Apparatus for producing cooked products

Claim 2

A cooking apparatus comprising a vessel for containing a cooking oil, means for heating said oil, conveying means for advancing partially submerged articles through said oil from a trailing toward a leading part of said vessel, means for depositing pieces of dough into said trailing part of said vessel, and means for establishing a high-frequency electromagnetic field in the area of said vessel forward of said trailing part.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vessel extends from a trailing end to a leading end and means defining a radiation confining compartment disposed forward of said vessel trailing end and having a trailing inlet opening and a leading outlet opening spaced along said vessel, said high-frequency field being established in said compartment and said dough depositing means being disposed at a point trailing said compartment inlet opening.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said advancing means comprises an endless chain having an advancing upper run and a plurality of regularly longitudinally spaced transversely extending flights carried by said endless chain.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2, including means positioned forward of said inlet opening for turning said pieces of dough.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said turning means is disposed adjacent said outlet opening.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 2, including radiation shields covering said vessel leading and trailing said compartment having openings at their outer ends.

Claim 8

Apparatus for forming and cooking a chemically leavened doughnut comprising a dough ring cutting and extruding device for extruding a shaped, heat-expandable and chemically leavened dough piece from an extrudible dough batch, a fryer including an elongated frying vessel adapted to contain an edible frying medium and arranged in relation to said device such that successive extruded pieces are dropped into an edible frying medium contiguous to one end of said frying vessel to totally immerse the same therein, heater means for maintaining said edible frying medium at a frying temperature wherein said medium is a liquid, successive extruded pieces being totally immersed in said edible frying medium to form a shape-retention skin thereon and becoming buoyant after a period of total immersion and floating to the surface of the frying medium, means for conveying successive extruded pieces toward the other end of said frying vessel with a lower portion of each piece remaining immersed in said frying medium and an upper portion thereof being exposed above the surface of said frying medium and a microwave source along an intermediate length of said frying vessel arranged to subject the upper portion of successive extruded pieces to microwave energy, said microwave source being of an intensity to heat, expand and at least partially cook the upper portion of successive extruded pieces.

Claim 9

Apparatus for forming and cooking a chemically leavened doughnut comprising a dough ring cutting and extruding device for extruding a shaped, heat-expandable and chemically leavened dough piece from an extrudible dough batch, a fryer including an elongated frying vessel adapted to contain an edible frying medium and arranged in relation to said device such that successive extruded pieces are dropped into an edible frying medium contiguous to one end of said frying vessel to totally immerse the same therein, heater means for maintaining said edible frying medium at a frying temperature wherein said medium is a liquid, successive extruded pieces being totally immersed in said edible frying medium to form a shape-retention skin thereon and becoming buoyant after a period of total immersion and floating to the surface of the frying medium, means for conveying successive extruded pieces toward the other end of said frying vessel with a lower portion of each piece remaining immersed in said frying medium and an upper portion thereof being exposed above the surface of said frying medium and a microwave source along an intermediate length of said frying vessel arranged to subject the upper portion of successive extruded pieces to microwave energy, said microwave source being of an intensity to heat, expand and at least partially cook the upper portion of successive extruded pieces.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7, including means following said intermediate length of said frying vessel for turning successive extruded pieces over to subject the expanded upper portion of successive extruded pieces to said frying medium along a further length of said frying vessel.

Claim 11

Apparatus for forming and frying bakery products comprising a frying tank having an input section, an intermediate section and an output section and adapted to contain a liquid cooking medium, means for heating said cooking medium to a frying temperature, a conveyor arranged within said tank for advancing partially submerged bakery products to be fried along a conveyor path from said input section through said intermediate section and to said output section at a prescribed rate, a dough ring cutting and extruded device arranged over said input section of said frying tank and adapted to drop successive extruded dough pieces for said bakery product into said input section of said frying tank along said conveyor path, said conveyor being constructed and arranged such that successive dough pieces are initially totally submerged in said cooking medium and then advanced toward said intermediate section in a partially submerged condition, a microwave generator including a cavity and an energy-outlet port arranged to introduce said microwave to said intermediate section of said frying tank and along said conveyor path such that successive partially submerged dough pieces are exposed to microwave energy from said microwave generator for a time determined by said prescribed rate and the dimensioning of said energy outlet port and a dough piece-turning mechanism arranged within said frying tank along said conveyor path and following said intermediate section for turning successive dough pieces after exposure to said microwave energy and delivering the turned dough pieces to said output section.

Claim 12

Apparatus for forming and frying bakery products comprising a frying tank having an input section, an intermediate section and an output section and adapted to contain a liquid cooking medium, means for heating said cooking medium to a frying temperature, a conveyor arranged within said tank for advancing partially submerged bakery products to be fried along a conveyor path from said input section through said intermediate section and to said output section at a prescribed rate, a dough ring cutting and extruded device arranged over said input section of said frying tank and adapted to drop successive extruded dough pieces for said bakery product into said input section of said frying tank along said conveyor path, said conveyor being constructed and arranged such that successive dough pieces are initially totally submerged in said cooking medium and then advanced toward said intermediate section in a partially submerged condition, a microwave generator including a cavity and an energy-outlet port arranged to introduce said microwave to said intermediate section of said frying tank and along said conveyor path such that successive partially submerged dough pieces are exposed to microwave energy from said microwave generator for a time determined by said prescribed rate and the dimensioning of said energy outlet port and a dough piece-turning mechanism arranged within said frying tank along said conveyor path and following said intermediate section for turning successive dough pieces after exposure to said microwave energy and delivering the turned dough pieces to said output section.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9, including means along said input section of said frying tank arranged to preclude successive dough pieces being dropped into said frying tank from coming into contact with the bottom thereof.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means includes a drop plate spaced above the bottom of said frying tank.

Claim 15

Apparatus for forming and cooking a chemically leavened bakery product comprising a cutting and extruding device for extruding a shaped, heat-expandable and chemically leavened dough piece from an extrudible dough batch, a fryer including a frying vessel adapted to contain an edible frying medium and arranged in relation to said device such that successive extruded pieces are dropped into an edible frying medium in said frying vessel, heater means for maintaining said edible frying medium at a frying temperature wherein said medium is a liquid, means for conveying successive extruded pieces along said frying vessel with a lower portion of each piece remaining immersed in said frying medium and an upper portion being exposed above the surface of said frying medium and a microwave source along the length of said frying vessel arranged to subject the upper portion of successive extruded pieces to microwave energy, said microwave source being of an intensity to heat, expand and at least partially cook the upper portion of successive extruded pieces.

Claim 16

Apparatus for forming and cooking a chemically leavened bakery product comprising a cutting and extruding device for extruding a shaped, heat-expandable and chemically leavened dough piece from an extrudible dough batch, a fryer including a frying vessel adapted to contain an edible frying medium and arranged in relation to said device such that successive extruded pieces are dropped into an edible frying medium in said frying vessel, heater means for maintaining said edible frying medium at a frying temperature wherein said medium is a liquid, means for conveying successive extruded pieces along said frying vessel with a lower portion of each piece remaining immersed in said frying medium and an upper portion being exposed above the surface of said frying medium and a microwave source along the length of said frying vessel arranged to subject the upper portion of successive extruded pieces to microwave energy, said microwave source being of an intensity to heat, expand and at least partially cook the upper portion of successive extruded pieces.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12, including means in said frying vessel and spaced from said microwave source for turning successive extruded pieces over after exposure to said microwave source to thereafter subject the expanded and cooked upper portion of successive extruded pieces to said frying medium along a further length of said frying vessel.