Automatic bun grill

Claim 2

A bun grill comprising a housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means to heat the grill plate, a conveyor assembly for conveying buns past and in contact with the grill plate, the grill plate and the conveyor assembly being supported in inclined planes, means to introduce bun halves into the housing for being conveyed by the conveyor assembly, means to discharge the bun halves from the housing, the means to introduce bun halves comprising an inlet chute adjacent the upper end of the housing, and the means to discharge the bun halves comprising an outlet chute adjacent the lower end of the housing, the conveyor assembly comprising a flexible chain conveyor that is somewhat slack to press buns against the grill plate, and a pair of channels supported within the housing at the angle of inclination of the conveyor, a plurality of pins projecting laterally from each side of the conveyor, the pins being receivable within the channels to position the conveyor, and means to adjust the locations of the pins relative to the conveyor to adjust the spacing between the conveyor and the grill plate.

Claim 3

A bun grill comprising a housing, a motor mounted in said housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means to heat the grill plate, a conveyor assembly for conveying buns past and in contact with the grill plate, the grill plate and the conveyor assembly being supported in inclined planes, means to introduce bun halves into the housing for being conveyed by the conveyor assembly, means to discharge the bun halves from the housing, the means to introduce bun halves comprising an inlet chute adjacent the upper end of the housing, and the means to discharge the bun halves comprising an outlet chute adjacent the lower end of the housing, the conveyor assembly having a chain conveyor comprising two independent chains, means mounting the chains for being driven by the motor, one chain being closer to the grill plate than the other chain to accommodate different thicknesses of bun halves.

Claim 4

A bun grill comprising a housing, a motor mounted in said housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means to heat the grill plate, a conveyor assembly for conveying buns past and in contact with the grill plate, the grill plate and the conveyor assembly being supported in inclined planes, means to introduce bun halves into the housing for being conveyed by the conveyor assembly, means to discharge the bun halves from the housing, the means to introduce bun halves comprising an inlet chute adjacent the upper end of the housing, and the means to discharge the bun halves comprising an outlet chute adjacent the lower end of the housing, the conveyor assembly having a chain conveyor comprising two independent chains, means mounting the chains for being driven by the motor, one chain being closer to the grill plate than the other chain to accommodate different thicknesses of bun halves.

Claim 5

The bun grill of claim 2 wherein the chain conveyors are somewhat slack to apply pressure against the bun halves and press the bun halves against the grill plate.

Claim 6

A bun grill comprising a housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means for heating the grill plate, 2 16 an inlet opening in the housing adjacent one side of the grill plate for introducing buns, an outlet opening in the housing adjacent the opposite side of the grill plate for discharging buns, a conveyor supported within the housing in spaced relation to the grill plate, the conveyor comprising an endless flexible member, means to continuously move the flexible member past the grill plate from the side of the grill plate adjacent the inlet opening toward the side of the grill plate adjacent the outlet opening, the conveyor and the grill plate being inclined at an angle of at least 45* from horizontal, said flexible member comprising a chain assembly having a plurality of rods extending laterally of the direction of travel of the flexible member, each rod having hook portions pivotally connecting such rod to an adjacent rod to form an endless series of such connections, a pair of spaced sprocket wheels at each side of the flexible member, the rods being meshed with the sprocket wheels, power means to rotate at least one sprocket wheel, a pair of channels supported within the housing at the angle of inclination of the conveyor, a plurality of pins projecting laterally from each side of the conveyor, said pins being receivable within the channels to position the conveyor, and means to adjust the locations of the pins relative to the conveyor to adjust the Spacing between the conveyor and the grill plate.

Claim 7

A bun grill comprising a housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means for heating the grill plate, 2 16 an inlet opening in the housing adjacent one side of the grill plate for introducing buns, an outlet opening in the housing adjacent the opposite side of the grill plate for discharging buns, a conveyor supported within the housing in spaced relation to the grill plate, the conveyor comprising an endless flexible member, means to continuously move the flexible member past the grill plate from the side of the grill plate adjacent the inlet opening toward the side of the grill plate adjacent the outlet opening, the conveyor and the grill plate being inclined at an angle of at least 45* from horizontal, said flexible member comprising a chain assembly having a plurality of rods extending laterally of the direction of travel of the flexible member, each rod having hook portions pivotally connecting such rod to an adjacent rod to form an endless series of such connections, a pair of spaced sprocket wheels at each side of the flexible member, the rods being meshed with the sprocket wheels, power means to rotate at least one sprocket wheel, a pair of channels supported within the housing at the angle of inclination of the conveyor, a plurality of pins projecting laterally from each side of the conveyor, said pins being receivable within the channels to position the conveyor, and means to adjust the locations of the pins relative to the conveyor to adjust the Spacing between the conveyor and the grill plate.

Claim 8

The bun grill of claim 4 wherein the relationship between the spacing between sprocket wheels and the size of the flexible member loop is such that the flexible member is slack toward the grill plate to apply some weight of the flexible member against buns positioned between the flexible member and the grill plate.

Claim 9

The bun grill of claim 5 including an inclined panel between the grill plate and the outlet opening for directing buns to the outlet opening, a crack between the grill plate and the inclined panel, and a removable tray supported in the housing below the crack for collecting grease or butter dripping from the grill plate through the crack.

Claim 10

A bun grill comprising a housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means for heating the grill plate, an inlet opening in the housing adjacent one side of the grill plate for introducing buns, an outlet opening in the housing adjacent the opposite side of the grill plate for discharging buns, a conveyor supported within the housing in spaced relation to the grill plate, the conveyor comprising two substantially identical endless flexible members positioned side by side, said flexible members comprising a chain assembly having a plurality of rods extending laterally of the direction of travel of the flexible members, each rod having hook portions pivotally connecting such rod to an adjacent rod to form an endless series of such connections, a pair of spaced sprocket wheels at each side of the flexible members, the rods being meshed with the sprocket wheels, and power means to rotate at least one sprocket wheel, the sprocket wheels carrying one flexible member being of lesser diameters than the sprocket wheels carrying the other flexible member to position one flexible member further from the grill plate than the other flexible member and thereby accommodate the different thicknesses of bun tops and bottoms, means to continuously move the flexible member past the grill plate from the side of the grill plate adjacent the inlet opening toward the side of the grill plate adjacent the outlet opening, the conveyor and the grill plate being inclined at an angle of at least 45* from horizontal.

Claim 11

A bun grill comprising a housing, a grill plate supported within the housing, means for heating the grill plate, an inlet opening in the housing adjacent one side of the grill plate for introducing buns, an outlet opening in the housing adjacent the opposite side of the grill plate for discharging buns, a conveyor supported within the housing in spaced relation to the grill plate, the conveyor comprising two substantially identical endless flexible members positioned side by side, said flexible members comprising a chain assembly having a plurality of rods extending laterally of the direction of travel of the flexible members, each rod having hook portions pivotally connecting such rod to an adjacent rod to form an endless series of such connections, a pair of spaced sprocket wheels at each side of the flexible members, the rods being meshed with the sprocket wheels, and power means to rotate at least one sprocket wheel, the sprocket wheels carrying one flexible member being of lesser diameters than the sprocket wheels carrying the other flexible member to position one flexible member further from the grill plate than the other flexible member and thereby accommodate the different thicknesses of bun tops and bottoms, means to continuously move the flexible member past the grill plate from the side of the grill plate adjacent the inlet opening toward the side of the grill plate adjacent the outlet opening, the conveyor and the grill plate being inclined at an angle of at least 45* from horizontal.