Apparatus for cooking and dispensing food

Claim 2

Apparatus for cooking and dispensing food including: a container for foods to be cooked and dispensed, said container comprising a barrel having an open bottom, and means for rotating said barrel about its substantially vertical axis, a fixed plate below said barrel and having an opening through which the food can be dispensed from said barrel, a cooking unit, a food holder movable between a first position in or exposed to the cooking unit and a second position clear of the cooking unit, from which it can gravitationally discharge food to a dispensing outlet, a metering device operable to convey a predetermined quantity of the food from said barrel to said food holder when in its first position, said metering device including a measuring chamber open at top and bottom and movable over a base member from a receiving position at which it is below said opening in said fixed plate, the bottom of the chamber in such position being closed by the base member, to a discharging position clear of said base member, laterally offset from said opening in said fixed plate, and above said food holder, actuating means for operating the metering device and for moving the food holder to its first and second positions, and coin operated means for initiating said actuating means.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: the cooking unit includes a pot for cooking oil, and thermostatically controlled heating means therefor, and the food holder includes a perforated bowl and a chute leading therefrom, the bowl being lowered into the cooking pot and the chute leading down to the bowl when the holder is in its first position, the bowl being lifted from the cooking pot, and the chute inclining down from the bowl when the food holder is in its second position.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: means are provided for adjustably varying the capacity of the measuring chamber.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a crank member rotatable by a motor adapted to be actuated by coin operation, said crank member being pivotally connected to linkages extending both to said metering device and said food holder, sequential rotation of said crank simultaneously causing said food holder to be immersed in said cooking and said opening in said fixed plate shut off, thereupon causing said food holder to be rotated to its first, discharging position while said opening in said fixed plate remains shut off, and then causing said food holder to be moved to a still elevated position above said cooking unit and below said opening in said fixed plate at which position said measuring chamber returns to its receiving position below said opening in said fixed plate to complete the cycle.

Claim 6

Apparatus for cooking and dispensing food including: a rotatable container for holding food prior to cooking and dispensing; a food holder positioned below said container, and means for pivotally mounting said holder for movement between food receiving, cooking, and dispensing positions; a cooking unit into or adjacent to which said food holder can be moved when in its cooking position; metering means including a measuring chamber for receiving a predetermined quantity of food from said container, said metering means being constructed and arranged for lateral movement in such a manner that said measuring chamber is above and dispenses food into said food holder during the cooking position of the latter; actuating and moving means for said food holder and said metering means, comprising a crank member operatively connected by linkage means both to said food holder and said metering means, said linkage means being such that rotation of said crank member simultaneously moves said metering means into a first food receiving position when said food holder is elevated above said cooking unit, a second food dispensing position when said food holder is moved to its cooking position and a third position isolated from said food container when said food holder is in its dispensing position, and means for actuating said crank member.

Claim 7

Apparatus for cooking and dispensing food including: a rotatable container for holding food prior to cooking and dispensing; a food holder positioned below said container, and means for pivotally mounting said holder for movement between food receiving, cooking, and dispensing positions; a cooking unit into or adjacent to which said food holder can be moved when in its cooking position; metering means including a measuring chamber for receiving a predetermined quantity of food from said container, said metering means being constructed and arranged for lateral movement in such a manner that said measuring chamber is above and dispenses food into said food holder during the cooking position of the latter; actuating and moving means for said food holder and said metering means, comprising a crank member operatively connected by linkage means both to said food holder and said metering means, said linkage means being such that rotation of said crank member simultaneously moves said metering means into a first food receiving position when said food holder is elevated above said cooking unit, a second food dispensing position when said food holder is moved to its cooking position and a third position isolated from said food container when said food holder is in its dispensing position, and means for actuating said crank member.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said linkage means comprises a first link pivotally connected at one end to said crank member and at its other end to said metering means, and a second link pivotally connected at one end to said crank member and at its other end to a carrier on which said food holder is mounted whereby said food holder oscillates between said first, second, and third positions.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said metering means includes a fixed base plate which defines the bottom of a measuring chamber when said metering means is in said first and third positions, and top plate means pivotally attached to said first link and laterally movable relative to said fixed base plate, said top plate means being formed with depending flanges which define with said fixed plate the measuring chamber, said flanges being moved laterally to clear said base plate when said metering means is moved to said second position thereby permitting food in said measuring chamber to gravitate to said food holder.