Abstract: Where there is a relay controlling an AC power circuit to a load, the apparatus of this disclosure includes a sensor for observing arc at the relay contacts and a control circuit which controls the time of subsequent actuation or deactuation of the relay with respect to the alternating current power circuit so as to eliminate relay contact arcing.

Abstract: Food press has a cooking plate which rests upon a grill for heating and rests upon a food material for the cooking thereof when the food material is on a grill. A skirt surrounds the top and sides of the cooking plate, and the cooking plate floats with respect to the skirt. A manual handle is provided to lift the skirt and lift the cooking plate. A pin in the cooking plate engages in a slot in the skirt so that the cooking plate can be held in a raised position within the skirt to hold it above the grill for some cooking circumstances.

Abstract: Food press has a cooking plate which is carried by a handle. A skirt surrounds the top and sides of the cooking plate and is floating with respect to the cooking plate. The cooking plate has sufficient thermal mass so that, when it is heated on a food grill surface for hamburgers, for example, and is thereafter placed on top of a frozen hamburger patty on the grill surface, the cooking plate has sufficient heat therein to cook the top of the hamburger patty while the grill surface is cooking the bottom of the hamburger patty.A non-stick surface is created on the cooking plate by hard anodizing the cooking plate, coating it with shortening and then heating the cooking plate at about 575.degree. F. for about 20 to 30 minutes to produce a golden brown colored non-stick surface.

Abstract: In deep fat frying, the shortening breaks down to be unuseable. The shortening management method and apparatus of this invention evaluates the effect of temperature, time and the kind and amount of product cooked in the deep fat fryer and utilizes look up table means in a computing circuit to signal when the shortening is becoming unuseable.

Abstract: An elongated temperature-sensing probe is positioned in a deep fat cooking vessel and is positioned so that a portion of the probe extends adjacent the electric heater submerged in the deep fat adjacent the bottom of the vessel, and a portion extends upward in the fat into the cooking zone in the vessel. The temperature-sensing probe is connected to control the power to the heater. The heater is thermally connected to the probe so that the probe receives direct conduction heat from the heater as well as senses the heat adjacent the heater and in the cooking zone.

Abstract: This system controls the cooking time of foods such as french fried potatoes that are cooked in a medium, typically hot fat that may change in temperature during cooking. A platinum resistance temperature transducer senses the temperature of the medium and is connected to circuitry that produces a voltage indicative of the cooking rate of the food at the sensed temperature. This voltage controls the frequency of a train of cooking rate pulses that are counted, starting when cooking is begun. When a preset number of pulses have been counted, an indicator goes on to show that cooking is complete.

Abstract: High intensity radiant energy is supplied to the surface of food items by a quartz iodide lamp. A temperature probe which senses both the ambient temperature in the toaster housing and the lamp radiance controls the on-time of the lamp to produce the desired surface temperature to accomplish the desired cooking.

Abstract: Beverage fluid flow controller in line between pressurized beverage tank and beverage dispensing valve has a valve spool area at syrup pressure which is balanced by spring. A land on the spool automatically adjusts orifice flow area as syrup pressure varies so as to compensate for such variations and maintain a constant flow rate, and such adjusted flow area is independent of variations in dispensing valve operation.

Abstract: A keyed control device arranged to measure and control an operating characteristic of a machine or other instrumentality, and at a predetermined measurement of the operating characteristic will function to control the energization of means for interrupting an established control circuit to the machine or instrumentality. The control device includes a plug-in keying unit which limits use of the machine or instrumentality to authorized personnel. The keying unit may contain means for either or both visually and non-visually measuring the operating characteristic of the machine or instrumentality, such as a counter of signal impulses representative of the machine or instrumentality productivity.