Abstract: A portable and trailerable cooking and smoking apparatus comprising a housing enclosing the cooking and smoking space; a perforated shelf inside the housing in the upper portion thereof for supporting materials to be cooked or smoked; a slideable drawer capable of being selectively positioned from entirely within the housing to entirely outside the housing and serving as a fire box with an adjustable damper, and with an outlet in the rear portion thereof for the passage of smoke into the internal space of the housing; and a smoke outlet in the housing upper portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the meat-packing industry. The production line of the present invention comprises, mounted in a closed loop in the direction of production flow, a sausage meat feeder, filling and batching means, block molds, heat and cold treatment chambers, means for discharging the finished product and means for washing the block molds. In accordance with the present invention, the closed loop is formed by step-type conveyors arranged in two parallel rows located in a single plane, the pitch of each one of said conveyors being limited by the dimensions of one block mold, said conveyers serving to move the block molds from the sausage meat filling and batching means via the heat and cold treatment chambers, means for discharging the finished product and means for washing the emptied block molds to the filling and batching means.

Abstract: Food products such as produce, fish, meat, and poultry are rapidly cooked and chilled in separate units through which a continuously running conveyor belt passes in a spiral pathway to converse cabinet space and produce energy efficient operation. Water is used as the heating and chilling medium in 100% humidity steam and cold humid air atmospheres respectively preferably at a pressure above atmospheric. This keeps all equipment surfaces moist and not readily contaminated by dried, accumulated, burnt on drippings, fat, proteins or other food residues. Thus, the sanitization process is simplified.The system operates with the conveyor belt continuously running in both food processing and mechanical sanitizing modes. The latter mode includes continuous cleaning of the belt and a periodic sanitation cycle with the food processing system shut down. The sanitization is achieved by jet spray scrubbing with warm water and detergent solution and circulation through the system.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus for barbecuing or smoking includes a cooking container, a support collar, and a support base which are removably secured together. The support base and the cooking container are each provided with a central air opening, and the cooking container and the support base are clamped against the support collar by a stud which extends through the air openings. The clamping force provided by the stud is transmitted to the cooking container and to the support base by compressible and resilient spring plates within the cooking container and the support base, and each spring plate is provided with an air passage to permit air to flow from the base, through the central air openings, and into the cooking container. A burner assembly may be removably secured to the spring plate in the cooking container by the stud.

Abstract: A device for melting butter provides a support member which is detachably secured to a pop-up type toaster and in turn detachably supports a butter melting ladle such that heat rising from the toaster can be utilized to melt the butter.

Abstract: An economical, energy-saving apparatus for baking food products such as pretzels and the like includes an enclosed housing with an inlet for the introduction of the product to be baked and a door covering the inlet. The apparatus further includes an outlet for removal of the baked product, and a heating assembly for baking the product. Also included in the apparatus of the present invention is a conveyor system for conveying the product from the inlet through the heating assembly to the outlet. To remove the product from the conveying assembly, a removal apparatus is included within the housing for engaging the conveying assembly and removing the product therefrom. Also included in the apparatus of the present invention is a material dispenser for dispensing salt or similar material onto the product to be baked. The material dispenser is defined by a container that is in abutting engagement with the conveyor assembly so as to be engaged thereby resulting in the container being shook to dispense the material.

Abstract: Surface water, potato pieces and starch particles are removed from raw potato slices as they are transferred from a water bath to a cooker on a perforate conveyor belt. Streams of air against the topside of the belt place the slices in turbulent motion and air suction through a grid on the bottom side of the belt extracts water and starch particles into a suction stream from which the particles are separated.

Abstract: A two-staged pressure cooker comprises an air-tight vessel having an upper-stage chamber for containing foods to be pressure-cooked and a lower-stage chamber for containing water. The two chambers are separated from each other, each having a pressure-actuated regulating valve which allows the chamber to be maintained under an appropriate pressure for cooking. Foods can be placed in both chambers for pressure cooking.

