Abstract: A broiler for fast production broiling of meat products with low levels of pollutant emissions incorporates liquid-cooled trough members that are spaced above respective horizontally spaced radiant elements under a grill for directing grease onto a drip pan that is also liquid-cooled. The radiant elements are heated by respective gas burner tubes that have outwardly inclined gas ports that are directed toward sloping sheet portions of the radiant elements, with convective flow being directed upwardly between vertically oriented flue portions and outwardly from the flue portions by horizontally oriented shield elements that are spaced between the radiant elements and the trough members.

Abstract: A broiler having a cabinet with spaced burners therein and grill sections above the burners. Inverted V-shaped radiants above the burners direct radiant heat outwardly and upwardly onto the grill sections. Deflector members above the radiants deflect convected heat passing around the radiants also outwardly onto the grill sections. Baffle elements directly over the deflector members and located between the grill sections prevent greases, etc. from dripping onto the deflector elements. An inclined drip pan is water cooled to prevent greases, etc. dropping from meat on the grill sections from burning and consequent smoking.

Abstract: A broiler having a cabinet and the usual grill for holding chicken or the like being broiled, several spaced-apart gas burners positioned below the grill in the cabinet and a section of angle iron, serving as a radiant, mounted over each of the burners. A heat sensor is positioned just under the grill and connected with a thermostat which has an attached regulator knob calibrated to permit different temperature settings for the cooking zone at the grill. The burners are fed fuel through a gas manifold provided with an aspirator to adjust the fuel-air mixture for optimal combustibility of the fuel. Each of the burners is provided with a pilot orifice element, which, in turn, is connected with a common aspirator to insure an optimal mix or fuel and air for pilot light purposes. When the broiler is in operation, the regulator knob is adjustable to a predetermined setting for a desired temperature level at the grill.

Abstract: Heat shield and ventilation system for a pizza oven uses cooling air drawn mainly from the outside, which is directed around all four sides and over the top of the pizza oven by a heat shielding shroud that covers the top, back and ends, but leaves the front of the oven free for access to the doors that extend across most of the oven front. The shroud side panels are provided with deflectors that redirect air to flow forwardly along the oven sides to cause it to follow in a path flowing laterally inwardly and upwardly along the oven front, providing a curtain of cooling air that mixes with and entrains the heated air at the oven front face to be drawn into an exhaust port at the center of the top of the oven front.

Abstract: A double-fan apparatus for use in combination with an exhaust hood adapted to be mounted over a cooking appliance in a kitchen. The fan has an upper impeller section and a lower impeller section each of which is a centrifugal impeller. There is a conduit to pass grease-laden fumes upwardly from the exhaust hood to the lower impeller section, and a conduit to conduct makeup air downwardly from the double fan to the hood. The double fan includes relationships by which the makeup air passes generally horizontally from the ambient atmosphere to the upper impeller section, then flows generally horizontally from the upper impeller section to the peripheral regions of the double fan, and then flows downwardly to the conduit connected to the hood. A grease trap is built into the double fan to prevent upward flow of substantial amounts of grease.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed whereby both the inlet and exhaust plenums may be very "wide" (long), yet low in profile, economical to construct, and have very small tendencies to collect or be plugged with grease, while still achieving the important requisite of substantially uniform flow across the entire "width" (length) of the apparatus. One set of baffle or constrictor means is provided in the inlet plenum at regions between the inlet duct and the "sides" (ends) of such plenum. Another baffle or constrictor means is provided in the extended exhaust plenum, at regions between the exhaust duct and the central region of the grease-filter means. The respective baffle or constrictor means are relatively adjacent the ducts. The baffle or constrictor means are preferably fixed or adjustable baffles, or indentations (dimples) in the walls of the plenums. In one embodiment, an air-blocking plate is provided at the air-inlet throat on each "side" of the apparatus.

Abstract: A grease hood and plenum apparatus is mounted at the ceiling of a restaurant kitchen, and incorporates grease filters and also means to direct make-up air toward such filters. The make-up air passes through a capture chamber the bottom of which is open for reception of fumes from a cooking appliance disposed in the kitchen. An extended exhaust plenum chamber projects upwardly from the hood to draw air and fumes through the filters, and a supply means extends upwardly from the hood to supply make-up air thereto. Blower means deliver make-up air to the supply means and also draw air and fumes from the extended exhaust plenum. The kitchen ceiling has an opening or hole sized and shaped to receive downwardly the grease hood in premanufactured condition, and means are provided to support the greaee hood at the opening and at least partially below the level of the ceiling so that fumes may pass upwardly into the capture chamber.

Abstract: The grease hood has a small dimension in the front-to-rear direction, and encloses a relatively large vortex the maximum vertical dimension of which is about equal to or greater than the maximum horizontal dimension thereof. The maximum diametral dimension of the vortex in a direction generally perpendicular to the grease-filter means is about equal to or less than the maximum diametral vortex dimension in a direction generally parallel thereto. In one illustrated embodiment, the vortex is generally circular, whereas in a second illustrated embodiment the vortex is generally elliptical and vertically elongated.The grease-filter means in one illustrated embodiment is not planar but instead is curved, the curvature cooperating with the curvature of the vortex liner to permit achievement of benefits including relatively small size of the grease hood. More specifically, the curved filter is associated with the vortex liner of generally circular shape in such one embodiment.

Abstract: A grease hood and plenum apparatus is mounted at the ceiling of a restaurant kitchen, and incorporates grease filters and also means to direct make-up air toward such filters. The make-up air passes through a capture chamber the bottom of which is open for reception of fumes from a cooking appliance disposed in the kitchen. An extended exhaust plenum chamber projects upwardly from the hood to draw air and fumes through the filters, and a supply means extends upwardly from the hood to supply make-up air thereto. Blower means deliver make-up air to the supply means and also draw air and fumes from the extended exhaust plenum. The kitchen ceiling has an opening or hole sized and shaped to receive downwardly the grease hood in premanufactured condition, and means are provided to support the grease hood at the opening and at least partially below the level of the ceiling so that fumes may pass upwardly into the capture chamber.

Abstract: The entry or intake portion of a grease-hood system is mounted at a low elevation, far below the elevation of the head of the cook. Furthermore, such entry portion does not extend clear to the front of the cooking appliance disposed therebeneath, thus the cooking appliance protrudes outwardly from beneath the entry portion. The apparatus and method are such that the flow of fumes and air from the cooking appliance to the entry portion of the hood is substantially entirely the result of convection. There is, however, a forced flow in the hood system at a region above the entry portion, the forced flow being such that fumes and air are directed at the grease filter means. In the forced-flow portion of the system, air from outside the room is passed directly to the grease hood, and air and fumes which pass through the grease filter means are passed to a region exterior to the room and/or are recirculated back to the hood. There is a vortical flow of air and fumes in the forced-flow portion of the system.

Abstract: A greatly extended plenum chamber, comprising a plenum or exhaust chamber and a plenum extension connected thereto, is employed in combination with grease filters which operate by impingement and by centrifugal action. Furthermore, a stream of air is directed against the upstream surfaces of the filters. The result of the combination is a surprisingly effective removal of grease and smoke from cooking fumes, with consequent minimization of grease coatings on the surfaces of the plenum chamber and of the exhaust blower connected thereto. When space does not permit vertical installation of a large extended plenum chamber, portions of such chamber may be inclined from the vertical and/or may be replaced by a plurality of smaller plenum extensions.In an additional embodiment, the effect of a very large plenum extension is obtained by a single and much smaller plenum extension.

Abstract: A vortex-type smoke hood, in which the liner of the hood is substantially continuously curved in such manner that the vortex action is improved greatly. One result is that the supply air velocity may be increased by a major amount, without causing "bouncing" of air and fumes out of the hood. The curved wall produces the additional benefit of rendering more smooth the flow path of the inlet air.In a second embodiment, a plate shelf and/or pass-through are combined with the hood, creating a very convenient relationship and one whereby the cook remains highly comfortable.