Patent Publication Number: US-RE38478-E

Title: Apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on a shell

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to automated dispensing devices, and, more particularly to an apparatus for applying cheese to individual pizza shells, such as at a high volume producer of frozen pizzas. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Pizza making is generally a labor intensive undertaking. Pizza crusts or shells are produced from a dough substance, seasoned tomato sauce is added and spread evenly over the shell, and other toppings such as cheese, meats, and vegetables are added according to personal taste. In many situations, it is advantageous to produce pizzas as fast as possible. This is the case in the manufacture of frozen pizzas. 
     It is simply not cost effective to manually produce individual frozen pizzas. In order for the manufacturer to achieve a suitable profit margin, frozen pizzas must be produced rapidly with as little human intervention as possible. Manufacturers have incorporated many different devices in the pizza making operation to automate certain tasks. Chief among these tasks is the addition of toppings. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,374 described an automated pizza meat dispenser; U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,726 describes a an automated device for adding a flowable material, such as pizza sauce, to a food target; U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,097 describes a food ingredient dispensing device; U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,367 describes an apparatus for applying pizza sauce to a pizza; and, U.S. 
     Pat. No. 5,523,101 describes a multi-purpose applicator. 
     It is also important for the different automated dispensers to operate as efficiently and quickly as possible. Therefore, it is advantageous to design a dispenser which functions continuously or does not pause to add during addition of the toppings to the shell. 
     Furthermore, it is important to spread the toppings evenly over the shell. If the toppings are not spread evenly over the shell, the pizza will become unbalanced, and it will have an awkward appearance and perhaps cook unevenly. Therefore, an automated dispenser must spread the toppings uniformly over the shell. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a continuous apparatus for adding a food material to a shell for use in the pizza making industry described herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed toward a food material dispensing apparatus and method for adding a topping to a target food. The apparatus comprises in one aspect a first hopper and a first food material distributing system. The first hopper is adapted for receiving a predetermined amount of the food material at an inlet and delivering the food material through an outlet toward a target location. The inlet generally has a larger cross-sectional area than the outlet so that the hopper has a funnel-like structure for directing the food material toward a concentrated area. 
     The first food distributing system is for spreading or distributing the food material over the a target food. The food distributing system includes a motor, a curved conduit and a flexible, rotary shaft. The motor is positioned near the inlet of the hopper and at a horizontal distance from the hopper. A proximal end of the curved conduit is releaseably connected to the motor. The curved conduit is adapted to enter the interior of the hopper near the inlet so that and to have a distal end of the curved conduit that is positioned near the hopper&#39;s outlet. 
     The flexible, rotary shaft has a first end and a second end. The first end is operatively connected to the motor so that the motor transfers a rotary motion to the flexible, rotary shaft. The flexible, rotary shaft passes through the curved conduit so that the second end is positioned near the distal end of the curved conduit. 
     In another aspect, the invention achieves an apparatus and a method for dispensing food material in an accurate and precise manner upon individual target foods that are sequentially arranged upon a continuously moving conveyor belt that does not stop. In this aspect, the food material is first dispensed upon a stationary transfer belt. The transfer belt is then advanced and synchronized with an individual target food on the conveyor belt. The individual target food becomes vertically aligned with the dispensed food material on the transfer belt and the dispensed food material is transferred progressively and gravitationally to the target food. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawing drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on upon a shell or like target food, the mask member and some other parts being removed; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an the apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on a shell. embodiment of FIG. 1, the conveyor belt being shown in schematic vertical section, the mask member being in place, and some parts being removed; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an another emboeiment of apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on upon a shell or like target food, the mask members and some other parts being removed; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of an the apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on a shell embodiment of FIG. 3, the conveyor belt being shown with opposite ends shortened, the mask members being in place, and some parts being removed; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an the apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on a shell embodiment of FIG. 3, the conveyor belt and one transfer belt each being shown in schematic vertical section, the mask members being in place, and some parts being removed; and 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a the food distributing system employed in the apparatus embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 and of FIGS. 3-5, some parts thereof being shown in section and some parts thereof being shown in phantom. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiment illustrated. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food material dispensing apparatus  10  of the present invention. The food material dispensing apparatus dispenses a food material to a plurality of sequenced target locations. The target locations can each be a target food of a type that requires additional toppings. In the preferred embodiment, the target foods are pizza shells or crusts used in the frozen pizza field and the food material is a cheese topping. The dispensing apparatus comprises includes a hopper  12  and a food distributing system  14 . 
