With Conveyor Or Movably Supported Patents (Class 99/443R)
  • Patent number: 6125740
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus is provided which includes a rotatable food support member for supporting a food item thereon. A drive mechanism is connected to the food support member for rotating the food support member. The cooking apparatus further includes upper and lower housings disposed above and beneath a portion of the food support member. The upper and lower housings include an upper and lower heating member respectively with each of the upper and lower heating members providing a heat output which varies from a first end adjacent to an outer edge of the food support member to a second end adjacent to an inner center portion of the food support member, wherein the heat output is greater at the first end than at the second end. The drive mechanism rotates the food support member with the upper and lower heating members applying heat to the food support member to cook the food item contained thereon. Preferably, the food support member includes a solid base portion for supporting the food item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: National Presto Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James Alan Hedrington, Brent William Dressel
  • Patent number: 6095805
    Abstract: An oven includes a housing provided with a device for supplying steam into the interior of the housing, in connection with the setting of a cooking condition, such as the temperature and/or relative humidity, and also a conveyor belt which passes through the housing and on which food products to be heated can be accommodated. The conveyor belt passes through at least one path with one or more windings disposed above one another. The device for supplying steam has at least one steam outlet for delivering steam at the level of the radially innermost part of a winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Koppens Convenience Food Systems
    Inventor: Hendrikus Antonius Jacobus Kuenen
  • Patent number: 6079319
    Abstract: A domestic electric device for "dry" cooking foodstuffs includes a parallelepiped container defining a cooking chamber for foodstuffs inside it. Heating elements are mounted on a pair of opposed side walls of the container to irradiate heat inside the cooking chambers. A cylindrical openable basket is removably housed inside the cooking chamber of the container to receive the foodstuffs to be cooked. The basket is rotatably motor-driven about a rotation axis X--X extending in a direction which is substantially horizontal and parallel to the aforesaid side walls of the container. The cooking device further includes an external body provided, on an upper surface thereof, with a window, which can be closed for allowing the insertion and/or the removal of the basket into and from the container cooking chamber, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Termozeta S.P.A.
    Inventor: Alessandro Doria
  • Patent number: 6073543
    Abstract: A food roasting apparatus is disclosed, comprising a pot having: a base wall and a cylindrical sidewall contiguous therewith, the base wall and sidewall defining a pot surface, the sidewall surrounding a central pot axis and extending upwardly from the base wall to terminate in a rim encircling an upper pot opening; two gas burners; a cradle for supporting the pot above the burners in selectively removable relation, with the base wall positioned downwardly from the pot opening and the pot axis angled with respect to horizontal, for rotation of the pot about the pot axis; and a motor for effecting the rotation of the pot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Inventor: Michele Golfi
  • Patent number: 6047633
    Abstract: A shish kebab rotisserie includes a frame having a base and an opposing top; a support member connected between the base and the top to support the top relative to the base; a number of skewer rotors connected with the base, each skewer rotor having an axis and being rotatable about its axis; a drive operatively connected with the skewer rotors to rotate each skewer rotor about its axis; a heat source connected with the base and spaced a distance from the skewer rotors; and a skewer extending generally perpendicularly from the base to the top, the skewer being supported at the base by a skewer rotor and being supported by the top, the skewer being releasably coupled with the skewer rotor to rotate with the skewer rotor. The skewer may extend beyond the top to a handle portion of the skewer. A skewer shaft extends from the handle portion toward the skewer rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Inventor: Yefim B. Khaytman
  • Patent number: 6041694
    Abstract: An oven with multiple pans is composed of a base, a base plate, rotating frames and roast pans, the base includes a motor which extends its spindle upwardly through the base plate linked with a transmission gear, the base plate having a plural recesses around the motor with a centrally formed shaft extending therefrom for accommodating a spindle of roast pans therein. The roast pans comprise gears at the edges to be meshed with the transmission gear and activated by the motor to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Lundar Electric Inductrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tony Hsu
  • Patent number: 6029565
    Abstract: A grill which can be used to cook a variety of items with chicken being the preferred item. The grill has a rotating cooking surface in the shape of a wheel and the items to be cooked are placed around the circumference of the wheel. The heat source is positioned along the axis of the wheel and there is a grease shield positioned to catch grease drippings from food items on the wheel. In addition a supply of barbecue sauce is positioned adjacent the lowest portion of the wheel so the food items to be cooked will pass through the sauce as the wheel rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Inventor: Howard D. Plymale
  • Patent number: 6028298
