GB1211774A - Improvements in or relating to package forming and/or filling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,211,774. Dough or like moulding machines. C. W. VOGT. 10 Jan., 1968, No. 1407/68 Heading B5A. A dough or like material divider 11 includes a rotary pocket impeller 15 within a housing 12 having an inlet 13 supplied from a hopper 16; the material is drawn into the pockets at the inlet by suction as the impeller rotates and, when the pockets reach an outlet 14, is discharged therefrom by gas pressure. On passing the boundary of the housing inlet the material in each pocket is sheared flush with the pocket. The impeller comprises a hollow shaft 25 to which porous pocket forming members are attached; each pocket may extend the full length of the shaft, or the members may be partitioned to provide axially aligned rows of pockets. The shaft interior is connected to suction and pressure lines via a valve whereby suction or pressure is applied to spaces 30 behind the pockets via passages 39, depending on whether the pockets are adjacent the inlet or outlet respectively. At an intermediate position, the pockets and passages 39 are vented to atmosphere. Material from the pockets is discharged into pockets 36 of a continuous web 35 carried below the divider on an endless conveyer 47; a seal between the pocketed web and impeller is provided by a continuous seal forming member 56 carried on rollers 56, 57. A wheel 60 levels the material in the pockets 36 to which a covering web 62 is sealed, e.g. by heat. The web 35 is formed on a rotating pocketed drum 41 by supplying a curtain of web-forming liquid thereto from a dispenser 42, the position of which is varied by a cam 46 and associated linkage 45 to distribute the material to the drum in a' desired manner. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, dough is fed from the pockets of the impeller on to a take-away belt 121, and the valve structure of the impeller includes a fixed member 82 defining a vacuum passage 84 and a pressure passage 85 supplied via ports 86, 87 respectively. A port 88 opens to atmosphere and connects with the pockets via passages 90, 91 and 81 when the pockets are intermediate the housing inlet 72 and outlet 73. The impeller pockets may be supplied with a releasing agent e.g. powder or a lubricant. An oil lubricant may be added to the pressure air supplied to the port 87. Alternatively the release agent may be fed to the pockets via ports 125. In order to assist feed of material to the impeller, pressure air may be supplied to the hopper 93 via a line 95 and a porous liner 94. The hopper may include a material mixing arrangement in which flowable solids therein are mixed with the liquid ingredient by spraying the liquid from ports 100. A scoop 102 between guides 103 is reciprocated into and out of the pockets in timed relation to the rotation thereof to control the quantity of material in each pocket. The scoop is driven from a shaft 105 and via relatively adjustable eccentrics 106, 107. The material in each pocket is compressed to a desired extent by an adjustable rotary compactor 113 mounted on a shaft 114, driven by a chain and sprocket drive, and acting on the material through a resilient diaphragm 112. Two or more dough units 122 on the belt 121 may be combined by raising and folding that part of the belt, during belt travel, between adjacent units so as to bring the surfaces of the units which have not been coated with a release agent into close opposing relation, and then forcing the units together by clamping members.