Patent ID: 7404279

Claim:
An automated flatware and napkin assembling apparatus comprising: a spoon hopper that holds stacked spoons prior to wrapping; a fork hopper that holds stacked forks prior to wrapping; a knife hopper that holds stacked knives prior to wrapping; rolled paper napkins; rolled paper labels, perforated, with adhesive along one edge; an exit slot, on which the fully wrapped and secured flatware exits the automated flatware and napkin assembling apparatus is provided at the bottom of the automation enclosure; first upper indexing plate working in conjunction with a first lower indexing plate for providing for the dropping of one spoon and one fork at a time on a sliding chute defined by a first travel path and a second travel path; a second upper indexing plate working in conjunction with a second lower indexing plate for the dropping of one knife at a time into the flatware trough as defined by a third travel path; a napkin stream fed from said rolled paper napkins by a series of first indexing rollers working in a pinch roller arrangement; a label stream fed from the rolled paper adhesive by a series of second indexing rollers working in a pinch roller arrangement; and an ink jet printer head is incorporated in line with said label stream between the feed from said rolled paper labels and said second indexing rollers, said inkjet printer head is provided to print individual labels on each of said roll paper labels; wherein said first upper indexing plate, said first lower indexing plate, said second upper indexing plate, said second lower indexing plate, said first indexing rollers, and said second indexing rollers are all mechanically powered by a series of stepper motors activated by a logic controller that receives inputs from a series of sensors to direct the napkin stream into a flatware trough located at the bottom of the sliding chute.