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a turntable disposed in a cooking chamber. The turntable is seated on rollers which are driven about horizontal axes to rotate the turntable. The rollers are mounted on elements that can be raised and lowered, whereby the turntable is raised and lowered while being rotated. A drive mechanism which raises and lowers the rollers is reversible whereby the turntable is rotated in a first direction while being raised, and in a second direction while being lowered. Position detectors sense when the turntable has reached maximum upper and lower positions for reversing the drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ha-Yeong Yang
  • Patent number: 6024013
    Abstract: The machine comprises a refrigerating store (2) which is provided with a series of columns (3) wherein are piled annular dishes (4) which contain the precooked product (1), columns(3) which are supported by a rotary platform (5) and which can rotate with respect to a fixed platform (7) situated at the bottom, the rotary platform (5) having a series of openings (6) wherein are located the extreme dishes corresponding to one column (3); parallel to the fixed platform (7) a sliding plate (8) is provided which has an opening (6) in which falls the plate (4) in a situation facing the opening (10) of the rotary platform (5), also having a lower fixed plate (9) on which the sliding plate (8) can move thereby displacing the plate, and which is provided with a cavity (11) for the passage of a vertically displaceable horizontal support (12) which pushes the product (1) till it is introduced into an oven (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Masoud Zandi Goharrizi
  • Patent number: 5988047
    Abstract: A baking apparatus for producing endless strips of baked dough having a drum mounted on rotatable supports offset from the axis of the drum and separating the interior of a housing of the apparatus into inner and outer chambers which can each be equipped with heating devices. Along the inner and/or outer surface of the drum for each strip, a dough application device and a strip removal device can be provided in succession so that a respective endless strip is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Franz Haas Waffelmaschinen-Industrie Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Sen Haas, Johann Haas, Stefan Jiraschek
  • Patent number: 5974957
    Abstract: A food dehydrator is provided including a base with an interior space. Also included is a food supporting mechanism within the interior space of the base for supporting food thereon. A heating mechanism is adapted for generating heat within the interior space of the base. For circulating air about the food, an air circulation mechanism included. The food supporting mechanism and air circulation mechanism move with respect to each other during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Inventor: David A. Ysen
  • Patent number: 5974956
    Abstract: A staged rotisserie for cooking poultry includes a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end and a plurality of discrete heating stations spaced within the housing between the inlet end and the outlet end. A plurality of poultry spits are moved through the housing, each spit supporting a poultry thereon. An admission mechanism is provided for controlling admission of spits into the housing. An advancement and driving mechanism advances the spits through the housing in sequential fashion and drives the spits in rotation within the housing, and is operative to ensure that each spit resides within the housing for a pre-determined length of time to ensure that the poultry is properly cooked, thereby avoiding undercooking and overcooking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Inventor: James W. McConnell
  • Patent number: 5964212
    Abstract: A barbecue rotisserie apparatus comprising a conventional barbecue apparatus and a novel rotisserie apparatus. The rotisserie apparatus comprises a ring having a substantially U-shaped cross section, rollers that are rotatably secured within their axis of rotation within the ring U cross section, and a drive apparatus secured to the barbecue for rolling the ring around the bowl of the barbecue apparatus. A bracket means on the ring supports the grill. The drive apparatus comprises a motor, friction wheel, and rigid enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Inventor: Edward P. Thompson
  • Patent number: 5960707
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) comprises a heating room (11) for the articles of food, heater (14) and a ventilator (16) for creating a hot air current, and further comprises a device (17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28) which can subject the heating room to a rocking movement around a horizontal axis (13). The heating room (11) is nearly closed and the heater (14) and ventilator (16) are inside the heating room (11) and are fixedly connected to the heating room (11) so that the relative distance between the heater and the articles of food does not change during the rocking movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Inventor: Jean Marie Mathieu Hoeberigs
  • Patent number: 5960704
    Abstract: An improved contact toaster for heating sandwich buns and other food items features a housing containing a toasting chamber with an inlet and an outlet. The toasting chamber contains a pair of conveyor belts with a heated platen positioned between them. Each conveyor belt features a platen-facing portion so that two pathways are defined. Each conveyor belt also features a heat-distributing surface. Two auxiliary heaters are positioned so that one of each heats one of each of the platen-facing portions of the conveyor belts. One of each of a pair of tensioners engages one of each of the platen-facing portions of the conveyor belts so that each pathway tapers inward to a minimum thickness and then expands outward again. As a result, food items moving through the pathways via the conveyor belts are toasted on both surfaces and also absorb heat from both the platen and the conveyor belt surfaces in a sponge-like manner as they are compressed and released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: A.J. Antunes & Co.
