BATTERY-OPERATED ROTISSERIE WITH DETACHABLE SPIT SUPPORTS

• US 3,742,839 A
• Filed: 02/07/1972
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph P. Maley
• Original Assignee: Joseph P. Maley
• Inventors: Maley, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Petrakes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henderson, Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US05/223,952
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 99/421,419,420 310/83 320/2,56 126/9,25
• US Class Current: 99/421.0HV
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0745 with motor-driven food supports

Abstract

A rotisserie characterized in the provision of a pair of vertical spit support strips having screw clamps at their lower ends for securing on the rim of a barbecue grill firebox (or optionally to the upper ends of wood stakes driven into the ground), said support strips being provided with at least three vertically spaced apart inverted L-shaped slots including horizontal portions open at one edge of each support strip and vertical portions extending downwardly from the respective horizontal portions, the bottom or middle slot of one support strip constituting a support for a self-contained batteryoperated spit drive unit which has its spit drive shaft extending through the vertical portion of a slot above that which supports the drive unit. The end of the spit remote from the drive unit is supported by the bottom of the vertical portion of the middle or top slot in the other support strip. A further, characterizing feature of the rotisserie herein is that the adjustable meat holders on the spit are of simple form having straight divergent prongs embedded in the meat being barbecured.

Claims

1. A rotisserie for use in connection with a bed of charcoal briquettes and the like comprising separate vertical spit support strips having clamp means at their lower ends for clamping in fixed position relative to said bed of coals, each said spit support strip having a plurality of vertically spaced apart inverted L-shaped slots which are open at one side edge;

a drive unit having a casing provided with a headed holder member, the shank of which passes laterally in one of said slots of one support strip and downwardly to rest on the bottom of the vertical portion of said slot, and having a drive shaft extending through the vertical portion of another slot above the slot in which said holder member is disposed; and

a spit having one end detachably secured to said drive shaft and having its other end rotatably supported by a slot in the other of said support strips;

said casing comprising an L-shaped member having a vertical leg to which said headed holder member is secured and a horizontal leg underlying said drive unit;

said drive unit comprising a battery-powered electric motor and speed reducer unit secured to said vertical leg and having said drive shaft thereof extending through said another slot as aforesaid;

said casing further comprising a channel-shaped battery holder having battery contacts inside its horizontal legs and having its vertical web secured to said drive unit;

said vertical web having spring clips to removably retain battery means in engagement with said contacts.

2. The rotisserie of claim 1 wherein said casing further comprises an inverted U-shaped member having an upper portion overlying said drive unit and having downwardly depending portions straddling said drive unit and secured to opposite sides of said drive unit.

3. The rotisserie of claim 1 wherein each clamp means comprises an outwardly concave bent lower end having its lower and upper extremities disposed to engage the inner wall of the rim of a barbecue grill firebox, a nut member at the lower end portion of said strip spaced from said bent lower end and forming therewith a flat clamp throat to engage the upper end of said firebox rim, and screw means in threaded engagement with said nut member to engage and indent the outer wall of said firebox rim between such extremities.

4. A rotisserie for use in connection with a bed of charcoal briquettes and the like comprising separate vertical spit support strips having clamp means at their lower ends for clamping in fixed position relative to said bed of coals, each said spit support strip having a plurality of vertically spaced apart inverted L-shaped slots which are open at one side edge;

a drive unit having a casing provided with a headed holder member, the shank of which passes laterally in one of said slots of one support strip and downwardly to rest on the bottom of the vertical portion of said slot, and having a drive shaft extending through the vertical portion of another slot above the slot in which said holder member is disposed; and

a spit having one end detachably secured to said drive shaft and having its other end rotatably supported by a slot in the other of said support strips; and

a vertically disposed wind deflector plate detachably secured to one edge of said one support strip to deflect wind away from food being barbecued on said spit and to provide air currents over said drive unit.