Automatic baking apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for baking a pretzel-like bakery product, comprising: a housing having an oven-like chamber therein; a pair of endless power-driven drive belts mounted in the chamber so as to rotate therein in spaced parallel vertical planes around closed paths of travel each comprising a first substantially horizontal segment disposed near the top of the chamber, a second substantially horizontal segment disposed near the bottom of the chamber, said second horizontal segment being substantially shorter than said first horizontal segment, each of said first and second horizontal segments having first and second ends, said closed paths of travel further including a substantially vertical segment and an oblique segment, said vertical segment being disposed adjacent the front of the chamber and connecting the respective first ends of said first and second horizontal segments, said oblique segment being disposed towards the rear of the chamber and connecting the respective second ends of said first and second horizontal segments; a plurality of carrier racks interposed between the drive belts and swingably supported at spaced points therealong so that a baking surface of each rack maintains a substantially horizontal disposition as the racks are rotated in conjunction with the drive belts, said baking surface of the racks being adapted to support a bakery product; means positioned in said housing for spraying a solution on the bakery product when each rack is disposed at a point near the bottom of the vertical segments of the closed paths of travel of the drive belts; means positioned in said housing for salting the upper surface of the bakery product at a point in the course of travel thereof after each rack has passed said spray point; and dual baking means disposed above and below the course of travel of said racks at a point after said salting point for baking the bakery products.

Claim 2

An apparatus for baking a pretzel-like bakery product, comprising: a housing having an oven-like chamber therein; a pair of endless power-driven drive belts mounted in the chamber so as to rotate therein in spaced parallel vertical planes around closed paths of travel each comprising a first substantially horizontal segment disposed near the top of the chamber, a second substantially horizontal segment disposed near the bottom of the chamber, said second horizontal segment being substantially shorter than said first horizontal segment, each of said first and second horizontal segments having first and second ends, said closed paths of travel further including a substantially vertical segment and an oblique segment, said vertical segment being disposed adjacent the front of the chamber and connecting the respective first ends of said first and second horizontal segments, said oblique segment being disposed towards the rear of the chamber and connecting the respective second ends of said first and second horizontal segments; a plurality of carrier racks interposed between the drive belts and swingably supported at spaced points therealong so that a baking surface of each rack maintains a substantially horizontal disposition as the racks are rotated in conjunction with the drive belts, said baking surface of the racks being adapted to support a bakery product; means positioned in said housing for spraying a solution on the bakery product when each rack is disposed at a point near the bottom of the vertical segments of the closed paths of travel of the drive belts; means positioned in said housing for salting the upper surface of the bakery product at a point in the course of travel thereof after each rack has passed said spray point; and dual baking means disposed above and below the course of travel of said racks at a point after said salting point for baking the bakery products.

Claim 15

An apparatus for baking a pretzel-like bakery product, comprising: a. a housing having an oven-like chamber therein; b. a pair of endless power-driven belts mounted in the chamber so as to rotate therein in spaced parallel vertical planes around closed paths of travel each comprising a first substantially horizontal segment disposed near the top of the chamber, a second substantially horizontal segment disposed near the bottom of the chamber, said second horizontal segment being substantially shorter than said first horizontal segment, each of said first and second horizontal segments having first and second ends, said closed paths of travel further including a substantially vertical segment and an oblique segment, said vertical segment being disposed adjacent the front of the chamber and connecting the respective first ends of said first and second horizontal segments, said oblique segment being disposed towards the rear of the chamber and connecting the respective second ends of said first and second horizontal segments; c. means for driving said drive belts, said driving means including means for reversing the direction of rotation of said drive belts such that said plurality of carrier racks may be moved in either rotational direction in said spaced vertical planes, including means for varying the speed of rotation of said drive belts; d. a plurality of supporting gear means mounted in said chamber for supporting said drive belts along their respective closed paths of travel, each of said plurality of gear means being adapted to mesh with said drive belts, said gear means including means connecting said driving means to at least one of said plurality of gear means for rotation thereof to accomplish subsequent rotation of said drive belts through said closed paths of travel; e. a plurality of carrier racks interposed between the drive belts, and swingably supported at spaced points therealong so that a baking surface of each rack maintains a substantially horizontal disposition as the racks are rotated in conjunction with the drive belts, said baking surface of the racks being adapted to support a bakery product; f. means positioned in said housing for spraying a solution on the bakery product when each rack is disposed at a point near the bottom of the vertical segments of the closed paths of travel of the drive belts; g. means positioned in said housing for salting the upper surface of the bakery product at a point in the course of travel thereof after each rack has passed said spray point, including means for selectively engaging said salting means with said driving means, such that said salting means is rotated in conjunction with the movement of said drive belts when so engaged, said salting means further including a rotatable hollow cylinder, wherein said hollow cylinder has defined therein a plurality of openings permitting salt to fall onto said bakery product when said hollow cylinder is in a predetermined orientation; and h. dual baking means disposed above and below the course of travel of said racks at a point after said salting point for baking the bakery products, said dual baking means including a plurality of heating elements positioned a predetermined distance above and below said carrier racks as said carrier racks move through the first horizontal segments in their respective paths of travel.

Claim 16

An apparatus for baking a pretzel-like bakery product, comprising: a. a housing having an oven-like chamber therein; b. a pair of endless power-driven belts mounted in the chamber so as to rotate therein in spaced parallel vertical planes around closed paths of travel each comprising a first substantially horizontal segment disposed near the top of the chamber, a second substantially horizontal segment disposed near the bottom of the chamber, said second horizontal segment being substantially shorter than said first horizontal segment, each of said first and second horizontal segments having first and second ends, said closed paths of travel further including a substantially vertical segment and an oblique segment, said vertical segment being disposed adjacent the front of the chamber and connecting the respective first ends of said first and second horizontal segments, said oblique segment being disposed towards the rear of the chamber and connecting the respective second ends of said first and second horizontal segments; c. means for driving said drive belts, said driving means including means for reversing the direction of rotation of said drive belts such that said plurality of carrier racks may be moved in either rotational direction in said spaced vertical planes, including means for varying the speed of rotation of said drive belts; d. a plurality of supporting gear means mounted in said chamber for supporting said drive belts along their respective closed paths of travel, each of said plurality of gear means being adapted to mesh with said drive belts, said gear means including means connecting said driving means to at least one of said plurality of gear means for rotation thereof to accomplish subsequent rotation of said drive belts through said closed paths of travel; e. a plurality of carrier racks interposed between the drive belts, and swingably supported at spaced points therealong so that a baking surface of each rack maintains a substantially horizontal disposition as the racks are rotated in conjunction with the drive belts, said baking surface of the racks being adapted to support a bakery product; f. means positioned in said housing for spraying a solution on the bakery product when each rack is disposed at a point near the bottom of the vertical segments of the closed paths of travel of the drive belts; g. means positioned in said housing for salting the upper surface of the bakery product at a point in the course of travel thereof after each rack has passed said spray point, including means for selectively engaging said salting means with said driving means, such that said salting means is rotated in conjunction with the movement of said drive belts when so engaged, said salting means further including a rotatable hollow cylinder, wherein said hollow cylinder has defined therein a plurality of openings permitting salt to fall onto said bakery product when said hollow cylinder is in a predetermined orientation; and h. dual baking means disposed above and below the course of travel of said racks at a point after said salting point for baking the bakery products, said dual baking means including a plurality of heating elements positioned a predetermined distance above and below said carrier racks as said carrier racks move through the first horizontal segments in their respective paths of travel.