Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.

Stewart C Jepson

G Robert Oslin

A gas-fired combination steam and dry oven has an oven cavity that is heated by heat exchange from one or more fire tubes and a boiler that is located outside the oven cavity and is heated by heat exchange from one or more other fire tubes. Both the oven and boiler fire tube heat exchangers employ natural draft gas burners. The combination oven can be operated as a forced-air convection oven, a forced-flow convection oven circulating superheated steam, or a steamer circulating saturated steam. Sensors in the oven supply information to a microprocessor that controls the gas burners to maintain an oven temperature within 5.degree. F. or less. Sensors of the level of water in the boiler assure that the water level stays within predetermined limits. Tray stops keep foods and the trays containing them away from the walls of the oven to permit free circulation of air, saturated steam, or superheated steam. Sensors of water temperature in the boiler and of the circulating mixture of air and water vapor temperature in the oven chamber permit the control of relative humidity when the oven is used to proof dough or hold cooked food at a relatively low temperature. Control of the temperature of water in the boiler is aided by blowdown and replacement if the water temperature becomes too high.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Stewart C Jepson