Abstract: A commercial and institutional kitchen retrofit system for 1. the automatic daily cleaning of commercial kitchen exhaust hoods and flues, 2. a low pressure, low volume, recirculating cleaning system designed for the removal of oily residue from hard surfaces and the accelerated bioremediation of the resulting collective hydrocarbon waste, 3. the collection and elimination of roof-top grease accumulations, 4. the systematic on site incubation and enhanced propagation of cultured, hydrocarbon specific, bacterial microorganisms in an automatically mixed aqueous solution containing PH neutral oxidizers and hydrocarbon base emulsifiers altogether, producing a regenerative, recyclable cleaning solution specifically developed for use in 5.

Abstract: A process and device for removing and oxidizing organic substances from an extracted air stream. The air stream is flowed through a filter which adsorbs the organic material, where the airstream is bypassed around a catalyst until the filter is saturated. At saturation a heater supplies heat to the filter to desorb the organic material. The catalyst is heated by another heater at the desorption period and receives the organic material and extracted air stream to oxidize the organic substances.

Abstract: The invention aims to achieve a strong low-noise exhaust from a smoke collecting hood disposed right above a gas range on a cooking table through a piping in a ceiling in a high-rise apartment house or a detached house. The cooking table is provided on a floor, and the smoke collecting hood is disposed right above the gas range placed on the cooking table and is connected to the piping in the ceiling. The piping is connected to one side of a box-like hollow member provided on an outer surface of an external wall of the house, and a drawing port of an exhaust blower is connected to another side of the box-like hollow member so that the space through which the piping and the drawing port face each other is maximized. The box-like hollow member is formed so that its inside diameter is larger than the inside diameters of the drawing port and the piping.

Abstract: A heated air makeup unit comprises a duct structure having a surrounding wall, a fan for moving air through the duct structure, and a gas burner mounted in the duct structure for heating air being moved past the burner. A pair of laterally spaced converging air-directing plates are disposed outwardly of the burner but inwardly of the surrounding walls of the duct structure for directing air into and through the burner. The laterally spaced converging plates define three air passageways through the duct structure, two outer air passageways between the respective plates and the surrounding walls of the duct structure and a third intermediate air passageway between the two plates with the intermediate air passageway being aligned with the burner. A preprogrammed heater control unit continuously monitors temperature, airflow and the flame about the burner and at the same time controls the temperature of the heated air being expelled from the heated air makeup unit.

Abstract: In a catalytic assembly having an oxidation catalytic unit disposed above the broiling area of a fat-food broiler for enabling the catalytic oxidation of volatile broiling smoke organic contaminants, a low pressure drop open-pore metallic flame-arresting filter screen disposed between the broiling area and the catalytic unit and substantially completely overlying the broiling area and containing upon the screen an adherent coating comprising a high surface area inorganic oxide adsorbent and an inorganic binder therefor, the coating serving to adhere salt, phosphorous and other catalyst-poisoning compounds in the broiling emissions. Preferred methods of coating and broiler flame-arresting use are described.

Abstract: A guard device for protecting the front panel of a smoke exhauster is provided. The device comprises generally a rectangular guard plate slidingly held in a pair of securing appendages which are respectively secured to the ends of the front panel and each has a sliding space, a fillet and a hook member therein. So that the guard plate is snap fitted and repeatedly slides about the sliding space in order to protect the front panel of the smoke exhauster from contaminated with oil and grime.

Abstract: A smoke abatement assembly is provided as an adjunct overlaying a cooking device such as a broiler or fryer system in a commercial restaurant. The smoke abatement assembly comprises a sealed housing which supports a low-pressure flame arrester, between 1 and 10 inches above the cooking area of the cooking device. A catalyst module is also removably mounted within the sealed housing above the flame arrester. The module includes a plurality of spaced low-pressure oxidation catalysts of controlled thickness, between 1 and 6 inches thick. The plurality of catalysts have a combined thickness equal to the thickness of a single catalyst providing the optimum catalyst volume or contact time for the installation. Each of the components, that is the flame arrester and plurality of catalysts, defines a smoke access area substantially equal to the cooking area of the broiler or fryer.

Abstract: A modular kiosk for use in the food service industry is described. The kiosk includes one or more structural units having upstanding sides and back, and a horizontal roof with couplings on the back thereof for coupling appliances disposed in the unit to sources of energy. The unit typically would have metal, upper and lower sections, each receiving a different appliance for cooking or storing food. The unit can include a hood disposed at eye level and a griddle or deep fat fryer disposed below the hood in the middle section. When a hood is included, the hood is intended to be coupled to a flue. The device is intended to be used in malls and open areas for cooking and dispensing food.

Abstract: A grease collector housing is mounted directly atop a filter-containing kitchen exhaust hood at the exhaust collar. The housing includes a liquid reservoir at the bottom, a 360 degree shallow conical spray head immediately above the reservoir, an array of baffle-type grease filters above the spray, a filter-cleaning spray head above the array and a connector above it to the exhaust duct. A detergent water supply and removal system includes a pump and associated valving for moving a water-based solution through the spray heads and sprays as and when needed to remove grease from kitchen exhaust fumes and to wash down any residual grease from the filters and reservoir in the housing. A disposable cartridge-type water filter is included in the recirculating liquid system. Controls automatically provide the proper valve operating sequence for the operations as and when needed.

