1. STATEMENT OF INVENTION
The present invention discloses an automation mechanism that could reproduce
the work of a GupChupwalla (GupChup maker). GupChup (spice mixed potato
a.k.a masala stuffed fried dough a.k.a Puris with coloured water) is a very popular
street snack that has stood the taste of time and location. A mechanism is
proposed to take a desired number of boiled potatoes and Puris from storage
containers and sends the potatoes for the masala making procedure where it is
mashed and mixed with a desired quantity of spices. The Puris undergo another
route where holes are made in it and the masala, after being transferred from the
masala making part, is filled in. The Puri filled with masala is then served with
colored water.
2. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
There are variety of snacks vending machine which dispense products (like
canned foods, dry snacks, hot & cold beverages etc.) at the cost of some money.
All these are prepared food/snacks.
Different types of snacks and hot food making machine:
Different types of snacks and hot food making machine: French Fries Vending
Machine (US 4722267 A) stores potatoes in a cold storage and it deep fries the
chopped potatoes in beef fat when order is placed. It takes only 95 seconds from
when the customer puts their coin into the machine to receive a box of fries
through a slot at the bottom. Mashed Potato Vending Machine (CN 2696055Y)
puts mashed potato cup under the spout, press the 'Mashed Potato' button and the
machine delivers a syrup of mashed potato which then solidifies in a minute
following with a bath of chicken gravy. Hot Dog Vending Machine United States
(US 3548738 A) serves warm a hot dog and bun less than a minute. This machine
can use any brand of hot dog (sausage, turkey dog or tube hamburger) which
operator desires to stock. Display System for Vending Machine (US 20050155060
A1) includes a public server for allowing to deliver computer periodically upload
news data. A news server for downloading the updated news data from the public
server, processing the updated news data into a form available for delivering to a
vending machine and storing a prepared news data, and a vending machine

having means for downloading the prepared news data from the news server and
displaying news on a news displaying region of a display. Mixing device for
reconstituting dehydrated food particles (WO 2003082066 A1) relate to a mixing
device particularly adapted for mixing and delivering a mixture of food product
containing large particulates from dehydrated material and a diluent. This device
includes a mixing chamber including a propeller, at least one inlet for the
dehydrated and diluent to enter the mixing chamber, and an outlet for the mixture
to exit the mixing chamber. Mixing device for reconstituting dehydrated food
particles (US 6729753 B2) is a mixing device particularly adapted for mixing and
delivering a mixture of food product containing large particulates from dehydrated
material and a diluent. This device includes a mixing chamber including a
propeller, at least one inlet for the dehydrated and diluent to enter the mixing
chamber, and an outlet for the mixture to exit the mixing chamber. Meshed potato
automatic vending machine (CN 2696055 Y) serve meshed potato food produced
and processed by the utility model is convenient and fast and is vended off
automatically, and the machine is provided with three raw material containers
which can produce various meshed potato with different tastes. Apparatus for
preparing fried potato products (US 4646627 A) preparing hot food products in
portions of predetermined size by rehydrating a dehydrated food product to provide
a dough that can be shaped and heated. Reconstituted food dispenser (US
4139125 A) for cereal, mashed potatoes and provided a platform for the container
of the food in a reconstitutable form. The food may be in the form of flakes,
granules, powder, etc. French fry vending machine (US 4722267 A) stores frozen
foodstuff holding compartments in a refrigeration chamber. A metered dispensing
rotatable wheel is used to meter quantity of frozen food stuff to a cooking chamber.
An oil circulating, filtering, heating and replenishment system is provided to service
a deep frying tank with a quantity of purified hot oil into which frozen food stuff is
emerged for a predetermined period of time for cooking. Automatic machine for
vending fried foods (US 3667373 A) having electrical operating and control circuit
which actuated by deposit of coin, includes drive motors and timed switches for
operating, feeding and handling mechanisms. Automated pizza preparation and

