Vending apparatus adapted to store and process food items

Claim 1

A VENDING MACHINE FOR STORING AND COOKING FOOD ITEMS, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: (A) HOUSING MEANS HAVING AT LEAST TWO COMPARTMENTS THEREIN SEPARATED BY AN INSULATING WALL HAVING A PASSAGEWAY THEREIN THROUGH WHICH FOOD ITEMS CAN PASS FROM ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS TO THE OTHER; (B) DOOR MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING SAID PASSAGEWAY IN SAID INSULATING WALL; (C) CARRIAGE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF FOOD ITEMS IN INDIVIDUALLY SPACED APART RELATION THEREON; (D) MEANS MOUNTING SAID CARRIAGE MEANS IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR STEP-BY-STEP MOVEMENT ADJACENT SAID PASSAGEWAY WHEREBY INDIVIDUAL FOOD ITEMS ARE POSITIONED TO BE PASSED THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY IN SAID INSULATING WALL; (E) DELIVERY MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID CARRIAGE MEANS FOR REMOVING FOOD ITEMS THEREFROM AND DIRECTING THE SAME IN A PATH THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY; (F) MEANS IN THE OTHER OF SAID COMPARTMENTS OF SAID HOUSING MEANS FOR COOKING A FOOD ITEM WHICH HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SAID CARRIAGE MEANS AND PASSED THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY; AND, (G) CONTROL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING SAID CARRIAGE TO POSITIONS WHERE ITEMS CARRIED THEREBY ARE ADJACENT SAID PASSAGEWAY, FOR MOVING SAID DOOR TO A POSITION OPENING SAID PASSAGEWAY TO PERMIT A FOOD ITEM TO PASS THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, AND FOR COOKING A FOOD ITEM WHICH HAS PASSED THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY AND INTO SAID OTHER COMPARTMENT; (H) SAID CARRIAGE MEANS COMPRISES AN ELONGATED FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF INCLINED TRAYS THEREON FOR SUPPORTING FOOD ITEMS; (I) SAID MEANS MOUNTING SAID CARRIAGE MEANS FOR STEPBY-STEP MOVEMENT COMPRISES GUIDE MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID FRAME TO GUIDE SAID FRAME FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN SAID ONE COMPARTMENT AND LATCHING MEANS COOPERATING BETWEEN SAID FRAME AND SAID GUIDE MEANS TO CONTROL SAID LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT WHEREBY SAID FRAME MEANS IS MOVABLE TO POSITION SUCCESSIVE TRAYS ADJACENT SAID PASSAGEWAY; (J) SAID TRAYS ARE INCLINED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE REAR PORTION THEREOF TO THE FORWARD PORTION THEREOF TOWARDS SAID INSULATING WALL; (K) EACH OF SAID TRAYS COMPRISES A PLATE-LIKE SUPPORT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED OPENINGS EXTENDING FROM THE FORWARD PORTION THEREOF TOWARD THE REAR PORTION THEREOF, SAID FORWARD PORTION BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID INSULATING WALL; AND (1) SAID DELIVERY MEANS COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF FINGERS INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM SAID INSULATING WALL AND POSITIONED TO MOVE FREELY THROUGH SAID ELONGATED OPENINGS IN SAID TRAYS TO REMOVE FOOD ITEMS FROM SAID TRAYS.