elston

Claim 1

COOKING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A TANK HAVING A BOTTOM WALL FOR CONTAINING A HEATED FLUID COOKING MEDIUM, MEANS IN SAID TANK FOR ADVANCING A FOOD ARTICLE THERETHROUGH INCLUDING; ARTICLE ENGAGING MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT ALTERNATIVELY PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM WALL AND NORMAL TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TANK, A DROP PAN HAVING A BOTTOM AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION BELOW SUPPLY MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AN UNCOOKED FOOD ARTICLE INTO SAID TANK WHEREBY AN INTRODUCED FOOD ARTICLE WILL BE RECEIVED IN SAID DROP PAN, AND A SECOND POSITION WITHIN THE PATH OF SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING MEANS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID DROP PAN TO SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR NON-RECIPROCATING ENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID MOUNTING MEANS MOVES SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING MEANS NORMAL TO SAID BOTTOM AND FOR POSITIVE RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID DROP PAN BETWEEN SAID TWO POSITIONS WHEN SAID MOUNTING MEANS MOVES SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING MEANS PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ARTICLE ADVANCING MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY ENGAGING A FOOD ARTICLE IN SAID DROP PAN WHEN THE LATTER IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION, WITHDRAWING THE FOOD ARTICLE FROM SAID DROP PAN AND MAINTAINING THE FOOD ARTICLE IN SAID SECOND POSITION WHEN SAID DROP PAN IS RETURNED TO SAID FIRST POSITION WHEREBY SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING MEANS WILL ENGAGE AND ADVANCE THE FOOD ARTICLE, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID ADVANCING MEANS.