NZ202393A - Composite baking tray - Google Patents

Description

202393 Patents Form No. 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No. 20239 3 Filed 4th November 19 82 IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BAKING TRAYS We, ARMIDALE INDUSTRIES LIMITED of 2 Armidale Street,Petone, New Zealand, a New Zealand company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement 2023^5 This invention relates to baking trays and in particular relates to baking trays such as may be used in the commercial production of filled pastry articles of food such as meat and fruit pies, pasties and the like. 5 To facilitate handling and manufacture of large numbers of pies, pasties and the like, it is known to provide a quantity of similar baking tins or open topped dishes secured together at their peripheral edges and/or secured as an assembly within a frame work to form a composite 10 baking tray. Such tray of multiples of dishes being then inserted into an oven for cooking of the pies, pasties or the like when the desired contents have been included in the respective tins or dishes.

Many of such known constructions have proved difficult 15 to assemble and may be relatively weak in construction and relatively expensive to manufacture.

One object of the present invention therefor is to provide a composite baking tray which obviates the above-mentioned disadvantages of known baking trays, and which 20 can be manufactured and sold at relatively low cost.

It is further recognised that heat may not be always uniformally distributed throughout the oven in which the articles of food are to be cooked, and accordingly another object of the present invention is to provide an improved 25 composite baking tray having an arrangement and construction facilitating the uniform spread of heat between each group of tins or dishes forming the composite tray.

Other and more particular objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description. S02393 According to one aspect of this invention therefor,there is provided a baking tray comprising at least one sheet metal support member arranged for horizontal disposition and mounting a plurality of similar individual open topped metal baking dishes with relatively sharp upper peripheral edges, said dishes having at least those portions of their bases adjacent the base peripheries in direct metal to metal contact with the being fixedly secured to said support member and being arranged so as to have all their upper peripheral edges in horizontal alignment and projecting above said support member.

Some preferred aspects of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first baking tray in accordance with one emodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is a view on the underside of the baking tray of figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view at III-III of figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of part of a second baking tray in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 is a view on the underside of the tray according to figure 4, Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the tray according to figure 4 and as viewed in the direction of VI-VI r Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a still further form of baking tray in accordance with the ija Figure 8 is a view on the underside of the faking tray ', ^DEC|986£ according to figure 7 and, ^ i v *-% 202M5 Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view in the direction of arrows IX-IX of the tray of figure 7. In all forms of the invention and for large production numbers, as is generally required commercially, the plurality of individual pie or pastie dishes 2 forming any one tray 1 should desirably be identical in shape and size, but it will be appreciated of course the invention is not so confined and there can be two or more different shapes or sizes of pie or pastie dish 2 on one tray 1 provided, preferably, the depth of the individual tins or dishes are all the same so that the upper peripheral edges of the dishes 2 can be horizontally aligned to facilitate and speed the pie or pastie manufacture. The dishes ■ 2 are all of the open topped variety and preferably have relatively sharp upper peripheral edges or rims 2a to thus provide an arrangement whereby a single sheet or layer of pastry of required thickness is laid over the open tops of the tins or dishes and may be cut by the respective upper peripheral rims 2a merely by drawing a rolling pin or the like across the pastry with a slight pressure sufficient to enable the rims to cut through the said layer of pastry. The excess pastry in the layer over the spaces between the tins or dishes 2 can be removed as one piece.

Referring firstly to figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, a baking tray 1 can be formed with a plurality of similar support member parts 3 stamped or pressed out from sheet metal material so as to be of elongate form and arranged to receive and support for example, a single line of a prescribed number of baking dishes 2. The ill- Z02S13 ustrated form provides for the in line securement and support of four similar circular (in plan) baking dishes 2 but the invention is not confined to this arrangement and any number of suitably positioned dishes 2 can be provided. The arrangement thus provides, that a composite baking tray 1 of any convenient or required size (generally determined by oven size) can be made up by providing the required number of support parts 3 with dishes 2 secured thereto and locating the assemblies in parallel and spaced relationship and securing the assembly by providing longitudinal support bars or rails 4 at the ends of the aligned support members or parts 3; and securing such rails 4 to the respective ends of th.e support parts 3 such as by welding. The securing rails 4 can for certain ovens act as slide rails for engagement with appropriate horizontal rail guide or like members 13a on the oven side walls 13, and to this end the rails 4 may extend upwardly above the level of the dish support members or parts 3 and then be turned or flanged downwardly at 4a to act as a slide rail facilitating sliding of the assembly into and out of an oven.

