Automated variable selection sandwich preparation device

Claim 1

An automated sandwich preparation machine comprising in combination, a housing, sandwich ingredient selection control means mounted on said housing to permit pre-selection of food ingredients from among a variety of such ingredients, first bread source means mounted within said housing, said first bread source means including a plurality of bread chambers thereby to permit the variable selection of bread types, a series of five food ingredient source means mounted within said housing, second bread source means mounted within said housing including a plurality of bread chambers, thereby to permit variable selection of bread type conveying means mounted within said housing and positioned beneath said first bread source means, food ingredient source means, and second bread source means, each of said food ingredient source means comprising an elongated chamber mounted within said housing and positionally disposed over and above said conveying means, said chamber being dimensionally sized to retain a mass of particular food ingredients therein, and being further provided with a pivotally movable bottom cover plate at the lower end of said chamber for normally supporting and retaining said food ingredients within said chamber, said food ingredient source means being in operative interconnection with said ingredient selection control means thereby to permit variable selection of specific food ingredients among a variety of such ingredients, said first and second bread source means being operatively connected together and with said ingredient selection control means whereby the selection of a particular bread type through said ingreadient selection control means results in the coordinated movement of said first and second bread source means to dispense the identical bread type from each of said first and second bread source means, said conveying means being sequentially movable along a longitudinal path to advance sandwich ingredients from one station to the next adjacent station in response to the ingredient selection control means until a completed sandwich is prepared, said first and second bread source means comprising a series of interconnected circumferentially arranged elongated chambers, said chambers being rotationally mounted on a shaft within said housing, thereby to be rotationally movable in response to the ingredient selection control means to position a pre-determined chamber over and above said conveying means and dispense the selected bread type onto said conveying means, food slicing means positioned adjacent the lower end of each of said elongate chambers forming said food ingredient source means for slicing a pre-determined thickness of said food ingredients from the lower end of said chamber and permitting the deposition of said food ingredients onto the slice of bread after the same has been operatively moved into position thereunder by said conveying means, said slicing means being sequentially actuated by said ingredient selection control means, and said slicing means and said cover plate being sequentially connected whereby the advancement of said slicing means into slicing relation with said food ingredients causes a concomitant time displacement of said cover plate from a supporting and retaining position to an open position, said coNveying means being operatively interconnected with said first bread source means, said food ingredient source means, said second bread source means and said sandwich ingredient selection control means, whereby the selection of particular food ingredients for the sandwich through said food ingredient selection control means will cause a pre-selected movement of said conveying means along a longitudinal path with intermediate stop positions beneath the appropriate bread chambers, and beneath appropriate food ingredient source means, and access means to said housing for access therein to the completed sandwich for removal from the machine.