US3782892A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ovens
Assignee: Despatch Industries LP
•
Filing: 1972-05-19
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Granted: 1974-01-01
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Expires: 1992-05-19
Abstract
Abstract An improved oven includes an oven chamber, at least one baking shelf in the oven chamber for supporting products to be baked, and at least one wall member defining a shelf-heating compartment or duct extending through the oven chamber below the baking shelf. A supply conduit from a heater chamber outside the oven chamber delivers heated gaseous fluid to each shelf-heating compartment, and a return conduit connects each shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for recirculation of fluids with the aid of a heating blower to maintain the desired surface temperature for each baking shelf. A preferred oven includes a plurality of rotary baking shelves supported in an oven chamber for rotation on a vertical axis. A transverse horizontal shelf wall extends across the oven chamber circumferentially around each baking shelf, and the shelf wall and rotary baking shelf cooperate to provide a substantially imperforate partition between a baking compartment above each rotary baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below each baking shelf. The oven further includes an unobstructed delivery opening for each baking compartment for loading and removal of products at any time during continuous operation of the oven. Additional supply connections, conduits, adjustable valve members and an auxiliary blower are disclosed for selective delivery of some heated gaseous fluids from the heater chamber to each baking compartment, for selective adjustment of the relative rates of delivery of the heated fluid to the respective baking and shelfheating compartments, for adjustably venting each baking compartment to the outside air, for removal of air from an edge of the delivery opening, and for adjustably venting the heater chamber to the outside air. The delivery openings are located in a removable vertical section of the side wall, e.g. a front wall section, and the supply and return conduits between the heater chamber and oven chamber are located at opposite sides of the oven chamber for circulation of heated fluids across the oven generally parallel to the delivery openings.
Inventors
- 👤 D Johnson
- 👤 T Polsfuss
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 14:09
CPC Classifications
A; A21; A21B; A21B1/00; A21B1/42; A21B1/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
In a rotary oven having side, bottom and top walls enclosing an oven chamber, a heater chamber located outside said oven chamber and having a heater for supplying heated gaseous fluid to said oven chamber, at least one horizontal rotary baking shelf in said oven chamber supported for rotation on a vertical axis and means for rotating the baking shelf around said axis, the improvement comprising a transverse horizontal shelf wall extending across the oven chamber circumferentially around the baking shelf, the shelf wall and baking shelf cooperating with each other to provide a substantially imperforate partition dividing the oven into a baking compartment above the baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below the baking shelf, a supply conduit connecting the heater chamber to the shelf-heating compartment for delivery of heated gaseous fluid primarily to said shelf-heating compartment, and a return conduit connecting the shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for recirculation of such fluid back to said heater chamber for further heating, and a heating blower connected to one of said conduits for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow therein to heat said baking shelf.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
In a rotary oven having side, bottom and top walls enclosing an oven chamber, a heater chamber located outside said oven chamber and having a heater for supplying heated gaseous fluid to said oven chamber, at least one horizontal rotary baking shelf in said oven chamber supported for rotation on a vertical axis and means for rotating the baking shelf around said axis, the improvement comprising a transverse horizontal shelf wall extending across the oven chamber circumferentially around the baking shelf, the shelf wall and baking shelf cooperating with each other to provide a substantially imperforate partition dividing the oven into a baking compartment above the baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below the baking shelf, a supply conduit connecting the heater chamber to the shelf-heating compartment for delivery of heated gaseous fluid primarily to said shelf-heating compartment, and a return conduit connecting the shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for recirculation of such fluid back to said heater chamber for further heating, and a heating blower connected to one of said conduits for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow therein to heat said baking shelf.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
A rotary oven according to claim 1 in which a vertically extending portion of the oven chamber side wall has an unobstructed delivery opening of limited size which communicates only with the baking compartment, and through which products may be loaded onto and removed from said baking shelf at any time during operation of the oven, the cooperation of the shelf wall and baking shelf substantially preventing discharge of heated gaseous fluid from the shelf heating compartment to said delivery opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A rotary oven according to claim 2 having a supply connection for selective delivery of some of the heated gaseous fluid from the heater chamber to the baking compartment, and at least one controlling member for selective adjustment of the relative rates of delivery of the heated fluid to the respective baking and shelf-heating compartments.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A rotary oven according to claim 3 having a venting conduit connecting the baking compartment to the air outside the oven chamber, an auxiliary blower connected to the venting conduit for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow out of the baking compartment, and an adjustable valve member for selectively adjusting the fluid flow through the venting conduit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A rotary oven according to claim 4 having an air-removal conduit with a bleed opening at an edge of the delivery opening, the auxiliary blower being also connected to the air-removal conduit for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow away from the delivery opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
A rotary oven according to claim 5 in which the heater is a gas burner, the oven also having an exhaust conduit connected between said heater chamber and auxiliary blower for removal of a desired portion of heated gaseous fluid from the heater chamber through the auxiliary blower, at a rate corresponding to the rate of formation of combustion products by said gas burner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
