Patents by Inventor Todd W. Craig

Todd W. Craig has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7923048
    Abstract: Making a pizza crust includes forming a mass of dough into a substantially flattened shape to define an inner crust bordered by an outer crust extending around the inner crust. The outer crust is divided into a plurality of segments without cutting the inner crust by pressing a plurality of cutting fins of a cutting ring through the outer crust to form the plurality of segments. Each of the plurality of segments defines a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a first side facing the inner crust, and a second side facing opposite the inner crust. Each of the plurality of segments is turned such that the second end is moved away from the inner crust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff
  • Patent number: 7914836
    Abstract: A pizza includes a dough member and at least one topping disposed on the dough member. The dough member defines a substantially flattened shape and includes a central portion and a border portion. The central portion defines a perimeter. The border portion extends about the perimeter of the central portion. The border portion of the dough member is divided into a plurality of dough segments, each dough segment being turned relative to the perimeter of the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff
  • Patent number: 7823489
    Abstract: A system and/or method for making a pizza pie having an outer cheese portion comprises a cutting tool and/or a cutting guide to enable formation of at least one opening at an outer crust region of a pizza pie to cause an inner cheese portion embedded within the outer crust to flow through the at least one opening, thereby forming the outer cheese portion at the upper surface of the outer crust. A cutting tool of the system comprises a rotatable disc with notches in its cutting surface to enable formation of the at least one opening in the outer crust. A cutting guide of the system comprises a generally disc shaped member with a support surface at its outer edge for supporting and guiding application of a cutting device against an outer crust region of a pizza dough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Peter G. Graham, Jennifer T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7726236
    Abstract: A sandwich maker includes a base and a perforating member. The base includes a base cavity into which a portion of a sheet of dough can be positioned, the base cavity including a plurality of slots positioned in a spaced fashion therein and extending through the base cavity. The perforating member is separably coupled to the base external to the base cavity and moveable between a normally retracted position and an extended position, wherein the perforating member includes a plurality of teeth spaced along the perforating member such that each tooth of the plurality of teeth aligns with a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each tooth is configured to extend into the base cavity via the corresponding slot when the perforating member is in the extended position so as to cut slits in the portion of the sheet of dough positioned within the base cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig
  • Patent number: 7677879
    Abstract: An apparatus for docking dough includes a base member, a plurality of protrusions extending from a lower surface of the base member, and a handle secured to an upper surface of the base member. The base member is not flat, but rather has a curvature that enables the apparatus to be rocked from side to side when placed on a surface. Thus, in use, the apparatus is first placed on and manually pressed into a dough, such as an uncooked pizza dough. Then, the apparatus is rocked from side to side by the user to dock the dough, ensuring that dimples or divots are made throughout the dough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Stephen D. Voels, Maria V. Brister
  • Patent number: 7610837
    Abstract: A system and/or method for making a pizza pie having an outer cheese portion comprises a cutting tool and/or a cutting guide to enable formation of at least one opening at an outer crust region of a pizza pie to cause an inner cheese portion embedded within the outer crust to flow through the at least one opening, thereby forming the outer cheese portion at the upper surface of the outer crust. A cutting tool of the system comprises a rotatable disc with notches in its cutting surface to enable formation of the at least one opening in the outer crust. A cutting guide of the system comprises a generally disc shaped member with a support surface at its outer edge for supporting and guiding application of a cutting device against an outer crust region of a pizza dough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Peter G. Graham, Jennifer T. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20080196598
    Abstract: A sandwich maker including a base and a perforating member. The base includes a base cavity into which a portion of a sheet of dough can positioned, the base cavity including a plurality of slots positioned in a spaced fashion therein and extending through the base cavity. The perforating member is separably coupled to the base external to the base cavity and moveable between a normally retracted position and an extended position, wherein the perforating member includes a plurality of teeth spaced along the perforating member such that each tooth of the plurality of teeth aligns with a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each tooth is configured to extend into the base cavity via the corresponding slot when the perforating member is in the extended position so as to cut slits in the portion of the sheet of dough positioned within the base cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig
  • Publication number: 20080196597
    Abstract: A sandwich maker including a base and a perforating member. The base includes a base cavity into which a portion of a sheet of dough can positioned, the base cavity including a plurality of slots positioned in a spaced fashion therein and extending through the base cavity. The perforating member is separably coupled to the base external to the base cavity and moveable between a normally retracted position and an extended position, wherein the perforating member includes a plurality of teeth spaced along the perforating member such that each tooth of the plurality of teeth aligns with a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each tooth is configured to extend into the base cavity via the corresponding slot when the perforating member is in the extended position so as to cut slits in the portion of the sheet of dough positioned within the base cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: PIZZA HUT, INC.
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig
  • Publication number: 20040253348
    Abstract: A shield for a food product in a baking environment is constructed for manual placement into close association with a pan for supporting the food product. The shield has a shape generally corresponding to the pan and includes a first region defining a plurality of first apertures extending through the shield, a sidewall bordering the first region, and a ledge bordering the sidewall and at least partially defining a plurality of second apertures extending through the shield. The plurality of second apertures extends across the border between the ledge and the sidewall such that a portion of each second aperture is defined in the ledge and another portion of each second aperture is defined in the sidewall. The ledge is constructed for support by a rim of the pan, and the plurality of second apertures is constructed to allow airflow away from the food product outwardly through the shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Steven J. Woodward, Todd W. Craig, Steven A. Amigh, Andre Holman
  • Patent number: D455617
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff, Kathy A. Nelson
  • Patent number: D536578
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Steven Amigh
  • Patent number: D548426
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff