Pneumatic delivery system for restaurant food

1. A restaurant which permits delivery of fast food products from a kitchen area to a food delivery station, comprising:

a. a first dispatch station located adjacent to the kitchen area, comprising a first port for loading a fast food carrier;

b. a fast food order indicator located adjacent to the kitchen area for indicating customer orders of fast food products;

c. a second dispatch station located adjacent to the food delivery station, comprising a second port for loading the fast food carrier;

d. a pneumatic tube connecting the first and second ports of the dispatch stations;

e. an air supply for applying pressure to the pneumatic tube in order to cause the fast food carrier to be dispatched from the first dispatch station to the second dispatch station, and from the second dispatch station to the first dispatch station;

f. a control on each dispatch station for actuating the air supply;

g. an order entry unit at an order entry station, into which unit, customer orders for the fast food products may be entered and transmitted to the order indicator located adjacent to the kitchen area; and

h. a fast food carrier adapted to contain a fast food product and transport it through the pneumatic tube from the first dispatch station to the second dispatch station.

2. A restaurant according to claim 1 in which the air supply is adapted selectively to provide positive and negative air pressure to the pneumatic tube, and is located at the first dispatch station.

3. A restaurant according to claim 1 in which the food delivery station is located in an outbuilding that is separate from a building in which the kitchen area is located.

4. A restaurant according to claim 3 further comprising an additional food delivery station located in the building in which the kitchen area is located, and two traffic lanes, one leading from the order entry station to said food delivery station, and the second leading from the order entry station to the other food delivery station.

5. A restaurant according to claim 4 in which the outbuilding also comprises an order indicator coupled to the order entry unit.

6. A restaurant, comprising:

a. a kitchen area adapted for preparation of food products and a first dispatch station located adjacent to the kitchen area, which dispatch station contains a port in which a fast food carrier may be placed;

b. a food delivery area adapted for delivery of food to customers, which food delivery area contains at least a soft drink service apparatus, and a second dispatch station located adjacent to the food delivery area, which dispatch station contains a port in which a fast food carrier may be placed;

c. a pneumatic tube connecting the ports of the first and second dispatch stations;

d. a fast food carrier adapted to be placed in the ports of the dispatch stations and to contain fast food products, comprising a hatch for loading the fast food products into the carrier, at least one seal corresponding in size to an inner diameter of the pneumatic tube so as to permit the carrier to move in substantially sealed and sliding relationship with respect to the tube, and dampening structure adapted to be interposed between the carrier and the fast food product in order to absorb shock imposed on the fast food products upon arrival of the carrier at a dispatch station;

e. a pressurizing apparatus for applying a positive and a negative pressure to the pneumatic tube; and

f. a control located at each dispatch station for actuating the pressurizing apparatus in order to cause the fast food carrier to be dispatched between the first and second dispatch stations.

7. A restaurant according to claim 6 in which the food delivery area is located in an outbuilding separate from the kitchen area, and the pneumatic tube runs under driveway areas navigated by customers who are purchasing fast food items from the restaurant.

8. A restaurant according to claim 6 in which the food delivery area further comprises a french fry preparation station.

9. A restaurant according to claim 6 further comprising an order entry unit into which customer orders of fast food products may be entered, and an order indicator located adjacent to the kitchen area which is adapted to display the customer orders entered into the order entry unit.

10. A restaurant according to claim 9 in which the food delivery area is located in an outbuilding, and the order entry unit is located on a side of the restaurant that is the same as the side on which the outbuilding is located.

11. A restaurant according to claim 6 in which the dampening structure comprises at least one styrofoam insert dimensioned generally to correspond to the dimensions of the interior of the fast food carrier.

12. A restaurant according to claim 11 in which the plastic insert is placed in the interior of the fast food carrier.

13. A restaurant according to claim 6 in which the pressurizing apparatus is located adjacent to the first dispatch station, and is adapted to apply positive pressure to the pneumatic tube when the fast food carrier is being dispatched to the second dispatch station, and negative pressure when to the pneumatic tube when the fast food carrier is being dispatched to the first dispatch station.

14. A restaurant according to claim 13 in which the pressurizing apparatus includes a pump and a valve interposed between the pump and the pneumatic tube in order to cause positive and negative pressure to be applied selectively from the pump to the tube.

15. A restaurant, comprising:

a. a kitchen area adapted for preparation of food products and a first dispatch station located adjacent to the kitchen area, which dispatch station contains a port in which a fast food carrier may be placed;

b. a food delivery area located in an outbuilding that is separate from the kitchen area, which food delivery area is adapted for delivery of food to customers, which food delivery area contains at least a soft drink service apparatus, and a second dispatch station located adjacent to the food delivery area, which dispatch station contains a port in which a fast food carrier may be placed;

c. a pneumatic tube connecting the ports of the first and second dispatch stations for conveying the food carrier between the first and second dispatch stations;

d. an order entry unit located at an order entry station, into which unit customer orders of fast food items may be entered, which order entry station is located on a side of the restaurant that is the same as the side on which the outbuilding is located;

e. a customer order indicator located adjacent to the kitchen area for indicating customer orders of fast food products entered into the order entry unit;

f. a fast food carrier adapted to be placed in the ports of the dispatch stations and to contain fast food products, comprising a hatch for loading the fast food products into the carrier, at least one seal corresponding in size to an inner diameter of the pneumatic tube so as to permit the carrier to move in substantially sealed and sliding relationship with respect to the tube, and dampening structure adapted to be interposed between the carrier and the fast food product in order to absorb shock imposed on the fast food products upon arrival of the carrier at a dispatch station;

g. a pressurizing apparatus for applying a positive and a negative pressure to the pneumatic tube; and

h. a control located at each dispatch station for actuating the pressurizing apparatus in order to cause the fast food carrier to be dispatched between the first and second dispatch stations.

16. A restaurant according to claim 15 in which the outbuilding and the kitchen area are separated by a driveway which is navigated by vehicles operated by customers whose orders have been entered into the order entry unit, and in which the pneumatic tube runs beneath the driveway between the first and second dispatch stations.

17. A restaurant according to claim 15 further comprising a second food delivery station located in the same building as the kitchen area, and two traffic lanes, one leading from the order entry station to the outbuilding food delivery station, and the second leading from the order entry station to the second food delivery station.

18. A restaurant according to claim 15 in which the dampener comprises at least one styrofoam insert dimensioned generally to be interposed between the carrier and the food product.

19. A restaurant according to claim 15 in which the carrier hatch is located on one end of the carrier.

20. A restaurant according to claim 15 in which the food delivery area further comprises a french fry preparation station.