    Inventors: Scott P. March, Clark R. Agcaoili
  • Patent number: 5910332
    Abstract: A rotary broiler assembly includes a rotisserie structure rotatable about a fixed axis. The rotisserie structure has a holding device radially spaced from the axis for holding a food item such as chicken thereon. When the rotisserie structure is rotated, the holding device revolves in an orbital fashion about the axis to define a path of orbital movement. A heat source is positioned within the path of orbital movement so that rotation of the rotisserie structure causes the food item to revolve about the heat source to thereby cook the food item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Inventor: Abdul Rahman Fakieh
  • Patent number: 5910264
    Abstract: The invention relates to a household electric cooking apparatus, of the frying type, without oil bath, intended to cook frozen or fresh food products such as french fries, etc, without unpleasant smell, without smoke and in a dietetic way. It is comprised of a body which contains a metal housing (2). The cooking is performed by short wavelength infrared radiations. Inside said housing, a removable basket (12) made of perforated metal, rotating upon itself, is driven by an electric motor (13). Between the inner housing (2) and the resistors (11), is provided a removable reflector (14) to facilitate the cleaning of the frying unit. The apparatus is light, has reduced dimensions and cooks very rapidly food lproducts without the risks and disavantages related to the manipulation of boiling oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Inventor: Michel Henri Dauliach
  • Patent number: 5906855
    Abstract: A method pertaining to the baking of products (B) in a baking oven (1) in which the products are supported by at least one rotary oven trolley (17) comprises rotating the trolley through a number of revolutions in one direction (R1) during the baking process, and thereafter reversing the direction of rotation and continuing rotation of the trolley through several revolutions in the opposite direction (R2) before again reversing the direction of rotation of the trolley. The trolley (17) keeps the same axial position in both directions of rotation. An arrangement for carrying out the method includes a drive device (20-26) for alternating rotation of the oven trolley through an equal number of revolutions in both directions during the baking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Sveba-Dahlen AB
    Inventors: Jonas Persson, Lennart Larsson
  • Patent number: 5888572
    Abstract: A disposable muffin tray is used in a baking process having a baking step using a spiral oven with a water bath therein. Hot air is directed into close surface contact with the water pool and then into cross-flow relationship with the muffin trays to effect baking of muffin batter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: H. J. Heinz Company
    Inventors: Paul S. Gics, Karen A. Parucki, Steven J. White, Larry L. Wuethrich
  • Patent number: 5868064
    Abstract: A hot air oven for food preparation, with a housing, with a cooking chamber that is defined by side walls as well as a bottom wall and a covering wall, with a blower for generating a hot air current in the cooking chamber, with a basket for the food, which basket can be inserted into the cooking chamber, wherein the basket can be rotated around a rotational axis and in operation, is penetrated by the hot air current, and is particularly easy to clean because, at least in sections along its circumference, the basket has a wall that is made of sheet metal and is provided with openings in its wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Ubert Gastrotechnik G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Harald Ubert, Helmut Heller
  • Patent number: 5796082
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a cooking chamber in which a plurality of removable horizontal partition plates are mounted to divide the cooking chamber into vertically adjacent compartments. A tray is rotatably mounted on each partition plate. A drive shaft carries vertically spaced drive elements, such as friction wheels or gears, which are engageable with respective trays. An electric motor drives the drive shaft to rotate the trays. The trays become disengaged from the drive elements in response to being removed from the cooking chamber. An additional driven tray is mounted on a floor of the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Je Myung Kim
  • Patent number: 5756133
    Abstract: A system for automatically cooling and further processing chewing gum base materials is disclosed. The hot molten chewing gum base material is deposited in lined or coated pans, the pans are picked up by an industrial robot and placed into a pair of spiral cooling towers where the molten material is cooled and solidified. The same or a second industrial robot picks up the pans of cooled gum base material and transports them to a final staging and processing area. The pans of cooled gum base material are placed on a conveyor system or on pallets for further handling and processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company
    Inventors: James A. Duggan, Kevin R. Tebrinke, Tony R. Puri, Arthur W. Upmann
  • Patent number: 5741536
    Abstract: A process for preparing prepackaged pasteurized meat parts in which the parts are pasteurized at a low temperature for an extended period of time so as to enable thorough and even heating of the parts to eliminate bacterial contamination within the parts. After the parts have been pasteurized, the pasteurized parts are cooled and then frozen. The frozen parts are then packaged for shipment and sale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: James E. Mauer
