Omelet preparing machine and process

Claim 2

A machine for preparing omelets comprising: a. heating means; b. a movable cooking pan for receiving a fluid egg mixture, said pan having upturned edges and being hinged adjacent to the center to divide the pan into side sections which close; c. means for depositing flavoring ingredients or inclusions into the cooking pan after the fluid egg mixture has been deposited and partially cooked therein; and d. means for closing the side sections of the cooking pan.

Claim 3

A machine for preparing omelets comprising: a. a movable cooking pan having upturned edges and being hinged adjacent to its center to divide the pan into sections which close; b. a narrow pedestal supporting the pan; c. heating means including top and bottom heaters, the bottom heater having a slot for accommodating the pedestal which supports the pan; and d. means for closing the side sections of the cooking pan.

Claim 4

A machine for preparing omelets comprising: a. a movable cooking pan having upturned edges and being hinged adjacent to its center to divide the pan into sections which close; b. a narrow pedestal supporting the pan; c. heating means including top and bottom heaters, the bottom heater having a slot for accommodating the pedestal which supports the pan; and d. means for closing the side sections of the cooking pan.

Claim 5

side sections hinged with respect to the center section and movable between an open position, wherein the side sections extend generally horizontally from the center section, and a closed position, wherein the side sections generally face each other, the side sections having walls which generally form a continuation of the end walls on the center section when the side sections are in their open position, the walls of the side section cooperating with the walls of the center section when the side sections are in their open position to substantially prevent the fluid egg mixture from leaving the pan,

Claim 6

side sections hinged with respect to the center section and movable between an open position, wherein the side sections extend generally horizontally from the center section, and a closed position, wherein the side sections generally face each other, the side sections having walls which generally form a continuation of the end walls on the center section when the side sections are in their open position, the walls of the side section cooperating with the walls of the center section when the side sections are in their open position to substantially prevent the fluid egg mixture from leaving the pan,

Claim 7

spring means for urging the side sections to their open position, and

Claim 8

spring means for urging the side sections to their open position, and

Claim 9

A machine for preparing omelets comprising: a. heating means; b. track means; c. a cooking pan mounted on the track means for movement along the track means, said pan having upturned edges and being hinged adjacent to the center to divide the pan into side sections which close toward one another; and d. closing cam means engaging the pan sections for closing the side sections into a vertical position as the pan moves along the track means.

Claim 10

A machine for preparing omelets comprising: a. heating means; b. track means; c. a cooking pan mounted on the track means for movement along the track means, said pan having upturned edges and being hinged adjacent to the center to divide the pan into side sections which close toward one another; and d. closing cam means engaging the pan sections for closing the side sections into a vertical position as the pan moves along the track means.

Claim 11

The machine of claim 3 wherein the cam means are vertically inclined and converging with respect to the track means.

Claim 12

cam follower means on the side section; and c. means for moving the side sections of the pan to their closed position.

Claim 13

cam follower means on the side section; and c. means for moving the side sections of the pan to their closed position.

Claim 14

The machine of claim 4 including means for urging the pan side sections into the open position and unloading cam means which comprise rails positioned after the closing cam means along the track means, said rails being downwardly inclined and diverging with respect to the track means.

Claim 15

A machine for preparing omElets comprising: a. heating means; b. a movable cooking pan for receiving a fluid egg mixture, said pan including:

Claim 16

A machine for preparing omElets comprising: a. heating means; b. a movable cooking pan for receiving a fluid egg mixture, said pan including:

Claim 17

The machine of claim 6 wherein the means for moving the side sections to their closed position comprises a cam positioned to engage the cam followers on the side sections of the pan as the pan moves.

Claim 18

The machine of claim 6 wherein the pan side sections are dish shaped on their upper surfaces on which the fluid egg mixture is deposited and the upper surface of the center section is concaved in transverse cross-section, so as to form an omelet with an outwardly curved surface.

Claim 19

A machine for producing omelets from an egg batter capable of coagulating when heated, said machine comprising: a conveyor, a plurality of cooking pans propelled by the conveyor along a predetermined path, each cooking pan including sections with at least one of the sections being movable with respect to another of the sections to cause the pan to assume open and closed positions, both pan sections facing upwardly and the pan being capable of receiving and holding the egg batter when the pan is in its open position, said one pan section generally being presented opposited to and generally facing the other pan section when the pan is in its closed position; closing means for moving each pan from its open position to its closed position at a prescribed position along the predetermined path; filling means along the predetermined path before the prescribed position at which the closing means closes the pans for introducing the egg batter into the pans; and heating means for heating the pans prior to the position at which the closing means closes the pans, the heating means providing sufficient heat to enable the batter to coagulate to such an extent that the batter will not flow a substantial amount when the pan is closed.

Claim 20

A machine for producing omelets from an egg batter capable of coagulating when heated, said machine comprising: a conveyor, a plurality of cooking pans propelled by the conveyor along a predetermined path, each cooking pan including sections with at least one of the sections being movable with respect to another of the sections to cause the pan to assume open and closed positions, both pan sections facing upwardly and the pan being capable of receiving and holding the egg batter when the pan is in its open position, said one pan section generally being presented opposited to and generally facing the other pan section when the pan is in its closed position; closing means for moving each pan from its open position to its closed position at a prescribed position along the predetermined path; filling means along the predetermined path before the prescribed position at which the closing means closes the pans for introducing the egg batter into the pans; and heating means for heating the pans prior to the position at which the closing means closes the pans, the heating means providing sufficient heat to enable the batter to coagulate to such an extent that the batter will not flow a substantial amount when the pan is closed.

Claim 21

A machine according to claim 9 wherein the heating means comprises overhead heaters positioned over the open pans as they move along the predetermined path and underlying heaters positioned under the pans as they move along the predetermined path, the overhead heaters heating the pans after the batter has been introduced into them and supplying sufficient heat to coagulate a thin film of omelet batter on the batter in the pans.

Claim 22

A machine according to claim 9 wherein heating means preheats the pans before the batter is introduced into them.

Claim 23

A machine according to claim 11 wherein the heating means preheats the pans to between about 250* F and about 300* F.

Claim 24

A machine according to claim 9 wherein the closing means comprises a cam which the movable pan sections engage, the cam being configured to cause the pans to move from their open to their closed positions as the pans advance along the predetermined path.

Claim 25

A machine according to claim 9 wherein each pan comprises a center section and a pair of side sections hinged with respect to the center section along hinge axes oriented in the direction of advance along the predetermined path, the pair of side sections projecting horizontally from The center section when the pan is in its open position, the pair of side sections extending generally vertically from the center section when the pan is in its closed position.

Claim 26

A machine according to claim 14 wherein the center section of each pan has upstanding tabs projecting upwardly from the leading and trailing ends thereof, and the two pan sections have rims which generally form continuations of the tabs and together with the tabs create an upstanding enclosure around the pan when the pan is in its open position, whereby the batter supplied by the filling means will not flow off of the pan.

Claim 27

A machine according to claim 15 wherein the pan further comprises a lip secured to one of the pan sections and positioned to overlie the rim on the other pan section when the pan is closed.