US 10,368,551 B2 · System and method for breaking sheets of frozen pizza into individual pieces

Abstract

A system and a method include breaking a sheet of frozen pizza into individual pieces for packaging. In an embodiment, the frozen pizza sheet includes five individual pieces separated by frangible lines. The breaking process includes a first step, wherein two end pieces are broken off by a first breaking mechanism, and a second step, wherein two additional end pieces are broken off a remainder of the frozen pizza sheet by a second breaking mechanism arranged downstream of the first breaking mechanism. In preferred embodiments, each breaking mechanism includes multiple holding wheels and multiple camming wheel rotatably mounted on a common driven axle.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system to break a sheet of frozen pizza into individual pieces, the system comprising a breaking mechanism including:

at least one holding wheel mounted on a rotatable axle, said at least one holding wheel being configured to apply a downward holding pressure to a portion of the sheet of frozen pizza;
and
at least one cammed wheel mounted also on the rotatable axle and spaced from the at least one holding wheel, said at least one cammed wheel including a cam, the system configured for the cam to apply a downward breaking pressure to break off an individual piece from a remainder of the sheet of frozen pizza.

A system to break a sheet of frozen pizza into individual pieces, the system comprising:

a first breaking mechanism including at least a first holding wheel and at least a first camming wheel, wherein the first holding wheel and the first camming wheel are mounted on a first common axle in a spaced relationship and wherein, the system is configured so that, upon directing the sheet of frozen pizza through the first breaking mechanism, the sheet of frozen pizza is supported by the first holding wheel while at least one individual piece is broken off of the sheet of frozen pizza by the first camming wheel upon rotation of the first common axle;
and
a second breaking mechanism arranged downstream of the first breaking mechanism, wherein the second breaking mechanism includes at least a second holding wheel and at least a second camming wheel, and wherein the second holding wheel and the second camming wheel are mounted on a second common axle wherein, upon directing a remainder of the sheet of frozen pizza from the first breaking mechanism through the second breaking mechanism, the remainder of the sheet of frozen pizza is supported by the second holding wheel while another individual piece is broken off of the remainder of the sheet of frozen pizza by the second camming wheel upon rotation of the second common axle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/057,501Filed 1 Mar 2016

Published

US 2017/0251678 A17 Sep 2017

Granted

6 Aug 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A21C 15/04
Apparatus for handling baked articles: cutting or slicing machines or devices specially adapted for baked articles other than bread
A21D 13/41
Products characterised by the type, form or use: pizzas
B26F 3/002
Severing by means other than cutting; Apparatus therefor: precutting and tensioning or breaking
Y10T 225/14
Methods: longitudinally of direction of feed

System and method for breaking sheets of frozen pizza into individual pieces

Life of this patent

System and method for breaking sheets of frozen pizza into individual pieces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21