    Inventors: James E. Mauer, Harry Stuckey, Benedict DiGerlando
  • Patent number: 5704278
    Abstract: An energy efficient high capacity rotary oven (10) comprising a main oven body enclosure (12) having an exhaust pipe (14). A shelf assembly (16) is mounted in a rotatable manner within the main oven body enclosure (12) between lateral side walls thereof, whereby the shelf assembly (16) will hold various foods to be cooked. A driver mechanism (18) is mounted on the main oven body enclosure (12) for rotating the shelf assembly (16). A gas burner system (20) is within the main oven body enclosure (12) below the shelf assembly (16). A cooking access system (22) is on the main oven body enclosure (12) in front of the shelf assembly (16), so that a person can open the cooking access system (22) to safely reach the food on the shelf assembly (16). A forced air circulation system (24) is on the main oven body enclosure (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Inventor: Gloria Cross
  • Patent number: 5697289
    Abstract: A broiler type grilling appliance oscillates the food supporting grille under a heat source zone so that the broiled food subject receives direct heat incidence from the heat source for only a portion of a controlled, periodic cycle. Additionally, the supporting grille is guided to oscillate over the arc of a large radius circle that subtends a chord having a 15.degree. to 25.degree. angle from the horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Inventor: Kenneth Paul Hackett
  • Patent number: 5662029
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hot air oven for the preparation of foodstuffs, having: a casing; a refining chamber bounded by four side walls, a bottom wall and a cover wall; a first fan for producing a hot air flow in the refining chamber; a rotatable basket for the foodstuffs which can be introduced into the refining chamber and through which the hot air flow passes during operation; a control device for the performance of the refining process, said control device comprising a temperature-regulating system; and at least one air supply channel and at least one air discharge channel, a more reliable and low-maintenance operation of which is made possible by the provision of at least one flap to open or close the air supply channel and/or the air discharge channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Ubert Gastrotechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Ubert, Joachim Barthel
  • Patent number: 5644977
    Abstract: In a multi-station machine (10) each station (23,24,25,26) is configured to receive through a gate (90) of a drum encircling holder (50) a sealed 55 gallon drum (200) full of hot cooked food which is supported about its periphery at its midpoint (203) between its two central ribs (201,204) on a plurality of vertical padded (58) stanchions (55,71,84,91) affixed to the drum encircling holder. The holder is rotatably supported (52,81) at its sides in a support frame (40). A variety of pulley drives (110,130,150,160) connect to a central drive (100,105) to rotate each holder (and drum) independently of all others, or in linked fashion, as desired. Cold water (306,307) is sprayed (300) on each rotating drum from individual overhead sprayers (302,303,304) for each station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Inventor: Henry Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 5593609
    Abstract: A mixing device for a microwave oven consists of upper and lower elements. A multiplicity of bearing members is provided therebetween. Each of these elements is formed with at least one surface and a plurality of individual separated from each other bearing cups. Each bearing cup has a limited receiving area for receiving the corresponding bearing member. Each receiving area is larger than the largest outside periphery of the corresponding bearing member. In an assembled condition of the mixing device, the surfaces of the upper and lower elements face each other so that the receiving areas of the upper element are substantially aligned with the corresponding receiving areas of the lower element forming a plurality of bearing couples. Each bearing couple accommodates free movement of the corresponding bearing element. Upon rotation of the driving rod, the upper element undergoes orbital motion relative to the lower element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Inventor: David J. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 5579681
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hot air oven for the preparation of foodstuffs with a housing, with a cooking chamber delimited by four side walls as well as a bottom and a ceiling, with a first (2) blower for generating a hot air flow in the cooking chamber, with a rotatable basket (4) for the foodstuffs (5), which can be inserted into the cooking chamber, wherein the basket (4) can be rotated around an axis of rotation and the hot air stream flows through it during operation, wherein the basket (4)is guided into the direction required for insertion into the cooking chamber by means of guide elements (10) wherein the guide elements (10) are provided with a friction-reducing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Ubert Gastrotechnik G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Harald Ubert, Joachim Barthel
  • Patent number: 5570627
