PIZZA-TOPPING APPARATUS

• US 3,648,596 A
• Filed: 11/28/1969
• Issued: 03/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pillsbury Company The Pillsbury Center Minneapolis MN 55402
• Original Assignee: Santo Zito
• Inventors: Zito, Santo
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbott, Frank L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burke, Sam D.
• Application Number:
  US04/880,879
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 107/27,43 141/131,134 222/318
• US Class Current: 118/31
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 9/04 Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surfaces of, pieces or sheets of dough coating baked articles A21C15/002

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for continuously applying a pizza topping material to a plurality of pizza shells by transmitting pizza shells along a conveying assembly, passing the shells beneath a curtain of topping material falling from a shaker platform, recovering excess topping material which falls in the spaces between the pizza shells, recirculating excess topping material to a supply chute where excess topping material is mixed with fresh topping material, controlling the flow of excess and fresh topping materials in the supply chute with an electric eye, adjusting the flow of fresh topping material into the supply chute, and transmitting combined material to the shaker platform.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying pizza topping material to a plurality of pizza shells which comprises:

deposition means for providing a curtain of falling topping material for application onto a plurality of pizza shells;

means for transmitting a plurality of spaced pizza shells through said curtain of falling topping material;

supply means for containing fresh topping material;

conveying means for transmitting said topping material from said supply means to said deposition means;

recirculating means for collecting the excess topping material falling between the pizza shells and for transmitting said excess topping material to said conveying means; and

control means for regulating the volumetric flow of topping material to be furnished to said deposition means, said control means including;

spreader means interposed between said supply means and said conveying means for maintaining a maximum volumetric flow of combined topping materials to said conveying means; and

sensing means which determines the volume of combined topping materials flowing in the direction of said spreader means, and which adjusts the flow of fresh topping material from said supply means to said conveying means.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said spreader means comprises a rotary spreader having a plurality of finger adapted to rotate in a direction opposite the direction of flow of the combined excess and fresh topping materials.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said deposition means comprises:

a vibratory shaker platform adapted to provide a curtain of falling topping material onto said pizza shells; and

an inclined distribution chute disposed above said shaker platform and adapted to supply topping material to said shaker platform.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the rate of flow of topping material along said shaker platform is adjusted by vibratory means secured to said shaker platform.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 which is further characterized by a rotary spreader means interposed between said shaker platform and said inclined distribution chute, said rotary spreader means having a plurality of rotating fingers adapted to break the topping material flowing from said distribution chute onto said shaker platform into a plurality of pieces.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting said pizza shells has an opening to permit undeposited excess topping material to flow into said recirculating means and wherein said supply means is connected to a vibratory supply chute which interconnects said supply means and said conveying means.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said recirculating means has a first vibratory chute positioned beneath the opening in said means for transmitting said pizza shells and is adapted to receive excess topping material from said opening;

and wherein a second vibratory chute interconnects said first chute and said vibratory supply chute and is adapted to transmit excess topping material from said first chute to said vibratory supply chute.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said control means includes an electric eye which first determines the combined volume of excess topping material discharging from said second vibratory chute and fresh topping material discharging from supply means and which then controls the flow of fresh topping material to permit substantially constant flow of combined topping materials to said conveying means.