Abstract: A roaster for roasting meat is proposed. Smoke emitted by meat while it is roasted is drawn into a smoke intake flue through a pair of openings provided along and over the longitudinal edges of a rectangular griddle. Then the smoke is purified by a smoke purifier disposed under the griddle.

Abstract: An exhaust device comprising an elongate hood having side walls (3,4). An internal, centrally located deflection casing (10) has two mutually aligned suction openings (8,9) which, in combination with an air-supply device (6) disposed at the bottom of the hood, causes the generation of two axially aligned rotational flow patterns (P2, P'2) in the hood between each side wall (4,3) and the central deflection casing (10), from which polluted air is exhausted (via 11,12).

Abstract: An apparatus for both improving the heat distribution throughout a room from a portable kerosene heater and for collecting undesirable emissions resulting from the burning of the kerosene, includes a base adapted to be mounted on the top of the heater, the base supporting a vertically extending shaft on which is mounted a heat-driven fan formed of either paper or metal, and a disposable disk mounted a spaced distance above the fan on the same shaft, the disk serving as a collector for the undesirable emissions. When the device is placed on an operating kerosene heater, the rising hot air and gases from the heater cause the fan to rotate, which in turn causes emissions from the burning fuel to move upwardly in a more or less cylindrical path. As the products of combustion move upwardly, certain emissions therein such as soot, oily vapors, etc. deposit or condense onto the surface of the spinner and disposable disk.

Abstract: Disclosed is a proximity ventilated cooking range adapted for countertop installation in a conventional stack-on kitchen cabinet. The surface heating units and ventilating air intake rest over a cut-out portion of the cabinet countertop with a ventilating air plenum and motor driven fan depending from the top surface of the range and disposed in the underlying cabinet. A housing enclosing an electronic air filtering unit is mounted closely adjacent the ventilating air plenum with a duct connecting the discharge of the fan and the interior of the filter unit housing. After moving through the filter unit, the air exits from the housing through a discharge opening at the front of the cabinet into the kitchen environs.

Abstract: A catalytic combustor bed configuration particularly adapted for use in wood and coal burning stoves is described comprising a support screen having a layer of fully catalyst impregnated particulate material next to the screen, a layer of particulate material catalyzed on its outer surface next to the layer of fully impregnated material and a layer of uncatalyzed particulate material next to the outer surface catalyzed material. Optionally, a layer of uncatalyzed particulate material may be used between the screen and the fully impregnated particulate material. Such an arrangement, in addition to making maximum utilization of the catalyst material, also minimizes pressure drop across the catalytic combustor.

Abstract: A wood burning stove having a catalytic converter for achieving greatly increased combustion efficiency, said stove having damper means for insuring that all combustion gases from the primary combustion chamber pass through said converter before reaching the stove's exhaust duct when the damper is in one position, and manual control means for moving the damper to a second position wherein the combustion gases bypass said converter and pass directly to said exhaust duct, it being necessary to move said damper to its second position before the door of said stove can be opened. Said damper has a controlled leakage factor whereby if the converter becomes clogged when the damper is in its first position, combustion gases will be permitted to pass to said exhaust duct. In one operational mode, the stove may be used to burn coal.

Abstract: A false ceiling for use in removing and/or dissipating contaminants in a room including a plurality of ceiling elements, each of which has an arcuate configuration, the concave surface of which is directed downwardly, and the convex surface of which is directed upwardly, the ceiling elements collecting and draining off contaminants in the form of condensate into collecting channels which are supported by support members on which the ceiling elements are also supported, the ceiling elements being defined by spaced apart parallel arcuate walls that define an air circulating passage therebetween, a plurality of spaced openings being formed in each of the walls to permit the free flow of air therethrough, the location of the openings in one of said walls being staggered relative to the location of the openings in the other of said walls.

Abstract: A cooking unit having a hood equipped with air cleaning structures and blowers for moving air through the cleaning structures. The air cleaning structures include a pre-filter having spaced baffles for collecting air borne greases and particles. A primary fiber filter and secondary charcoal and oxidizer beds are located downstream of the pre-filter. A high efficiency filter is located downstream of the secondary cleaning beds. A damper behind the pre-filter closes in response to an increase in temperature of the air moving through the filters. A separate heating unit is used to reactivate the charcoal.

Abstract: The specification discloses a self-cleaning oven including an outer housing with an oven liner disposed within the housing in a spaced-apart relationship forming cavities between the housing and liner walls. A duct system is provided for directing air from the vicinity of the lower front and rear of the oven to the cavity between the top walls of the housing and liner. A heating element is mounted in a proximate relationship to a smoke eliminator panel mounted on the top liner wall. Smoke and gases emanating from the oven pass through apertures formed in the smoke eliminator panel to a vent tube. The vent tube discharges gases from the smoke eliminator panel into a discharge duct above the oven liner. A diluter tube encompassing the vent tube allows air to pass from the cavity between the top walls of the oven liner and the housing into the discharge duct. The air dilutes the smoke and gases from the oven liner, and the diluted smoke and gases are then exhausted from apertures in the front of the oven.