GB2134031A

GB2134031A - Dough dividing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2134031A
Application number: GB08333963A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kate Kemper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-12-23
Filing date: 1983-12-21
Publication date: 1984-08-08
Also published as: AT383012B; DE3247621C2; IT8309586A1; GB8333963D0; ATA418883A; GB2134031B; DE3247621A1; IT8309586A0; IT1198747B

Abstract

An apparatus for dividing dough uniformly into portions for rolls or small loaves has a dough filling container (1) and a piston (3) which supplies dough from the container (1) to a measuring compartment (13) (or group thereof), a plurality of measuring compartments (13) being disposed side by side radially of a rotary drum (12). This drum (12) has an axle (21) with an electrical clutch (51) actuable by two limit switches (50, 52), when the dough supply piston (3) reaches a first preset piston, in dependence on a spring (7) on which the dough supply piston (3) acts. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dough dividing apparatus The invention relates to an apparatus for dividing dough uniformly into portions for rolls or small loaves. Such an apparatus may have a dough filling container and a piston which supplies the dough from the container to a measuring compartment or a group of measuring compartments. A plurality of measuring compartments or groups of measuring compartments situated side by side are disposed radially in a rotary drum and each measuring compartment comprises a measuring piston whose position in the measuring compartment is variable depending on the rotary movement of the drum.A compression compartment is disposed between the outlet of the dough filling container and the inlet of a measuring compartment which is in the dough filling position, the side walls of the compression compartment extending in the form of a funnel and the measuring pistons are disposed, in their particular measuring compartments, flush with the outlet of the measuring compartment in the dough delivery position.

Such an apparatus can be seen, for example, from the DE-OS 2 244 469, wherein the dough is preliminarily divided into portions by squeezing off the portions using two star wheels driven in opposite directions, located below a dough filling shaft, and enters a compartment in which a slide, which can be cut off from the shaft by means of a knife and which is mounted for reciprocation, presses the dough into a measuring compartment or a group of measuring compartments. The drive of the star wheels for the preliminary division of the dough into portions is effected depending on the position of a sensor which is disposed below these star wheels and which interrupts the drive of the star wheels when a predetermined amount of dough in the compartment is exceeded.

In order to be sure to avoid portions of dough which are too small, the compartment must always be filled with more than the volume of the measuring compartment, the excess being pushed back out of the compartment by the slide with considerable squeezing of the dough. If the amount of dough present between the cutting tool and the compartment increases, the excess dough is forced upwards through an opening where the sensor is. The sensor switches off the supply to the cutting tool and only switches it on again after the level of dough has dropped. It is a particular disadvantage that a plurality of operation of the delivery piston may be necessary before the star wheels have cut off the necessary amount of dough so that in any case it is necessary to work with an excess of dough and certain amounts of excess dough are repeatedly squeezed upwards.

During a squeezing operation of the dough, however, organic dough cells are destroyed in a disadvantageous manner, which, during the subsequent baking operation leads to a thicker crust, a denser crumb and a dark discoloration of the crumb.

A further apparatus of the type referred to at the beginning is known from the DE-OS 24 61 892 which is likewise equipped with two star wheels driven in opposite directions for the preliminary division of the dough into portions, wherein no accumulation occurs between the feed device and the antechamber but the dough is already subjected to squeezing in a disadvantageous manner by the preliminary division into portions by means of the star wheels.

The dough antechamber is likewise closed by a knife and any dough which is still projecting and which is in front of the slide for the introduction of the dough into the measuring compartments, is cut off.

Since the slide antechamber does not coincide with the size of the measuring compartments, a fresh cutting off of the dough is effected by the rotation of the drum and the dough remaining in front of the measuring compartment is entrained by the returning slide and mixed with the following dough.

Such apparatuses are not only expensive with regard to their construction but also exert repeated squeezing and cutting actions on the dough as a result of which cells of the dough are destroyed. This cell destruction becomes visible in a disadvantageous manner during the subsequent baking operation as previously stated.

A decisive disadvantage in the known apparatuses, however, consists in that amounts of dough are received by the measuring cylinder which do not correspond to its set volume, particularly in the initial and end phase of processing.

