GB2147798A - Deep-frying - Google Patents

Abstract

A deep-frying machine has a plurality of cylinders 1 including discs 3 for accommodating food to be deep-fried, which are movable on a cam track along a closed loop path through an upper deep-frying bath 7 and a lower deep-frying bath 8 in which the cylinders 1 are inverted. In this position, the discs 3 compress the food. The machine is particularly suitable for noodles. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Deep-frying This invention relates to deep-frying foods, especially noodles, other flour-based foods and battercovered foods.

A particular type of noodle which may be deepfried is called "E-Fu", a traditional Chinese noodle.

The noodles, made of flour with a very high percentage of egg content, are first cooked and then deep-fried. The resulting noodle is light and has a characteristic chewy texture well-liked by Chinese and other oriental people.

The deep-frying procedure is not simple. Due to the sudden expansion of noodles upon frying, the increase in buoyancy will cause some part of the noodle to protrude above the oil level. This would result in uneven frying of the noodle. To overcome this problem, the usual manual frying procedure is as follows: 1. The cooked noodle is dropped slowly into an open-ended cylinder submerged in hot cooking oil.

The cylinder is used as a mold to shape the noodle.

2. The noodle is first fried for 60 seconds.

3. The noodle is then manually turned and fried for another 55 seconds.

4. A known weight is dropped on top of the noodle and frying continues for an additional 40 seconds.

5. The noodle is then removed and air dried.

It is an object of this invention to automatically deep-fry food evenly to enable larg-scale cooking.

According to this invention, I propose an automatic deep-frying machine, comprising a plurality of containers, for accommodating food to be deepfried, which have their outwardly-facing ends open and are movable through at least one deep-frying bath included in a closed loop path, and a plurality of discs, each disposed within one of the containers and movable therein in accordance with the path for guiding the food to be deep-fried into a plurality of predetermined positions including a position in which the food is wholly submerged during deep-frying.

According to this invention, I propose a method of deep-frying comprising moving a plurality of containers of food through at least one deep-frying path included in a closed loop path, thereby moving a disc disposed in each container in accordance with the path and so guiding the food into a plurality of predetermined positions including a position in which the food is wholly submerged during deep-frying.

This machine is capable of deep-frying noodles equivalent to those deepfried manually. The openended containers, which may be in the form of cylinders move along a closed path, enabling the frying of food e.g. noodles to be performed in an upside-down position of the cylinders. The loosely fitted circular disc which follows the cam track, can perform the following functions: gradual lowering of the cooked foods e.g. noodles into the oil bath, compressing the noodle to a predetermined height, and pushing the food e.g. noodle out of the cylinder when the frying cycle is completed. The upper and lower oil baths will prevent frying being done under too great a hydrostatic pressure. The closed loop path allows the production to be continuous, with minimal maintenance required.

An embodiment of the invention is described by way of example, with reference to the drawing, in which an automatic deep frying machine for noodles is shown schematically.

A plurality of cylindrical containers 1 having the same outwardly facing end la open is attached to a continuous loop 2 which runs on sprockets (not shown) along a predetermined path. Disposed within the cylinder 1 is a loosely-fitted circular disc 3, which is rigidly connected to one end of a rod 4.

The discs have slightly smaller diameter than the cylinders so as to have a sliding fit therein. The other end of the rod 4 is attached to a pair of wheels which run on a cam track 6. The cam track, as shown, has two parallel straight portions, the adjacent ends of which are joined by a curved portion so that there is an upper path and a lower path vertically spaced apart.

In operation, the chain is actuated by a conventional motor drive and sprocket mechanism. All cylinders 1 being attached to the chain will be moved along the prescribed path. The loosely-fitted disc 3 within the cylinder will be moved along also. Due to the wheels 5 which run along the cam track 6, the position of the disc along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder will be different at different locations along the path.

There is an upper 7 oil bath and a lower 8 cooking oil bath with respective oil levels, A and B and drains 9. Each bath has heating means 10. A separate oil bath arrangement is preferred in order to prevent any frying in an oil depth greater than 12 inches (30.48cm). There is a metal shield 11 extending along the whole length of the base, as shown, to prevent any noodles from falling through the bottom of the machine.

