Abstract

An elongated vat of heated cooking liquid such as oil is provided and slices of raw potato are admitted into one end of the tank and moved longitudinally of the latter toward the other end of the tank. As the potato slices reach the other end of the tank, they are removed therefrom. The potato slices are conveyed longitudinally of the tank through the utilization of inversely cyclically moved frames suspended above the vat and extending longitudinally thereof with each frame including a plurality of depending fingers spaced both longitudinally and transversely of the tank. Each frame is lowered from a starting position with the fingers thereof spaced above the level of cooking oil in the tank to a position with the fingers extending through the cooking oil level. Thereafter, each frame is moved longitudinally of the tank toward the discharge or other end thereof, subsequently elevated to a position with the fingers of the frame spaced above the level of cooking oil in the tank and then moved back toward the inlet end of the tank to the starting position thereof.