Food cooking apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for forming a taco receptable comprising: juxtaposition a male member and a female member adapted to receive a relatively flat tortilla cake therebetween which is to be formed into a taco receptacle, said male member having substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming the crease of said taco receptacle, said male member being reentrantly indented on the ends thereof, said female member also having flat sides adapted for justaposition with the flat sides of said male member for holding said taco receptacle therebetween, and end means positioned at either end of said male and female members and adapted for movement relative to said male member for gathering inwardly and reentrantly toward the reentrant ends of said male member the end portions of said tortilla cake which are separated along the taco crease to form end gussets for said taco receptacle in matching relation to the reentrant indentations of said ends of said male member.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said end means are tubular and wherein means are provided for operating said end members toward ends of said male member as the sides of said female member are closed toward the sides of said male member, said tubular end means moving angularly upwardly toward a more vertical position and into reception in the reentrant indentations of said male member.

Claim 4

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: a male member and a female member adapted to receive a tortilla cake therebetween which is to be formed into a taco receptacle, said male member having substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming the crease of said taco receptacle, said female member also having flat sides adapted for juxtaposition with the flat sides of said male member for holding said taco receptacle therebetween, and end means positioned at either end of said male and female members for gathering inwardly toward the ends of said male member the end portions of said tortilla cake which are separated along the taco crease to form end gussets for said taco receptacle, said end means being tubular and normally tensioned in a position away from the ends of said male member, said apparatus further including means for normally opening the sides of said female member for the reception of a tortilla cake, said last mentioned means being responsive to closure of the sides of said female member for also operating said end means toward the ends of said male member.

Claim 5

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: a male member and a female member adapted to receive a tortilla cake therebetween which is to be formed into a taco receptacle, said male member having substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming the crease of said taco receptacle, said female member also having flat sides adapted for juxtaposition with the flat sides of said male member for holding said taco receptacle therebetween, and end means positioned at either end of said male and female members for gathering inwardly toward the ends of said male member the end portions of said tortilla cake which are separated along the taco crease to form end gussets for said taco receptacle, said end means being tubular and normally tensioned in a position away from the ends of said male member, said apparatus further including means for normally opening the sides of said female member for the reception of a tortilla cake, said last mentioned means being responsive to closure of the sides of said female member for also operating said end means toward the ends of said male member.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for normally opening the sides of said female member comprises a tension plate connected to said female member and for operating means for urging said end means upwardly when the sides of said female member close.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein each tubular end means comprises a spring urged upwardly by operation of said tension plate.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said end means each comprise a pair of plates hingedly connected to each other and to ends of the flat sides of said female member positioned for folding inwardly toward the end of said male member when the sides of said female member become juxtaposed with respect to the sides of said male member.

Claim 9

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: first and second members between which a tortilla cake is receivable, the first member comprising a pair of leaves hingedly related for closure toward one another, the second member being shaped for reception between said leaves toward which said leaves close for forming a creaSed taco from a tortilla cake placed between said first and second members, end element means positioned at either end of the second member as received between said leaves substantially in line with the crease in the taco for gathering end gussets of said tortilla cake toward ends of said second member, and means for moving the said end element means toward said second member as the leaves of the first member close toward the second member.

Claim 10

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: first and second members between which a tortilla cake is receivable, the first member comprising a pair of leaves hingedly related for closure toward one another, the second member being shaped for reception between said leaves toward which said leaves close for forming a creaSed taco from a tortilla cake placed between said first and second members, end element means positioned at either end of the second member as received between said leaves substantially in line with the crease in the taco for gathering end gussets of said tortilla cake toward ends of said second member, and means for moving the said end element means toward said second member as the leaves of the first member close toward the second member.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said means for moving said end element means comprises a tension plate connected by wires to said leaves and adapted for forcing said end element means angularly upwardly as said leaves close toward said second member.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said end element means are tubular and are tensioned normally to resist action of said tension plate.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said first and second members are extended from a rotatable hub, and further including a tank for receiving said members as said hub rotates, said first member being hingedly connected to said hub and positioned for engagement of the leaves thereof with the sides of said tank as said hub rotates for bringing about relative rotation between said first member with respect to said hub and said second member as well as closure of said leaves toward one another.

Claim 14

Means for manufacturing a taco cup receptacle comprising a first form having substantially planar walls angularly inclined and joining in an arc-shaped ridge, said first form having spaced end portions inclined away from said ridge at either end of said ridge at approximately the same angle, said end portions each being provided with at least one flute extending ray-like along said end portions from locations proximate each end of said ridge, and a pair of fluted female die members for matching the flutes in the end portions of said first form and adapted for compressing the ends of a tortilla cake against the end portions of said first form.

