Apparatus and method for use in assembling food on trays

Abstract

An apparatus for use in assembling hot and cold food portions onto moving trays. The apparatus includes a generally rectangular cabinet section which may be mounted on casters for portability. The top surface of the cabinet is provided with a plurality of hot food wells and frost plates adjacent each of its longitudinally extending sides. Mounted centrally on the top of the cabinet and extending upwardly therefrom is a tray conveyer assembly. Food trays carried by continuously rotating tray carriers mounted on the conveyer assembly pass in front of attendants who place the required portions of hot and/or cold food upon the trays.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for use in making up serving trays with food portions comprising: a. a cabinet assembly having two spaced apart, longitudinally extending, generally flat top counter surfaces;   b. a hollow, narrow, elongated, serving tray conveyer assembly centrally and longitudinally fixedly positioned between said two top surfaces and extending upwardly a substantial distance therefrom, i. said tray conveyer assembly having end and sidewalls extending upwardly from said top surface, a continuous shelf projecting outwardly from said end and sidewalls adjacent their upper ends, a plurality of tray support means supported by said shelf for movement thereover, and means located in the upper portion of said tray conveyer assembly for moving said plurality of tray support means around a closed path; and     c. each of said two top surfaces of said cabinet providing means for accommodating a plurality of bulk or individually portioned food containers for placement of individual portions on each of said serving trays by an attendant.   
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1 wherein said tray support moving means includes a rotatable wheel mounted within said conveyer assembly at each end thereof, drive means for driving one of said wheels, an endless, flexible drive member connected to each of said wheels, a plurality of spaced apart tray support drive brackets attached to said flexible drive member and extending transversely through an endless opening in the sides and ends of said housing, and coupling means on each of said tray supports for attaching thereto one of said drive brackets. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one low friction slide member is mounted on the top surface of said shelf and extending completely therearound to slidingly support said plurality of tray support means. 
     
     
       4. The device of claim 1 including readily detachable means for coupling said tray support means to said flexible drive member. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 2 wherein said wheels are sprockets and said flexible drive member is a drive chain assembly, which assembly is carried by a generally U-shaped, endless, elliptical track which is carried by said sidewalls of said conveyer assembly. 
     
     
       6. The device of claim 5 wherein said drive chain assembly includes a plurality of spaced apart, transversly extending tray carrier drive brackets and support guide, each being coupled at one end to said drive chain and being slidably supported by the upper end of one of the sidewalls of said U-shaped track. 
     
     
       7. The device of claim 6 wherein said upper end of each of the track sidewalls is provided with a slide cap of low friction material. 
     
     
       8. The device of claim 5 wherein said U-shaped track inner walls are covered by a layer of low friction material. 
     
     
       9. A device for use in making up serving trays with food portions comprising: a. an elongated, generally rectangular cabinet having .[.tow.]. .Iadd.two .Iaddend.spaced apart, longitudinally extending, generally flat, top counter surfaces with a plurality of openings therein;   b. a hot food well or a cold plate assembly received in each of said plurality of openings provided in each of said two top surfaces;   c. an elongated, generally rectangular tray conveyer assembly positioned between and fixedly connected at its base to said two top surfaces and extending upwardly therefrom and terminating inwardly from the ends of said cabinet, i. said tray conveyer assembly including a hollow housing having opposed sidewalls and end walls having a continuous shelf projecting freely outwardly from the upper end of said housing and supported by a plurality of brackets attached to said side and end walls,   ii. a plurality of tray carriers slidingly supported by said shelf, and   iii. a tray carrier drive assembly mounted within said hollow housing adjacent its upper end, said drive assembly including an endless drive chain carried by a pair of sprockets, one sprocket positioned at each end of said housing, one of said sprockets having a variable speed drive motor coupled thereto, said drive chain being connected to each of said tray carriers by a drive bracket extending transversely through a continuous opening provided in said hollow housing above the level of said shelf.     
     
     
       10. The device of claim 9 including a removable top cover for said hollow housing, said top cover having downturned sidewalls terminating above said hollow housing sidewalls to provide space therebetween for projection of said drive brackets therethrough. .Iadd. 11. Apparatus for use in assembling individual food portions on serving trays, said apparatus comprising first and second sections of an extended length counter top surface, said counter top surface being adapted to accommodate at least one of bulk food and individual food containers in a stationary position thereon prior to transferring of individual food portions from said counter top surface onto said serving trays,   a plurality of tray carriers with each tray carrier extending generally horizontally over one of said counter top sections from adjacent one side edge thereof toward but not beyond the other side edge thereof, each tray carrier being elevated above said counter surface a distance ther permits an attendant to remove an individual food portion from said counter top section beneath said tray carrier and then to lift up that individual food portion onto a serving tray positioned on said elevated tray carrier, said tray carriers being connected together in a closed loop, and said closed loop of tray carriers being positioned to provide a first run of tray carriers above said first counter top section and a second run of tray carriers above said second counter top section, and   drive means connected with said tray carriers, said drive means being adapted to move said elevated tray carriers through said closed loop over and above said first counter top section, and then over and above said second counter top section, while at least one attendant lifts up individual food portions from said counter top surface and assembles those individual food portions of said elevated serving trays. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 11, including   a shelf disposed beneath said closed loop of tray carriers, said shelf being adapted to support said tray carriers in the generally horizontal position as said tray carriers are moved through said loop by said drive means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, including   a low friction slide fixed to at least one of said tray carriers and said shelf, said slide supporting said tray carriers on said shelf, thereby permitting said tray carriers to slide easily over said shelf as said tray carriers are moved through said closed loop. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, said drive means including   a flexible drive member to which said tray carriers are connected, said flexible drive member cooperating with said tray carriers to define said closed loop of tray carriers, and   a detachable coupler connecting each tray carrier to said flexible drive member, said detachable coupler permitting each of said tray carriers to be easily uncoupled from and then recoupled to said flexible drive member as desired. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, each of said tray carriers within each run of said closed loop extending over a counter top section from adjacent one edge of said counter top section to adjacent the median plane of said counter top section, thereby extending over no more than about one half the width of said counter top section and leaving the remaining half of said counter top section with no tray carrier thereabove. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, said counter top surface including   heating means in one counter top section adapted to keep food in a heated condition, and   each of said tray carriers extending at least partially over said heating means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, said counter top surface including   refrigerating means in one counter top section adapted to keep food in a chilled condition, and each of said tray carriers extending at least partially over said refrigerating means. .Iaddend.