     In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 4FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 , the food material dispensing apparatus  10  delivers food material to a sequenced plurality of continuously moving food targets. The food material dispensing apparatus  10  of FIG. 3FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 comprises a plurality of hoppers  12 . In this preferred embodiment, there are first and second hoppers  12 ,  12 a. The first and second hoppers  12 ,  12 a are linearly aligned. 
     The first and second hoppers  12 ,  12 a are substantially identical. Each hopper  12  is supported by a beam member  16  within a frame  18  so that the hoppers  12 ,  12 a are suspended and vertically displaced above supporting portions  20  of the frame  18 . The hoppers  12 ,  12 a have inlets  22 ,  22 a for accepting a predetermined amount of topping and outlets  24 , 24 a through which the topping passes toward the target location. The inlets  22 ,  22 a have a larger cross-sectional area than that of the outlets  24 ,  24 a so that the hoppers  12 ,  12 a have a funnel-like shape for directing the topping to a concentrated area. 
     Each hopper  12  is illustratively shown equipped with a food distributing system  14 . Referring to FIG. 6, the food distributing systems  14 each comprise a motor  26 , a curved conduit  28 , and a flexible, rotary shaft  30 . The motors  26  are positioned at approximately the same height as the inlet  22  of each hopper  12 . Rather than being positioned directly above the hoppers  12 , the motors  26  are displaced at a horizontal distance from the inlets  22  of the hoppers  12 . Each motor  26  is supported on the frame  18  by a platform  32  to which the motors  26  are fixedly attached by a plurality of bolts  34  or other suitable attaching means. (See FIG.  3 ). 
     Each curved conduit  28  is attached to one of the motors  26 . The curved conduits  28  are preferably produced from stainless steel tubing. A proximal end  36  of each curved conduit  28  is attached to the motor  26 . A distal end  38  of each curved conduit  28  is inserted into the hopper  12 . Thus, the curved conduits  28  extend from the motors  26  to the inlets  22 , enter an interior portion  40  of the hoppers  12 , and extend downwardly toward the hopper outlets  24 . At the proximal ends  36 , the curved conduits  28  are designed to be detachable from the motors  26  for easy cleaning and maintenance. 
     The flexible, rotary shafts  30 each extend from thea motor  26  through the a curved conduit  28  into the a hoppers  12 . The flexible, rotary shafts  30  are operatively connected at first ends  42  to the motors  26 . Second ends  44  of the flexible, rotary shafts  30  are positioned substantially adjacent the distal ends  38  of the curved conduits  28 . First and second stirring shafts  46  are operatively connected to each of the second ends  44  of the respective flexible, rotary shafts  30 . The stirring shafts  46  are produced from a rigid material and adapted for stirring and/or mixing the food material. 
     Collars  48  are fitted around the distal ends  38  of the curved conduits  28  for preventing the food material from entering the curved conduits  28 . Each collar  48  has first and second interlocking parts  50 ,  52 . The first part  50  engages the curved conduit  28 . The second part  52  extends down the a length of the stirring shaft  46  and engages an abutment  56  on the stirring shaft  46  to form a seal  58  which prevents the food material from entering the curved conduit  28 . 
     First and second distributing blades  60 illustratively are operatively connected to the first and second stirring shafts  46 , respectively. The motors Each blade  60  is located below and adjacent to a different one of outlets  24 ,  24 a and the blades  60  are rotatably driven. Hence, each motor  26 turn theturns a different subassembly of flexible, rotary shaftsshaft  30 , the stirring shafts shaft  46 , and the distributing blades blade  60 cooperatingcooperatively to mix the food material issuing from the outlets  24 ,  24 a and evenly distribute a predetermined amount of the food material over the target locations. 
