Abstract: A portable table having a platform comprised of a light-weight material with an outer insulated surface and a removable insulating cover. The platform includes a handle, a recessed dry storage compartment and a recessed ice storage compartment separated from the dry storage compartment by a separating member. A threaded orifice is provided between one storage compartment and the side of the platform for storing and draining water from the table. The table further includes supporting members fixedly secured to the botton of the platform for setting the platform on a conventional table and also includes legs pivotably secured to the platform to support the platform above the ground or floor. The legs are provided with retractable locking rings which frictionally engage the supporting member to secure the leg into position. The table includes numerous accessories which may be readily mounted to the table including a "sneeze" guard.

Abstract: A furnace or furnace-and-pot heating system comprises an inner shell, an outer shell surrounding the inner shell to form a duct between the two shells for preheating combustion air flowing down the duct to enter a combustion chamber within the inner shell. A container or pot for heating material such as water or foodstuffs may be supported inside the inner shell and above a combustion zone, such pot to be of diameter to form with the inner shell an annular flue for escape of combustion products. Draft control means are provided to regulate the amount of combustion air entering the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A portable food holding device is described comprising a table section with foldable legs and a cover attached thereto, adapted to maintain contained food in either a chilled or heated condition. When not in use the legs and cover may be folded to a collapsed position to form a compact unit which may be readily transported or stored. Means are disclosed for heating or cooling the contents of the device.

Abstract: A device for heating or cooling a baby bottle or similar article by heat exchange with a thermal transfer fluid includes a container for holding the bottle in contact with the fluid, preferably water from a conventional faucet. The bottle is held on a platform above the bottom of the container and the fluid is directed to flow upwardly through the platform against the bottle.

Abstract: A portable gas heater particularly useful for heating foodstuffs under all-weather conditions comprises a housing having a first section defining a gas burner compartment, and a second section defining a gas container compartment, the latter section including a pair of side walls hingedly mounted to a closed position closing the container compartment, or to an open position opening the container compartment and providing a stable support for the gas heater. The gas burner further includes a burner plate connected to the gas burner nozzle by means of a plurality of telescoping tubes to enable the burner plate to be positioned either at the lower end or the upper end of the gas burner compartment for accommodating different types of vessels.

Abstract: The heating device for heating liquid and solid products comprises a heating element intended to heat a food preserve (314) or container structure. The heating element consists of a flat tile like element including a heat spreading layer (308) made of heat conducting material, an intermediate layer (303) composed by an exothermic gas-less combustible material and a layer of heat insulating incombustible material (301). The intermediate layer contains internal walls (302) defining a fire path in order to control the duration of the exothermic reaction. Ignition means comprises a cup-shaped primer (305) with in its center a protruding cone (307) and a starter (311) consisting of a striker arranged to be drawn across a friction sensitive element and intended to ignite the tip of said cone (307) of the primer (306), which in its turn induces the reaction to the combustible material (303).

Abstract: A self-heatable container including a container member having a bottom provided with a downwardly extending heat transfer projection, which projection itself has a downwardly opening recess. A cup-shaped member having an upwardly extending wall connected to the bottom of the container member has a base provided with an upwardly extending projection. The cup-shaped member also has holes to allow entry and exit of air. A fuel pellet is positioned in the recess and held therein by the upwardly extending projection of the cup-shaped member.

Abstract: A portable appliance for quick chilling and heating of fluids, such as beverages, without dilution. The appliance comprises a pour-through, gravity operated heat exchanger, an intake reservoir connected to its upper end, and a discharge tap connected to its lower end. It operates without application of electric or mechanical power, and may be used both indoors or in the field.

Abstract: A counter-top unit for heating packages containing pre-cooked cold food, the unit acting to rapidly heat up the food to a service temperature level and to thereafter maintain this level. The unit includes a case having an apertured partition therein to form a compartment accessible from the front of the case for accommodating a stack of food packages with air-flow spaces therebetween. The compartment is spaced from the rear of the case to define a plenum and from the front to define an air curtain passage communicating with upper and lower air passages leading to the plenum. In operation, air drawn from the upper passage is heated and blown into the plenum to create a pressure differential between the plenum and the compartment, as a result of which the heated air is forced through the partition into the spaces between the packages to heat the food therein, the heated air also flowing in a continuous loop about the compartment through the passages to thermally isolate the compartment.

Abstract: A hot air oven for heating food-loaded cartridges, each constituted by a stack of sealed trays containing pre-cooked meals nested within an open carton whose side walls have holes therein to admit heated air. The oven includes a rotating turntable for supporting an annular array of such cartridges, the side walls of which define a hollow center core. A heater assembly produces heated air which is blown by a propeller into the hollow core, some of this air being forced through the holes of the cartons to heat the food in the trays. The remaining portion of the heated air passes through a flow passage below the cartridges to be drawn upwardly by the suction force of the propeller to create an air curtain around the array, thereby creating a toroidal flow pattern which envelops the annular array. The oven is divided by a shield placed within the hollow core into a hot zone and an extra hot zone, the cartridges on the turntable travelling cyclically through these zones.

Abstract: A system for rapidly raising the temperature of a product having low thermal conductivity from a cold to a heated state in a manner bringing the internal temperature of the entire body of the product to substantially the same predetermined elevated temperature level. The system includes a chamber having a fluid-permeable product receiving section flanked by input and output plenums, and a main flow loop in which the chamber is connected in a continuous flow path in series with a heater station and an air pump in an arrangement in which air drawn from the output plenum and creating a negative pressure therein is conducted through the heater station and then forced in the heated state through an input line leading into the input plenum to create a positive pressure therein. The resultant pressure differential between plenums causes heated air to flow at high velocity through the section to heat the product therein.

