ES334395A1 - A dough-dividing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Dough from a hopper 2 is fed by a pair of rollers 3, of adjustable speed and spacing, to co-operating rolls 4, 41, each consisting of four, six, eight or more chambers 5, 51 respectively arranged in diametrically opposed pairs formed by throughbores in each roll 4, 41 and containing piston ejection elements 6, 61 of which opposed pairs are rigidly interconnected by a shank 7, 71 whereby dough is pressed into a chamber 5 or 51 in one roll by the co-operation of the chamber with the portion of the periphery of the co-operating roll intermediate the chambers therearound. The coupling shanks 7 of opposed piston elements 6 are contained within the bore diameter and may be provided with a guide slot 8 traversed by a guide rod 9, whereby the capacity of the chamber 5 is limited. The capacity of the chambers 5 may also be limited by adjustable devices 10 comprising rollers 16 co-operating with the opposed piston heads 6 during the chamber filling period the dough is ejected by a device comprising a lever 11 provided with a roller 12 which bears on a piston head 6 whereby the dough portion 13 is ejected from an opposed chamber 5 and, with the assistance of a rotating roller 15, is deposited on a conveyer belt 14. The capacity and ejection positions of the pistons 6 may alternatively be determined by a cam (19), (Figs. 2 and 3, not shown), positioned within the throughbore between the shanks 7, keyed to the rod (9) and bearing on the undersides of the piston heads 6. The flow of dough to rolls 4, 41 is assisted by guiding elements 17, 171 beneath rollers 3 and a sealing wedge 18 is provided co-operating with the peripheral surfaces of rolls 4, 41 beneath the nip thereof.