Cooking device

A cooking device comprising an elongated housing having spaced opposite side and end walls and a closure wall extending therebetween, means forming a bed for charcoal located in the housing near the bottom thereof, two pairs of spaced track members formed by spaced opposed members located in the housing, one of said spaced pairs of track members being located above the other pair and both of said pairs being spaced above said bed forming means, a pair of sprocket wheels mounted for rotation in the housing adjacent each opposite end thereof, the sprocket wheels of each pair being located near the opposite sides of said housing, an endless flexible drive member mounted in the housing adjacent each of the opposite side walls thereof, each of said drive members engaging one sprocket wheel of each of the pairs of sprocket wheels and having upper and lower reaches which extend therebetween, the upper reaches of said flexible drive members being movable on and supported by the upper pair of track members and the lower reaches of said flexible drive members being movable on and supported by the lower pair of track members, means for connecting the drive members on opposite sides of the housing at spaced locations therealong including a plurality of rod members, a pair of spaced and opposed members pivotally supported on selected ones of said rod members adjacent opposite ends thereof, means biasing the pair of opposed members on each of the selected rod members toward each other, a plurality of rack members including containers for food products to be cooked, each of said rack members having spaced end walls with aligned means therein for engaging a selected one of the pairs of spaced and opposed members on one of the selected rod members, means attached to the housing for supporting the rack members in a first position during movement in one direction in the housing, and other means attached to the housing for supporting the rack members in a different position during movement in the opposite direction in the housing, means operatively engageable with one of the pairs of sprocket wheels for rotating the pair of sprocket wheels to move the flexible drive members and the rack members attached thereto whereby the rack members move along paths that extend between and around the sprocket wheels at opposite ends of the housing, and means located near one of the opposite ends of said housing for providing access into the housing for loading and unloading purposes.

A cooking device comprising an elongated housing having spaced opposite side and end walls and a closure wall extending therebetween, said housing having a plurality of panel members forming at least one of the opposite side walls thereof, at least one of said panel members being positionally adjustable on the housing to form an opening to controllably admit air into said housing, means located in and near the bottom of said housing forming a bed on which fuel can be spread, a sprocket assembly mounted in the housing adjacent to each of the opposite ends thereof, each of said sprocket assemblies including a rotatable shaft member having sprocket wheels thereon located adjacent to the respective opposite side walls of said housing, means journaling the sprocket wheel assemblies to the housing, a pair of continuous flexible drive members mounted in opposed relationship adjacent to the respective opposite side walls of said housing, each of said drive members being operatively engageable with the sprocket wheels of said sprocket assemblies located adjacent to the same side wall of said housing, each of said drive members having spaced upper and lower reaches which extend therebetween above said bed forming means, means connecting the drive members adjacent opposite side walls at spaced corresponding locations therealong including a plurality of rod members having opposite end portions attached to the respective drive members, a pair of spaced and opposed hook-like members pivotally mounted on each of said rod members adjacent to the respective opposite end portions thereof, spring means biasing at least one member of the pair of hook-like members on each of the rod members toward the opposed hook-like member thereon, a plurality of rack members for holding food products to be cooked, each of said rack members including spaced opposite end walls and a grid-like closure wall extending therebetween, said grid-like closure wall including hingedly connected portions which can be opened for loading and removing food products, the spaced opposite end walls of each of said rack members having aligned holes therein for cooperatively receiving the pair of spaced and opposed hook-like members of a selected one of said rod members, means for supporting each of said rack members in a first position during movement in one direction in the housing when operatively engaged with the rod members associated with the upper reaches of the respective drive members, means for supporting the rack members in a second inverted position during movement in the opposite direction in the housing when operatively engaged with the rod members associated with the lower reaches of said drive members, means operatively engageable with one of the sprocket assemblies for rotating the sprocket wheels thereof and for moving the drive members, container means mounted adjacent to and below one of said sprocket assemblies for containing a food flavoring substance, said container means being positioned such that the rack members move therethrough and are immersed in the substance contained therein, and means located near at least one of the opposite ends of said housing providing access to the rack members.