A stirring apparatus includes a bed, a column, a revolution shaft, a revolution driving device, a support member, and a stirring unit. The revolution shaft is supported by the column and extends in a horizontal direction. The revolution driving device rotates the revolution shaft about a first center line being an axis of the revolution shaft. The support member is fixed to the revolution shaft. The stirring unit includes cups and a self-rotation mechanism. The cups are disposed on a circumference centered on the first center line via the support member. The self-rotation mechanism rotates the cups about a second center line passing through a center of the cups. The cups is provided in an inclined manner so that a perpendicular from the center of a bottom plate to the first center line is shorter than a perpendicular from the center of an opening to the first center line.

A system and method for positioning a food product with respect to a print head for printing on a surface thereof. The system is incorporated into a printer. The system has a movable support surface for supporting the food product thereon, the support surface being vertically and horizontally moveable with respect to the print head. A sensor is provided for detecting a position of a surface of the food product positioned on the moveable support surface with respect to the print head. The sensor provides a signal to the printer indicative of a position of the surface of the food product and wherein the moveable support surface is adjustable in response thereto. The sensor is a position sensor configured to detect the position of a top surface of the food product.

A printer ink mist collection system for a printer and a method of collecting and removing ink mist from the printer, the system having a channel extending from a print area to a filtration system wherein the filtration system comprises one or more filters and wherein the channel is configured to direct airborne ink and mist generated during printing to the filtration system and wherein the channel and filtration system are removable from a printer for purposes of cleaning the ink collection system.

A system for dispensing toppings onto a topping vehicle may include a hopper platform, hoppers, a retaining plate, a blade, and a hopper-advancing pin. The hoppers each include a hopper bracket slidably engaging the hopper platform. The blade is mounted on the retaining plate and may reciprocate relative to the retaining plate. The hopper-advancing pin is movable relative to the hoppers between deployed and stowed positions. The hopper-advancing pin may engage one of the hopper brackets in the deployed position such that movement of the retaining plate between retracted and extended positions causes movement of the hopper bracket and a respective hopper along a length of the hopper platform. The hopper-advancing pin may be disengaged from the hopper brackets in the stowed position to allow movement of the retaining plate between the retracted and extended positions without causing movement of the hopper brackets.

The food breading device is configured for use with a target foodstuff and a coating foodstuff. The coating foodstuff has a bulk solid phase. The food breading device coats the coating foodstuff on the target foodstuff. The food breading device includes a containment shell, a paddle structure, and a timing device. The timing device attaches to the containment shell. The paddle structure mounts in the containment shell. The target foodstuff is placed inside the containment shell. The paddle structure is a rotating structure. The paddle structure rotates such that the paddle structure changes the position of the target foodstuff within the containment shell. The rotation of the paddle structure further releases the coating foodstuff onto the target foodstuff.

A dusting powder sprinkling apparatus comprises a frame body, a hinge, a hook, and a toggle latch. The frame body presses the entire circumference of a mesh body, excluding the portion provided with through-holes, along the outer peripheral surface side of the mesh body to fix the mesh body to the hopper. The hinge rotatably fixes a first frame side extending along the rotation axis direction of the brush to the outlet of the hopper. The hook is fixed to a second frame side extending along the rotation axis direction of a brush in the frame body. A tip portion of the hook projects from the outer periphery of the frame body. The toggle latch is fixed to the outlet of the hopper facing the hook and is capable of engaging with the tip of the hook.

An automated food preparation system includes a sauce-dispensing system with sauce reservoirs, a scanning head, and tubes. Each of the sauce reservoirs is configured to contain a respective sauce. The scanning head includes openings each coupled with a respective sauce reservoir via a respective tube. A conveyance system transports a foodstuff between first and sauce positions. The scanning head is movable to dispense a selected sauce onto one or more regions of the foodstuff. A motor assembly is mounted to a mounting structure. The motor assembly is drivingly coupled to the scanning head and rotates the scanning head relative to the mounting structure. The scanning head includes a plate and a cylindrical shroud fixed relative to the plate. The openings extend through the plate. The plate is disposed within a cavity defined by the cylindrical shroud. The motor assembly rotates the plate and the cylindrical shroud about a longitudinal axis.

Described herein is a filled biscuit characterized in that it comprises: a biscuit body (2) shaped like a container, defining a cavity (2A) contained in which is a filling material (4); a cover (6) made of biscuit designed to close said cavity (2A) from outside, either partially or completely; and a second filling material (8) that is set in contact simultaneously with said cover (6), said container body (2), and said filling material (4), so as to seal said cover to said container body and withhold said first filling material within said cavity.

A method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module including a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module including a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.

A system may include a chute, a plurality of hoppers, a bun-advancing system, a blade, and a bun-stopper system. The plurality of hoppers are attached to the chute and include outlets in communication with a channel of the chute. The bun-advancing system is configured to move a food product from one of the hoppers to the channel of the chute. The blade may be disposed in the channel and may be configured to reciprocate relative to the chute. The bun-stopper system may include an actuator and a stopper. The stopper may be disposed vertically above the blade. The actuator may be configured to move the stopper between an extended position where the stopper extends into the channel to prevent the food product from contacting the blade and a retracted position where the stopper is retracted from the channel to allow the food product to move into contact with the blade.