Abstract: A combination outdoor Bar-B-Q smoker and grill is provided wherein multiple levels of cooking racks on runners within an enclosure are capable of being positioned either directly over a charcoal heat source at one end of the enclosure or at the other end of the enclosure where they are not exposed to direct heat. The enclosure is provided with a slideable top which can be used as a work surface which can be closed or moved to an open position where it is supported in cantilever beam relationship.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for cooking frozen french fries in which a supply of frozen potato pieces is held in a hopper and in which the potato pieces are continuously fed from the hopper at a predetermined, adjustable rate, by means of an upwardly slanting endless conveyor, into an enclosed bath of hot cooking liquid. Water vapor generated when the frozen potato pieces contact the hot liquid is removed by a vapor extraction system. A second endless conveyor is provided within the cooking liquid to carry the potato pieces submerged within the liquid while being cooked. The speed of the potato pieces through the cooking liquid is continuously adjusted, in response to cooking liquid temperature fluctuations, as necessary to provide french fries consistently cooked to the same degree. The french fries are automatically discharged from the apparatus.

Abstract: A plant for the automatic production of Arabic flat bread is provided. It consists basically of a sequence of devices or arrangements for performing the following functions: dough portioning, dough kneading and forming, prefermentation, dough rolling into flats, final fermentation, and finally baking. In accordance with the present invention such a plant is primarily characterized by swingably suspended trays having a bran layer on top for carrying the flat pieces during final fermentation passing through the final fermentation housing in a serpentine path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for cooking food morsels in a gas-permeable rotating cylinder housed in a heat-insulated housing and flooded with a heated gas stream which enters at that place in the cylinder where the contents accumulate due to the rotation of the cylinder and the effect of gravity.

Abstract: A convection oven has a chamber receptive of a rack across which heated air is circulated. At the downstream side of the air path through the chamber there is a steam generator having a heat accumulator comprising blocks of high thermal conductivity carried on a series of carriers arranged in a parallel superposed vertical stack. At the outset of a baking cycle, water is caused to flow downwardly within the vertical stack against the blocks to generate steam and water vapor which is circulated across the unheated product being baked to control the browning and crispiness of its outer surface.

Abstract: Taco shell manufacturing equipment that comprises in combination with suitable means to form and bake disk tortillas, certain means to equilibrate moisture throughout such baked tortillas in a relatively short tempering time of the general order of a few minutes as they are passed in successive longitudinally-spaced groups of substantially transversely aligned disks continuously through an elongated lateral steam chamber upon traveling lateral open web belting means as received from baking means and while being subjected in this chamber to relatively low pressure steam until discharged by this belting means through an exit end opening of the steam chamber as tempered tortillas. Driven lateral transfer means receive the tempered tortillas in the longitudinally-spaced transverse groups from the exit end of the steam chamber and transports them laterally forward to the entrance end of tortillas folding and frying apparatus.

Abstract: A bread baking system in which dough is automatically punched down, the rise times of the dough timed, and the oven turned on and off at the proper times.

Abstract: A cooking and assembly unit is primarily for use in the quantity production of sandwiches, such as hamburger sandwiches including a patty, a bun crown and a bun heel. The unit includes a storage compartment for a number of individual trays each carrying one or more bun heels or bun crowns. The storage compartment is related to a bun grill including a conveyor for trays carrying heels and another conveyor for trays carrying crowns. Both conveyors advance in a predetermined direction and deliver the heel trays and the crown trays to a downstream, exit end of the bun grill. From there the loaded trays are received on an entrance table at the upstream end of a product conditioning tunnel mounted on a straddle frame. The conditioning tunnel is heated and is supplied with steam to hold its contents in a selected atmosphere. A freezer compartment having an access opening to patties stored therein is disposed beneath the straddle frame and adjacent the entrance to the conditioning tunnel.

Abstract: Thin potato slices are fried to chips in a two-stage operation. In the first stage the slices are fried in oil to a moisture content of 3-10% by weight. This product is removed from the oil and the moisture content is reduced to 1.5-2.5% by weight in a second stage by the supply of heat. To reduce the moisture content in the second stage at least a portion of the frying vapors substantially without false air and having a temperature of at least 120.degree. C., is guided from the space above the oil of the first stage to the slices removed from the oil.

Abstract: Apparatus for treatment of pumpable materials, such as foodstuffs and fodder, which includes a container of cylindrical form for subjecting bulk material to at least a pressure and/or heat treatment. The container is provided with at least one axially mounted, radial wall disposed sealingly against side and end walls thereof. The radial wall has a shaft adapted for the supply and removal of the material on opposite sides of the wall. The radial wall and the container are rotatable relative to each other so that particles or individual portions of the material remain substantially at rest relative to the container wall during the treatment.

Abstract: An improved assembly for moveably supporting food to be cooked in a pressure vessel is provided which assembly includes a rotatable food container and a rotation means therefore which increases the heat exchange between the food and the environment within the pressure vessel. Also provided is an apparatus for cooking food which includes a pressure vessel; heating and cooling means, a rotatable food container and a rotation means therefore which provides a more uniform processing of the food and increases the capacity of the pressure vessel with respect to the bulk of food which can be cooked in a single cycle. An improved process is also provided which includes subjecting the food to pressure, heating the food while maintaining the pressure, rapidly cooling or freezing the food while the pressure is maintained at least during the first portion of the cooling or freezing step while, at least during a part of the cycle, the food is falling intermittently through the atmosphere.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously, quickly and gently cooking and leaching food pieces such as compacted soy bean products with a cooking liquid, such as water, at elevated temperature comprising an elongate tank for the liquid wherein the tank has a product infeed end and a product discharge end. A driven endless conveyor having an upper flight passing through the liquid in the tank carries food pieces on its upper flight through the hot liquid. There is provided a plurality of means along one or both sides of the tank for withdrawing liquid from the tank at spaced apart points along the side of the tank, means for heating the withdrawn liquid and means for returning the heated liquid to the tank at a plurality of points adjacent the center line thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus for preparing cooked potato chips from raw potatoes. The apparatus includes a slicer for cutting thin potato slices from a raw potato, a conveyor for receiving the thin potato slices as they are cut by the slicer and for conveying the thin potato slices along a sinuous path, a reservoir for containing a quantity of cooking oil, and a heater for heating the quantity of cooking oil. The thin potato slices being conveyed along the sinuous path by the conveyor are suffused with the heated cooking oil whereby the thin potato slices are cooked. The thin potato slices may be suffused with the heated cooking oil by being conveyed through the heated cooking oil contained within the reservoir or by passing through a mist of the heated cooking oil.

Abstract: An elongated meat processing system including an improved lifting mechanism for lifting products from a conveyor during conveyance through a treatment zone defined by a housing of the system so as to control the rate of advancement of the products and the time the products are present in the treatment zone. The system preferably includes a plurality of the conveyors arranged in a vertically spaced relationship with each of these conveyors being of a reciprocating type including a pair of laterally spaced reciprocating beams that carry product sticks on which the products are hung. The lifting mechanism includes laterally spaced lifters along the length of the system for lifting the products after forward reciprocation of the conveyor beams so the products are suspended and do not move rearwardly during subsequent rearward beam reciprocation. Prior to a subsequent forward reciprocation, the lifters return the products to the beams to provide product advancement.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for making a molded meat product on a continuous basis, including the stuffing of a meat material into molds, where a plurality of molds are arranged together in a magazine and a plurality of magazines are utilized in the continuous process. The method and apparatus further includes a closed loop through which the magazines are driven incrementally through cooking, chilling, product knockout, washing and release agent application stations. The magazines of molds are removed from the closed loop for stuffing of the meat material and then reinserted in the closed loop to be processed in the stations of the closed loop.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for adding salt or seasonings to food being cooked in a steam cooker cooking vessel having a cooking chamber. The apparatus includes a separate collecting vessel for accommodating a salt or seasoning solution, a supply line attached to the collecting vessel for connecting the collecting vessel to the cooking vessel, and a conveying and turnover pump for conveying the salt or seasoning solution from the collecting vessel to the food in the cooking chamber through the supply line.

Abstract: In the dough proofing machine described a housing contains a conveyor extending in a tortuous path from one end to the other, a heater and steam injector positioned in the center of the housing. Transversely extending vertically disposed plenum walls are located on either side of the heater and extend all the way to the side walls of the apparatus. A blower is associated with the heater to direct the air flow downwardly into a distribution plenum located below the heater and openings are provided in the front and rear of the distribution plenum allowing the air to travel in two substantially balanced symmetrically arranged flow paths, one of which is directed forwardly and upwardly and the other rearwardly and upwardly thereby balancing the conditions of humidity and temperature substantially throughout the entire apparatus. An air flow controller introduces outside air and exhausts circulating air as conditions require.

Abstract: An improved egg handling device is disclosed in which a number of egg lifting vacuum cups, mounted on a convenient support, are used both to transfer eggs and to punch the egg shells. The egg piercing system is incorporated with the transfer cups to provide for a simultaneous piercing and lifting of the eggs. A piercing needle is mounted within each vacuum cup in a position to pierce or puncture each egg shell while it is held within the cup by the vacuum lifting force.

