Donald Donald Graham

US Patent:

56644825, Sep 9, 1997

Filed:

Sep 13, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/713753

Inventors:

Donald L. Graham - Lexington SC
Jerry L. Hope - St. Charles IL

Assignee:

Beltec International - Aurora IL

International Classification:

A47J 2714
A47J 3712
A21B 508
A23L 101

US Classification:

99330

Abstract:

A low-temperature water-based atmospheric cooker for food products such as fish, meat and poultry is provided, and includes a hydrostatically-sealed cooking chamber having in upper wall and a supporting side wall, a conveyor belt within the cooking chamber having an inner-most edge and an-outer most edge, the belt having a path rising circuitously within the cooking chamber wherein each tier of the conveyor belt generally passes over another tier of the conveyor belt to form a generally spiral central belt path within the chamber, an entry portion of the belt path receiving uncooked food product into the cooking chamber, an exit portion of the belt path for discharging cooked food product from the cooking chamber; means for supporting the conveyor belt in the generally spiral central belt path; means for driving the conveyor belt in the generally spiral central belt path; a reservoir of heated water for spraying onto the food products; a plurality of outer water-spraying nozzles for spraying the heated water onto the food product and for creating a cooking atmosphere within the hydrostatically-sealed cooking chamber, the plurality of outer water-spraying nozzles generally surrounding the belt path from a direction facing inward towards the outer-most edge of the belt; and, a plurality of inner water-spraying nozzles for spraying the heated water onto the food product and for creating a cooking atmosphere within the hydrostatically-sealed cooking chamber, the plurality of inner water-spraying nozzles generally surrounding the central belt path from a direction facing outward towards the inner-most edge of the belt.