portions of the extrusion opening, thereby tearing respective random size chunks of material from the column being extruded. The chunks are primarily useful as pizza topping and may be frozen and stored for that purpose. The set of wipers is preferably provided as a plurality of radial arms rotatably mounted at intervals about a common axis and offset laterally from one another, so that free extremities of the arms act as tearing fingers as they sweep past respective fractional portions of the extrusion opening.

Abstract: Improvements in apparatus and methods for cutting potatoes into strips, wherein the potatoes are carried hydraulically in single file against and through an arrangement of knife blades, rapidly and with great force. The improvements reside in the manner in which the potatoes are preconditioned for cutting, the mechanism by which the potatoes are aligned in the hydraulic stream as they approach the knives, and the knife device by which the potatoes are effectively cut into strips.

Abstract: Whole raw onions, as harvested, are cleaned and scalded sufficiently to slicken the membrane interface between the outermost and next inner layers of flesh without appreciably affecting the interfaces between subsequent layers of flesh. The root and stem ends are then cut off, and the outermost layers of flesh of each onion bulb and any outer skin adherant thereto is cut longitudinally along the root-stem axis of the bulb to provide a slit therealong. The so-slit onion bulb is then gripped at opposite sides of and along the slit, and the slit outermost layer of flesh and any adherant skin are pushed downwardly and stripped from the onion bulb, followed by separation of the strippings and the remaining bulb.

Abstract: Improvements in apparatus and methods for cutting potatoes into strips, wherein the potatoes are carried hydraulically .[.in single file.]. against and through an arrangement of knife blades, rapidly and with great force. The improvements reside in the manner in which the potatoes are preconiditioned for cutting, the mechanism .[.by.]. which .Iadd.causes .Iaddend.the potatoes .[.are aligned in.]. to .Iadd.move toward the axis of .Iaddend.the hydraulic stream as they approach the knives, and the knife device by which the potatoes are effectively cut into strips.