These portions of dough, which may possibly be further processed, therefore do not have the necessary weight and so must be removed from the production. As a result of this, losses of time and material result which can only be avoided if the operator observes the ejection of the portions of dough and removes the portions of dough which are not of the right size, by hand. As a result, a constant observation of the course of production and a corresponding intervention by hand are necessary in an installation which otherwise works automatically.

The above-mentioned disadvantages occur not only in the initial and end phase of production but also when refilling of the dough feed hopper with dough is not effected in good time.

The invention seeks to provide means which can guarantee a complete filling of the measuring cyiinder in each operating phase of the apparatus, the dough being treated extremely gently, while, on the other hand, the antechamber of the measuring piston should not be completely filled with dough in order to avoid the accumulation of moisture which would cause the dough to stick.

According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for dividing dough uniformly into portions for rolls or small loaves having a dough filling container and a piston which supplies the dough from the container to a measuring compartment or a group of measuring compartments, in which a plurality of measuring compartments or groups of measuring compartments situated side by side are disposed radially in a rotary drum wherein the axle of the measuring-compartment drum has an electrical clutch which is adapted to be switched on and off by means of two limit switches when the dough supply piston reaches a first preset position, in dependence on a spring on which the dough supply piston acts.

As a result of this measure, the whole measuring compartment device remains stationary, through actuation of the electrical clutch, until an adequate amount of dough is available, in each case, to fill the individual measuring compartments.

The dough filling container preceding the dough supply piston may comprise an antechamber which can be cut off by means of a knife device which can be actuated into an open position by means of an electrical clutch via a magnetically operated switch when the dough supply piston reaches a second preset position.

By means of these measures, the supply of dough is controlled by the dough supply piston, and the antechamber in front of the dough supply piston is not completely filled with dough in order to prevent the accumulation of too great an amount of moisture.

Two dough supply rollers may be mounted before the knife device, in the two dough supply rollers being rotatable in opposite directions and actuable by signal transmitters connected to the knife device to carry out a defined amount of rotation when the knife device reaches the open position. The dough supply rollers, which are likewise connected to signal transmitters, actuate the electrical clutch to close the knife device after carrying out their fixed amounts of rotation.

A holding means for the spring, which is movable with the spring, may be associated, via a linkage, with a limit switch for actuation thereof.

A defined position of the dough supply piston can thus be used for the automatic control of the dough feed.

The switch of the magnetically operated switch may be secured to the housing of the apparatus and the magnet of the magnetically operated switch may be secured to the lever of the dough supply piston.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an apparatus according to the invention in crosssection, and Figure 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1, in plan view.

A dough filling container 1 is rigidly connected to a chamber portion 2. At the lower end of the dough filling container 1 there is a reciprocating piston 3 which is driven by a piston lever 5, a piston lever arm 6 and a crankshaft 8. The motor for driving the crankshaft is not illustrated in detail.

A compression spring 7 ensures a resilient action of the piston 3 so that this engages in the dough resilientiy and moves it gently.

On the crankshaft 8 there are two limit switches 19 and 20. The limit switch 1 9 sets a crankshaft 11 in motion through a drive not illustrated and moves a knife slide 9 upwards through a linkage 10. On a rotation of the crankshaft 8 through 1 80 degrees, the limit switch 20 is actuated through cams and the knife 9 returns in the opposite direction.

Connected to the dough filling container 1 is a compression compartment 4 lying between lines 22 and 23, which can be cut off by the slide 9 and associated with which is a drum 12 with measuring compartments 13 mounted radially thereon. The drum 12 is mounted for rotation about its spindle 21 by a drive, likewise not illustrated, so that the various measuring compartments 1 3 disposed radially at the circumference travel step-by-step through the various stations in the direction of the arrow 25' and by means of the curved rail 1 5 eject the dough and pass it to the work drum 26 with its work and retaining band 27.The measuring pistons 14, which are reciprocable in the measuring compartments 1 3 are each flush with the outlet of their particular measuring compartment 13, in their particular measuring compartments, in the dough delivery position, and remains in this position until the dough receiving position is reached during a movement of the drum through 1 80 degrees. Each measuring piston of a group is connected to a measuringpiston roller 1 8 which is mounted for movement in a guide slot 41, the individual rollers being connected together by rod 17. The length of the slot 41 is dimensioned so that it is slightly larger than the maximum stroke movement of the measuring piston 14.The adjustment of the required measuring-compartment stroke is effected by a hand crank 32 via a cross bar 31 and bearings 29 and 30 by connecting rod 1 6 and stop 16'. The stop 16' comprises a rolling surface 44 at its end, the functlon of which will be explained in more detail later.

