Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ELF ~X~I~GUI~ING, RoR~A~L~ ~OOK~NG UNI~
H~YI~G ~OLD~ PU~L ~RAXS
This invention relates to a portable cooking unit and
in particular to a cooking unit which is foldable to aid in the
ignition and smothering of the fuel.
Prior art portable cooking units generally have a
fixed bed into which the fuel is placed for lighting and cooking.
~ grill is positioned in an adjustable manner over this bed to
provide a cooking surface.
Since a fixed bed cooking unit has no draft means to
aid in the ignition and burning of the fuel, the lighting and
warm up of the cooking unit is slow. In a fixed bed cooking
unik up ko 45 minukes may be required for the fuel to attain
cooking temperature. In addition, when the cooking is finished
khe remaining fuel musk either be removed from the cooking unit
for smothering or allowed to burn to ash. The former is dirty
and dangerous and the latter is costly.
Accordingly, it is the general purpose of the present
invention to provide a portable cooking unit having folding
fuel trays to aid in rapid ignition and smothering of khe fuel.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide such a cooking unit which has a lighter drawer in which
to place a lighter source for igniting the fuel and to collect
the ashes from the fuel trays when the cooking is completed.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide such a cooking unit having grill support means to
position the grill in the fuel trays in such a manner as to
distribute the charcoal for quick lighting by the lighter source.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide such a cooking unit which incinerates residual grease and
sterilizes the grill while the fuel is being smothered.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide such a cooking unit which when folded is compact to take
up less storage space than fixed bed cooking units of the same
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capacity.
The manner in which t~e foregoing and other objects
of the invention are accomplished will be apparent from the
accompanying specification and claims considered together with
the drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a top perspective view oE the herein
described cooking unit in its open position with one of the
perforate grills removed better to show concealed construction;
Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of the cooking unit
in its closed position; and
Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line
3-3 of Fig. 2
The cooking unit of the present invention generally
comprises a frame defining a central opening with dished fuel
trays pivotally jointed to opposed ends of the frame for move-
ment between a raised lighting position and a lowered cooking
position. When in their raised position, the fuel trays
substantially are vertical and are located adjacent one another.
When in their lowered position, the fuel txays substantially
are horizontal.
The fuel trays are open at each end to form a flue when
they are in their raised position. Thus air can pass from the
central opening of the frame through the fuel trays and out their
open upper ends.
Grill supports are located within the dished fuel trays
to receive perforate grills. The perforate grills are positioned
in the grill support in a manner to provide a narrow fuel reten-
tion space between the perforate grills and the fuel trays.
Referring to Fig. 1 of the dra~ings, the cooking unit
of the present invent~on includes frame 10. The frame defines a
rectangular central open area and comprised ~-shaped side portions
12 having tabs 14 depending from each corner. End portions 16
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are planar and extend above the upper edge of the side portions.
Outward facing flanges 18 may be located on the end portions to
aid in handling the cooking unit. U-shaped legs 20 are located
below each of the side portions depending from joinder to tabs 14.
Dished fuel trays 22, to hold the fuel (not sho~n),
are joined pivotally to the frame above its side portions. The
fuel trays comprise rectangular bottoms 24 and perpendicular
sides 25. soth ends of the fuel trays are open. However at
the upper ends the bottoms are tapered inwardly to form
restricted openings. Outward facing lips 27 are located on
the upper ends of the fuel trays adjacent the upper openings.
Locating mounts 28 are located adjacent the lower
ends of the side portions of the fuel trays. These serve the
function of sealing the lower end o~ the fuel trays against
the frame, thereby assisting in smothering the fire at the
conclusion of the cooking operation.
Bolts 30 pass through aligned holes in both the
end portions 16 of the frame and the locating mounts for
joinder of the fuel trays pivotally to the frame. Thus the fuel
2~ trays are movable between a raised, substantially vertical
posit.ion in which the sides 25 are adjacent each other, Fig. 2,
and a lowered substantially horizontal cooking position, Fig. 1.
To support the fuel in the fuel trays when the fuel
trays are placed in their raised position, teeth 34 are
located on the bottoms of the fuel trays at their lower open
ends. The teeth preferably extend inwardly a distance equal to
approximately one-half the depth of the fuel trays. The
spacing of the teeth is not critical, but they should be close
enough together to prevent passage of partially burned fuel
until the fuel substantially is consumed. The teeth positioned
at each side may be staggered inwardly on the bottom of the fuel
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trays to prevent partially burned fuel from lodging in the
corners.