Abstract: A baking oven includes a thermally insulated casing that defines a tunnel-chamber through which an endless conveyor belt extends. The reversing elements at the end of the conveyor belt are supported by brackets that can tilt upwardly to shorten the effective length of the oven for shipment and, with the upper portion of the casing removed, to enable slackening of the conveyor belt, thereby facilitating manual raising of the central portion thereof for cleaning structure lying therebelow. The top of the casing serves as a countertop for preparing food, and the tunnel-chamber and conveyor belt lie therebelow thus conserving floor space.

Abstract: A receptacle device for carrying food and beverage products is disclosed having a housing with a cavity therein and a cover detachably mounted on the housing. An outer chamber is provided with mounting means for removably retaining the outer chamber within the cavity. An inner chamber is also provided, and the inner chamber is adapted to be received within the outer chamber in telescopic relation thereto for defining a fluid chamber therebetween. Alignment means for maintaining the inner chamber and the outer chamber in fixed spatial relationship to each other for defining the fluid chamber therebetween is provided as well as a plurality of open-top food storage containers adapted to be received within the inner chamber and having a removable lid associated with each one of the containers. Closure means is operatively connected to the cover for yielding urging the containers in confined relationship within the inner chamber, and the inner chamber in removably fixed relationship to the housing.

Abstract: A forced convection heat exchanger for warming articles such as baby bottles is provided comprising a container having walls extending upwardly from a bottom end to define an open top end. A platform to receive and support the article to be warmed is mounted within the container spaced apart from the container bottom end. A plurality of spacers extend inwardly from the walls and upwardly from the platform. First drain openings are provided extending through the platform and second drain openings are provided within the walls below the platform adjacent the bottom end. The area of the platform relative to the total cross-sectional area of the first drain openings is dimensioned so as to provide a standing head of water under turbulent flow conditions within the container substantially up to the container open top end when the container receives an average flow of water from a tap.

Abstract: A hot air oven for heating food-loaded cartridges, each constituted by a stack of sealed trays comtaining pre-cooked meals nested within an open carton whose side walls have holes therein to admit heated air. The oven includes a rotating turn-table for supporting an annular array of such cartridges, the side walls of which define a hollow center core. A heater assembly produces heated air which is blown by a propeller into the hollow core, some of this air being forced through the holes of the cartons to heat the food in the trays. The remaining portion of the heated air passes through a flow passage below the cartridges to be drawn upwardly by the suction force of the propeller to create an air curtain around the array, thereby creating a toroidal flow pattern which envelops the annular array. The oven is divided by a shield placed within the hollow core into a hot zone and an extra hot zone, the cartridges of the turntable travelling cyclically through these zones.

Abstract: A hot air oven for heating food-loaded cartridges, each constituted by a stack of sealed trays nested within an open carton whose side walls have holes therein to admit heated air, the trays containing pre-cooked meals. The oven includes a rotating turntable provided with a raised annular shelf for supporting a circular array of cartridges, the side walls of which define a hollow center core. A driven propeller is disposed within the core, the space between the shelf and the turntable forming a restricted flow passage whose inlet communicates with the core and whose outlet lies at the periphery of the turntable. A heater assembly above the cartridge array produces heated air which is sucked by the propeller into the hollow core. Because of the flow restriction, a substantial portion of the heated air is forced through the holes of the cartons to heat the food in the trays.

Abstract: A heater for butter and the like is disclosed, which includes a tubular cylindrical housing, preferably of sheet metal, flared at the upper end for retention of a cup-shaped receptacle whose contents are to be heated. The housing is elevated on and supported by a plurality of strips the lower ends of which extend downwardly and outwardly and provide legs, and the upper ends of which extend upwardly and outwardly and provide handles. A plurality of openings are provided in the wall of the housing for access of air to the interior. A vertically movable heater support is provided in the interior of the housing having a base portion and an upright arm with a threaded stud extending outwardly through aligned slots in one of the strips and in the housing wall with a nut accessible on the exterior for locking the base portion at the desired adjusted position of elevation. The base portion supports a cup, preferably of metal, for a candle employed for supplying heat.

Abstract: A fast food service technique in which a meal is pre-cooked and then transferred to a tray in which the food is refrigerated at a temperature just above its freezing point to preserve the meal without degrading its texture or flavor. When the food is to be made available to customers, the cold trays are transferred to the open shelves of a heating apparatus which is adapted to blow hot air into the shelves to heat the food in the trays to a temperature well below its boiling point to prevent re-cooking thereof and to form a curtain of heated air surrounding the shelves to effectively isolate the trays from relatively cool ambient air, whereby the heated trays may be directly withdrawn by a customer from a shelf without heat loss and without the need to open a door.

Abstract: An air curtain is provided across the top of a food warming table, such as is employed in cafeterias for keeping food hot for serving. An air stream flows across the top of the pans holding the cooked food, where it picks up heat, moisture and flavor components, and is continuously recirculated to form an air curtain. Which retards the outflow of moisture and heat from the surface of the food. Keeping a cushion of hot moist air on the food maintains it in a hot and moist condition. Additionally, the air curtain acts to keep dust and insects away from the food surface.

Abstract: An improved overhead heater assembly fixed to a rotating cafeteria type food service counter. The improved heater assembly includes infrared type radiant heater rod elements disposed concentrically above the counter's hot food section, the number of heater rods provided being equal to the number of step sections in the counter's hot food section. The heater rods are combined with radiant heat reflectors and heater switches in a single hood unit that permits varying the heat between the inner periphery and the outer periphery of the rotating counter as desired by an operator. Light bulbs interposed between at least two of the heater rods serve to illuminate the food positioned in the counter's hot food section.