vending system (US 20110059209 A1) is an apparatus and method for preparing
and cooking pizza using fresh ingredients, the apparatus being in the form of a
vending machine. The pizza preparation machine may also include a refrigerated
section for maintaining ingredients which need to be refrigerated at an appropriate
temperature in order to maintain the freshness of such ingredients/Automatic food
frying and vending system (US 5168795 A) is an automatic food frying and
vending system having a refrigerated storage chamber for storing food material to
be fried and a frying chamber for frying material in cooking oil are installed in the
main body of the automatic food frying and vending system in discrete sections
designated for their respective purposes. Automatic food and beverage vending
machine (WO 2013107179 A1) is an automatic food and beverage vending
machine comprises a machine case, an ordering and charging system, an
electronic control system, and an output system. The output system comprises a
food obtaining device and a food obtaining port. Co-dispensing snack food
products and beverages from a vending machine (US 5613620 A) use for co-
dispensing beverages and snack food products from a single vending machine.
The machine have inbuilt beverage and snack food containers. Cold drink vending
machine with front panel (US005392953A) contain a front window panel through
which cold drinks in serpentine tracks can be viewed for selection. Automatic
coffee vending machine being able to serve a straight coffee and a blended coffee
selectively (US 4815633 A) automatic regular coffee vending machine including
ground coffee powders or coffee beans of different varieties stored in different
chambers, separately. When one or more varieties are selected by selection-key
operation, coffee powder or powders of the selected variety or varieties are
supplied by a predetermined amount into a coffee extractor together with hot water
of a predetermined amount and a cup of straight coffee of the selected variety or a
cup of blended coffee of the selected varieties can be served from the machine.
Coffee with cream and/or sugar also can be obtained by cream and/or sugar
selection keys. Automated food vending system (WO 1992013323 A1) has a
chassis provided with a plurality of holding stacks and dispenser mechanisms for
dispensing standardized food packages to a dispenser outlet, a microwave oven

having a code reader located in a predetermined position in an interior cavity of the
oven, and the food packages having standardized shapes corresponding to the
holding stacks and to the microwave oven cavity. Hot food package vending
machine (US 2890644 A) is contain a refrigeration cabinet use for heating and
dispensing packed food products. Hot food vending machine (US 7303093 B2)
contain a computer control system for the food selection and the refrigerator and
oven temperatures. Beverage vending machine mixer assembly (WO 2009106955
A1) is an assembly of mechanisms for beverage mixing. Vending machine for
dispensing heated peanuts (US 4899908 A) has an upper, lower, and front portion
and an internal heating apparatus. The machine has an upper reservoir within the
upper portion of the housing which contains a large quantity of peanuts. An
actuator has a coin responsive proximal portion which extends outside of the front
of the housing and has a distal portion within the housing, which segregates a
desired relatively small quantity of peanuts from the upper reservoir. A lower
reservoir is enclosed within the housing which receives the small quantity of
segregated peanuts from the actuator. A heating source is positioned above the
lower reservoir which heats the segregated peanuts located within the lower
reservoir. The lower reservoir is then pivoted which dispenses the heated peanuts
from the lower reservoir to an exterior outlet from the front of the housing.
With all these vending machine available all over the world, not a single Indian
vending machine has been built which serve popular Indian snack within a
reasonable price. Although, many machines have been made which prepares the
food/snack (DOSA, SOMOSHA, etc.) within in a short span with good food quality.
But, not much attempts have been made to make a vending machine which
prepares the food/snack within in a short span with good food quality, except for
some beverages machine by popular Company "Nescafe, Le Cube, Godrej" etc.
GupChup is a very popular street snack in SOUTH ASIA. It consists of a fried crisp
puri filled with a mixture of boiled potato, onion, chickpeas and flavored water. This
is a simple spicy fast food with easy to make recipe. In the past years, not much
attempts have been made to automate the process of GupChup. Except in 2013, a
near approach to the development of automation was devised by Ankit Kareliya,

Poojan Shah and Pratik Thakkar from U. V. Patel College of Engineering, Ganpat
University, India. Their work was based on development of Semi-automatic Pani
Puri (GupChup) machine.
Based on the available innovations, presently to design & model Automated
GupChup vending machine that automates the entire GupChup making & serving
process, it will take in the raw materials (potato, onion, fried puri etc.) from the
storage box, prepares fresh and good quality GupChup within a short time. The
main function or need of this machine is, it will able to serve the best quality of
GUPCHUP at any hour, any weather and enables the customer to customize his
GupChup with a variety of flavor.
The inception of the idea for the GupChup vending machine is seeded by the need
of saving a popular street snack from the unhygienic conditions in which it is
prepared. Also with an intention to provide different taste & types of GupChup/gol
gappa/ Pani Puri/ puchka at one place at any hour with customized taste.
3. OBJECT OF THE INVENTOR
The objective of the invention is to develop an automated GupChup Machine. The
main objective is to allow the production of a standardized, hygienic and a taste
customizable GupChup. The commercial value of this invention owes to the
millions of existing consumer base and the billions of unexplored consumers owing
to geographical and demographic constraints where the culture of the GupChup
snack hasn't been propagated.
4. SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The invention consists of 5 basic parts:-
Part 1) A central system consisting of Masala Maker (1.3) with blade (1.1), swipe
mechanism (1.4) and Puri punching and Masala feeding system (1.2). This shall
take the input of the boiled potato as well as spices and shall mash the potato, mix
with the spices and thus make the masala. The masala is then taken to the
Punching and feeding mechanism (1.2) by a sweep mechanism (1.4). With the
help of a quick return mechanism, punching and feeding shall be obtained. Holes
shall be pierced on the Puri and the masala made shall be fed into it.

