AN AUTOMATIC PIZZA SHAPING CONVEYOR DEVICE AND METHOD

FI ELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to an improvement to an automated pizza shaping convejor

device, and particularly pertains to an automated shaping com e) or device that

automatically processes and bakes a pizza.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Com entional pizzas are handmade from mixing flour, salt, yeast and the like in proper

proportions. The dough is made from mixing and blending flour, and then is

continuously kneaded and shaped into a traditional round shaped pizza having the desired

size and rotundity. Pizza sauce is poured onto the shaped dough and selected toppings of

cheese and seasonings are added. The pizza is then placed into a cooking oven w here the

pizza dough is cooked until it turns a golden color. The cooked pizza is then removed

and sliced into segments of even size with a cutter.

The making of the aforesaid handmade pizza is not only time-consuming, w hich

invariably adds many human hands, but is also requires training of a beginner before he or

she is able to woi k alone. Also, such personnel training increases the cost of making the

pizza and is not compatible for w ith mass production. I here is also the realization that if

the pizza is made by humans, the quality of the product is subjected to the result of

humans being prone to be affected by emotions. Consequently, not only is quality control

made difficult, but the reduction of production costs is also di fficult because human factors account for a majority of the piυduciion pi occbS.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to overcome, or at least to reduce, the aforesaid difficulties of

the almost entirely manual processing in the making of a cooked pizza.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an improvement of the manual

process of making a pizza by utilizing an automatic pizza shaping conve>or device is

disclosed. The device is primarily comprised of a dough machine, a form shaping

component or shaper, a conveyor and a heater or oven.

The dough machine receives prepared dough and it processes the dough into pizza dough.

The conve>or receiv es the processed dough from the dough machine and transfers it to

the shaper, which cuts the dough into segments, pours pizza sauce onto the segments, and

sprinkles selected seasonings onto the sauce covered segments. The conve) or then sends

the segments to the heater for baking.

More particularly, the present invention provides an automatic pizza shaping conveyor device that includes a plurality of stations, and comprises:

a dough machine which receives raw dough and processes the raw dough into an elongate sheet;

a conveyor associated with said dough machine which receives the sheet of pizza dough

and conveys it to other stations along the path of said conveyor;

a shaper which cuts the sheet into a plurality of segments; and

a sauce application station at which pizza sauce is applied to an upper surface of said

segments, and at which cheese and other seasonings are applied all resulting in coated

segments.

In light of which, the inventor has devised an automated pizza shaping veyor device.

w hereby kneaded dough is placed into the dough machine for producing lhe pizza dough.

which is then forwarded v ia the conveyor to the shaper. and then sauce is added and the

pizza is heated by the heater Io a golden hue. fhe shaper cuts lhe shaped dough into 45-

degree pizza segments or slices. In other woids. the shaped dough is divided into various

segments without any fuither cutting.

lhe invention improved automated pizza shaping convcvor device offers a serial

operation that not only serves to ieduce manpower, iheicby sav ing time, but it also

affoids the possibility of making pizza production into a mass pioduction operation The

piemen t invention also saves cost of making pizz as- in various sizes, and e ffortlessly

results in the nuking of a pizza having a consistently good quality

The present invention also concerns an automatic process of making a cooked pizza comprising the steps of:

processing dough into an elongate sheet of dough at a dough piocessing st ation

conveying said sheet of dough from said from said dough processing station,

cutting said c onvey sheet of dough into a plurality of substantial y identical 45 degree segments.

conveying said cut segments to a heater, and

cooking said segments in said heater

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An example of the piesent invention is now escrib with reference to the accompanying

draw ings, in which

F IG 1 is a somewhat -schematic side evation view that an assembled

configuration of a embodiment ol the piesent invention. and

F IG. 2 is a top plan vιew that shows a round pizza that is comprised of eight pieces ol any

desirable size in which each piece encompasses a 45 degree sector

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIM ENT

An automated pizza shaping conveyor device is depicted in FIG. 1 . The device is

primarily comprised of a dough machine I , a shaper 8, a heater 4 and a conveyor 7.

Dough machine 1 processes the dough into pizza dough 6 of proper thickness and

diameter in a conventional manner and deposits it onto conveyor 7, w hich is operationally

connected to it. Conveyor 7 receives the processed dough as a continuous or endless

sheet 6 that is somewhat rectangular in a transverse cross-section having a predetermined,

but adjustable thickness. Conveyor 7 can be a conventional belt-type continuous conveyor. Conveyor 7 transmits sheet 6 to the next workstation, w hich is in the present

embodiment is shaper 8.

Conveyor 7 either includes a shaping component or is connected with a shaper, both of

which are referred to herein as shaper 8. Thus, shaper 8 is located on conve\or 7 or at a

station along conveyor 7. Shaper 8 is comprised of several identical pie-shaped molds

that are arranged as interleaved components, with alternating molds pointing in the same

direction, but in the opposite direction of the mold adjacent to it, that is on either side of

it. The molds can be connected together to form an elongated shaper 8. Supporting

mechanisms and actuating mechanisms, not show n, carry the molds and cause them to

move in a generally orthogonal direction to the upper surface of sheet 6 of pizza dough,

contact dough sheet 8 on its upper surface and in a continued movement, cause the shaper

molds to cut into the pizza dough 6 and divide the dough 6 into several identical pie- shaped segments 2.

In addition, next to shaper 8, along the direction of the movement of convejor 7. is heater

4. Heater 4 is somew hat conventional and includes a conventional bake tray. Associated

with heater 4 are conventional temperature controls and time controls that include dial or button.

By placing handmade dough into the dough machine I , the dough machine 1 processes the dough into an elongate sheet of pizza dough 6, and the conveyor sends the dough to

the shaper 8, where the shaper=s several identical molds cut the uncooked pizza dough 6

into a plurality of identical, back-to-back 45-degree segments 2. The cut segments 2 are conveyed by conveyor 7 to a station w here a sauce is poured onto the upper surface of

segments 2, or otherwise applied thereto, and other ingredients, such as conventional

toppings (e.g. meat, ham, peperoni, onions, green peppers, anchovies and the l ike) are

applied, to produce covered, uncooked segments 3. While in one embodiment the cut

segments are substantially identical such that any eight segments can be combined

together to form a round pizza, in another embodiment, the molds can have di fferent

shapes to for producing different shapes of pizza, such as a square pizza. Also, in other

embodiment, the molds are either replaceable, or movable out of the cutting way, and

other different sized molds can be used to cut a 45 degree segment having a selected size. Thus, the overall size of the pizza can be varied from, for example, a 9 inch diameter pizza to a 16 inch diameter pizza.

After the segments are covered with sauce and other ingredients, the segments are

conveyed by conveyer 7 to the bake tray at heater 4. Adjustments to the heater is done on a conventional control panel where adjustment is made through the heater panel=s setting

for baking temperature and time until the pizza 5 is baked to a golden hue.

The present invention allows any eight 45-degree pizza segments to be assembled to form a round pizza as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, although produced in a continuous stream of

identical pie-shaped pieces 2, a conventional round pizza can be assembled and sent to

the client. Thus, the conventional round shape of a pizza is not compromised.

The invention=s automated pizza shaping conveyor device offers a serial operation that

reduces human hand not only serves to save time making it suitable for mass production,

but it also saves cost for how it is able to produce pizzas of varied sizes and in stable

quality.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a

particular embodiment, it will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and

other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, the various presently unforeseen and

unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be

subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed

by the follow ing claims. Although the invention has been described with reference to

specific preferred embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto, rather those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that variations and modifications may be made therein which are within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the

claims.