Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Boiler or deep fat fryer type
Patent
1984-08-21
1986-05-06
Wilhite, Billy J.
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Boiler or deep fat fryer type
222368, A47J 3712
Patent
active
045864292
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically cooking and dispensing food.
BACKGROUND ART
Automatic coin operated chip frying and dispensing machines are known. Since machines are disclosed in Australian Patent Specifications Nos 53517/79, 64054/80, 60237/80 and 77603/81.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention was devised in an effort to provide apparatus for automatically cooking and dispensing food which is compact, simple in construction, reliable and inexpensive.
The present invention therefore provides apparatus for automatically cooking and dispensing food comprising a hopper for storing food, means for metering a predetermined amount of food from the hopper into a food container, the food container being movable between first and second positions, the food container in its first position being disposed within a food cooker, and the food container in its second position being disposed in a position for depositing food in a dispensing means for the food, and the food container having a base which is pivotable so as to be movable between an open and closed position, and means arranged and disposed to coact with the base so that the base is closed in the first position of the food container so that food metered into the food container is held and cooked in the container but the base is open in the second position of the container, so that the food in the food container is deposited into said dispensing means.
By providing in accordance with the invention a food container having a base which is movable between an open and closed position and is held in the closed position when the food container is in the cooker so as to retain food in the container and is in the open position when the food container is in the second position to permit the food to fall to the dispensing means, an apparatus is provided with much improved simplicity and efficiency. This is because no complicated means are necessary to move the food container, on account of the pivotable base of the food container. All that is required is movement of the cooking basket in an upright position between the first and second positions, and this can simply be carried out by means of for example as preferred parallel linkages.
As preferred means for closing the base of the food container when the container is disposed in the cooker in its first position, comprises a resilient metal strip against which the free edge of the base of the food container engages when the food container is moved from a rest position to its first position. When the food container is moved to its second position, the base of the food basket is clear of the resilient metal strip and the base is therefore permitted to fall freely under gravity to permit the contents of the food basket to fall to a dispensing means. Preferably in addition spring clips are provided to fasten the base to the front or side walls of the container in the first position of the container, means being provided, such as fixed projections, to engage and release the base of the container in the second position.
Preferably the free edge of the base of the cooking basket has a channel in order to catch cooking oil dripping down the base of the cooking basket. The channel may have drainage holes to permit oil to drain away from the channel.
As preferred, the food container is stopped in a third position after the chips have been cooked, the third position being immediately above the bath of oil so as to permit excess oil to drain back from the container into the bath.
As preferred the means for metering a predetermined quantity of food from the hopper comprises a rotatable cylinder having a recess in the form of a quadrant, mounted in a discharge chute at the base of the hopper. In the stationary position of the metering means the quadrant recess is facing upwardly into the hopper so that the food in the hopper falls under gravity into the quadrant recess. When the cylinder is rotated, the food in the quadrant recess is rotated with the cylinder to a position in which
REFERENCES:
patent: 3274920 (1966-09-01), Benson
patent: 3448677 (1969-06-01), Dexters
patent: 3667373 (1972-06-01), Sicher
patent: 3690247 (1972-09-01), Van Cleven
patent: 3730397 (1973-05-01), Magnus
patent: 3896715 (1975-07-01), Mascret
patent: 4359935 (1982-11-01), Murray
Cubi Cubes Pty. Limited
Wilhite Billy J.
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