Part 2) A rotary cam type system adapted to act as a counter of items (boiled
potato and Puri) and to receive a predetermined number (1 and 4 respectively)
conducted thereby by gravity from a conventional slot and at a timed order so as
not to disturb either's processing time. With the help of slides( 4.1 and 4.2)
attached, the Potato shall go to the Masala maker(1.3) while the Puris shall go to
Puri holder (4.3) via Puri slider(4.2).
Part 3) A sliding valve mechanism (3.2) that opens for a particular duration that
allows spices to fall from Spice stack (3.1) and enter Masala maker(1.4).
Part 4) An integration system of connecting the 3 parts above via slides and
conveyor belt that transfers the Puri obtained from Part 2 and takes it to the
Piercing and feeding mechanism of the Part 1 after which it is taken to the output
area.
Part 5) An Arduino Uno Microcontroller controls the whole machine by maintaining
the motor speeds and delays so that all the mechanisms works as a synchronized
single unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In this automated device, as the machine is switched on, the Arduino Uno gets
active. It sends signals to the potato counter (2.3), which is rotated once to allow
the boiled potato from the stackl (2.1) to fall into the Masala Maker (1.3) via sliderl
(4.1). The Potato counter(2.3) has one groove has engraved on the disc which
ensures that at the end of one complete stroke of the disc, there is 1 boiled potato
that comes out and falls to the next system. The idle stroke is used to retain the
Potatoes in the stackl (2.1). Thus covering the only exit of Potatoes from their
stack, it prevents the untimely exit of the Potatoes. During Active stroke, the Potato
falls into the groove. Owing to the nearly cylindrical spherical nature of the
Potatoes and at the idle speed of rotation of the disc only one Potato gets through
and the rest is restrained. The Potato is prevented from sidewise uncontrolled
running off via 2 guides. The Metal guide serves the additional purpose of
clamping the system with the frame and attaching the motor. A DC motor is used
here whose shaft is glued to the disc. The wooden guide is the dummy guide to
just prevent uncontrolled sideways fall of Potato.

Inside the Masala maker (1.3), the blade (1.1) is running continuously as it is
directly connected to the 12V instead of going via Arduino Uno to give a mashing
and mixing effect to the boiled potato. Meanwhile, the Arduino Uno makes the
servo controlled valve (3.2) open and close, once, that allows the spices to fall into
the Masala Maker (1.3). Spices are stored in spices stack (3.1) which are open to
fall by gravity only by the action of servo controlled valve (3.2).
While the Masala making process is going on, the 2nd half of the machine gets
activated. The Puri counter (2.4) mechanism has 4 grooves that has been
engraved on the disc which ensures that at the end of one complete stroke of the
disc, there are 4 Puris that come out and fall to the next system. The idle stroke is
use to retain the Puris in the Puri stack (2.2). Thus covering the only exit of Puris
from their stack (2.2), it prevents the untimely exit of the Puris. During Active
stroke, the Puri falls into the groove. Owing to the nearly spherical nature of the
Puris and at the idle speed of rotation of the disc only one Puri gets through and
the rest is restrained. The Puris are prevented from sidewise uncontrolled running
off via 2 guides. The Metal guide serves the additional purpose of clamping the
system with the frame and attaching the motor. A DC motor is used here whose
shaft is glued to the disc. The wooden guide is the dummy guide to just prevent
uncontrolled sideways fall of Puris. The arduino sends signals to the Puri
counter(2.4) to run at right angles, so that each time, a Puri is taken out from the
Puri stack (2.2) and it slides down via slider2 (4.2), the Puri holder(4.3) in belt
drive(4.4) should be able to contain it. The Puri holder (4.3) is circular in shape to
prevent the running off of the Puri and to contain it while it receives the hole punch.
As the belt drive (4.4) is made to move via Arduino Uno forward by 1 step (each
step is of 7cm which is the distance between the centers of 2 Puri holder), the Puri
counter (2.4) also makes another right angle turn. This is done, till the Puri counter
(2.4) completes it one full circle of rotation thereby sending off its objective of
4Puris. After this, the belt drive (4.4) is made to move 2 step forward to make the
center of Puri holder (4.3) aligned with the centre of Punching and feeding
Mechanism (1.2) by the Arduino Uno.