     In one embodiment the target locations, are top portions of the food targets. This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 1FIGS.  1  and  2 . In FIG. 1FIGS.  1  and  2 , a conveyor belt  62 with an associated conventional power head ( not shown ) transports the target foods under the hopper  12 . The conveyor belt  62  passes over the supporting portions  20  of the frame  18  and are is routed through this region by angle iron guides  64  which are fastened to the supporting portions  20  of the frame  18 . In operation, the conveyor belt  62  of this embodiment comes to a stop under the hopper  12  where the food material is distributed over the top of the target food by the food distributing system  14 . 
     Although removed from the apparatus  10  views shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 for purposes of showing apparatus  10  details more fully, a mask member  54  is shown in place in FIG.  2  and in FIGS. 4 and 5. The mask member  54  is located in circumferentially outwardly and horizontally spaced relationship about the outlet  24  of each hopper  12 , and also in vertically spaced relationship to either the conveyor belt  62  in the apparatus  10  of FIGS. 1 and 2, or to the transfer belts  66  and  66 a in the apparatus  10  of FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 , as the case may be. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a mask member  54  functions to define the perimeter within which food material that exits an outlet  24 , and that is distributed by passage through the associated rotating distributing blade  60 , is dispensed, and the configuration of a mask member  54  may be selected so that a mask member  54  defines a desired area over which food material is distributed upon a target food. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 4FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 , in the preferred embodiment, the food material dispensing apparatus  10  further comprises a plurality of transfer belts  66 . Most preferably, there are first and second transfer belts  66 ,  66 a. Each transfer belt  66 ,  66 a is associated with a separate electric motor  67 ,  67 a for advancing the respective associated transfer belt  66 ,  66 a in a stop- and - go manner.  The transfer belts  66 ,  66 a operate as the target locations for receiving the food material from the first and second hoppers  12 ,  12 a. Accordingly, the transfer belts  66 ,  66 a are positioned below the outlets  24 ,  24 a of the hoppers  12 ,  12 a. The transfer belts  66 ,  66 a have a shorter length than the conventionally powered ( powerhead not shown ) conveyor belt  62 . 
     In operation, the first hopper  12  delivers the predetermined amount of food material to the first transfer belt  66 . The first transfer belt  66  is stationary as it receives food material from the first hopper  12 . The first transfer belt  66  then begins to traverse in the same direction as the conveyor belt  62 . The first transfer belt  66  carries the food material toward a first delivery end  68 . The speed of the first transfer belt  66  is synchronized with the speed of the conveyor belt  62 . As the food material reaches the first delivery end  68 , the food material on the advancing transfer belt  66  is in vertical alignment with a particular food target on the advancing conveyor belt  62 , and, as the synchronized speed of the transfer belt  66  continues, the food material is gravitationally delivered to the target food positioned on the conveyor belt  62  below. The first and second hoppers  12 ,  12 a act in conjunction with the first and second transfer belts  66  to delivery food material successively to each of a plurality of continuously moving target foods. In other words, as the separate target foods enter the apparatus  10  the first separate target food receives food material from the first transfer belt  66  and the second separate target food receives food material from the second transfer belt  66 a, and, although the transfer belts  66 ,  66 a stop to receive food material from the hoppers  12 ,  12 a, the conveyor belt  62  does not need to stop. 
     The food dispensing apparatus  10  further comprises a means for determining the location of the target food on the conveyor belt  62  and a means for synchronizing the relative positions of the hopper  12  and the target location so that the food material is delivered in an accurate and precise manner to the target food. It is contemplated that a first photoeye  72  is used to determine the actual size of the target food. The information gathered by the first photoeye  72  is communicated to a controller. A second photoeye  76  senses the leading edge of each target food, so that the controller, using the size information from the first photoeye, can regulate how far the conveyor belt  62  needs to traverse to place the target food directly under the outlet  24  of the hopper  12 , as in the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the second photoeye  76  senses the leading edge of the each target food. The controller, using the size information from the first photoeye  72 , and the location information from the second photoeye  76 , can synchronize the speed of one of the transfer belts  66 ,  66 a with the speed of conveyor belt  62 , so that the food material on each transfer belt is delivered approximately to the center central area of the target food when the food material is gravitationally delivered to the target food from such transfer belt. 
     While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.