The automated assembly and manufacture of a sandwich includes a number of robots that are used to slice, open, and add inputs to a roll of bread. The inputs may be sliced and portioned at individual stations and then the inputs can be delivered to the bread or the bread can be conveyed to the inputs. In either sense, the selected inputs are added to the bread, based on the type of sandwich to be assembled. The assembled sandwich is then conveyed to a packaging station, where the sandwich is packaged, labeled, and prepared for shipment.

The automated assembly and manufacture of a submarine sandwich includes a number of robots that are used to slice, open, and add inputs to a roll of bread. The inputs may be sliced and portioned at individual stations and then the inputs can be delivered to the bread or the bread can be conveyed to the inputs. In either sense, the selected inputs are added to the bread, based on the type of sandwich to be assembled. The assembled sandwich is then conveyed to a packaging station, where the sandwich is packaged, labeled, and prepared for shipment.

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.

Device for providing dough products with a topping material, comprising a dough product conveyor, for transporting the dough products, a topping conveyor, for conveying the topping towards a dispensing location above the dough product conveyor, a collector for superfluous topping material from the dough product conveyor and a topping material sensor for measuring the distribution of the topping material in width direction of the topping conveyor, a controller, for controlling, based at least on the signal from the topping sensor(s), the movements of the second rake.

A method for the production of a food item having a filling includes conveying a food item to a first filling station. The filling station has a first rotating stencil with a first plurality of filling discharge ports. At least one first filling segment is formed by discharging filling, through the discharge ports, onto the food item. The food item is conveyed to a second filling station. The second filling station has a second rotating stencil with a second plurality of filling discharge ports. At least one additional filling segment is formed by discharging filling, through the second plurality discharge ports, onto the food item wherein the at least one additional filling segment is disposed on the food item adjacent to the at least one first filling segment.

An automated food preparation system includes a seasoning-dispensing system, a sauce-dispensing system, and a conveyance system. The seasoning-dispensing system includes a plurality of vessels, a dispersion nozzle, and a conduit coupled to the dispersion nozzle. Each vessel contains one of a plurality of seasonings. The vessels are in selective communication with the conduit. The sauce-dispensing system includes a plurality of sauce reservoirs, a scanning head, and a plurality of tubes. Each sauce reservoirs contains one of a plurality of sauces. The scanning head includes openings each coupled with one of the sauce reservoirs via one of the tubes. The conveyance system transports a foodstuff between a seasoning position in which the foodstuff is disposed below the dispersion nozzle and a sauce position in which the foodstuff is disposed below the openings. The scanning head is movable to dispense one or more sauces onto the foodstuff.

A food product platform, system and method for supporting a food product thereon during printing. The platform has a first surface for supporting the food product thereon, the first surface having a surface topography configured to securely support the food product thereon; and a second surface supporting an attachment mechanism for removably coupling to a reciprocal attachment mechanism on a receiving arm of a printer, wherein the attachment mechanism prevents movement of the platform with respect to the receiving arm when coupled to the receiving arm. The food product platform is removably connectable to the receiving arm manually and without the use of tools.

A delivery tray, system, and method for automatically delivering food product to a printer for printing on a surface of the food product. The tray has a main body having a plurality of food product support surfaces spaced apart on the main body and each food product support surface configured for supporting one of a plurality of food products thereon and the main body further comprising at least one positioning mechanism corresponding to each of the plurality of food product support surfaces and each positioning mechanism comprising at least one positioning element for guiding the loading of at least one of the plurality of food products onto the delivery tray. The tray is coupled to a motorized base for automatic movement of the tray.

A printer and corresponding method of printing an image on a surface of a plurality of food products by providing a system having a printer with an extendable and retractable receiving arm and a movable food product delivery tray for continuously and automatically providing delivery of unprinted food products which are retracted into the printer, printed on, and returned by the receiving arm to the rotatable delivery tray and the tray further moves to deliver subsequent food products for printing. A motorized base spaced apart from the printer supports the delivery tray during and printing processes.

A method and system for printing on a surface of a plurality of food products. The system comprises a printer configured for printing edible ink on a surface of the food products and a removable debris collection tray for catching food product debris positioned within the printer and configured to capture debris generated during at least one of delivery of food products to the printer, printing on the food products, and removal of printed food products from the printer. The printer has a print head and a receiving arm supported by the printer and extendable and retractable across a path of a print head of the printer for delivery and return of food products to a position below the print head for printing thereon. The removable debris collection tray is at least partially positioned below a travel path of the food product within the printer and between the print head and receiving arm.