Automatic sandwich grill

Claim 2

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle of approximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receiving surface, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest with continuous pressure on a sandwich on the lower platen when such lower platen is in horizontal cooking position, means to control the pressure exerted by the upper platen on the sandwich, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be slidably discharged by gravity therefrom, right side up, on to the receiving surface.

Claim 3

An automatic grill as in claim 1 wherein said pressure control means comprises counterbalancing means partially balancing the weight of the upper platen, and further comprising means to adjust the proportion of upper platen weight balanced by the counterbalancing means and thereby adjust the pressure exerted by the upper platen on the sandwich, and a manually operable handle exposed for adjustment by the operator and connected to regulate said adjusting means.

Claim 4

An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which the lower platen mounting means comprises a supporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, said arm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen in its horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which it disposes the platen in its steeply-tilted discharge position.

Claim 5

An automatic grill as in claim 3 in which said housing comprises an upstanding upper portion and a lower portion having an inclined front face, and said arm disposes the lowered platen substantially against said inclined front face, and in which said arm has an outer portion extending in an arc about said pivot axis and projecting through an opening in said inclined front face.

Claim 6

An automatic grill as in claim 3 in which said responsive means comprises a latch means operative to latch the supporting arm in its raised position, the latch means being actuated to arm releasing condition by said timing means at the end of the timing cycle.

Claim 7

An automatic grill as in claim 5 with the addition of a handle on the lower platen for manually lifting the same from lowered position to latched raised position, and means responsive to movement of the lower platen to latched raised position for activating said timing means.

Claim 8

An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which the lower platen mounting means supports the platen for free tilting movement about an eccentric axis whereby the platen will drop to its tilted position if unsupported, and means to latch the platen in raised position, the latch means being actuated to arm releasing condition by said timing means at the end of the timing cycle.

Claim 9

An automatic grill as in claim 1 in which the responsive means comprises a motor-driven cam mechanism, the timing means being operative to initiate a caming action which first separates the platens and tilts the lower platen to discharge a sandwich thereon and then returns the platens to closed horizontal position.

Claim 10

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position, said mounting means comprising a supporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, said arm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen in its horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which it disposes the platen in its steeply-tilted discharge position, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the lower platen, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be discharged by gravity therefrom, wherein said responsive means comprises a primary latch operative to latch the arm in raised position when the same is lifted thereto from its lowered position, and a secondary latch for retaining the arm in raised position upon the release of the primary latch; and said timing means comprises a heat responsive element movable on heating to a first position in which it releases the primary latch and movable on cooling to a second position in which it releases the secondary latch to cause the arm to move from raised position to lowered position.

Claim 11

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position, said mounting means comprising a supporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, said arm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen in its horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which it disposes the platen in its steeply-tilted discharge position, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the lower platen, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be discharged by gravity therefrom, wherein said responsive means comprises a primary latch operative to latch the arm in raised position when the same is lifted thereto from its lowered position, and a secondary latch for retaining the arm in raised position upon the release of the primary latch; and said timing means comprises a heat responsive element movable on heating to a first position in which it releases the primary latch and movable on cooling to a second position in which it releases the secondary latch to cause the arm to move from raised position to lowered position.

Claim 12

An automatic grill as in claim 9 with the addition of a heater for said heat responsive element and a heating circuit including a switch which is closed when the primary latch is engaged with said arm and is opened when the primary latch is released.

Claim 13

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle of approximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receiving surface. an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the lower platen, the platens being biased and movable toward each other so as to maintain contact with the sandwich throughout the cooking cycle, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be slidably discharged by gravity therefrom, right side up, on to The receiving surface, said lower platen mounting means comprising a supporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, said arm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen in its horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which it disposes the platen in its steeply tilted discharge position.

Claim 14

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle of approximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receiving surface. an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the lower platen, the platens being biased and movable toward each other so as to maintain contact with the sandwich throughout the cooking cycle, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be slidably discharged by gravity therefrom, right side up, on to The receiving surface, said lower platen mounting means comprising a supporting arm connected to the platen and pivoted on a horizontal axis offset from the platen, said arm having a raised position in which it supports the lower platen in its horizontal cooking position and a lowered position in which it disposes the platen in its steeply tilted discharge position.

Claim 15

An automatic grill as in claim 11 in which the upper platen is movable downward a limited distance from its normal sandwich-engaging position and the lower platen moves a greater distance away from the upper platen whereby the sandwich is carried clear of the upper platen before it is tilted to discharge position.

Claim 16

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle of approximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receiving surface, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the horizontal lower platen, the platens being biased and movable toward each other so as to continuously maintain contact with the sandwich throughout the cooking thereof, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be discharged by gravity therefrom, right side up, to the receiving surface, said lower platen mounting means comprising a pivotal support on a horizontal axis between its edges, supporting the platen for tilting movement without substantial movement away from the upper platen, and said responsive means operates to raise the upper platen and to tilt the lower platen.

Claim 17

An automatic sandwich grill, comprising a supporting housing, a lower platen having an upwardly-presented flat cooking surface, and mounting means to support such platen in a horizontal cooking position and for movement therefrom to a steeply tilted discharge position at an angle of approximately 45* at which a sandwich thereon will slide forward off the flat surface thereof, right side up, onto a receiving surface, and at which its lower edge is disposed to lie closely above a receiving surface, an upper platen and mounting means to position the same over the lower platen to rest on a sandwich on the horizontal lower platen, the platens being biased and movable toward each other so as to continuously maintain contact with the sandwich throughout the cooking thereof, heating means to maintain the platens at cooking temperature, timing means for timing the cooking time of a sandwich between the platens, and means responsive to completion of a timing cycle by said timing means and operative to cause said platens to separate from each other and the lower platen to move to its steeply tilted discharge position for causing a sandwich thereon to be discharged by gravity therefrom, right side up, to the receiving surface, said lower platen mounting means comprising a pivotal support on a horizontal axis between its edges, supporting the platen for tilting movement without substantial movement away from the upper platen, and said responsive means operates to raise the upper platen and to tilt the lower platen.

Claim 18

An automatic grill as in claim 13 in which the responsive means comprises a motor-driven cam mechanism, the timing means being operative to initiate a caming action which first separates the platens and tilts the lower platen to discharge a sandwich thereon and then returns the platens to closed horizontal position.

Claim 19

An automatic grill as in claim 14 in which said cam mechanism includes a first cam operative to raise the upper platen and a second cam operative to tilt the lower platen.