A rotary oven according to claim 3 in which the supply conduit includes a supply valve member for selective delivEry of heated gaseous fluid to one portion of the baking compartment above the baking shelf, and said oven also has an exhaust outlet, and a venting conduit connecting another portion of said baking compartment to the exhaust outlet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary oven according to claim 7 in which one controlling member comprises an auxiliary blower for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow through the baking compartment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
78 words
A rotary oven according to claim 8 in which the auxiliary blower is connected to the venting conduit and exhaust outlet, the supply valve member is adjustable to vary the relative proportions of heated gaseous fluid delivery from the heater chamber to the respective baking and shelf-heating compartments, and the oven includes an adjustable venting valve member for adjusting the relative volume rate of fluid removal from the baking compartment through the venting conduit, blower and exhaust outlet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
A rotary oven according to claim 7 having a transverse horizontal partition wall extending across the oven chamber above the baking shelf and thereby providing a top wall for the baking compartment above the baking shelf, the supply conduit having a construction and location also delivering heated gaseous fluid to the oven chamber area immediately above the horizontal partition wall, and the supply valve member comprising at least one valve opening in the horizontal partition wall and an adjustable valve member movably mounted in the oven for selectively adjusting the effective area of said opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
239 words
A rotary oven according to claim 10 having a plurality of said rotary baking shelves spaced vertically, within the oven chamber, a corresponding plurality of said transverse horizontal shelf walls, each of which cooperates with its corresponding rotary baking shelf to provide a substantially imperforate partition dividing the oven into a baking compartment above each baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below each baking shelf, a corresponding plurality of transverse horizontal partition walls, each of which provides a top wall for the baking compartment above the corresponding baking shelf, each such transverse horizontal partition wall below the uppermost rotary baking shelf also providing and serving as a bottom wall for the shelf heating compartment of the rotary baking shelf above it, the supply conduit delivering heated gaseous fluid to each of said shelf-heating compartments and also to the oven chamber area immediately above that transverse horizontal partition wall which provides a top wall for the baking compartment above the uppermost rotary baking shelf, each of said transverse horizontal partition walls having its own supply valve opening and individually adjustable valve member, said venting conduit being connected to each of the baking compartments, said oven, including separately adjustable venting valve members for individually controlling the relative flow of heated fluid from each such baking compartment through the venting conduit, and said oven having a corresponding plurality of unobstructed delivery openings, each of which communicates only with its corresponding baking compartment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
129 words
A rotary oven according to claim 11 having a plurality of air removal conduits, each of which has a bleed opening at an upper edge of the corresponding delivery opening, the discharge openings and air-removal conduits being located in a removable vertical section of the oven chamber wall, the oven having a common vertically extending air-removal conduit portion connected to the auxiliary blower and having an inlet opening corresponding to each of the air-removal conduits and located adjacent each such conduit when the removable wall section is in position as part of the oven chamber wall, each air-removal conduit in the removable wall section having an outlet opening located to engage the corresponding inlet opening of the common air-removal conduit when the removable wall section is in such position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
A rotary oven according to claim 2 having an air-removal conduit with a bleed opening at an edge of the delivery opening, an auxiliary blower connected to the air-removal conduit for maintaining a controlled rate of fluid flow away from the delivery opening through the air-removal conduit during operation of the oven, and air-removal adjusting means for modifying the rate of fluid flow through the air-removal conduit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
70 words
A rotary oven according to claim 13 in which the air-removal conduit extends across the upper edge of the delivery opening, the bleed opening is located at the bottom of the air-removal conduit, the oven includes at least one shielding flange projecting downwardly from the upper edge of the delivery opening adjacent the bleed opening, and the air-removal adjusting means includes means for adjusting the area of said bleed opening.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
81 words
A rotary oven according to claim 14 in which the bleed opening consists of a slit extending substantially across the upper edge of the delivery opening, and said oven includes two shielding flanges projecting downwardly from said upper edge and also extending substantially across the upper edge, one shielding flange being located between the bleed opening and the baking compartment above the baking shelf, and the other shielding flange being located between the bleed opening and the space outside the oven.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
A rotary oven according to claim 2 in which a section of the vertically-extending wall portion which has the delivery opening is readily removable from the oven for cleaning access to the oven, said oven including manually disengageable retaining means for removably retaining said section in its normal oven wall position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
A rotary oven according to claim 2 in which the retaining means includes hinge members with removable vertical hinge pins, at least one hinge member being connected at each side of said removable section for selective removal of the hinge pins at one side and swinging outward movement of the section on the hinge member at the opposite side.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
160 words