Abstract: A combined barbecue pit and oven comprising a sheet metal box having a two-level top portion, a transverse intermediate wall within said box dividing the same into a lower chamber and a higher chamber, said two chambers communicating with each other through a large opening therebetween, liftable lids covering the top of each chamber, a lower grill slidably disposed within said lower chamber and an upper grill slidably disposed within said higher chamber, a door at the front of said lower chamber and a clean-out port downwardly of said door, a fire box disposed at the bottom of said lower chamber, and air inlet cut-ins on the side wall adjacent said lower chamber, a drip pan disposed within said higher chamber directly below said upper grille, and a chimney disposed on a top wall portion laterally of the higher chamber lid.

Abstract: A tiltable cooking receptacle apparatus which includes a frame and a receptacle supported on the frame for tilting movement toward one side of the receptacle between an upright position and a tilted position. A lever assembly is mounted on the frame for tilting the receptacle. The lever assembly includes a tilt arm which acts on the side of the receptacle in the direction of tilting movement for tilting the receptacle in said direction. The tilt arm is mounted for movement relative to the frame between a lowered non-tilted position and a raised tilted position, and is mounted for pivotal movement in the direction opposite to the direction of pivotal movement of the receptacle. Selectively actuatable drive means is operably connected to the tilt arm for moving the tilt arm between the lowered and raised positions to move the kettle between the upright position and the tilted position.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cooking products such as french toast in which the uncooked product is placed on one end of an endless steel belt upon which it is carried while being cooked. The product passes through a first cooking zone to cook it on one side, and it is then turned over and passes through a second zone in which it is cooked on the other side. The turning operation is performed by a flipper positioned between the two cooking zones which pushes spatula means under the product with a movement against the movement of the conveyor. The spatula is then swung about an axis transverse to the movement of the conveyor and directly above the cooking surface, and the product is turned or "flipped" along an arcuate path progressively with respect to the movement of the conveyor.

Abstract: A high pressure press including a cup-shaped die member having a relatively narrow, essentially rigidly fixed outer confining lip movable into engagement with a flat bed to define a closed fluid tight cavity for compressing a dough patty into a flat shell. The die and bed are heated to 360.degree.F to bake the dough and generate gases trapped within the cavity. Any of the dough escaping between the lip and bed is compressed to a very thin, film-like connection which becomes brittle on final baking and easily removed. Just prior to raising the die, the holding pressure is eliminated which releases the gases without noticeable adverse effect on the characteristic of the shell. A plate-like vacuum chamber is moved between the die and bed with a bottom perforated plate is superimposed overlying relationship to the shell and dropped down onto the shell to attract the shell for removal from the die. A plurality of piercing pins are provided on the underface of the perforated plate to perforate the top of the shell.

Abstract: Air withdrawn from a food smokehouse is divided into two branches. The air in one of the branches enters a chamber in which is a bladed air agitator. The chamber includes two water sprays with the water contacting the air and the blades. From that chamber the air sequentially passes through a cyclone separator and a demister. The air from the two branches is then recombined. After being recombined, the air passes through a heater and a humidifier. Part of the recombined air also may pass through a smoke generator.

Abstract: Fast cooking apparatus for dosed quantities of foodstuffs comprises a dosing device for the introduction, into a pressurized cooking chamber a desired quantity of food which is cooked under pressure at temperatures of over 100.degree. C. The cooked food is conveyed, by the pressure within the cooker, into a separator, wherein the excess of cooking water and its vapour are removed from the cooked food.

Abstract: A machine for baking a bakery product such as soft pretzels, wherein the machine includes an oven-like chamber containing a number of processing stations and means to automatically move the bakery products through each processing station in turn. The bakery products are initially placed on one of a plurality of support means, such as baking racks, the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected between parallel, positively driven endless drive chains. The endless drive chains are supported and driven through a predetermined path which exposes the bakery products positioned on the baking racks to the individual processing stations in a predetermined sequence. The first processing station includes a spraying means, which partially coats the bakery products with a soda solution. The bakery products are next salted by a rotating salt cylinder, and then are baked and browned by a selected arrangement of radiant heat rods, before being removed from the baking racks.