Apparatus for dispensing a quantity of material on a shell

A continuous food material dispensing apparatus for adding a topping food material to each one of a plurality of target foods of predetermined uniform individual size, comprising:

• a first and a second hopper, each hopper for receiving the food material at an inlet and for gravitationally delivering a predetermined amount of the food material through an outlet toward a plurality of target locations of predetermined size ;
• a first and a second motor, each motor positioned at a distance from the first and second hoppersrespectively;
• a first and a second curved conduit, each conduit having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends each being releaseably connected to the first and second motors, respectively, and each of the distal ends for insertion into the first and the second hoppers, respectively, and a first and a second flexible, rotary shaft for stirring the food material , each of the flexible, rotary shafts passing through the first and second conduits, respectively, and operatively connected at respective flexible, rotary shaft first ends to each of the first and the second motors, respectively;
• a first and a second stirring shaft for mixing the food material , each stirring shaft operatively connected to a second end of each respective flexible, rotary shaft;
• a first distributing blade and a second distributing blade for evenly distributing the predetermined amount of food material over the food targets connected to the first and second stirring shafts, respectively so delivered from the outlet of each of the first and the second hoppers, respectively;
• a first and a second mask member, each mask member located in circumferentially spaced relationship to the outlet of each of the first and the second hoppers, respectively, and each mask member being similarly configured relative to the other, so that the mask members conform to the size of the individual target foods of the plurality of target foods;
• a conveyor belt for transporting the target foods toward the first and second hoppers that extends beneath the outlets of the first and the second hoppers and also beneath the first and the second mask members, respectively, that is vertically and longitudinally aligned relative to the direction of conveyor belt advance with the first and the second hoppers, respectively, that include means for continuously and uniformly advancing the conveyor belt, and that on which the plurality of target foods is sequentially arranged for transporting the target foods toward the first and the second hoppers and successively beneath the outlets of the first and the second hopper outlets, respectively;
• means for predetermining the size of each target food positioned on the conveyor belt;
• means for predetermining the amount of food material needed to cover each food target in communication with the means for predetermining the size of the target food;
• and
• a first transfer belt and a second transfer belt, that are each of shorter length than the conveyor belt, that are each transfer belt positioned in vertical alignment with and between the conveyor belt wherein the predetermined amount of food material is deposited from the hoppers onto the transfer belts which continuously deliver the food material to the plurality of target foods located on the conveyor belt. and the outlet of a different one of each of the first and the second hoppers, respectively, and that are each provided with a first and a second stop and go drive means, respectively, so that the predetermined amount of the food material so delivered from the outlet of each of the first and the second hoppers is deposited onto the first and the second transfer belts, respectively, while stationary, after which the transfer belts each advance in the direction of advance of the conveyor belt and deliver the food material thereon to individual target foods of the plurality of target foods located on the conveyor belt;
• photoeye means for determining the location of each succeeding target food of the plurality of target foods advancing on the conveyor belt in relation to the first and the second transfer belts, said photoeye means being located in a fixed position over the conveyor belt and before the outlet of the first hopper relative to the direction of advance of the conveyor belt;
• and
• control means cooperative with the photoeye means for sequentially, selectively and cyclically advancing each one of the first and the second transfer belts, and for synchronizing the relative positions of each so advancing one of the first and the second transfer belts with the position of each so-location determined, succeeding target food on the continuously advancing conveyor belt;
• whereby the food material so deposited on each transfer belt is sequentially delivered in an accurate and precise manner to each succeeding one of the target foods advancing on the conveyor belt.

A continuous food material dispensing system for adding a food material to each one of a plurality of similar target foods comprising:

• (a) a conveyor belt for continuously transporting said plurality of target foods sequentially, including means for continuously advancing the conveyor belt;
• (b) a hopper that is vertically located over said conveyor belt, said hopper having an upper inlet for receiving and a lower outlet that is smaller than the upper outlet for delivering a predetermined amount of food material charged to said hopper;
• (c) a plurality of distributing blades positioned adjacent to said outlet, including means for rotating said distributing blades, for evenly distributing food material so delivered from said outlet;
• (d) a mask member located in circumferentially spaced relationship about said outlet, said mask member for defining the area in which food material so delivered from said outlet is evenly distributed;
• (e) a transfer belt of substantially shorter length than said conveyor belt positioned between and in vertical alignment with said conveyor belt and with said outlet, and having a stop and go drive means, for receiving while stationary food material so delivered from said outlet, and thereafter for advancing in the direction of advance of said conveyor belt to deliver so received food material thereon from a forward edge region thereof upon a succeeding target food of said target food plurality on said conveyor belt that is vertically aligned with said forward end region and that is so advancing on said conveyor belt;
• (f) photoeye means located in a fixed position over said conveyor belt and upstream from said transfer belt for determining the leading edge location of each succeeding target food of said plurality of target foods so advancing on said conveyor belt;
• and
• (g) control means cooperative with both said transfer belt and also with said photoeye means, for synchronizing the advance of said transfer belt with the advance of each said so photoeye location determined succeeding target food advancing on said conveyor belt until said food material is transferred from said advancing transfer belt to said succeeding target food;
• whereby food material so received on said transfer belt is so delivered to each succeeding one of said plurality of target foods so advancing on said conveyor belt.

