Food washing and cooking apparatus

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS FLOW FOOD COOKING SYSTEM COMPRISING A COOKER INCLUDING A VAT ADAPTED TO HOLD A QUANTITY OF HEATED COOKING OIL, CONVEYING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A PRODUCT AT A UNIFORM RATE INTO THE VAT TO BE COOKED, SAID CONVEYING MEANS DELIVERING SAID PRODUCT TO THE VAT ENVENLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE PATH OF PRODUCT MOVEMENT, MEANS SERVING TO REMOVE EXCESS WATER FROM THE PRODUCT PRIOR TO ENTRY THEREOF INTO THE VAT, THE LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING AIR JET MEANS FORMING A SLANTING CURTAIN OF RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE AIR IMPINGING UPON THE PRODUCT AND DIRECTED AGAINST THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT THEREOF TO REMOVE THE EXCESS WATER IN A DIRECTION LEADING AWAY FROM THE VAT, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS ALSO INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER PERFORATED CONVEYORS FOR RETAINING AND ADVANCING THE PRODUCT WHILE IT MOVES THROUGH THE CURTAIN OF AIR, DRUM MEANS SERVING TO POSITIVELY ADVANCE THE LATERALLY DIS-