In order to control the course of movement of the measuring piston 14, a pressure lever 38, which can act on the measuring piston 14, is disposed in the region of the dough receiving position, which pressure lever is actuated by means of push rod 35, via a lever 5, in synchronism with the piston 3 by the drive 8.

Disposed on the push rod 35 is an adjusting nut 36 for adjusting the initial tension of a spring 37 and at the end of the push rod 35, penetrating through the pressure lever 38, there is a return nut 40 while at the other end of the push rod 35 there is disposed a sliding member 34 with a coulisse in which an entrainment pin 33 connected to the lever 5 can slide. The piston 3 is provided, at its end remote from the compression compartment 4, with a thrust member 42 which comprises a coulisse in which an entrainment pin 43 secured to the lever 5 engages for sliding.

With the movement of the piston 3 in the direction of the measuring piston 14, the movement of the push rod 35 also begins at the same time as a result of mechanical coupling to the lever system 5 through the entrainment pin 33 and the coulisse 34 so that, at the same moment that the dough pressure builds up through the piston 3, the pressure lever 38 already acts against the piston rollers 1 8 of the measuring piston and the piston 14 opens as far as the stop 16' via its piston roller 1 8. During the further forward movement of the piston 3, the push rod 35 is also moved in the same direction and the front end of the push rod 35 penetrates through the pressure lever 38 so that during the further movement of the push rod 35, the compression spring 37 strikes against the pressure lever and this urges the measuring-piston rollers 1 8 against the stop 1 6'. As a result of this, the particular stroke movement of a row of measuring pistons 14, set through the hand wheel 32, is achieved.

This length of stroke is a precise equivalent to the desired weight of dough. During the backward movement, the return nut 40 of the push rod 35 becomes effective. The initial tension of the compression spring 37, which can be altered by the adjusting nut 36, is so dimensioned that the forward movement of the measuring pistons, in co-operation with the pressure exerted on the dough by the piston 3, is effected resiliently and not jerkily.

The movement of the piston 3 is likewise conveyed via a thrust member 42 which is equipped with a coulisse. This member has the advantage that the piston can be held both in its front pressure position and in its rear end position for a certain length of time. When the piston 3 is in the pressure position, the knife slide 9 closes and when the piston 3 is in the rear position, the stepby-step forward movement of the drum 12 by one step of 90 degrees is effected in the embodiment illustrated here.

The travel of the coulisse in the thrust member 42 and the travel of the coulisse in the member 34 are proportional to one another so that a synchronous course of movement is ensured. In this manner, it is possible to use the continuous drive for conversion into a reciprocating movement, idle times being reached at the end points of the movement, which times are needed for the course of movement of other elements.

The axle 21 of the measuring-compartment drum 12 comprises an electrical clutch 51 which is adapted to be switched on and off by means of two limit switches 50, 52 on reaching a first preset position of the dough supply piston 3 acting on the spring 7. This position is just in front of the knife slide 9. Therefore, if there is a certain amount of dough in front of the knife 9, the switch 50 is opened and the switch 52 closed by the position of the dough supply piston 3 which is assumed as a result, because the dough supply piston 3 exerts a greater pressure on the spring 7. The switch 52 is operated by the actuating rod 53. The opening of the switch 50 in turn causes the electrical clutch 51 to be closed as a result of which the shaft 21 is frictionally connected to the drive.A sufficient amount of dough is supplied to the measuring piston 1 4 so that the set weight of dough is adhered to precisely.

