Other

Alpaire, Inc.

Kenneth H Stamps

Clifford A Watson

Charles D Bishop

Joe R Powell

David L Turney

Walter G Bohrer, Jr

Semiautomatic food frying apparatus is disclosed which provides apparatus which may be easily and safely operated to prepare small portions of various food products. In one embodiment, the food frying apparatus includes an upright cabinet with a fan assembly mounted to exhaust air through the top of the cabinet while drawing air in, through and from the lower portion of the cabinet. A removable one-piece filter unit is positioned in the path of air flow to remove odors, gases, smoke, etc. . . . from the air before the air is exhausted back into the room. The removable filter includes a paper filter together with activated charcoal particles configured as an integral unit. In another embodiment, the fan assembly and filter unit are replaced by a closed-loop air cleaning system which does not discharge the internal air of the apparatus into the room. A container for holding a supply of cooking oil is located in the lower portion of the cabinet. Mechanism is provided for automatically lowering a cooking basket, with food therein, into the cooking oil for a predetermined time and then raising the cooking basket from the cooking oil.

Semiautomatic food frying apparatus

Food frying apparatus is disclosed which provides apparatus which may be easily and safely operated to prepare small portions of various food products. The food frying apparatus includes an upright cabinet with a fan assembly mounted in the upper-most portion of the cabinet to exhaust air through the top of the cabinet while drawing air in, through and from the lower portion of the cabinet. A removable one-piece filter unit is positioned in the path of air flow to remove odors, gases, smoke, etc. from the air before the air is exhausted back into the room. The removable filter includes a paper filter together with activated charcoal particles configured as an integral unit. A container for holding a supply of cooking oil is located in the lower portion of the cabinet and is positioned in an insulative shroud with a resulting decrease in BTU's required to operate the apparatus. The heater element is embedded in the bottom portion of the container and does not directly contact the cooking oil. A fire extinguisher is automatically activated in case of fire in the apparatus. A device is provided for supporting a cooking basket out of the oil when not being used for cooking. Safety devices are provided for removing power to the unit when a fire occurs or when the air within the lower portion of the apparatus exceeds a predetermined temperature. Safety devices are provided for removing power to the heater element when the cooking oil exceeds a predetermined temperature or when the container for the cooking oil exceeds a predetermined temperature.

Food frying apparatus

Automatic food frying and dispensing apparatus is disclosed which is housed in a supporting cabinet and includes a device for holding a supply of cooking oil and a heating device for maintaining the temperature of the cooking oil at a predetermined temperature. A fan assembly exhausts air through the top of the cabinet. A derated precipitator, a flame arrester and a charcoal filter are positioned upstream of the fan assembly and in the path of air flow. A switch device is positioned in the path of air flow and shuts off the heating device if the air flow drops below a predetermined value. Food handling apparatus automatically lowers the food to be cooked into the cooking oil when a customer selects a desired cooking time and automatically raises the food from the cooking oil and dumps the food into a container positioned at the food collection station at the end of the preselected cooking time.

Automatic food frying and dispensing apparatus

Food frying and dispensing apparatus is disclosed which is housed in a supporting cabinet and includes a device for holding a supply of cooking oil and a heating device for maintaining the temperature of the cooking oil sufficiently high for cooking successive batches of food products introduced into the oil by a food support basket. A fan assembly exhausts air through the top of the cabinet. A derated precipitator, a charcoal filter, a fragrance holding apparatus and an ozone generator are positioned upstream of the fan assembly and in the path of air flow to eliminate any smoke or odor produced within the apparatus prior to discharge of the air from the cabinet. Food handling apparatus pivotally positions the food support basket in three separate and distinct positions with the three positions being in the cooking oil in a 'cook' position, out of the oil in a food product 'dispense' position and out of the oil in a 'ready' position. The food handling apparatus is automatically moved to and locked in the 'ready' position after the food product has been dispensed from the food frying and dispensing apparatus. The device for holding a supply of cooking oil is designed to hold the minimum amount of cooking oil to perform the cooking function and includes a cold zone in the lower portion of the device to trap and hold any food debris which is deposited into the oil.

Growing community of inventors

Garland, TX, United States of America

Kenneth H Stamps