In this first construction, the individual support member parts 3 are fabricated from sheet metal and may have a depending peripheral flange 3a at the longitudinal and end edges for added strength of the assembly, and the individual dish receiving areas 8 can be depressed or recessed in the required shape conforming to the bases 2b of the respective dishes 2 so that the dishes 2 may be readily placed and located in the required spaced contiguous relationship. 202513 The depressed areas of recesses 8 of the support member parts 3 can be provided with relatively large apertures 9 so that each dish 2 is initially supported at the periphery of the base part 2b, and the major part or 5 central area of the base 2b of each dish 2 may thus be exposed directly to the oven heat. However, the exposure of the single thickness of metal at the base 2b of the dish 2 may in some cases provide undesirable cooking effects, and accordingly the aperture 9 at the bottom of the recess 10 or depression 8 for each dish 2 can be omitted or reduced in size, or a plurality of smaller apertures can be provided instead of a single large aperture 9. So that the dishes 2 do not become displaced, and to further increase the effect of heat transference between the support member parts 3 15 and the dishes 2, the dishes 2 preferably have their bases 2b secured by spot welds 10 to the bottom area of the respective depressions or recesses 8 in the support member parts 3.

The depressions or recesses 8 are preferably relatively 20 shallow so that the major part of the walls 2c of each dish 2 project upwardly above the upper surface of the respective support member part 3 so that there is good hot air circulation between the respective dishes 2. As previously indicated, the support member parts 3 forming the composite 25 tray 1 are located in spaced relationship so that hot air can circulate through the spaces 14 between adjacent support member parts 3; and additionally if so required (and depending upon the shape of the particular dishes), the upper wall of each support member part can be provided with 202393 a plurality of apertures 5 between the dishes 2 supported thereby to facilitate further hot air circulation between the dishes 2 and their contents.

The aforementioned arrangement provides for the 5 forming of composite trays 1 of any size or a variety of sizes according to the numbers of support member parts 3 utilized. However, it may be more economical to form a composite baking tray 1 with a single larger support member of the required size and formed from a single sheet of 10 metal. One such arrangement illustrating an assembly of larger pie dishes 2 'is shown by way of example in figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, and a further variation illustrating the assembly of a plurality of smaller pastie or tart dishes 2' is shown by way of example in figures 7,8 15 and 9 of the drawings.

Referring to figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the support member 15 is formed from a larger single sheet of metal and is formed with its major part 15a horizontal and flush without any depressions but with a plurality of 20 apertures 16 stamped through and forming hot air circulation apertures; and the pie dishes 2'have their bases 2b1 secured directly such as spot welds 10' to the areas of the tray or support member 15 between the air circulation apertures 16. The aperture sizes and locations are determined by the 25 dish sizes and locations, and it will be appreciated that any suiteible arrangement can be employed and any suitable or required number of dishes 2'utilized according to the oven size and dish 2' size. The dishes 2' are preferably secured on the support member 15 so as to be in spaced relationship 2.02593 without the peripheries of the dishes 2' in contact, to further improve air circulation between the dishes 2' and their contents.

The composite trays 1 formed in accordance with the invention are for convenience substantially elongate rectangular in form, when viewed in plan,and in the present described arrangement two opposite edge parts are provided with upturned flanges 15b for strength and the remaining two opposite edges may be upturned and have downturned flange parts 15 c to serve either as finger grip portions or alternatively -as slide rails for location on appropriate guide or support rail 13a or the like projecting from the oven walls 13. In the arrangement illustrated the downturned flange parts 15b are splayed outwardly and the angle and/or width of the flange parts 15b can be varied to provide for slight variances in the overall width of the tray 1 to accommodate slight variances in oven sizes and support rail spacing.

In the further alternative arrangement illustrated by way of example in figures 7, 8 and 9, the composite tray 1 has its support member 17 provided with strengthening upturned flanges 17a which are in-turned to avoid sharp edges, and it will be seen that with the similar small circular pastie dishes 2" provided, the intermediate air passage apertures 16' can be of similar size and uniformally spaced.

It will be appreciated of course that the invention is not confined to dishes having the shapes indicated by the drawings, and that the dishes can for example be square or Z02Z1S rectangular or any other desired shape, in plan. It will be further seen the provision of the sheet metal support members or support member parts as described provides that the oven heat is absorbed by such support members and conducted 5 and distributed equally or substantially equally between the dishes secured to and supported by the support members.

Additionally, a particular advantage of the flat bottomed trays in accordance with the present invention is that they are particularly suited to machine man-10 ufacture of such as pies as they can readily slide over the machine bed or tray support area.

The forms of the invention described and illustrated have been by way of example, and it will be appreciated that other variations of and modifications to the invention can 15 take place without departing from the scope of the apended claims. For example the baking trays can be provided with means for tool-assisted insertion into and removal from the oven eg. such as tool-engagable handles, hooks and the like; or such as handles can be provided for manual handling. 20 Any suitable materials can be utilized in the construction of the baking trays in accordance with the invention, and it will be appreciated that steel sheet (preferably stainless steel) may be the most economical or suitable metal to utilize, but other metals such as aluminium, copper or 25 the like can be utilized.

Where in the aforegoing description reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Claims (14)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 202393

1. A baking tray comprising at least one sheet metal support member arranged for horizontal disposition and mounting a plurality of similar individual open topped metal baking dishes with relatively sharp upper peripheral edges, said dishes having at least those portions of their bases adjacent the base peripheries in direct metal to metal contact with and being fixedly secured to said support member and being arranged so as to have all their upper peripheral edges in horizontal alignment and projecting above said support member.

2. A baking- tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dishes are all of the same height and are arranged with their upper peripheral edges in horizontal alignment with a major part of their upper portions projecting above the 15 upper surface of said support member.

3. A baking tray as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the upper surface of said support member is substantially flat and level and the dishes are mounted with their bases secured directly to said upper surface of the support member. 20

4. A baking tray as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the upper surface of said support member is provided with a plurality of depressions or recesses arranged to each accommodate the base part of a dish.

5. A baking tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base of 25 each depression or recess is provided with a relatively large aperture so that the dishes located in sa^^^pressions or recesses are supported at their peripheral base and portions of the dish bases are expos through said apertures. - 10 - 202393

6. A baking tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base of each depression or recess is provided with a plurality of small apertures.

7. A baking tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bases of the dishes are secured to the support member by spot welding.

8. A baking tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the dishes are mounted with their upper peripheral edges in spaced relationship .

9. A baking tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the support member is provided with a plurality of apertures between at least the majority of dishes mounted thereon, for the passage in use of hot air between and around said dishes and their contents.

10. A composite baking tray comprising a plurality of similar baking trays according to any one of the preceding claims and with the support members of substantially elongate rectangular (in plan) form, said similar baking trays being located in aligned parallel relationship with spaces between the longitudinal edge parts of adjacent similar baking trays and all trays being conjoined at their ends by a pair of parallel rails.

11. A composite baking tray as claimed in claim 10 wherein the rails are arranged as slide rails for location on guide or support rails projecting from an oven wall.

12. A composite baking tray arranged and constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A composite baking tray arranged and constructed sub- - H - 202315 stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A composite baking tray arranged and constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings. Armidale Industries Limited By Their Authorised Attorneys - 12 -