Toasting apparatus

A cooking device including:

• a housing,
• a heating platen in said housing, said heating platen having a first heating surface and a second heating surface with said first and second heating surfaces facing generally in opposite directions;
• first conveying means mounted in said housing and positioned on one side of said heating platen and having a first portion thereof spaced from and generally parallel to the first heating surface, said first portion and said first heating surface defining a first path therebetween along which a bun portion can move for toasting;
• second conveying means mounted in said housing and positioned on the other side of said heating platen and having a second portion thereof spaced from and generally parallel to the second heating surface, said second portion and said second heating surface defining a second path therebetween along which a bun portion can move for toasting;
• first means associated with said housing and defining at least one feed opening into each of said first and second paths, said first means including:
• a first panel positioned adjacent an end of the first conveying means adjacent the feed opening, said first panel having a first face facing in a direction generally opposite to the direction the first heating surface faces;
• a second panel positioned adjacent an end of the second conveying means adjacent the feed opening, said second panel having a second face facing in a direction generally opposite to the direction the second heating surface faces;
• said first and second panel being generally parallel with but spaced from said first and second heating surfaces to form said feed openings, and a third panel positioned generally above said platen and between said first and second panel thereby forming two feed openings, said third panel being positioned adjacent to an end of the heating platen adjacent the feed opening, said third panel having a third face facing generally in the same direction as the first heating surface, said third panel having a fourth face facing generally in the same direction as the second heating surface, said third panel has a free edge spaced from the heating platen which is adapted for separating a bun into a heel portion and a crown portion whereby the heel portion will travel through the first path or second path and the crown portion will travel through the other of the first path or second path with the inside surfaces of the heel portion and crown portion facing the respective heating surface;
• second means with said housing and defining a first discharge path opening into said first path;
• third means associated with said housing and defining a second discharge path opening into said second path;
• a first member positioned adjacent said first discharge path and operable for receiving and supporting a bun portion thereon after discharge from the first path;
• and
• a second member positioned adjacent said second discharge path and operable for receiving and supporting a bun portion thereon after discharge from the second party, said second member being positioned above said first member.