Apparatus for cooking food in hot non-aqueous liquids under pressure

Claim 3

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including filter means connected with the apparatus for filtering the liquid from the food-containing receptacle after each cooking period therein.

Claim 4

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including filter means connected with the apparatus for filtering the liquid from the food-containing receptacle after the cooking period therein, and a filter cleaning means connected with the filter means for flushing the filter after each filtering operation.

Claim 5

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including filter means connected with the apparatus for filtering the liquid from a food-containing receptacle both after each cooking period and before each cooking period.

Claim 6

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a manually-settable timer mechanism is connected with the apparatus for controlling the means for introducing and withdrawing the liquid and the cooking period.

Claim 9

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein means is connected with the receptacles to effect the transfer of hot liquid from one receptacle to another receptacle.

Claim 10

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein there are three juxtaposed receptacles and the insertion of food, the sealing of the one receptacle, the cooking of the food therein, the removal of the hot liquid therefrom, and the withdrawal of the food occurs in that sequence.

Claim 11

An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the receptacles are mounted on a motor-actuated valve-complex to effect the aforesaid sequence of actions.

Claim 12

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein means are interposed between the receptacles for filtering each transfer of the hot liquid.

Claim 13

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein means are interposed between the receptacles for filtering each transfer of hot liquid, and other means are interposed between the receptacles for cleansing the filter immediately following each filtering of the hot liquid.

Claim 14

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein means are interposed between the receptacles for filtering the hot liquid, other means are interposed between the receptacles for flushing the filter immediately following the filtering of the hot liquid, and supplemental filters are arranged in each receptacle.

Claim 15

An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein means are interposed between the receptacles for filtering each transfer of hot liquid and supplemental filters are arranged in each receptacle comprising a pair of disks of differing-mesh fabric separated by an interposed ring with radial spokes.

Claim 18

An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein the receptacles are juxtaposed on the supporting framework.

Claim 19

An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein three vertically-disposed, open-top, cylindrical receptacles are juxtaposed rotatively on a common supporting framework.

Claim 20

An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein three vertically-disposed, open-top, cylindrical receptacles are rotatively supported on the timer-activated mechanism, said mechanism comprising, a. A pair of relatively-shiftable valve parts, b. one of which valve-parts has a compartment with channels communicating respectively with fresh-air inlet duct and a deterioratedair outlet duct, c. the other of which valve parts has ports communicating with hot-liquid and air tubes leading from and to the respective receptacles, and d. The timer-activated mechanism causes the relative shifting of the valve parts to effect the transfer of hot-liquid and pressure from one receptacle to another with concurrent inflow of fresh air from the fresh-air inlet duct and discharge of deteriorated-air through the deteriorated-air duct following the successive cooking of food in the respective receptacles.

Claim 21

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein a hot-liquid filter is arranged in the compartment betweeN the fresh-air inlet and the deteriorated-air outlet ducts.

Claim 22

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein the valve parts are concentrically mounted one on the other with one part secured to the framework and the motor means is connected to the other part.

Claim 23

An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein the parts are frustum shape and the inner part is secured to the framework and the motor-means is connected to the outer part.

Claim 24

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein both valve parts are frustum shape with one part secured to the framework and the motor-means is connected to rotate the other part.

Claim 25

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein a manually-adjustable pyrometer is mounted exteriorly of each receptacle, a thermo-couple fixed to each receptacle and connected to the respective pyrometer for maintaining the predetermined temperature of the liquid in each receptacle during the cooking period therein.

Claim 26

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein a manually adjustable pyrometer is mounted exteriorly of each receptacle, a thermo-couple fixed in each receptacle and connected to the respective pyrometer for maintaining the predetermined temperature of the liquid in each receptacle during the cooking period therein, the heating units are electrical, an arc-shaped electrical-fed bar is fixed on the framework embracive of the receptacles when in food-cooking positions, a pair of contacts fixed exteriorly on each receptacle for engagement with the bar when the respective receptacles are in food-cooking positions.

Claim 27

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein a panel mounts electrical-control instruments including manually-adjustable, automatic functioning units to control the successive cooking periods in the receptacles, a manually-adjustable hot-liquid transfer-timer, signal lights for indicating the functioning of the respective control instruments, a pressure-indicator and a pressure gage, visual and audible signals arranged in a circuitry, the power to which instruments is controlled by a manually-operable switch.

Claim 28

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein a. said valve parts are concentrically arranged relative to one another and are relatively rotatable and said three vertically-disposed receptacles are supported on the valve parts, b. one of the valve parts being fixed on the framework, c. the timer-activated mechanism connected for rotating the other valve-part relatively of the one valve-part, successively through 60* from and return to an initiating position, d. a tube connecting the bottom of each receptacle to the other valve-part for the successive draining of hot liquids from the respective receptacles, e. pairs of other tubes connecting the upper portion of each receptacle with the other valve-part for the successive return flow of hot liquid and fresh air to the respective receptacles, f. a filter arranged in the compartment in the one valve-part, g. a pair of axially-spaced radially-opposed channels in the one valve-part communicating with the compartment, and h. a fresh-air branch in the one valve-part leading from the fresh-air inled duct in registration respectively with the fresh-air tubes connected to the other valve-part, whereby for each 60* movement of the respective valve-parts there is a nearly instant flow from the fresh-air inlet duct effecting a transfer of filtered hot-liquid and fresh-air from one receptacle to another followed immediately by a nearly instant reverse flow of fresh-air through the filter for discharge to the deteriorated-air duct.