    Abstract: The invention comprises an oven apparatus. The apparatus has a housing with a main rotary wheel rotatably mounted within the housing. The main wheel has a plurality of radial arms extending radial outward from a center plate to the main rotary frame. A sub wheel rotatably mounted to the outer ends of each of the radial arms of the main wheel. Each of the sub wheels have a plurality of baskets rotatably mounted to the sub wheel at intervals about the outer circumference of each sub wheel. Each of said baskets being elongated and are adapted to receive a plurality of cobs of corn therein for supporting the cob in the baskets in the housing. A heating member is mounted to the bottom of the interior of the housing of the oven for heating the corn cobs being carried in the baskets. A moisture distributing structure is mounted within the housing to maintain the cobs moist to a certain extent while being heated and cooked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Inventors: Richard C. Dahlstrom, Clayton A. Melrose
  • Patent number: 5558799
    Abstract: A device and a method for controlling the rotation of the turntable of a microwave oven to return to the same position as when the present cooking cycle began. The device includes: an optical turntable rotation sensor unit, which is installed so as to emit an optical signal into a transmission hole, formed in the shaft of the turntable, during cooking and which is to recognize the rotation of the turntable by intermittently receiving the optical signal that passes through the transmission hole; and a microcomputer for controlling the rotation of the turntable after cooking has ended, if necessary, on the basis of the data from the turntable rotation sense unit. The rotation sense unit includes a photodiode and a phototransister. The transmission hole formed in the turntable shaft enables the optical signal emitted from the photodiode to pass through it and reach the phototransister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae B. Kang
  • Patent number: 5553985
    Abstract: A dual-piston pump or similar material handling device includes a hopper assembly for storing material that is to be delivered to the device, and a transfer assembly between the hopper assembly and the frame of the device. The hopper assembly is supported for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between a use position and a cleaning position, and the transfer assembly is supported for axial movement along a vertical axis and for pivotal movement about the axis so that it too may be moved to a cleaning position exposing the material handling device for cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Marlen Research Corporation
    Inventors: Warren R. Schack, Wendell Dennis
  • Patent number: 5522309
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus capable of producing different kinds of foods, the apparatus comprising plural number of processing devices, each having a specific function for treating or holding food materials, and one or more carrier vessels for transporting the food materials from one processing device to another, the carrier vessels having multiple functions and at least one compartment for holding the food materials treated or held in the processing devices. The apparatus is capable of producing different kinds of food products by instructing the carrier vessels to transfer food materials from one device to another according to the process requirements of the desired end products. The carrier vessel has a memory device that holds the information of the locations of devices from and to which the carrier vessels are instructed to transfer food materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: House Foods Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mizobuchi, Mineo Jyuuri, Asahiro Nishikawa, Yoshiaki Ishino, Takeshi Nakai, Hiroaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5477028
    Abstract: An electric barbecue grill including a grill body having a half-round cooking chamber at the top and an electric heating coil horizontally disposed within the cooking chamber at the bottom, a motor mounted outside the cooking chamber and having a sprocket gear on the motor shaft thereof, a rotary cooking grid supported on pulleys within the cooking chamber at the set elevation and rotated horizontally by the sprocket gear along a track on the set elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Inventor: Kwei T. Chang
  • Patent number: 5440105
    Abstract: A cooking vessel placed in a desired orientation on a turntable on an oven is automatically returned to that desired orientation at the end of a cooking operation. A sensor on the floor of the cooking chamber senses the movement of support rollers of the turntable to determine the angle by which the turntable must be rotated at the end of the cooking operation to bring the cooking vessel back to the desired orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung D. Kim
  • Patent number: 5393960
    Abstract: Device for the transport and distribution of meal trays including built-in microwave oven for reheating the latter. The device consists of an isothermic unequipped trolley for transporting food trays between kitchens and hospital wards, a central equipped unit permanently installed in hospitals, capable of having one or two transport trolleys coupled to it to form mobile distribution units, and one or two microwave ovens built into the central unit, comprising a metallic shield located between the hot and cold areas, which enables meal trays without a shield to be used. For use in the distribution of individual meal trays in establishments such as hospitals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Socamel S.A.
