Abstract: An online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers. The online shopping system presents an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window for items selected by the customer. The system accepts the customer's submission of a purchase order for the item in response to a time of submission being before the order cutoff time. The online shopping system does not settle with a credit supplier of the customer until the item selected by the customer is picked from inventory but before it is delivered. Therefore, the customer can go online and make changes to the order. In addition, available service windows are presented to the customer as a function of customer selected order and service types; and further, the order picking is assigned in accordance with a picker's preference.

Abstract: An online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers. The online shopping system presents an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window for items selected by the customer. The system accepts the customer's submission of a purchase order for the item in response to a time of submission being before the order cutoff time. The online shopping system does not settle with a credit supplier of the customer until the item selected by the customer is picked from inventory but before it is delivered. Therefore, the customer can go online and make changes to the order. In addition, available service windows are presented to the customer as a function of customer selected order and service types; and further, the order picking is assigned in accordance with a picker's preference.

Abstract: An online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers. The online shopping system presents an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window for items selected by the customer. The system accepts the customer's submission of a purchase order for the item in response to a time of submission being before the order cutoff time. The online shopping system does not settle with a credit supplier of the customer until the item selected by the customer is picked from inventory but before it is delivered. Therefore, the customer can go online and make changes to the order. In addition, available service windows are presented to the customer as a function of customer selected order and service types; and further, the order picking is assigned in accordance with a picker's preference.

Abstract: A method of collecting groceries from a grocery store to fill multiple orders simultaneously includes a wheeled cart. The cart body has at least one opening for storing totes to be filled with bags of groceries. The totes are taken to a delivery truck after being filled at the grocery store. The wheeled cart has an inverted U-shaped top rail to which are secured a printer and a scanner. A computer base secured to the cart supports a computer. The printer, scanner and computer are powered by a battery housed in the cart.

Abstract: A vehicle adapted to hold and transport groceries for home delivery comprises a chassis and a storage unit. The storage unit includes multiple compartments maintained at different temperatures to keep items placed therein refrigerated, frozen or at ambient temperature. Each of the compartments is easily accessible from the ground and has at least one rack mounted therein. The racks support totes filled with grocery orders.

Abstract: An automatic vending machine for delivering soft ice cream or the like to ice cream cones or other containers. A pivotally mounted arm receives a cone and then moves to a product-dispensing station. The product is dispensed into the cone until a weight-responsive structure associated with the arm senses the predetermined weight of the product and stops delivery of the product to the cone. Then the arm is moved so that it deposits the cone in a delivery chamber and then is moved out of the delivery chamber back to a position to receive another cone. Mechanical latch structures are provided for latching the door to the delivery chamber in closed position until the arm has been completely withdrawn from the delivery chamber and a rod connects the arm to the latch for effecting unlatching of the door in response to movement of the arm so that the door is unlatched after the movement of the arm out of the delivery chamber.

Abstract: An improved and modified cheese stacking machine for forming stacks of individually wrapped slices of cheese. Individual cheese slices are wrapped, cut and delivered in the machine to a discharge assembly where the individually wrapped slices are stacked one atop the other. A cam shaft rotates as the machine cycles and mounts a plurality of cams which operate cam switches to cause discharge of the stacks. An electrically operated clutch is provided between the cam shaft and the driving means, and an electro-optical sensor is mounted for sensing each slice as it is delivered to the discharge assembly. A counter is connected to the sensor for accumulating a count indicating the slices stacked since the last discharge, and the clutch operated upon a predetermined count to cause the stack to be discharged.

Abstract: An edible, stackable cone having a sanitary covering, and a method of vending such edible cones are provided. Each cone includes an inedible, non-toxic sanitary covering disposed over the bottom of the cone and extending upwardly at least a grasping distance, but terminating short of the open cone top. The covered cones are disposed in a nested stack, one above the other, and are automatically dispensed one at a time from the stack to a product-filling area. The covering may be a no-migration plastic, or food-grade paper, or aluminum foil, and the covering may be snugly - but readily removably - adhered to the cone by deforming selected areas of the covering into intimate contact with corresponding areas of the cone, or by providing an interference fit facilitated by ribbing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing a soft food mix, such as soft ice cream, milk shakes, yogurt or the like whereby mix from a pressurized container passes through a heat exchanger and particularly passes in a line disposed within a hollow coil immediately adjacent to a second line which carries either a heating or cooling fluid to prevent formation of an ice plug and maintain the proper consistency. Thermisters disposed on the coil sense the temperature of the mix and provide electrical control signals to automatically control supply of the heating and cooling fluids.

Abstract: A system and method for producing a soft food mix, such as soft ice cream, combined with a gas mixture such as a food grade fluorocarbon and nitrous oxide whereby the mix is injected into a saturation tower as atomized particles. A source of gases above atmospheric pressure is also connected to the tower so that the injected particles mix with the gas and fall to the bottom of the tower where they are removed and coupled to a conventional pressurized container filler. To improve consistency the saturated mix in the bottom of the tower is recirculated by a pump and injected against a barrier near the top to fall again through the pressurized gases. A pump controlled by sensors within the tower is connected between a mix tank and the tower to be controlled by the sensors to maintain a range of saturated mix in the tower with a heat exchanger removing any heat so added. A valve is disposed between the filler and tower and controlled by a further sensor to prevent draining the tower.