Claim 15

Means for manufacturing a taco cup receptacle comprising a first form having substantially planar walls angularly inclined and joining in an arc-shaped ridge, said first form having spaced end portions inclined away from said ridge at either end of said ridge at approximately the same angle, said end portions each being provided with at least one flute extending ray-like along said end portions from locations proximate each end of said ridge, and a pair of fluted female die members for matching the flutes in the end portions of said first form and adapted for compressing the ends of a tortilla cake against the end portions of said first form.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said first form is provided with perforations through which cooking oil may pass.

Claim 17

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: a male member adapted to receive a relatively flat tortilla cake in wrapped relation thereupon for forming the same into a taco receptacle, said male member having angularly related substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming a crease in the taco receptacle, said male member having reentrant indentations on the ends thereof for receiving folded down end portions forming pleats in the finished receptacle, said indentations extending along the end portions from locations proximate each end of said crease, end means in spaced relation to either end of said male member and adapted for reception within the end reentrant indentation of said male member, and means for causing relative movement between said end means and said male member for causing said end means to be received into said reentrant indentations for forming reentrant end pleats in said tortilla cake located therebetween.

Claim 18

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: a male member adapted to receive a relatively flat tortilla cake in wrapped relation thereupon for forming the same into a taco receptacle, said male member having angularly related substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming a crease in the taco receptacle, said male member having reentrant indentations on the ends thereof for receiving folded down end portions forming pleats in the finished receptacle, said indentations extending along the end portions from locations proximate each end of said crease, end means in spaced relation to either end of said male member and adapted for reception within the end reentrant indentation of said male member, and means for causing relative movement between said end means and said male member for causing said end means to be received into said reentrant indentations for forming reentrant end pleats in said tortilla cake located therebetween.

Claim 19

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: a male member and a female member adapted to receive a tortilla cake therebetween which is to be formed into a taco receptacle, said male member having substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming the crease of said taco receptacle, said female member also having flat sides adapted for juxtaposition with the flat sides of said male member for holding said taco receptacle therebetween, end means positioned at either end of said male and female members for gathering inwardly toward the ends of said male member the end portions of said tortilla cake which are separated along the taco crease to form end gussets for said taco receptacle, said end means each comprising a pair of plates hingedly connected to each other and to ends of the flat sides of said female member positioned foR folding inwardly toward the end of said male member when the sides of said female member become juxtaposed with respect to the sides of said male member, and tension means for normally urging plates of said end means almost to a coplanar position.

Claim 20

Apparatus for forming a taco receptacle comprising: a male member and a female member adapted to receive a tortilla cake therebetween which is to be formed into a taco receptacle, said male member having substantially flat sides joined at a crease for forming the crease of said taco receptacle, said female member also having flat sides adapted for juxtaposition with the flat sides of said male member for holding said taco receptacle therebetween, end means positioned at either end of said male and female members for gathering inwardly toward the ends of said male member the end portions of said tortilla cake which are separated along the taco crease to form end gussets for said taco receptacle, said end means each comprising a pair of plates hingedly connected to each other and to ends of the flat sides of said female member positioned foR folding inwardly toward the end of said male member when the sides of said female member become juxtaposed with respect to the sides of said male member, and tension means for normally urging plates of said end means almost to a coplanar position.

Claim 21

Means for manufacturing a taco cup receptacle comprising a first form having substantially planar walls angularly inclined and joining in an arc-shaped ridge, said first form having spaced end portions inclined away from said ridge at either end of said ridge at approximately the same angle, said end portions each being provided with at least one flute extending ray-like along said end portions from locations proximate each end of said ridge, and a pair of mating female die members for matching the flutes in the end portions of said first form and adapted for compressing the ends of a tortilla cake against the end portions of said first form, wherein said first form at locations proximate each end of said ridge is convexly rounded from said ridge and said sides to prevent cracking of said tortilla cake.

Claim 22

Means for manufacturing a taco cup receptacle comprising a first form having substantially planar walls angularly inclined and joining in an arc-shaped ridge, said first form having spaced end portions inclined away from said ridge at either end of said ridge at approximately the same angle, said end portions each being provided with at least one flute extending ray-like along said end portions from locations proximate each end of said ridge, and a pair of mating female die members for matching the flutes in the end portions of said first form and adapted for compressing the ends of a tortilla cake against the end portions of said first form, wherein said first form at locations proximate each end of said ridge is convexly rounded from said ridge and said sides to prevent cracking of said tortilla cake.