Npi, Llc.

Robert B Forney

John S Brown

Nils Lang-Ree

Edward D Baker

A controlled atmosphere broiler has a horizontal tunnel mounted on a frame and enclosing one run of a continuous, open-work conveyor traveling from an inlet end toward an outlet end. An air fan near the inlet end supplies air through a supply air duct to nozzles near the outlet end and discharging into the tunnel, both from above and from below, toward the conveyor. The supply air duct air is heated and provided with hot water vapor. The air is further heated by infrared heaters in the tunnel above and below the conveyor. Infrared radiation is reflected toward the conveyor by a reflector, preferably a common wall between the tunnel and the supply air duct. Air from the tunnel is aspirated through a return air duct by the fan. There is a damper control vent from the tunnel to the atmosphere, and air flow in the supply air duct is also controlled by a damper. The conveyor is supported by water-cooled cross tubes, and there is a drain pan below the conveyor.

Controlled atmosphere broiler

A patty cooker particularly for use in finishing precooked meat patties having a predetermined transverse dimension has a frame on which a conveyor made up of rather widely spaced, small diameter cross bars advances in a predetermined direction. A nozzle or preferably a plurality of nozzles having outlet openings elongated in the direction of conveyor advance are arranged side by side transversely of the conveyor and close to the patty. A jet of hot air issues from each nozzle and impinges upon the patty in a restricted area. The jets leave untouched zones between such areas. The effect is to provide browned or seared marks or parallel stripes on the patty like grill marks. Preferably nozzles are arranged above and below the conveyor and directed toward the patty from opposite directions, simultaneously to provide sear marks both top and bottom.

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Sausalito, CA, United States of America

Robert B Forney