To maintain even distribution of the fuel longitudinal-
ly in the fuel trays when they are placed in their raised
position, rails 32 are located transversely on the inside bottom
surfaces of the fuel trays. The rails are shallow, preferably
extending inwardly a distance equal to approximately 10-20% ;~
of-the depth of the fuel trays.
C-shaped bails 36 are joined pivotally to the upper
la ends of the fuel trays to allow the user to carry the cooking
unit when the fuel trays are in their raised position. Detents
38 are located in the sides of the fuel trays adjacent the bails
to retain the bails releasably in a position normal to the
fuel trays. Thus the bails serve as supports when the fuel
trays are in their lowered position.
Grill support means 40 are located within the fuel
trays inwardly adjacent locating mounts 28. The grill support
means comprise multi-slotted brackets 42. Preferably, two
such brackets are located at the lower end of each fuel tray
with opposed brackets offset from one another to allow moving
the trays to thelr raised position. The inward staggering of
teeth 34 at the sides of the trays prevents partially burned
uel from interfering with the brackets when folding the unit.
Slots 43 are positioned in the brackets so that they
angle slightly upwardly when the fuel trays are in their
lowered position, as shown in particular in Fig. 1. Thus
when the fuel trays are in their raised position, for lighting
of the fuel, the perforate grills are positioned to slope
inwardly to touch or almost touch at their top to give a
triangular configuration. Due to this angle the fuel retention
spaces are larger at the top of the fuel trays than at the
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bottom of the fuel trays. This spreads the flames at the top
so that they lick and ignite all of the fuel. The lower
portions of the brackets comprise tabs 44 which allow mounting
the grill support means to the bo-ttoms of the fuel trays by
means of bolts 46. Preferably the brackets are of a length
equal to approximately 1-1/2 times the depth of the fuel trays.
Perforate grills 50 fit into the grill support
means to supply the cooking surface in the cooking unit. The
perforate grills preferably comprise planar rectangular members
having a plurality of rectangular openings. Mounting tabs
52 are located at one end of the perforate grills.
One of the mounting tabs is located at one of the
edges of the perforate grills and the opposed tab is offset
inwardly from the other edge to align with the offset brackets
o the grill support means. Openings 54 are located outwardly
adjaaent the offset tabs and slots 56 are located inwardly
adjacent the edge located tabs to provide clearance for the
opposed brackets when the fuel trays are placed in their
rasied position.
Lighter drawer 58 is mounted slidably below frame
10 to hold a lighting charge (not shown) such as kindling or
crumpled paper used to ignite the fuel. The lighter drawer
comprises bottom 60, sides 62, and ends 64. The top portions
of the sides are flared outwardly to engage the side portions
12 of the frame in a sliding relationship. Lip 66 is located
on the front end of the lighter drawer to allow opening it.
Pull 67, fabricated from a thermally non-conductive material,
is positioned on the front end of the lighter drawer to aid in
opening it when hot. The lighter drawer fits into the frame
in such a manner that when it is closed, the lower open ends
of the fuel trays are sealed. The lighter drawer is configured
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in a manner to allow the flared top portions of the sides to
freely slide on the frame. Thus the drawer may be moved to
a position opening its front portion or removed entirely from
the frame.
The central elements of teeth 34 are offset inwardly
on the bottom of the fuel trays a distance sufficient to pro-
vide clearance for the drawer, so that when it is opened and
closed it will not jam because of partially burn~d fuel
wedged between and projecting below the teeth.
TQP damper 68 is configured to fit over lips 27
at the upper end of the fuel trays as shown in Fig. 3, thus
closing the top opening. The top damper is configured to
engage the lips tightly to squeeze the opposed sides 25 of
the fuel tray into contact with one another.
Grill engagement means, such as clip 70, is located
on the top surface of the top damper to engage the perforate
grill and to allow use of the top damper as a handle for the
perforate grill when hot. The clip preferably is joined to the
top damper by welding. Handle 72 extends from a raised tab
73 on the engagement means to allow manipulation when the top
damper is hot. In addition the handle may be used for carrying
the ùnit in the event that bails 36 should become misplaced.
The handle is fabricated from a thermally non-conductive
material such as wood or plastic.
The cooking units of the present invention can
be made of any suitable heat resistant material, such as
cast iron, steel of aluminum. However, cast iron will better
withstand severe use and provide more overall durability and
longer lifé.
It will be noted that while the preferred embodiment
shows a small portable unit, different size units also may
be made. If desired a large unit for patio or backyard use
could include wheels to allow movement.
The manner of use of the herein described cooking
unit is as follows:
To fill the cooking unit with fuel the top damper
68 is removed from the fuel trays. The bails 36 are placed
in their lowered position in detents 38. The fuel trays then ,~
are placed in their lowered position as shown in Fig. 1,
and both perforate grills 50 are removed from the grill support
means 40.
Fuel is distributed evenly over the bottom of the
fuel trays in a manner to fill the fuel trays to the desired
extent. If charcoal briquettes are used, one layer of charcoal
will serve this purpose. This layer may cover all or part of
the tray area,,to provide the needed amount of cooking surface.
The perforate grills are repositioned in the fuel
support means in the lowermost slots of the brackets and
the fuel trays are placed in their raised position. It will
be noted that rails 32 in conjunction with the perforate grills
maintain most of the fuel in its evenly di~tributed position
when the fuel trays are raised. Teeth 34 prevent fuel which
is not maintained in its original position from dropping out
of the fuel trays. The top damper is not replaced leaving
the upper ends of the fuel trays open.
To light the fuel, lighter drawer 58`is pulled open
to allow insertion of a lighting charge. The lighting charge
may comprise one of the commercially available lighter
materials. Alternatively, kindling or crumpled paper
soaked with lighter fluid may be used. It is important that
the lighter charge provide long lasting hot flames to insure
thorough lighting of the fuel. If the fuel is charcoal it
also may be soaked with lighter fluid to insure good ignition.
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The lighter drawer is placed in a partially open
position, as shown by the phantom lines of Fig. 2, as required
to provide the necessary draft. In the normal operation of
the unit the drawer is opened a distance equal to about one
tenth its length in order to achieve this purpose.
The lighter source then is ignited. With the
lighter drawer in a partially open position air may enter the
fuel trays through openlngs behind and in front of the
lighter drawer. Thus a flue is formed through the fuel
trays and out their opened top ends and a draft is created
when the lighter charge is ignited. The flames of the
lighter charge are drawn into direct contact with the fuel
located in the fuel trays to light it quickly and uniformly.
The inwardly angled grill giving larger spaces at the top
of the fuel trays insures ignition of all of the fuel.
The unit then is ready for cooking by repositioning
the fuel trays in their lowered position. Bails 36 convert
from handles to serve as legs and support the fuel trays
during the cooking. The perforate grilIs may be repositioned
in the grill support means as desired to provide the proper
cooking position relative the fuel. As shown in Fig. 1, top
damper 68 may be used as a handle for the perforate grills
by placing clip 70 on the perforate grills thus allowing
handling them when hot.
When the cooking is completed the perforate grills
are placed again in the lowermost slots of brackets 42.
Lighter drawer 58 is placed in its closed position. The fuel
trays are placed again in their raised position. It will be
noted that when the fuel trays are raised the ashes from the
fuel will drop into the lighter drawer. The partially burned
fuel, however, will be maintained in the fuel trays by teeth 3~.
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Top damper 68 is positioned on the fuel trays,
squeezing them together and closing the openings at the upper
end. The fuel trays essentially are saaled and the remainin~ `
fuel is smothered. Thus the remaining fuel can be reused for
a subsequent cooking rather than completely burned to ash as
is the ca~se in previous cooking units. One charge of fuel
may last for up to 4 or 5 cookings on thawed meats and the
like, and up to 3 cookings on frozen meats and the like.
When the fuel trays are closed and the top damper
is installed the heat generated by the fuel, until it is
smothered, is trapped in the cooking unit. The resulting high
temperature incinerates any grease on the perforate grills
which are located adjacent the fuel. The cooking unit therefore
is self cleaning, eliminating the grill cleaning associated
with prior cooking units.
When the fuel has been completely smothered, the
lighter drawer can be removed from the frame and the ash
emptied from it. This eliminates the dirty removal of
ash from a grill base as is necessary in the prior cooking
units,
It will be noted that when a smaller cooking area
is required fuel may be placed in only one of the fuel trays.
When cooking is performed on only one of the fuel trays the
unused fuel tray may be placed in its raised position to
serve as a windbreak. In addi-tion when there is fuel in one
of the fuel trays, baked potatoes, corn on the cob or the like
may be placed behind the perforate grill of the other
fuel tray and rapidly cooked by moving both of the fuel trays
to their raised positions.
Also it will be noted that due to the high draft
created in the unit when in the closed position, it may serve
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as a small blacksmith forge. Furthermore, by partially closing
the damper the unit will burn the fuel slowly and may be
used as a portable heater when in the closed position.
It will be noted also that the lighter drawer may ~:
be used as an oven or it may be filled with water for use as
a cooking pan.
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