Patent ID: 6581727
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: A47F

Abstract:
In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, a method of serving merchandise items, comprising:disposing a merchandise item stocker (34) adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type; disposing a merchandise item feeder (36) adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22); by means of said merchandise item feeder (36), automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14); by means of a measuring means (32), determining types of merchandise items (14) being conveyed around on the rotary conveyer lane (22) and their respective numbers; and by means of said merchandise item feeder (36), determining which specified types of merchandise items (14) on the rotary conveyer lane (22) are becoming short of supply in number each from a specified number, and transferring as said selected merchandise item (14) a merchandise item (14) of a type so determined from the merchandise item stocker (34) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22).