Smoking and baking apparatus

• US 4,979,436 A
• Filed: 01/23/1989
• Issued: 12/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: McGowan, Michael J.
• Original Assignee: McGowan, Michael J.
• Inventors: McGowan, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haugland, Scott J.
• Application Number:
  US07/299,624
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 99/450, 99/448, 99/447, 99/417, 99/352, 99/482, 99/474, 99/473, 99/468, 99/467, 99/340, 126/25 R, 126/41 R, 126/369, 126/369.2, 126/348, 126/21 R, 126/59.5
• US Class Current: 99/340
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/052 Smoke generators ; Smoking apparatus A23B4/056 takes precedence

Abstract

A smoking and baking apparatus which is characterized by a cabinet having an outer shell and an inner shell that define a smoke channel therebetween. A firebox is located in the bottom of the cabinet and a pair of spaced flanges are positioned over the firebox for receiving a removable water pan. One or more doors close the cooking chamber of the cabinet, which cooking chamber is located above the firebox and is defined by the inner shell. A separate door closes the firebox and the water pan separates the firebox from the cooking chamber. A vertical duct or chimney is provided in the cabinet channel, which chimney opens to the smoking chamber at the lower end of the inner shell above the water pan and to the atmosphere at the upper end of the outer shell. When the water pan is resting on the spaced flanges over the firebox beneath the cooking chamber, smoke generated in the firebox is diverted by the water pan upwardly into the channel formed by the outer shell and the inner shell. The smoke then travels from the channel downwardly into the cooking chamber, across food located on removable shelves or trays in the cooking chamber and upwardly through the chimney to the atmosphere. Smoking and baking are effected in the cooking chamber of the apparatus when the water pan is in place, while barbequing and grilling may be accomplished with the water pan removed, wherein smoke and heat are introduced directly into the cooking chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cooking and smoking food comprising an upright cabinet which comprises an outer shell and a top panel closing the top of said outer shell;

and inner shell spaced from said outer shell to define a vertical channel between said outer shell and said inner shell, the inner shell having an upper opening and a lower opening;

a firebox for generating smoke provided in the bottom of said cabinet in communication with said vertical channel, the upper opening indirectly communicating with the firebox through the vertical channel and the lower opening directly communicating with the firebox;

at least one air vent provided in said outer shell in communication with said firebox for supplying air to said firebox;

a cooking chamber in and substantially defined by said inner shell and located in communication with said vertical channel above said firebox for receiving and cooking food;

at least one door hingedly carried by said cabinet for selectively providing access to the interior of said cabinet;

a chimney vertically disposed in said vertical channel, said chimney extending from an inlet opening provided in said inner shell at said cooking chamber upwardly in said channel to an outlet opening provided in said outer shell and spaced from said inlet opening, the outlet opening communicating with the atmosphere;

a water pan; and

seating means for removably seating the water pan in said cabinet between said firebox and said cooking chamber, the water pan blocking flow of smoke from the firebox into the cooking chamber through the lower opening of the inner shell when the water pan is seated in the seating means and removal of the water pan permitting flow of smoke from the firebox into the cooking chamber through the lower opening, whereby smoke generated in said firebox is directed upwardly through said vertical channel, downwardly from the top of said vertical channel into said cooking chamber and into said chimney and upwardly through said outlet opening to the atmosphere when said water pan is placed in said cabinet and smoke is alteratively allowed to flow from said firebox directly into said cooking chamber when said water pan is removed from said cabinet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bottom panel closing the bottom of said outer shell and wherein said at least one door further comprises a top door hingedly carried by said cabinet, said top door substantially coextensive with said cooking chamber and extending downwardly to the top of said firebox and a bottom door hingedly carried by said cabinet beneath said top door, said bottom door substantially coextensive with said firebox.

3. An apparatus for cooking and smoking food comprising a box-like, upright cabinet which comprises an outer shell, a top panel closing the top of said outer shell and a bottom panel closing the bottom of said outer shell;

an inner shell spaced from said outer shell to define a smoke-receiving, vertical channel between said outer shell and said inner shell, the inner shell having an upper opening and a lower opening;

a firebox for generating smoke provided in the bottom of said cabinet in communication with said vertical channel, the upper opening indirectly communicating with the firebox through the vertical channel and the lower opening directly communicating with the firebox;

at least one adjustable air vent provided in said outer shell in communication with said firebox for supplying air to said firebox;

a cooking chamber in and substantially defined by said inner shell and located above said firebox and communicating with said vertical channel for receiving and cooking food;

a cooking chamber door hingedly carried by said cabinet for accessing said cooking chamber;

a firebox door hingedly carried by said cabinet beneath said cooking chamber door for accessing said firebox;

a chimney vertically disposed in said vertical channel, said chimney having an inlet opening provided in said inner shell at said cooking chamber and an outlet opening provided in said outer shell, said outlet opening being spaced above said inlet opening and being in communication with the atmosphere;

a water pan; and

seating means for removably seating the water pan in said cabinet between said firebox and said cooking chamber, the water pan blocking flow of smoke from the firebox into the cooking chamber through the lower opening of the inner shell when the water pan is seated in the seating means and removal of the water pan permitting flow of smoke from the firebox into the cooking chamber through the lower opening, whereby smoke generated in said firebox is directed upwardly through said vertical channel, downwardly from the top of said vertical channel into said cooking chamber and into said chimney and upwardly through said outlet opening to the atmosphere when said water pan is placed in said cabinet, and smoke is alternatively allowed to flow from said firebox upwardly directly into said cooking chamber when said water pan is removed from said cabinet.