Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A sandwich cooking and assembling unit comprising a storage compartment for a tray carrying a bun heel and a bun crown, a bun grill disposed directly above said storage compartment and including a tray conveyor and a crown conveyor both advancing in a predetermined direction from an upstream end to a downstream end, a product conditioning tunnel having an entrance table at an upstream entrance and having an exit at a downstream end, means including a straddle frame for supporting said product conditioning tunnel with said table substantially even with and adjacent said downstream end, a freezer compartment having an access opening thereto and disposed beneath said straddle frame with said access opening adjacent said storage compartment, and a patty broiler including an inlet and an exit both on the upstream end of said patty broiler and arranged on and directly above said product conditioning tunnel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
146 words
A sandwich cooking and assembling unit comprising a storage compartment for a tray carrying a bun heel and a bun crown, a bun grill disposed directly above said storage compartment and including a tray conveyor and a crown conveyor both advancing in a predetermined direction from an upstream end to a downstream end, a product conditioning tunnel having an entrance table at an upstream entrance and having an exit at a downstream end, means including a straddle frame for supporting said product conditioning tunnel with said table substantially even with and adjacent said downstream end, a freezer compartment having an access opening thereto and disposed beneath said straddle frame with said access opening adjacent said storage compartment, and a patty broiler including an inlet and an exit both on the upstream end of said patty broiler and arranged on and directly above said product conditioning tunnel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device as in claim 1 including an assembly table disposed at the downstream end of said tunnel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said storage compartment is a pass-through chamber open on both sides, and doors on said compartment movable into and out of position to close one side of said chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said bun grill has a horizontal heated platen above said tray conveyor at a predetermined vertical distance, and said distance is selected such as to cause a bun heel on a tray on said conveyor frictionally to engage said platen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said freezer compartment has an open top and is movable in said predetermined direction between a closed position with said open top beneath and covered by said tunnel and an open position with said open top away from and uncovered by said tunnel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said exit of said patty broiler and the downstream end of said bun grill and the entrance of said tunnel are in unobstructed direct reach of each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said tunnel includes means for supplying said tunnel interior with steam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said tunnel includes means for supplying said tunnel interior with heat.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said tunnel is a pass-through chamber open at both said entrance and said exit, and a door on said tunnel movable into and out of position to close one end of said chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said straddle frame includes a table supported from the floor on legs leaving an open volume under said table, and said volume is sufficient to receive said freezer compartment beneath said table.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said product conditioning tunnel has a top area of sufficient extent to support said patty broiler thereon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said tray conveyor and said product conditioning tunnel are of substantially the same height.