Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
Apparatus for frying chicken and other foodstuffs comprising in combination: a support frame, an open topped pot for holding frying oil and means for heating said pot mounted on said frame, said pot having a horizontal flange surrounding the top thereof, a plurality of locking pins mounted vertically in said flange, each of said pins having a shank and an enlarged head above said shank, a vertically movable power mechanism mounted adjacent said pot, a cover a said pot carried by said power mechanism for vertical movement relative to said pot, said cover having a plurality of vertical holes in the edges thereof, which are axially aligned with and correspond in number to said locking pins when said cover is in a closed position adjacent said flange, said pins being of such length that when said cover is in closed position at least the heads of said pins project through and extend upwardly beyond the holes in said cover, locking means attached to the top side of said cover and comprising at least one pin engaging member, means for moving said member between a first unlocked position with said member disengaged from said locking pins and a second locked position with said member engaged with said locking pins, and means for energizing said power mechanism, and for moving said pin engaging member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
Apparatus for frying chicken and other foodstuffs comprising in combination: a support frame, an open topped pot for holding frying oil and means for heating said pot mounted on said frame, said pot having a horizontal flange surrounding the top thereof, a plurality of locking pins mounted vertically in said flange, each of said pins having a shank and an enlarged head above said shank, a vertically movable power mechanism mounted adjacent said pot, a cover a said pot carried by said power mechanism for vertical movement relative to said pot, said cover having a plurality of vertical holes in the edges thereof, which are axially aligned with and correspond in number to said locking pins when said cover is in a closed position adjacent said flange, said pins being of such length that when said cover is in closed position at least the heads of said pins project through and extend upwardly beyond the holes in said cover, locking means attached to the top side of said cover and comprising at least one pin engaging member, means for moving said member between a first unlocked position with said member disengaged from said locking pins and a second locked position with said member engaged with said locking pins, and means for energizing said power mechanism, and for moving said pin engaging member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said pin engaging member is a sliding plate having slots therein that are engageable with the heads of said pins when in locked position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said plate has inclined wedging surfaces adjacent the slots for tightly clamping the cover against the pot flange when said plate is in locked position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 and means mounted on the underside of said cover for dependingly supporting trays of food to be cooked.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means on the underside of the cover for supporting trays of food comprises two parallel rack supports secured to said cover, a tray support rack removaBly engageable in said rack supports and having a plurality of parallel horizontal tray support brackets, and an open grid food tray removably supported in each of said tray support brackets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vertically movable power mechanism comprises two parallel vertical hydraulic cylinders, one on each side of the pot, and wherein the means for energizIng said cylinders, and the means for moving said pin engaging member, in selected sequence, are electromechanical.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cover and flange are rectangular in outline, said locking pins are arranged in two laterally spaced parallel lines, one line along each of the longer sides of said flange, and wherein the locking means comprises two parallel slidable plates, one on each of the longer sides of said cover, each of said plates having a plurality of slots corresponding in number to the number in the parallel line of pins with which the slots in the plates are aligned.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 and a supply system for cooking shortening comprising a fill line connected to the pot above the fill level thereof, a drain line connected to the bottom of the pot, a pump and control valves for feeding shortening into said pot through both of said lines and for discharging shortening from said pot through said drain line only.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said locking pins are mounted in said flange by resilient means resisting upward movement of said pins with predetermined loading.