Patent ID: 7891289

Claim:
A device for the automated frying of foods comprising: (a) a fry vat for containing and heating cooking oil; (b) at least one fry wheel having at least a generally circular perimeter and a plurality of compartments, each compartment having an opening towards the perimeter, the fry wheel mounted for rotational movement relative to a radial axis of the wheel, which radial axis is disposed above a normal operating level of the cooking oil in the fry vat; (c) a drive mechanism for rotating the fry wheel; (d) a sensing device configured to sense a level of cooking oil in the fry vat; (e) a control system for operating the drive mechanism to rotate the fry wheel in one direction to cause food deposited into one of the compartments to travel through the cooking oil in the fry vat over a period of time to fry the food and out of the cooking oil for subsequent discharge of the food from the compartment, wherein the control system is configured to adjust the speed of rotation based on the sensed level of cooking oil.