GB2222936A - Cooking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A barbeque cooking apparatus has a charcoal grid (22) supported at the bottom of a frame (10), and a food platform (24) mounted for vertical sliding movement in the frame. The platform is attached at each side to a slider (26) for vertically sliding in a respective upright frame member (18) of channel section. The sliders are attached to cables (32, 34) coiled around opposite ends of a horizontal rod (28) which can be rotated by a hand crank (30) to move the platform up or down. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Cooking Apparatus Field of the invention This invention relates to an improved cooking apparatus and more particularly to a barbeque apparatus.

Background to the invention A wide variety of barbeque apparatus are at present available on the market. In one type it is known to mount a food grill shelf or platform above the charcoal grid in such a manner that it can be lifted out from a first position and re-inserted in another position above or below the first position; thus in use the heat received at the grill platform from the burning charcoal can be coarsely varied. However, when the grill platform is hot and laden with food, and particularly where the barbecue apparatus is portable and not rigidly mounted, this operation is clearly fraught with dangers and problems.

Summary of the invention According to the present invention there is provided a cooking apparatus, in particular a barbeque apparatus, comprising a frame, a grid for charcoal supported at the bottom of the frame, and a grill platform for food mounted above the grid, wherein said platform is mounted in the frame for vertical sliding movement.

Preferably the platform comprises a vertical slider at each side thereof which is engageable with a respective upright member forming part of the frame. The upright member may be of channel section within which the respective slider is a sliding fit.

Advantageously the platform is supported by a pair of filamentary members such as thin wire cables.

In a preferred arrangement a cable is secured to each said vertical slider, and the upper end of each cable is coiled around opposite ends of a rotatable horizontal rod.

A hand crank may be secured to one end of the rod to provide vertical adjustment of the grill platform.

To prevent downward movement of the platform, due to its weight, a stop is preferably provided which is engageable with the crank to prevent rotation, at least in the downward direction of the platform.

A plate may be mounted under the charcoal grid for horizontal sliding movement in the frame. This has the advantageous double function of catching the ash from the charcoal, and more particularly to enable the draught to the burning charcoal to be varied.

Brief description of the drawings An example of a barbeque apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the a-ccompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus; and Figure 2 is a front partial section taken through the front upright members, with the central portion of the apparatus omitted.

Detailed description of the drawings Referring first to Figure 1 the barbeque apparatus consists of a frame shown generally at 10, comprising an upper rectangular sub-frame 12, a lower sub-frame 14, a pair of rear uprights 16 secured to the upper and lower sub-frames and a pair of front uprights 18 of U-shaped channel section secured to the lower sub-frame and supporting the upper sub-frame. The top of each front upright may be secured to or alternatively may merely provide support for upper sub-frame 12.

The lower half of the frame is surrounded at each side and at the back by a wind shield 20 extending around a grid 22 on which charcoal is adapted to be placed.

Referring now also to Figure 2, which is a section through the front uprights 18, there is shown a grill platform or shelf 24 mounted above the grid 22. At each side of the platform 24 is a vertical slider 26 which slidably engages with the interior of the channel section of the respective front upright 18.

Passing through the upper sub-frame 12 and resting in a splayed apart V-shape 27 at the top of each upright 18, is a horizontal rod 28 having a hand crank 30 integrally formed at its right-hand side, as viewed in the drawings.

The platform 24 is supported at its sides by thin wire cables 32, 34, one of which extends between each slider 26 and is coiled around the respective ends of the rod 28. A clip 36 at the left-hand end of the rod 28, opposite the crank 30, ensures that the rod cannot be withdrawn from the left-hand side of the upper sub-frame 12.

In operation, rotation of the crank 30 causes the cables 32 and 34 to be wound or unwound from the rod (depending on its direction of rotation), resulting in the sliders 26 and hence the platform 24 being moved upwards or downwards. This permits a fine adjustment of the vertical position of the platform relative to the grid 22, without any need for touching the platform itself, which may become very hot in use.

A pivotal stop 38 is mounted on the upper sub-frame 12 and is engageable with the crank 30 to prevent it being rotated due to the weight of the platform 24 and the food on it.

Formed at the bottom of the lower sub-frame 14 are a pair of ledges 40 which support a plate 42 for horizontal sliding movement. In use the plate 42 may be partly withdrawn by being pulled forwards, so that when the charcoal is being lit the draught of air to the charcoal assists in burning of the charcoal. Thereafter the plate may be slid back into its inner position, where it will also serve to catch the ash from the charcoal.

Subsequently the plate may be adjusted slightly to vary the draught available to the burning charcoal.

The barbeque apparatus may be wall mounted, and for this purpose a pair of spacers 44 (only two shown) are provided for each of the upper and lower sub-frames 12 and 14. The apparatus may, for example, be supported on hooks in the wall which rest on the under-side of the upper sub-frame 14.

Towards the top of each front upright 18 a peg 46 extends horizontally through the channel section, so as to enclose the respective cable 32 or 34. Besides serving to contain the cables in the uprights, the pegs 46 also ensure that the cables are evenly wound around and along the respective ends of the rod 28.

It will be appreciated that the barbeque apparatus described permits a safe and easy vertical adjustment of the food platform, and also provides for an improved adjustment to the draught for the burning charcoal.

Claims (9)

Claims:

1. A cooking apparatus, in particular a barbeque apparatus, comprising a frame, a grid for charcoal supported at the bottom of the frame, and a grill platform for food mounted above the grid, wherein said platform is mounted in the frame for vertical sliding movement.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the platform includes at each side thereof a vertical slider which is engageable with a respective upright member forming part of the frame.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the upright member is of channel section within which the respective slider is a sliding fit.

4. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the platform is supported by a pair of filamentary members, such as thin wire cables.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 in which a cable is secured to each said vertical slider, and in which the upper ends of the cables are coiled around opposite ends of a rotatable horizontal rod.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which a hand crank is secured to one end of the rod to provide vertical adjustment of the grill platform.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, and further comprising a stop engageable with the crank to prevent rotation thereof, at least in the downward direction of the platform.

8. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim, and further comprising a plate mounted under the charcoal grid for horizontal sliding movement in the frame, so as to catch the ash from the charcoal and to enable the draught to the burning charcoal to be varied.

9. A cooking apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.