If there is not a sufficient amount of dough in front of the knife slide 9, then the dough supply piston 3 moves up to the knife 9 and as a result the spring 7 is further relaxed so that the switch 50 is closed and the switch 52 is opened. As a result of this, the electrical clutch 51 is actuated and the shaft 21 is disengaged from its drive so that the rows of measuring cylinders 14 remain stationary. This state is maintained until there is again an adequate amount of dough in front of the knife 9.

The dough filling container 1 preceding the dough supply piston 3 comprises an antechamber 2 which can be cut off by means of a knife device 58 known per se, and the knife device 58 can be actuated into an open position by means of an electrical clutch 55 via a magnetically operated switch 54-54' when the dough supply piston 3 reaches a second preset position.

Mounted in before of the knife device 58, in a manner known per se, are two dough supply rollers 56, 57 which can be rotated in opposite directions and which can be actuated by signal transmitters connected to the knife device 58, when the knife device 58 reaches its open position, to carry out a defined amount of rotation.

The dough supply rollers 56, 57, which are likewise connected to signal transmitters, actuate the electrical clutch 55 to close the knife device 58 after executing their fixed amounts of rotation.

The holding means 59 for the spring 7 which is movable via the spring 7, is associated, via a linkage 53, with the limit switch 52 for its actuation.

The switch 54 of the magnetically operated switch 54-54' is secured to the housing 60 of the apparatus and the magnet 54' of the magnetically operated switch 54-54' is secured to the lever 5.

By means of the magnetically operated switch 54-54', the electrical clutch 55 and the controllable rollers 56 and 57, filling of the antechamber 2 with a defined amount of dough is effected automatically, care being taken to ensure that the antechamber 2 is not completely filled in order to avoid an accumulation of moisture.

Therefore, so long as there is dough in the dough filling container 1, an adequate supply of dough to the antechamber 2 is effected and hence to the dough supply piston 3, so that this can work without interruption and fills the measuring cylinders adequately and precisely according to the amount set by volume.

If too little dough is supplied to the dough supply piston 3, the measuring cylinders 14 remain stationary through the action of the electrical clutch 51, as stated at the beginning, until there is again an adequate amount of dough in front of the dough supply piston 3.

Altogether, in this manner, an extremely gentle handling of the dough is achieved with a constant set accuracy and desired weights or volumes of the portions of dough, so that it is no longer necessary to observe the working process and to intervene in this by hand.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dividing dough uniformly into portions for rolls or small loaves having a dough filling container and a piston which supplies the dough from the container to a measuring compartment or a group of measuring compartments, in which a plurality of measuring compartments or groups of measuring compartments situated side by side are disposed radially in a rotary drum wherein the axle of the measuring-compartment drum has an electrical clutch which is adapted to be switched on and off by means of two limit switches when the dough supply piston reaches a first preset position, in dependence on a spring on which the dough supply piston acts.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each measuring compartment comprises a measuring piston, the position of which, in the measuring compartment, varies in dependence on the rotary movement of the drum, and disposed between the outlet of the dough filling container and the inlet of a measuring compartment which is in the dough filling position is a compression compartment with side walls extending in the form of a funnel and the measuring pistons are disposed in their particular measuring compartments flush with the outlet of the measuring compartment in the dough delivery position.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dough filling container preceding the dough supply piston comprises an antechamber which can be cut off by means of a knife device and the knife device can be actuated into an open position by means of an electrical clutch via a solenoidoperated switch when the dough supply piston reaches a second preset position.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein mounted in front of the knife device are two dough supply rollers which can be rotated in opposite directions and which can be actuated by signal transmitters connected to the knife device to carry out a defined amount of rotation when the knife device reaches the open position, and wherein the dough supply rollers which are likewise connected to signal transmitters, actuate the electrical clutch to close the knife device after carrying out their fixed amount of rotation.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a holding means for the spring on which the dough piston acts, which is movable via this spring, is associated, via a linkage with one of said two limit switches for its actuation.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or any claim appendent directly or indirectly thereto, wherein the switch of the magnetically operated switch is secured to the housing of the apparatus and the magnet of the magnetically operated switch is secured to the lever of the dough supply piston.

7. An apparatus for dividing dough substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.