The Punching and feeding mechanism (1.2) is a quick return mechanism which
has twin roles, one to Punch the holes into the Puri by using a circumference of
small wooden sticks to make several small holes in a circular fashion in the Puri
and second to feed the Masala as brought by the Masala swipe mechanism (1.4)
downwards towards the Puri. The Punching and feeding mechanism (1.2) makes
thefirst punch into the Puri to make holes in it. The swipe mechanism (1.4) swipes
masala from Masala Maker (1.3) towards the Punching and feeding mechanism
(1.2). The Punching and feeding mechanism (1.2) makes the second punch into
the Puri ensuring the Masala is well fit in the Puri. The Arduino Uno ensures that
this happens 5 times (4 times for the 4 Puris and 1 to allow error).
At the end, Arduino Uno makes the belt drive (4.4) to move forward to reach back
to its initial position while dropping of the GupChups in the exit.

Brief description of figures
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of an indigenous GupChup machine
Figure 2: Model without the sliderl (4.1) wherein internal components could be better
viewed
Figure 3: Potato counter (2.3) has been closely featured after the removal of its wooden
block
Figure 4: Puri counter (2.4) has been closely featured after the removal of its wooden
cover
Figure 5: The central mechanism consisting of the Masala Maker (1.3), Punching and
feeding mechanism (1.2); and swipe mechanism (1.4) has been closely featured
Figure 6: A close view of the Puri holder (4.3) attached with the belt drive (4.4) has been
featured
Figure 7: A close view of the swipe mechanism (1.4) that swipes masala to the punching
and feeding mechanism (1.2)
Figure 8: A close view of the blade (1.1) which does the mashing of the Potato inside the
masala maker and mixes the mashed potato with the spices obtained

We claim
1) An apparatus for making "GupChups" comprising:
- An open end boiled potato storage container at the top of the machine (2.1)
- a said boiled potato counting mechanism (2.3) to count the required number of
boiled potatos per plate.
- a PURI (fried dough) storage container (2.2) with a heater to keep the PURI
crispy
- a said PURI counting mechanism (2.4) to count the number of puri required per
plate/order;
- a said "smashed masala potato maker" (1.3) mechanism including the potato
smasher (1.1)
- a belt drive mechanism (4.4) to take the PURI to the feeding mechanism (1.2)
and then to serving plate;
- a said punching and feeding mechanism (1.2) to deliver the masala potato into
the said PURI;
- Finally, a plate of GupChup with a cup of spicy water served.

2) The apparatus of claim 1, potato container (2.1) include two openings with one end
to insert boiled potato into it and the other end in contact with the counting
mechanism (2.4); it also include a potato preserving system to keep the boiled
potato healthy for some hours.
3) The apparatus of claim 1, potato counting mechanism (2.3) comprises a cylindrical
disc (2.3) having one groove allowing only one potato to pass during the process of
one plate order.
4) The apparatus of claim 1, PURI storage container (2.2) includes an air tight box
with an insulation lining all around it to keep the PURI's healthy.
5) The apparatus of claim 1, PURI counting mechanism (2.4) consist of a cross
shaped four groove counter (2.4) to allow only four PURI to pass during the
process of one plate order.
6) The apparatus of claim 1, also include a spice stack (3.1) which inserts a quantized
amount of spice into the said masala maker chamber (1.3).
7) The apparatus of claim 1, smashed masala potato making mechanism (1.3)
comprises a conical chamber with two inlet to input the boiled potato and spice
stack (3.1), the specially designed rotating blade (1.1) inside the chamber cuts as
well as smashes the potatoes into a rough texture.
8) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the said punching and feeding mechanism (1.2)
includes hammering of the potatoes to insert the said masala paste into the
PURI's.
9) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the said belt drive mechanism (4.4) bring the
PURI's to the said feeding mechanism (1.2) and after the masala potato is
inserted, it sends them to the serving plate.