    Inventor: Michel Beizermann
  • Patent number: 5371829
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for articles of food comprises a receptacle (4) where the articles of food which are to be heated are brought and which may rotate around a axis during heating. The apparatus further comprises a cover (6) which forms with the receptacle (4) substantially closed chamber during heating. The axis may form an adjustable first angle with a vertical line. The apparatus further comprises a roof (6) which may rotate relatively with regard to the recipient (4) over a second angle which is smaller than 60.degree. to allow for filling or emptying the heating apparatus with articles of food. The heating apparatus may be used for substantially all articles of food which may be heated and the apparatus has a good thermal efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Jean M. M. Hoeberigs
    Inventor: Henricus Hoeberigs
  • Patent number: 5299557
    Abstract: An conveyor oven enclosure system is disclosed which includes a hood means which extends over the conveyor oven and supplies make-up air and exhausts heated air. The enclosure system includes front enclosure and rear enclosure walls which are parallel to and spaced apart from the front and rear oven walls of the oven respectively. Additionally, a first enclosure end wall is also included which is parallel to and spaced apart from the first oven end wall. A second enclosure end wall which is parallel to and spaced apart from the second oven end wall is also included. In the enclosure system of the present invention there is an entry opening in at least one of the enclosure walls which is adapted to correspond to each entry opening in the oven walls. An exit opening in at least one of the enclosure walls is provided which is adapted to correspond to each exit opening in the oven walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven D. Braithwaite, Jerome R. Henke, Pete Neitzel
  • Patent number: 5193444
    Abstract: A forced air oven for and a method of heating, cooking or roasting granular food, such as nuts, seeds and coffee beans. The apparatus houses a hollow cylindrical drum into which food is placed. A heated gaseous stream is forced through the inside of the drum with sufficient force to blow the food away from the inside surface of the drum. In addition, perforations in the drum are positioned such that the heated gaseous stream blows the food toward a rear end of the drum and causes the food to churn. This churning allows the heated air to envelope the outside surface of the food and provides an even transmission of heat to the food. In addition, the drum is provided with a helical fin that pushes the food toward a front end of the drum. A wire mesh is also provided for collecting particles that are dislodged from the food, and an exhaust system is provided for venting the gasses created during the heating, cooking or roasting of food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Rair Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Shlomo Bar-Sheshet
  • Patent number: 5192842
    Abstract: A microwave oven has a tray in its cooking chamber, the tray having an upwardly facing surface for supporting food. A driving mechanism rotates the tray about an upright axis while displacing the tray up and down. The tray may be disposed horizontally or at an angle to horizontal, as it rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yung H. Kim
  • Patent number: 5136933
    Abstract: A rotary orbital rotisserie has a rack structure for skewering chickens and other meat to be barbecued or roasted, with the individual spits of the rotisserie being not only rotational about their own axes, but orbital around the main rotisserie axis as well, so that the chickens execute a planetary motion. The spits can be maintained non-orbital and merely rotated in another mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Inventor: Soheyl Derakhshan
  • Patent number: 5134927
    Abstract: Automatic forced air food heating apparatus having an automatic feeding bin for automatically feeding french fries or the like into a rotary heating basket, a warming compartment for maintaining foods heated in the heating basket at serving temperature for extended periods of time, automatically-operated means for automatically dropping the heated food into the warming compartment, automatically-operated means for shielding the operator from direct contact with the heating basket, and automatic cooling means for cooling the apparatus in preparation for the manual cleaning thereof, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Inventors: Edward McCarthy, III., Rankin A. Milliken
  • Patent number: 5119720
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for cooling large sealed drums (typically fifty-five gallon drums) of cooked food products. The size of such large drums makes them difficult to handle, since they typically weigh in excess of five hundred pounds when full. The cooling apparatus comprises a main frame structure which has a support shaft rotatably attached to it and elevated above the base of the frame a distance sufficient to provide clearance for a vertically oriented drum to pass underneath it. The support shaft has a support frame on it with six, equally spaced, radially arranged, drum support platforms and clamp members attached to it. A drum is rolled onto one of these platforms from an adjacent fixed platform. Once it is in place, it is clamped onto the support frame, and the next support platform is rotated into place. Once drums are located in all six of the positions, the device is continuously rotated in a cooling water spray to rapidly cool the contents of the drums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Inventor: Henry Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 5097754
