Automatic toaster

A toaster for automatically toasting a predetermined number of bread slices or the like comprising:

• a housing including a discharge station at one end;
• a loading station on the housing generally at an end opposite from the discharge station for supporting a generally vertical stack of bread slices;
• conveyor means mounted on the housing for continuously feeding the bread slices one at a time from the bottom of the stack through the housing to the discharge station;
• a pair of heating elements mounted on the housing between the loading station and the discharge station, on either side of the conveyor means;
• and
• lifting means mounted on the housing adjacent the loading station on the side thereof in the direction of travel of the conveyor means for engaging and elevating the slices of bread above the lowermost slice, said lifting means including cam means comprising a generally vertical cam plate and a pair of generally horizontally directed opposed pins on the housing in engagement with a pair of canted slots formed in the cam plate which cause the cam plate to raise upwardly when engaged by the moving vertically stacked bread slices to raise all but the lowermost slice relative to the conveyor to facilitate feeding of said lowermost slice between the heating elements.

A toaster for automatically toasting a predetermined number of bread slices or the like comprising:

• a housing including a discharge station at one end;
• a loading station on the housing generally at an end opposite from the discharge station for supporting a generally vertical stack of bread slices, said loading station being slightly elongated in a direction between the discharge station and the loading station to permit the vertically stacked bread slices to move horizontally;
• conveyor means mounted on the housing for continuously feeding the bread slices one at a time from the bottom of the stack through the housing to the discharge station;
• a pair of heating elements mounted on the housing between the loading station and the discharge station, on either side of the conveyor means;
• and
• lifting means mounted on the housing adjacent the loading station on the side thereof in the direction of travel of the conveyor means for engaging and elevating the slices of bread above the lowermost slice, said lifting means including cam means comprising a generally vertical cam plate and a pair of generally horizontally directed opposed pins on the housing in engagement with a pair of canted slots formed in the cam plate which cause the cam plate to raise upwardly when engaged by the moving vertically stacked bread slices to raise all but the lowermost slice relative to the conveyor to facilitate feeding of said lowermost slice between the heating elements.