A continuous food material dispensing system for adding a food material to each one of a plurality of similar target foods comprising:

• (a) a conveyor belt for continuously transporting said plurality of target foods sequentially including means for continuously advancing the conveyor belt;
• (b) a plurality of hoppers that are vertically located over and are longitudinally aligned relative to each other and relative to the direction of advance of said conveyor belt, each hopper having an upper inlet for receiving and a lower outlet that is smaller than the upper outlet for delivering a predetermined amount of food material charged to each said hopper;
• (c) a plurality of distributing blades, each one positioned adjacent to a different outlet of each one of said hoppers, including means for rotating each said distributing blade, each distributing blade for evenly distributing food material so delivered from each said hopper;
• (d) a plurality of similarly configured mask members, each mask member being located in circumferentially spaced relationship about a different outlet of each one of said hoppers, each mask member for defining the area in which food material is so delivered is evenly distributed;
• (e) a plurality of transfer belts, each one of substantially shorter length than said conveyor belt, each one positioned between and in vertical alignment with said conveyor belt and with a different one of said hoppers, each one having a stop-and-go drive means, and each one for receiving while stationary food material so delivered and so distributed from the vertically adjacent one of said hoppers, and thereafter for advancing in the direction of advance of said conveyor belt to deliver so received food material thereon from a forward edge region thereof upon a succeeding target food of said target food plurality that is vertically aligned therewith and that is so advancing on said conveyor belt;
• (f) photoeye means located in a fixed position over said conveyor belt and upstream from said transfer belts for determining the leading edge location of each succeeding target food of said plurality of target foods so advancing on said conveyor belt;
• and
• (g) control means cooperative with said photoeye means, for sequentially, selectively and cyclically advancing each one of said transfer belts of said transfer belt plurality, and for synchronizing the advance of each advancing one of said transfer belts with the advance of each said so photoeye location determined succeeding target food advancing on said conveyor belt until said food material is transferred from said advancing transfer belt to said succeeding target food;
• whereby food material so received on each said transfer belt is so delivered to each succeeding one of said plurality of target foods so advancing on said conveyor belt.

A method for dispensing food material upon individual target foods that are sequentially arranged on a conveyor belt that continuously advances along an elongated, generally horizontal first pathway, said method comprising the succeeding steps of:

• (a) locating a plurality of hoppers vertically over and in longitudinal alignment relative to each other and relative to the direction of advance of said conveyor belt, each hopper having an upper inlet for receiving and having a lower outlet that is smaller than the upper outlet and delivering, a predetermined amount of food material charged to each hopper;
• (b) positioning a plurality of distributing blades, each blade being adjacent a different outlet of each one of said hoppers, and rotating each said distributing blade, and evenly distributing food material so delivered from each said hopper;
• (c) establishing a plurality of similarly configured mask members, each mask member being set in circumferentially spaced relationship about a different outlet of each one of said hoppers, and defining the area in which food material is so delivered is evenly distributed;
• (d) arranging a plurality of transfer belts, each transfer belt being of substantially shorter length than said conveyor belt, each transfer belt being positioned between and in vertical alignment with said conveyor belt and with a different one of said hoppers, and providing stop and go advancing means for each transfer belt, and each transfer belt receiving while stationary food material so delivered and so distributed from the vertically adjacent one of said hoppers, and thereafter advancing in the direction of advance of said conveyor belt to deliver so received food material thereon from a forward edge region thereof upon a succeeding target food of said target food plurality advancing on said conveyor belt while said succeeding target food is vertically aligned therewith;
• (e) locating a photoeye in a fixed position over said conveyor belt and upstream from said transfer belts and determining the leading edge location of each succeeding target food of said plurality of target foods so advancing on said conveyor belt;
• and
• (f) interconnecting said photoeye, and sequentially, selectively and cyclically advancing each one of said transfer belts of said transfer belt plurality, and synchronizing the advance of each so advancing one of said transfer belts with the advance of each said so photoeye-location determined succeeding target food advancing on said conveyor belt until said food material is transferred from said advancing transfer belt to said succeeding target food;
• whereby food material so received on each said transfer belt is so delivered to each succeeding one of said plurality of target foods so advancing on said conveyor belt.