One or, preferably, a plurality of rows of the cylinders may be employed according to the invention.

The machine may be operated as follows. A premeasured quantity of noodle will be dropped on the disc inside each cylinder at a predetermined position C along the path. In that position, the disc is located slightly above the oil level and no splashing is expected. As the cylinder moves towards the right in a clockwise direction at a steady speed following the chain, the relative position of the disc following its own cam track arrangement will be lowered. This results in a gradual lowering of the noodle below the oil level, simulating the gradual falling of the cooked noodle if it were dropped into a cylinder with no disc inside.

After travelling in a submerged condition for a predetermined t;me, the noodle in the cylinder will then move out of the oil bath at position D where the level of the oil intersects a line of curvature corresponding to that of the track and spaced from the track by the rod 4, through which the disc passes. Following the chain movement, the cylin der will be submerged in the lower oil bath 8 in an "upside-down" position. The shield 11 is for preventing the noodle from falling out of the cylinder.

This part of the process is similar to "upsidedown" frying in manual frying.

When position E is reached, slight depression of the cam track will cause the circular disc to move lower, thus pressing down on and compressing the noodle in a manner similar to that of the deadweight in the manual operation. The shield 11 extending throughout the base will stop the noodle from escaping from the cylinder 1. At position F, the noodle will move out of the lower oil bath. The distance between positions E and F governs the length of the frying process during which the noodle is under compression.

When the cylinders and noodles emerge out of the oil bath at location F, the cam track is arranged so that the noodle will be gradually pushed out of the cylinder. A standard conveyor system (not shown) will be used to pick up the noodle and transport it downstream for drying and packaging.

The whole cycle begins again when cylinders enter the upper oil bath 7 at location G.

Claims (13)

1. An automatic deep-frying machine, comprising a plurality of containers, for accommodating food to be deep-fried, which have their outwardlyfacing ends open and are movable through at least one deep-frying bath included in a closed loop path, and a plurality of discs, each disposed within one of the containers and movable therein in accordance with the path for guiding the food to be deep-fried into a plurality of predetermined positions including a position in which the food is wholly submerged during deep-frying.

2. An automatic deep-frying machine according to Claim 1 wherein the closed loop path passes through an upper deep-frying bath and a lower deep-frying bath.

3. An automatic deep-frying machine according to Claim 1 wherein the containers are interconnected by a chain and are movable on a closed loop path comprising a cam track via means connected with the discs.

4. An automatic deep-frying machine according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cam track is curved downwardly in the upper bath so as to allow the containers to be moved downwardly into the bath on entry to the bath and moved upwardly out of the bath on exit and the cam track has a curved portion leading via substantially vertical portions from the upper bath at both the entry and exit of the lower bath with a substantially horizontal portion therebetween so as to allow the containers to be passed into, out of and through the lower bath in a substantially inverted position.

5. An automatic deep-frying machine according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the containers are cylindrical and the discs are circular having a slightly smaller diameter than that of the containers so as to have a sliding fit therein.

6. An automatic deep-frying machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, having a shield disposed in and along the length of the lower bath over which the containers may be moved so as to prevent food from passing out of the containers.

7. An automatic deep-frying machine according to any preceding claim for deep-frying noodles.

8. An automatic deep-frying machine constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the drawing.

9. A method of deep-frying comprising moving a plurality of containers of food through at least one deep-frying path included in a closed loop path, thereby moving a disc disposed in each container in accordance with the path and so guiding the food into a plurality of predetermined positions including a position in which the food is wholly submerged during deep-frying.

10. A method of deep-frying according to Claim 1, comprising moving the containers through an upper deep-frying bath and a lower deep-frying bath.

11. A method of deep-frying according to Claim 2, comprising lowering the containers into the upper bath, moving them along and raising them out of the path by movement of means connected with the containers over the closed loop path comprising a cam track, and inverting the containers and passing them through the lower bath whereby the weight of the discs on the food beneath compresses the food.

12. A method of deep-frying noodles according to any preceding claim.

13. A method of deep-frying noodles substantially as wherein described.