Abstract: The method of cooking a food product includes the steps of providing a horizontal oven having a multiple rail conveyor extending therethrough. The food product is deposited on the entry platform area of the conveyor and the first elongated rails forming the conveyor are cyclically moved to intermittently advance the food product through the oven while simultaneously causing agitation of air around the food product to promote uniform cooking. The method further includes steps of heating the oven cooking zone to cook the food product the desired amount prior to exiting the oven, and the final step of removing the cooked food product from the exit platform area.

Abstract: An infrared tunnel oven includes one or more oven tiers each having a horizontal cooking tunnel with entrance and exit at opposite ends, the tier(s) being supported by a base. Each tunnel is divided along its length into multiple heating zones. The roof and hearth surfaces of each tunnel are heated by electrical heating panels for direct IR emission from the roof and hearth for direct absorption by food products conveyed through the tunnel by a continuous speed-controllable conveyor. Microprocessor-controlled circuitry monitors, by a thermocouple arrangment, the temperature of the roof and hearth in each zone, controlling the electric heating panels to maintain preselected roof and hearth temperatures in each such zone. The microprocessor also controls the conveyor speed for conveying of products along the length of the tunnel within a preselected cooking time. User selection of temperatures in the different zones and cooking time, as well as other functions, is provided by keypad entry.

Abstract: This cooking apparatus includes a housing assembly providing a heating chamber having an entrance and an exit, and a conveyor assembly extending through the heating chamber and having end portions extending outwardly of the heating chamber. The heating chamber includes vestibule portions at each end and heater elements within the chamber provide zone-controlled heating. The conveyor assembly includes stationary rails defining a coplanar product-receiving surface alternating with moving rails defining a coplanar product-receiving surface having orbitral motion relative to the stationary surface to lift the product, transport it forwardly and deposit it so that the product moves intermittently through the heating chamber.

Abstract: A fireplace accessory serves as a combustion efficiency improvement device. The structure is a tubular element open along a front side and in the form of an arch lying upon its side for partially enveloping logs or other fuel. A horizontal combustion region is provided within the structure for at least partial exposure of the fuel through the frontal opening by the structure, the frontal opening facing toward a room area to be heated by the burning fuel. The arch configuration both cradles the fuel and insulatively and radiantly encloses it. A double-walled configuration, preferably curved stainless steel sheets with thermally insulating, refractory material between them, defines an interior surface which becomes heated to and is maintained by the combustion at extraordinarily high temperatures.

Abstract: An infrared tunnel oven includes one or more oven tiers each having a horizontal cooking tunnel with entrance and exit at opposite ends, the tier(s) being supported by a base. Each tunnel is divided along its length into multiple heating zones. The roof and hearth surfaces of each tunnel are heated by electrical heating panels for direct IR emission from the roof and hearth for direct absorption by food products conveyed through the tunnel by a continuous speed-controllable conveyor. Microprocessor-controlled circuitry monitors, by a thermocouple arrangement, the temperature of the roof and hearth in each zone, controlling the electric heating panels to maintain preselected roof and hearth temperatures in each such zone. The microprocessor also controls the conveyor speed for conveying of products along the length of the tunnel within a preselected cooking time. User selection of temperatures in the different zones and cooking time, as well as other functions, is provided by keypad entry.

Abstract: An oven-broiler includes modular units each having a tunnel-form cooking chamber formed by a tubular inner member, a heating arrangement extending around at least portions of the inner member for heating same to predetermined temperatures for emission of infrared radiant energy into the chamber for heating of products conveyed therein from one end to the other. The heating arrangement is either electrically energized, thermostatically controlled panels or a gas combustion chamber. The heating arrangement and tubular inner member are enclosed by a tubular outer member supported by a caster-equipped base. Such a modular unit is joinable into a multiple-unit oven of various possible lengths by securement of flanges at opposite ends.