    Abstract: A closed-loop air cooking system for use in a vending machine that vends french fried potatoes and the like, including: a) a closed-loop air duct assembly; b) a cooking basket mounted for rotation within the air duct assembly; c) a fan for forcing air through the air duct assembly; d) a separator for removing entrained particulates from the air stream within the air duct assembly; and e) a heater for heating air that circulates within the air duct assembly. In addition, the cooking system includes a separator for removing oil and other particulates from the closed-loop air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne L. Covington, Glen R. Green
  • Patent number: 5050578
    Abstract: Various representative commercial cooking devices are disclosed wherein a recirculating flow of heated air, at a food cooking temperature, is created within a housing in which a horizontally disposed food support and cooking member, such as a perforated metal plate, a solid griddle plate or a metal broiling grate, is positioned. A plenum structure is utilized to convert a portion of the continuously recirculated air into a spaced series of relatively high velocity heated air impingement jets which are caused to laterally diffuse and at least slightly overlap prior to striking at least one side surface of the food support structure. In this manner, each food support structure side surface subjected to such diffused jet impingement is evenly blanketed with heating air to thereby very uniformly transfer heat from the air to the food support structure, and thus to the food supported thereby, at an accelerated rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Welbilt Corporation
    Inventors: Clement J. Luebke, Gerald W. Sank, Frank A. Slade
  • Patent number: 5034587
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for heating and cooking foods includes an oven frame having an interior formed as an oven chamber, a turntable turnably supported on the bottom of the oven chamber, a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed between the turn dish and the outer peripheral region of a bottom plate, and a mechanism which projects downward from the bottom of the turntable which prevents the turntable from sliding on a table surface. The rollers are rotatably received in an annular groove located around the outer peripheral region of the turntable. The mechanism for preventing sliding of the turntable is that of an annular trough having a V-shaped sectional shape. The lowermost part of the annular trough is located lower than the rolling surface for the rollers. In a second embodiment the mechanism for preventing sliding of the turntable is a plurality of downward projections formed around a single circle in an equally spaced relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Minoru Takagi
  • Patent number: 4984557
    Abstract: The invention refers to a baking oven having a baking chamber which is accessible via a door and which is designed for introducing therein a carriage carrying baking goods so that the carriage is stationary during a baking process. The baking oven comprises two air channels extending laterally of the baking chamber at both sides thereof over the effective height of the baking chamber and being each separated from the baking chamber by a partition provided with a plurality of air passage openings. The air channels are, during the baking process, alternately supplied by a blower and, via a switching equipment, with hot air heated by a heating means. The hot air is humidified by a vapor supply means and transversely passes the baking chamber in alternating directions and is subsequently again sucked back along a closed circuit to the suction side of the blower. The blower and heating means are arranged at a higher level than the baking chamber and at least partially above said baking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Inventor: Helmut Konig
  • Patent number: 4958054
    Abstract: A dielectric method of drying a hot plastic food extrudate comprises extruding the hot plastic food material from a food extruder, passing the extruded hot plastic food material while the material is still plastic to a dielectric heating apparatus which is in close proximity to the food extruder, and subjecting the hot plastic food material to dielectric heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignee: Fritto-Lay Inc.
    Inventors: Lewis C. Keller, Cecil A. Bowles
  • Patent number: 4939333
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electric apparatus comprising a housing with a door, a turntable arranged in the housing for rotating an object, a synchronous motor for driving the turntable, and a control portion for controllling the driving of the synchronous motor, the control portion having apparatus for storing the time required for the turntable to rotate once, apparatus for determining whether or not a time period which is approximately a natural number multiple of the time required for the turntable to rotate once, has elapsed since initiation of turntable rotation, and apparatus for stopping an operation for the rotation of the turntable on the basis of the determination that time, which is approximately a natural number multiple of the time required for one rotation of the turntable, has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruo Sakai, Masayuki Sakai, Satoshi Koide
  • Patent number: 4924763
    Abstract: The present invention is a compact pizza oven which includes a baking chamber and a means for heating air. A fan means is provided for impelling the heated air through a top and bottom orifice toward the pizza. The oven also includes an oven door for closing and opening the baking chamber and a turntable upon which the pizza is rotated about its center while it is baked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Pizza Hut
    Inventor: Lynn R. Bingham