GB605910A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for heat treatment of materials, or the cooking of foodstuffs - Google Patents

Abstract

605,910. Cooking apparatus. BIRTLE, S., and BUSWELL, F. Jan. 21,1946, No. 1945. [Class 28(i)] [Also in Group XXX] In heat treating materials, e.g. frying sliced potatoes to make crisps, cooking foodstuff by boiling in fat, oil, vinegar, water, &c., or treating material or metal parts in a liquid or fluid, the materials are passed through a heated pan 2 of liquid by an endless conveyer 3, the upper run of which sags into the liquid and the run is outside and underneath the burners 40 which heat the pan. The upper run of the conveyer can be raised out of the liquid by a light metal frame 33, Fig. 3, underneath it, and raised by the wires 35 of a winch, operated by a handwheel 38. The endless conveyer may be of wire mesh suitably tensioned by rollers 8 with adjustable tensioning springs 11, and is further guided by jockey pulleys 6. It is driven by belt carriers 5 from an electric motor 20, Fig. 3, through a worm reduction gear box 22. It may, however, comprise a plain metal belt, Fig. 7, driven by friction grip between wheels 29, 30. Alternatively, the endless conveyer may comprise chain links, Fig. 6, carrying L-section perforated plates 16 the uprights of the L effecting better conveyance of the material through the liquid. The pan is heated by a mixture of compressed air and gas or oil fuel pumped into a mixing chamber 42, and distributed to burners 40, surrounded and bottomed by firebrick 47. A bypass from the combustible mixture supplies pilot jets for ignition. The mixture is variable by gas and air valves, e.g. as in Specification 429,686, [Group XXIX], operated by knobs 57 and 61 on a front control panel 39. The gas main 58 is suspended from the compressed air main 53. The temperature may be controlled by thermostat. Slidable fume excluders 74 are provided for each burner chamber. The spent gases are received in lagged ducts 49, and pass to an exhaust duct 67. The steam and fumes from the pans are taken away by exhaust outlets 65 over the pans, and led away by a duct 66 assisted by compressed air blown in through a pipe (68, not shown). A handoperated damper (51, not shown) is located in the exhaust duct 49. The exhaust gases may be used for preheating or drying the sliced or chipped potatoes &c. for for drying the foodstuffs after cooking or for heating storage space.