System and Method for Dispensing Food Items

Abstract

A system for dispensing toppings onto a topping vehicle may include a hopper platform, hoppers, a retaining plate, a blade, and a hopper-advancing pin. The hoppers each include a hopper bracket slidably engaging the hopper platform. The blade is mounted on the retaining plate and may reciprocate relative to the retaining plate. The hopper-advancing pin is movable relative to the hoppers between deployed and stowed positions. The hopper-advancing pin may engage one of the hopper brackets in the deployed position such that movement of the retaining plate between retracted and extended positions causes movement of the hopper bracket and a respective hopper along a length of the hopper platform. The hopper-advancing pin may be disengaged from the hopper brackets in the stowed position to allow movement of the retaining plate between the retracted and extended positions without causing movement of the hopper brackets.

1 . A system comprising:
 a base;   a hopper platform mounted on the base;   a plurality of hoppers each including a hopper bracket slidably engaging the hopper platform;   a retaining plate supported by the base and movable relative to the base between a retracted position and an extended position;   a blade mounted on the retaining plate and reciprocating relative to the retaining plate; and   a hopper-advancing pin movable relative to the hoppers between a deployed position and a stowed position,   wherein the hopper-advancing pin is configured to engage one of the hopper brackets in the deployed position such that movement of the retaining plate between the retracted and extended positions causes movement of the one of the hopper brackets and a respective hopper along a length of the hopper platform, and   wherein the hopper-advancing pin is disengaged from the hopper brackets in the stowed position to allow movement of the retaining plate between the retracted and extended positions without causing corresponding movement of the hopper brackets relative to the hopper platform.