A deep fry apparatus for automatically and sequentially deep frying food articles below the surface of a hot fluid and at different depths or multi-levels in the fluid. An automatic feeder mechanism for feeding food articles to the deep fry apparatus is also disclosed. One embodiment of the deep fry apparatus initially conveys food articles to a bottom step of the deep fryer via a stream of cooking oil flowing through a tube. This embodiment of the deep fry apparatus includes a spiral, stepped grid which conveys the food articles back to the surface of the fluid step by step via a forward/backward stroke mechanism which includes a quick release mechanism for releasing the food articles relative to a step of the grid by the principle of inertia. The food articles are automatically pushed out of the surface and out of the apparatus via the forward/backward stroke mechanism. Other embodiments also include multilevel staggered grids with conveyers for transporting the food articles from grid portion to grid portion and out of the deep fry apparatus. Another embodiment utilizes the deep fry apparatus in a vending machine.
A feeding, singulating, or orienting device which includes a vibratory feeder bowl having a central receiving section and at least two tracks radiating outwardly from the receiving section. The feeder bowl can be convex, concave, or flat in vertical cross-section depending on the articles to be separated or oriented.
