Henny Penny Corporation

Thomas M Smith

Melissa M Hohler

Steven V Ricca

Peter J Koopman

Kimberly Reichelderfer

Adrian Jason Pereira

Michael Maddux

Robert T Wood

Katie M Walker

H Alan Wolf

Brandon Whitt

Aaron Hill

Kendall Lynn Olinger

Danny Halcomb

Sabrina M Domi

Chao-Yi Yuh

Timothy A Barckholtz

Limin Song

Lu Han

Jonathan Rosen

Gabor Kiss

An automated cooking system for adding time and labor efficiencies has a fryer including a plurality of fryer vats, heating elements, and a vertical transport assembly associated with each of the fryer vats. The vertical transport assembly is configured to support and move a basket of food product into and out of the cooking medium at the fryer vat, and optionally also with reciprocating shaking movements as well. The vertical transport assembly includes a lift base, a platform support hanger, and a basket support platform. The basket support platform includes a tray-shaped platform portion defined by a wire rack construction that circumferentially surrounds a bottom portion of the basket to retain the basket, the platform portion having an angled entry taper to correct any misalignments of the basket and the basket support platform as a gantry moves the basket onto the basket support platform.

Automated cooking system with lift platforms

An automated cooking system for adding time and labor efficiencies in food production environments such as restaurants. The automated cooking system includes at least a fryer, a dispensing freezer, a hot holding station, a plurality of baskets, and a gantry system. The gantry system includes a gantry control for a gantry, configured to engage and move each of the baskets. The basket and gantry include interface elements for enabling precise movements and rapid opening and closing of baskets at the system. Aspects of an automated cooking system and a corresponding method for discharging cooked food product help to avoid the problems associated with manually operating a cooking system. Specifically, the system described herein provides for apparatuses and methods to cook and dispense food product in a more efficient manner with regard to both time and labor considerations within food production environments.

Automated cooking system and method using basket-gantry interface

A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer) includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

Automated fryer with selectively activated heating elements

A fryer and method for cooking food products is provided that automates the movement of baskets carrying the food products. The fryer includes a cooking chamber with a heating element located therein for heating cooking medium in the cooking chamber. The fryer also includes at least one vertical transport assembly that selectively engages with and moves the basket vertically into and out of the cooking medium. A horizontal transport assembly selectively engages with and moves the basket horizontally between different positions. The horizontal transport assembly hands off the basket to and from the vertical transport assembly, and first and second hooks on the horizontal transport assembly engage with front and rear receiving mechanisms on the basket to continuously maintain at least two points of contact with the basket. This allows for controlled pivotal movements of the basket when food products are to be added or removed from the basket.

An automated cooking system is provided for adding time and labor efficiencies in food production environments such as restaurants. The automated cooking system includes at least a fryer, a dispensing freezer, a hot holding station, a plurality of baskets, and a gantry system. The gantry system includes a gantry control for a gantry, configured to engage and move each of the baskets. A method for managing basket workflow during food preparation at an automated cooking system is described. Further, a method for managing basket workflow at a dispensing freezer during food preparation at an automated cooking system is described. The automated cooking system and methods provide repetition of basket loading and discharge cycles such that the gantry can fully manage and automate cooking using up to 6 or more baskets at the fryer, thereby maximizing food product throughput in the standard footprint space for the fryer.

Automated cooking system and methods of managing basket workflow for food preparation

Automated fryer with overhead gantry and methods for food preparation

A fryer includes a cooking chamber for holding a cooking medium and at least one heating element positioned within the cooking chamber. The fryer further includes a conveyor belt for selectively advancing food product through the cooking chamber. The conveyor belt includes first and second chains coupled together by a plurality of elongate members extending therebetween. The conveyor belt further includes a plurality of paddles coupled to the first and second chains and extending therebetween to define a plurality of compartments. Each of the plurality of paddles includes a screen, and each compartment is sized to receive at least a portion of the food product. The conveyor belt defines a continuous loop.

Cleated continuous conveyor fryer and associated systems

A fryer apparatus includes a cooking chamber to hold cooking medium and cook food products within, a filter pan removably attached to the cooking chamber, a tube connecting the filter pan to the cooking chamber, and a pump configured to circulate cooking medium. The filter pan has a bottom wall surrounded by four side walls and an inlet passage configured to receive cooking medium into the filter pan. A filter element is removably attached to the bottom wall of filter pan and extends in a lateral direction along a length of the fryer apparatus and may have two bends spaced laterally from each other. A plug may be attached to the filter element and an outlet passage attached to the plug and configured to discharge the cooking medium.

Filter screen modification to improve filtration performance

Holding cabinet for serving precooked food products

A merchandiser for displaying food products and holding such food products at a controlled temperature has a well divided into three or more well sections, wherein each of the well sections receives a serving tray and wherein the serving trays collectively have a center line. A rear access door, a pair of side plates, and a transparent front plate, together with the well, define a food product holding cavity. A pair of supporting brackets position a merchandiser heating and control device above the well. The merchandiser heating and control device has a heating compartment, which positions three or more heating elements and three or more illuminating elements substantially above the center line of the serving trays, wherein the heating compartment includes three or more circulating fans for circulating heated air from the heating compartment into the holding cavity. The merchandiser heating and control device also has a retaining bracket for receiving an upper edge of the rear access door and has an enclosed guide surface. Further, the merchandiser heating and control device has a control compartment positioned above the retaining bracket and containing control elements for controlling heating elements and illuminating elements and having a rear control panel, wherein the control compartment includes a cooling fan for cooling the control elements and a plurality of vents formed in the control panel for drawing cooling air into the control compartment from outside the holding cavity and for exhausting heated air outside the holding cavity. Moreover, the merchandiser heating and control device has a securing bracket for mounting an upper edge of the transparent front plate. Methods for manufacturing such merchandisers permit them to be readily reconfigured during manufacture or at a customer site.

Merchandisers with central heating and control mechanisms and methods for manufacturing and reconfiguring such merchandisers

Automatic basket lifting fryer

Growing community of inventors

Eaton, OH, United States of America

Thomas M Smith