In a rotary oven having side, bottom and top walls enclosing an oven chamber, a heater chamber located outside said oven chamber and having a heater for supplying heated gaseous fluid to said oven chamber, at least one horizontal rotary baking shelf in said oven chamber supported for rotation on a vertical axis and dividing the oven into a baking compartment above the baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below the baking shelf, and means for rotating the baking shelf around said axis, the improvement comprising a supply conduit connecting the heater chamber to the shelf-heating compartment for delivery of heated gaseous fluid primarily to said shelf-heating compartment, and a return conduit connecting the shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for recirculation of such fluid back to said heater chamber for further heating, and a heating blower connected to one of said conduits for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow through the shelf-heating compartment to heat said baking shelf.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
160 words
In a rotary oven having side, bottom and top walls enclosing an oven chamber, a heater chamber located outside said oven chamber and having a heater for supplying heated gaseous fluid to said oven chamber, at least one horizontal rotary baking shelf in said oven chamber supported for rotation on a vertical axis and dividing the oven into a baking compartment above the baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below the baking shelf, and means for rotating the baking shelf around said axis, the improvement comprising a supply conduit connecting the heater chamber to the shelf-heating compartment for delivery of heated gaseous fluid primarily to said shelf-heating compartment, and a return conduit connecting the shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for recirculation of such fluid back to said heater chamber for further heating, and a heating blower connected to one of said conduits for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow through the shelf-heating compartment to heat said baking shelf.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
51 words
An oven according to claim 18, in which the baking shelf has a bottom surface which constitutes at least a portion of a top wall of the shelf-heating compartment, and the supply conduit and oven construction direct heated gaseous fluid into direct engagement with the bottom surface of the baking shelf.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
245 words
In a rotary oven having walls enclosing an oven chamber, a heater chamber located outside the oven chamber and having a heater for supplying heated gaseous fluid to the oven chamber, at least one horizontal rotary baking shelf in the oven chamber supported for rotation on a vertical axis and dividing the oven chamber into a baking compartment above the baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below the baking shelf, and means for rotating the baking shelf around said axis, the improvement comprising a supply conduit connecting the heater chamber to the shelf-heating compartment for delivery of heated gaseous fluid to said shelf-heating compartment, a supply connection for selective Delivery of some of the heated gaseous fluid from the heater chamber to the baking compartment, at least one controlling member for selective adjustment of the relative rates of delivery of the heated fluid to the respective baking and shelf-heating compartments, a return conduit connecting only the shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for re-circulation of such fluid back to said heater chamber, a heating blower connected to one of said conduits for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow through the shelf-heating compartment, a venting conduit directly connecting only the baking compartment to the air outside the oven chamber, an auxiliary blower connected to the venting conduit for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow out of the baking compartment, and an adjustable valve member for selectively adjusting the fluid flow through the venting conduit.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
245 words
In a rotary oven having walls enclosing an oven chamber, a heater chamber located outside the oven chamber and having a heater for supplying heated gaseous fluid to the oven chamber, at least one horizontal rotary baking shelf in the oven chamber supported for rotation on a vertical axis and dividing the oven chamber into a baking compartment above the baking shelf and a shelf-heating compartment below the baking shelf, and means for rotating the baking shelf around said axis, the improvement comprising a supply conduit connecting the heater chamber to the shelf-heating compartment for delivery of heated gaseous fluid to said shelf-heating compartment, a supply connection for selective Delivery of some of the heated gaseous fluid from the heater chamber to the baking compartment, at least one controlling member for selective adjustment of the relative rates of delivery of the heated fluid to the respective baking and shelf-heating compartments, a return conduit connecting only the shelf-heating compartment to the heater chamber for re-circulation of such fluid back to said heater chamber, a heating blower connected to one of said conduits for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow through the shelf-heating compartment, a venting conduit directly connecting only the baking compartment to the air outside the oven chamber, an auxiliary blower connected to the venting conduit for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow out of the baking compartment, and an adjustable valve member for selectively adjusting the fluid flow through the venting conduit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
118 words
In an oven having walls enclosing an oven chamber, and at least one baking shelf extending across the oven chamber for supporting products to be baked, the improvement in which a vertically extending oven chamber wall portion has an unobstructed delivery opening of limited size which communicates with the oven chamber above the baking shelf for insertion and removal of such products at any time during operation of the oven, and an air-removal conduit having at least one bleed opening positioned at an edge of the delivery opening and a blower connected to the air-removal conduit for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow away from the edge of the unobstructed delivery opening during operation of the oven.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
118 words
In an oven having walls enclosing an oven chamber, and at least one baking shelf extending across the oven chamber for supporting products to be baked, the improvement in which a vertically extending oven chamber wall portion has an unobstructed delivery opening of limited size which communicates with the oven chamber above the baking shelf for insertion and removal of such products at any time during operation of the oven, and an air-removal conduit having at least one bleed opening positioned at an edge of the delivery opening and a blower connected to the air-removal conduit for maintaining a desired rate of fluid flow away from the edge of the unobstructed delivery opening during operation of the oven.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-31 | 1977-07-02 | 1978-01-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-31 | 1981-07-02 | 1982-01-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-31 | 1985-07-02 | 1986-01-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |