Multi-functional outdoor cooker using multiple fuels and transportable via receiver hitch of vehicle or trailer

• US 20080098902A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patrick Mansfield, Richard Andro Matthews
• Original Assignee: Patrick Mansfield, Richard Andro Matthews
• Inventors: Mansfield, Patrick, Matthews, Richard Andro
• Application Number:
  US11/586,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0786 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/928 Cooking stoves using biomass

Abstract

A portable grill and cooker which can be transported on a vehicle'"'"'s trailer hitch, on a separate trailer, or used as a free-standing stationary grill. This grill can also be used to bake, griddle fry, deep fry, boil, steam, smoke, and barbeque different foods. The grill can utilize propane, wood, or charcoal to provide a heat source for cooking. It includes a storage compartment as well as wheels/casters on adjustable-height legs to permit relocation easily, and a trailer hitch adapter which permits easy hookup and raising without the user having to physically lift the grill by hand.

Claims

1. A new method of affixing a portable grill to a trailer hitch using a hitch carrier such that said grill can be easily and safely lifted into place by a user of moderate physical strength.

a) Said hitch carrier is composed of two tubular telescoping sections with both said sections having a horizontally oriented square steel tube affixed at 180 degrees of opposition in the horizontal plane.

b) Said hitch carrier further includes attachments for a mechanical, hydraulic, scissors, electric or other jack which is used to provide the lifting force to lift said grill to transport height with a minimum of effort.

c) Said hitch carrier has holes drilled in its horizontally oriented tubular sections such as to permit one tube to be inserted and pinned to a vehicle'"'"'s trailer hitch receiver and the opposing tube to be inserted and bolted into the base/supporting structure of the gril, supporting said grill during the lifting and transport phases of use.

d) Said grill includes in its support structure four tubular telescoping legs with rotating caster wheels such that said legs can be pinned via pins inserted in corresponding horizontally oriented holes through outer tube of said legs, permitting rapid height adjustment such as to provide adequate ground clearance when transporting on said vehicle'"'"'s trailer hitch, and such that the caster wheels at the bottom of said legs permit the user to roll the grill into the desired cooking location.

2. We claim a new combination of cooking components that have not been used together in prior art grills, with said combination permitting a plurality of cooking functions including grilling, barbeque, rotisserie, deep frying, boiling, steaming, baking, griddle frying, and offset smoking as well as simultaneously using several different said cooking functions.

a) Said grill includes one or more stainless steel containers over a variable heat source, including optional strainer baskets, providing functionality for either deep frying in hot oil, boiling in water, steaming with small quantities of water, or the making of soups, stews, beans and similar dishes requiring a heated cooking receptacle.

b) Said grill includes a cooking portion comprised of gas-fired burners in the bottom, with several slots above said burners for the indexing and placement of two types of different trays with one being a solid tray and the other being made of perforated or expanded metal, such that the perforated/expanded trays can be used for smoking, gas grilling, or cooking over charcoal, and said solid trays can be used as drip trays under the perforated ones, drip tray under the gas burners, or charcoal supporting surface over the gas burners, or additionally as a griddle cooking surface over said gas burners or charcoal.

c) Said grill includes an offset firebox with adjustable airflow, said firebox being used for either charcoal or wood fires and to generate smoke, which is conveyed to the adjacent grill segment which has trays with food on them such that said food is either cooked by the heat, seasoned by the wood smoke, or both.

d) Said grill includes an adjustable flue and opening between said firebox and said grill portion, with said flue being used to regulate the quantity of the smoke/heat passing to the adjacent compartment as to permit the precise regulation of heat and smoke to optimize the flavor of the food being cooked.

e) Said grill includes a chimney or chimneys each with adjustable flue which serve to provide a method of regulation of airflow through said grill so that the user may regulate the airflow and heat that is applied to the food therein, permitting accurate regulation of the speed of the cooking process as well as the smoke flavor.

f) Said grill includes a hinged lid over the center section with gas burners, with said lid being hinged to the grill section via horizontally oriented hinges along corresponding edges of both lid and grill, with said lid including a horizontally oriented stainless steel rod with multiple position rotary indexing, said rod being designed to function as a rotisserie permitting three or more positions of rotation to permit the even cooking of meat placed upon said rotisserie rod and therefore over the heat source.

3. Said grill is further capable of utilizing wood, charcoal, or propane for a source of cooking heat so that the user has the option of using the fuel of choice.

a) Said grill includes a firebox section to provide heat and smoke for offset smoking, baking, griddle frying with the adjustable chimney flue and adjustable air intake vent allowing for fine-tuning of the fire regardless of type of fuel.

b) User may cook food in the center section of the grill using heat generated by the gas burners in said section, and then start a small charcoal or wood chip fire in the firebox to provide smoke for seasoning purposes only, with said smoke passing through the adjustable flue between these two respective portions of said grill.

c) User may cook in center grill section using heat from the gas burners in said section, using a solid tray underneath said burners to serve as a drip tray, or user may place said drip tray in uppermost slot of said grill section over said gas burners, using said solid tray as a griddle to fry on, or user may place said solid drip tray just above said gas burners to use as a drip tray while smoking meat in said center grill section, or user may use said drip tray as a charcoal receptacle to allow the use of charcoal for a heat source in said center grill section.