Automatic continuous dough frying unit equipped with dough feeder for making deep-fried pastries

A frying unit for frying and flipping food, the frying unit comprising:

• a vertical shaft;
• a movement mechanism connected to the vertical shaft;
• a support column extending radially away from the vertical shaft, having a first end connected to the movement mechanism, and having a second end distant from the vertical shaft;
• a frying plate connected to the second end of the support column;
• and
• a frying pan configured to hold frying oil, and
• the movement mechanism being configured to move the frying plate in a substantially concentric circle about the vertical shaft while performing the following actions:
• lower the frying plate into the frying pan for a first frying of the food,
• raise the frying plate out of the frying pan,
• rotate the frying plate approximately 180° by rotating the support column to flip the food, and
• lower the frying plate into the frying pan for a second frying of the food.

A frying unit for frying and flipping food, the frying unit comprising:

• a vertical shaft;
• a movement mechanism connected to the vertical shaft;
• a support column extending radially away from the vertical shaft, having a first end connected to the movement mechanism, and having a second end distant from the vertical shaft;
• a frying plate connected to the second end of the support column;
• a frying pan configured to hold frying oil;
• the movement mechanism being configured to move the frying plate in a substantially concentric circle about the vertical shaft while performing the following actions:
• (i) lower the frying plate into the frying pan for a first frying of the food,
• (ii) raise the frying plate out of the frying pan,
• (iii) rotate the frying plate approximately 180° by rotating the support column to flip the food, and
• (iv) lower the frying plate into the frying pan for a second frying of the food;
• the movement mechanism including a guide track concentrically located about the vertical shaft, and wherein the guide track is configured to raise or lower the support column and the connected frying pan as a function of the location of the frying pan in the substantially concentric circle about the vertical shaft;
• the guide track including at least the following positions:
• (i) a loading position configured for loading food into the frying plate,
• (ii) a first relatively low position configured for the first frying of the food,
• (iii) a first relatively high position configured for rotating the frying plate approximately 180° by rotating the support column,
• (iv) a second relatively low position configured for the second flying of the food, and
• (v) a second relatively high position configured for rotating the frying plate approximately 180° by rotating the support column;
• the movement mechanism including a rack configured to rotate the support column about an axis of the support column as the frying pan moves in a substantially concentric circle about the vertical axis;
• the movement mechanism further including a gear connected to the support column and having gear teeth, wherein the rack includes rack teeth configured to engage the gear teeth and to rotate the support column about the axis of the support column as the frying pan moves in a substantially concentric circle about the vertical axis;
• the frying unit further comprising an arrester connected to the frying plate, wherein the arrester includes two arced arms configured for rotation, each arced arm shaped approximately like a segment of a circle;
• the movement mechanism further including an arrester track configured to rotate the two arced aims into arresting positions forming a cage-like enclosure about the food;
• the arrester being configured to:
• allow the food to float above the frying plate during the first frying, retain the food in the cage-like enclosure during the rotation of the frying plate, and allow the food to float below the frying plate during the second frying;
• wherein each arced arm is approximately 110° to 130° in arc, and fits loosely near a lateral wall of the frying plate when not in an arresting position;
• wherein the frying unit further comprises a first additional support column connected to a first additional frying plate, a second additional support column connected to a second additional frying plate, and a third additional support column connected to a third additional frying plate;
• wherein the four support columns extend radially away from the vertical shaft and are spaced approximately 90° from any adjacent support column;
• wherein the frying pan is configured substantially in a pie wedge shape with an angle of slightly over 90°, and is configured to accept at least two of the four frying plates at one time;
• and wherein the wedge is configured to extend under the vertical shaft.