FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to machines and apparatus which are adapted for commercial cooking and handling of pizzas. More particularly, this invention relates to such machinery and apparatus which are specially adapted for engaging a pizza as it emerges from an automated commercial oven, and for transporting the pizza to a next processing location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pizzas which are baked in a restaurant's conveyor or tunnel pizza oven are often contained and carried within a circular baking pan. Such pans commonly include a circular retainer wall at its periphery. Such pan walls cause difficulties and create mechanical challenges in designing tools which are capable of automatically engaging and lifting a pizza from such pan. A common motion of a spatula used to lift and transport a pizza extends the spatula's lifting blade horizontally toward the edge of the pizza, such motion being directed radially inwardly from the pizza's periphery. However, the presence of a pizza pan's peripheral retaining wall undesirably constitutes a mechanical obstruction to such common lifting use of a spatula.

The instant inventive pizza transfer tool provides specially linked and interconnected circumferential array of pivoting arms and spatulas which are capable of engaging a pizza within a peripherally walled pizza pan, and is capable of lifting and carrying the pizza out of such pan.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first structural component of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprises a vertical shaft which is oriented along a vertical axis. In a suitable embodiment, the vertical shaft is smooth walled, having a circular or square horizontal cross-sectional shape. The vertical shaft may serve as a vertical slide guide or track which supports vertically slidable sleeves. Alternatively, the vertical shaft may comprise a telescoping quill and stem combination.

A further structural component of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprises an upper vertically movable member which may comprise an upper slide sleeve mounted to the vertical shaft for alternative upward and downward motions therealong. Alternatively, where the vertical shaft comprises a telescoping quill and stem combination, the upper vertically moveable member may comprise an upper component of such combination. Depending upon the orientation of the quill and stem combination, the upper vertically moveable member may comprise either such combination's quill component or such combination's stem combination.

A further structural component of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprises a lower member which, similarly with the above described upper slide sleeve, may suitably comprise a lower slide sleeve which is mounted for vertically reciprocating sliding movements along the lower end of the vertical shaft.

Alternatively, the lower member may comprise a lower component of the alternatively provided telescoping quill and stem configured vertical shaft. Where a quill and stem combination is provided, the vertically moveable lower member is preferably driven by a linear motion actuator which is capable of moving the lower member along the vertical axis a rate which differs from the upper member's vertical movements.

Where the upper and lower vertically moveable members comprise slide sleeves which are independently moveable along the vertical shaft, such members may be configured substantially identically with each other. The alternatively provided sleeves may instead of sliding at their interfaces with the vertical shaft, present low friction roller bearings, such alternatively configured sleeves constituting roller bearing sleeves. Where roller bearing sleeves are provided, the vertical shaft is preferably square in order to present flat vertically extending roller track surfaces.

Further structural components of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprise an upper circumferential array of pivot arms. In a suitable embodiment, each arm among such array has a radially inner and proximal end which is pivotally or hingedly mounted to the upper vertically moveable member. Such an array of upper arms may consist of four arms evenly circumferentially spaced at approximate 90° angle increments. Alternatively, three of such arms may be provided with 120° spacing. Further alternatively, five or six of such arms may be provided respectively arranged with 72° or 60° spacing. Other numbers of such circumferentially spaced arms are considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

A further structural component of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprises a second and underlying circumferential array of lower pivot arms. Each arm among such lower pivot arm array preferably has a radially inner or proximal end which is pivotally or hingedly mounted to the vertically lower member.

A further structural component of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprises a matching circumferential array of linking members. In a preferred embodiment, each linking member has a radially inner end and a radially outer end, the radially outer end of each linking member being pivotally mounted to the radially outer and distal end of one of the upper pivot arms, and the radially inner end of said each linking member being pivotally mounted to a radially outer and distal end of an immediately underlying lower pivot arm.

The pivotally attached circumferential array of linking members advantageously complete within the inventive transfer tool a circumferential array of pivoting four bar linkages. Each of the tool's four bar linkage commonly includes the portion of the vertical shaft which spans between the pivoting attachments of the proximal ends of the upper and lower arms as the linkages' fourth bar. Such fourth bar is radially central, and such central bar may constitute the only bar of the four bar linkages whose effective length is alternatively extendable and retractable. The instant invention's circumferential array of four bar linkages distally extends the array of linking members, and is capable of imparting multiple axis rotary motion upon the linking members.

A further structural component of the instant inventive pizza transfer tool comprises a matching circumferential array of spatula heads. In the preferred embodiment, such spatula head array is fixedly attached to and extends downwardly and radially inwardly from the radially inner ends of the linking members. The linking members' support of the spatula heads is analogous to the function of a common spatula handle.

Vertical motion actuators, suitably jack screw actuators, are preferably operatively connected to the upper and lower members for selectively moving such members in vertically upward or downward directions along vertical shaft's vertical axis. Upon selective actuations of the vertical motion actuators, proximal ends of the tool's upper and lower circumferential arrays of pivot arms are simultaneously angularly moved with respect to the vertical axis of the vertical shaft. Such angular motions of the upper and lower pivot arms advantageously translate into simultaneous pivoting and rotating motions of the distally attached linking members. Such motions automatically move the attached circumferential array of spatula heads about multiple rotation axes. Such motions of the linking members advantageously guide the blades of the spatula heads along paths which initially substantially follow and vertically traverse the inner surface of a pizza pan's peripheral wall. Through rotating motions guided by their attached upper and lower pivot arms, the linking members may subsequently extend their spatula blades horizontally beneath the peripheral edge of a pizza within the pan.

Thereafter, a provided overhead mechanism which carries the entirety of the transfer tool may carry the transfer tool and the engaged pizza to an offloading location such as a pizza cutting and boxing station.

Accordingly, objects of the instant invention include the provision of a pizza transfer tool which incorporates structures as described above, and which arranges those structures in manners described above for the performance of beneficial functions, as described above.

Other and further objects, benefits, and advantages of the instant invention will become known to those skilled in the art upon review of the Detailed Description which follows, and upon review of the appended drawings.