Abstract: An oven-broiler of the humpback type includes a tunnel-form cooking chamber and a conveyor extending through it for conveying food products through the chamber for cooking of the products by emission of infrared radiation form the walls of the tunnel. An entrance and an exit are located at opposite ends of the chamber for continuous ingress and egress of the food products, with both entrance and exit being at a level lower than the chamber floor for causing the chamber to entrap a heated, oxygen-starved atmosphere in which flaming of the food products cannot freely occur. An elongated aperture extends along the bottom of the chamber for communication between the chamber and the external atmosphere. A control body, which may take one of different forms such as tubular, plate-form, or perforate, extends along the length of the aperture for controlling communication through the aperture.

Abstract: A tunnel oven-broiler wherein food products of ordinarily flame-producing character such as steaks, chops or other greasy meats prone to burn or produce flame are broiled in a flame-controlled manner. In a tubular, tunnel-form heating chamber with a conveyor food products are broiled by direct infrared emission from the interior chamber surfaces, heated to a predetermined emission temperature which is maintained by direct, intimate temperature probe contact with the exterior surface of the tubular chamber surrounded by electrical heating panel elements. An outer tubular member surrounds the heating element. Downwardly angled end sections extend from opposite ends of the oven to define the entrance and exit to the chamber. The entrance and exit are open at all times except when plugged during self-cleaning and are lower than the heating chamber to provide an oxygen-starved atmosphere therein having a slight overpressure for suppressing flaming or flaring during broiling.

Abstract: A method of flameless broiling or baking in a tunnel oven of greasy meat products, which method comprises the steps of heating the interior tunnel surfaces of the tunnel oven to provide for cooking of the meat products in the tunnel oven by infrared radiant energy emitted directly from the surfaces, entrapping a substantially quiescent, oxygen-starved heated tunnel atmosphere having a slight overpressure within the tunnel oven, conveying the meat products through the tunnel atmosphere within the tunnel oven by first carrying the meat products upwardly at an angle inclined to the horizontal through an open entrance of the tunnel oven and into the atmosphere, carrying them along the length of the tunnel oven within the tunnel atmosphere while heating the meat products by the emission of infrared radiation directly from the interior tunnel surfaces resulting from the heating thereof, and subsequently conveying them downwardly at an angle inclined to the horizontal out of the tunnel atmosphere through an open exi

Abstract: A tunnel oven includes a framework forming an elongated cooking tunnel with an entrance at one end for ingress of products to be heated in the tunnel during traverse through the tunnel and an exit at the opposite end for egress of heated products. A conveyor of either in-line type with over-and-under reaches or a return type with coplanar reaches conveys products from the entrance to the exit. The tunnel floor is a plate constituting a hearth. Infrared radiant heater panels along the tunnel length above and below the hearth provide heat. Pairs of thermocouples arranged in two sets, each set having an upper and lower thermocouple, to provide sensing of the temperatures of the hearth and the upper heating elements.

Abstract: A heat conserver for bell-type ovens, which latter comprehends a housing which is closed at its sides and top and open at its bottom with heating elements as of the infrared emitter-type located adjacent the lower end. One form of the conserver consists of a frame having heat reflective surfaces for confronting relationship to the heating elements when the oven is in raised or inoperative position for directing the radiated heat returningly thereon. Another form of the conserver is a flat plate for disposition closingly across the normally open lower end of the housing when the latter is in inoperative position. Both forms of the invention are adapted for vertical reciprocal movement.

Abstract: An infrared emitter panel comprising a body of refractory material, a non-helical continuous heating element of serpentine form embedded within said refractory material and having opposed ends projecting through said refractory material for connection in circuit to a source of electrical power. Said body of refractory material is provided with expansion zones adjacent each of the hair pin-like bent ends of said heating element for allowing unimpeded linear expansion and contraction of said heating element upon energization and de-energization respectively.

Abstract: A multiple tier oven which comprises a plurality of superimposed oven chambers, each being of tunnel character having an ingress at one end and an egress at the opposite end; each oven being heated at its top and bottom, and individually controllable heating means for each oven to allow of preselected temperature differentials. Associated with each oven chamber and surfacewise aligned with the floor thereof is a service deck for introduction of articles or products to be heated, such as, for example, food, into the related oven chamber and for receipt of heated articles from the egress end thereof. Endless conveyor means are associated with each deck and having a preselected number of sweep arms engageable thereon for directing articles into, through, and from each oven chamber.