System for Dispensing Toppings

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles, comprising:
 a conveyor configured to move a topping vehicle between a first dispense position and a second dispense position;   a first topping module comprising:
 a first blade arranged over the first dispense position; 
 a first retaining plate arranged over the first dispense position and associated with the first blade; and 
 a first hopper arranged over the first blade opposite the first retaining plate and configured to dispense toppings of a first topping type onto the first retaining plate; 
   a second topping module adjacent the first topping module and comprising:
 a second blade arranged over the second dispense position; 
 a second retaining plate arranged over the second dispense position and associated with the second blade; and 
 a second hopper arranged over the second blade opposite the second retaining plate and configured to dispense toppings of a second topping type onto the second retaining plate, wherein the second topping type is distinct from the first topping type; and 
   an actuation system configured to:
 move the first blade and the first retaining plate in a first direction and in a second direction relative to the first hopper to cut and dispense a topping sample of the first topping type onto the topping vehicle in the first dispense position, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction, wherein the first blade and the first retaining plate move from a side with respect to the first hopper; and 
 move the second blade and the second retaining plate in the first and second directions relative to the second hopper to cut and dispense a topping sample of the second topping type onto the topping vehicle in the second dispense position, wherein the second blade and the second retaining plate move from a side with respect to the second hopper.