US3695171A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for manufacturing a deep fried food product
Assignee: Hobart Manfacturing Co
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Filing: 1970-02-18
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Granted: 1972-10-03
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Expires: 1990-02-18
Abstract
Abstract A machine for manufacturing deep fried food products, such as french fries, includes a mixing bowl for mixing the food product in dried form with a liquid to form an extrudable dough, and a barrel having a worm rotatably mounted therein connected to the bowl at one end and to an extrusion head at the other end. The extrusion head is mounted over a cooking well which has a conveyor slidably mounted therein to carry the extruded food product into and out of the well. At least one wall of the cooking well is inclined with respect to the vertical, which results in convection currents being set up in the well during cooking eliminating temperature stratification of the cooking medium and permitting lower cooking temperatures. The conveyor, extrusion die and worm drive are interconnected to provide automatic indexing of these three components with respect to each other and a drainage unit may be associated with the machine for periodically filtering the cooking medium and recirculating it to the cooking well.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard S Hartley
- 👤 George Churley
- 👤 F Douglass Houser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 05:05
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01F; B01F35/00; B01F35/75; B01F35/754; B01F35/75455; B01F35/754551; A; A21; A21C; A21C1/00; A21C1/02; A21C1/14; A21C1/144; A47; A47J; A47J37/00; A47J37/12; A47J37/1214; B01F27/00; B01F27/05; B01F27/11; B01F27/112; B01F27/1126
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
226 words
In combination with a cooking well having spaced side walls and opposed wall portions extending between said side walls and means operatively associated with said cooking well for heating a cooking medium therein, a conveyor, including a series of flights, slidably received in said well and comprising: a. conveyor support plates in sliding engagement with at least one of said wall portions, b. Means carried by said support plates for moving said flights downwardly along one of said wall portions and upwardly along the other of said wall portions, c. said means for moving said flights comprising: i. axles journaled in said support plates, ii. sprockets mounted on said axles, iii. chains trained about said sprockets, and iv. means for rotating at least one of said axles, d. means pivotally mounting said flights on said chains, e. track means extending substantially coplanar with said chains, f. means mounted on said flights and extending substantially perpendicularly thereof in engagement with said track means, g. means positioned adjacent the upper end of said one of said wall portions for engaging and pivoting said flights upwardly as they move downwardly along said one of said wall portions, and h. relieved portions in said track means adjacent said upper end of said one of said wall portions to accommodate said perpendicularly extending track engaging means as said flights are pivoted.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
226 words
In combination with a cooking well having spaced side walls and opposed wall portions extending between said side walls and means operatively associated with said cooking well for heating a cooking medium therein, a conveyor, including a series of flights, slidably received in said well and comprising: a. conveyor support plates in sliding engagement with at least one of said wall portions, b. Means carried by said support plates for moving said flights downwardly along one of said wall portions and upwardly along the other of said wall portions, c. said means for moving said flights comprising: i. axles journaled in said support plates, ii. sprockets mounted on said axles, iii. chains trained about said sprockets, and iv. means for rotating at least one of said axles, d. means pivotally mounting said flights on said chains, e. track means extending substantially coplanar with said chains, f. means mounted on said flights and extending substantially perpendicularly thereof in engagement with said track means, g. means positioned adjacent the upper end of said one of said wall portions for engaging and pivoting said flights upwardly as they move downwardly along said one of said wall portions, and h. relieved portions in said track means adjacent said upper end of said one of said wall portions to accommodate said perpendicularly extending track engaging means as said flights are pivoted.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating at least one of said axles comprises: a. a drive sprocket mounted on said one of said axles, b. an idler sprocket rotatably mounted in spaced parallel relationship to said drive sprocket, c. a drive chain trained about said drive and idler sprockets, d. a reciprocating pawl engageable with said drive chain to impart intermittent movement to said drive chain and hence, said one of said axles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: a. said track means is provided with a second relieved portion adjacent the upper end of said other of said wall portions to permit said flights to pivot downwardly as they move upwardly along said other of said wall portions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
141 words
Cooking apparatus comprising: a. spaced side walls, b. upper and lower walls extending between said side walls in spaced relationship to each other, c. both said upper and lower walls being inclined in the same direction with respect to the vertical, d. said upper and lower walls being joined at their lower ends and defining with said side walls an elongated, open cooking well having the axis thereof inclined with respect to the vertical, e. a conveyor including a plurality of flights received in said cooking well, f. means for heating cooking medium in said well, g. means for permitting convection circulation of liquid cooking medium through said conveyor between said upper and lower walls, and h. means for moving said flights downwardly into said inclined well beneath said upper wall and upwardly from said inclined well above said lower wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
141 words
Cooking apparatus comprising: a. spaced side walls, b. upper and lower walls extending between said side walls in spaced relationship to each other, c. both said upper and lower walls being inclined in the same direction with respect to the vertical, d. said upper and lower walls being joined at their lower ends and defining with said side walls an elongated, open cooking well having the axis thereof inclined with respect to the vertical, e. a conveyor including a plurality of flights received in said cooking well, f. means for heating cooking medium in said well, g. means for permitting convection circulation of liquid cooking medium through said conveyor between said upper and lower walls, and h. means for moving said flights downwardly into said inclined well beneath said upper wall and upwardly from said inclined well above said lower wall.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: a. said conveyor is slidably received in said cooking well.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: a. said axis of said cooking well is inclined approximately 30* with respect to the vertical.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: a. said conveyor includes endless chains, b. said flights are pivoted to said chains, and c. means mounted adjacent said upper wall portion for pivoting said flights upwardly as they move downwardly into said well.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising: a. means for permitting said flights to pivot downwardly as they move upwardly from said well.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-03 | 1976-04-03 | 1976-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-03 | 1980-04-03 | 1980-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-03 | 1984-04-03 | 1984-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |