Method and apparatus for continuously cutting and discharging a constant amount of bread dough

An apparatus is provided that can always and continuously cut and discharge a constant amount of bread dough, regardless of its properties, from a mass of bread dough in a hopper. The apparatus is characterized by projections (5,6) mounted on pairs of opposing rotating cutting blades (4,4') disposed in a bottom opening of the hopper (1).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a method and apparatus used in a process for 
forming a viscoelastic material such as bread dough for continuously 
cutting and discharging a constant quantity of bread dough etc. that is 
cut and discharged from a mass of mixed dough in a constant amount to be 
supplied to a later process. 
A conventional type of apparatus for cutting and discharging bread dough by 
a rotary cutter is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,492, wherein bread 
dough in a hopper is cut by a pair of star-shaped rotary cutting blades. 
FIGS. 6 and 7 show another type of conventional apparatus. 
The conventional rotary cutter as in FIGS. 6 and 7 has a mechanism wherein 
highly viscoelastic bread dough is cut by having it put between 
plate-shaped rotary blades 23,23'. Since the blades push bread dough 
beyond the peripheries of the rotating blades 23,23' when they rotate, the 
amount of cut bread dough differs piece-by-piece, so that in practice no 
constant amount of cut bread dough has been realized. In other words, some 
irregular unfilled spaces are formed around the circumferential areas of 
the blades, as in FIG. 7. 
The inside flow b,b' of bread dough is generated such that the action of 
the surfaces of the rotating blades 23,23' caused by the rotation of their 
shafts 22,22' in the directions of arrows a,a' cause the flow of bread 
dough in a hopper 20 in those directions b,b'. As a result, when the outer 
surfaces of the blades 23,23' are moving along the loci a,a' of rotation, 
bread dough 2 in the hopper 20 is pushed up along the directions b,b' so 
that the weight of the cut bread dough 21' always fluctuates, and so that 
only a volume of bread dough can be cut that is far less than that which 
can be contained by the spaces surrounded by the rotating blades 23,23', 
forming the bottom of the hopper. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One purpose of this invention is to continuously cut bread dough in a 
hopper into pieces of a constant weight to continuously discharge them. 
Another purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and convenient 
apparatus wherein a constant amount of highly viscoelastic bread dough is 
continuously cut by having the rotating cutting blades always accurately 
hold a constant amount of bread dough to be cut. 
To achieve the above purposes the method of this invention uses a rotary 
cutter, wherein the bread dough in a hopper is cut and discharged through 
a bottom opening of the hopper by a rotary cutter comprising pairs of 
opposing rotary cutting blades disposed at the bottom opening. The method 
is characterized by the step of preventing bread dough from escaping 
upwards and drawing the bread dough in the hopper down during the rotation 
of the cutting blades by providing rotary cutting blades equipped with 
projections on front surfaces thereof so that a constant quantity of bread 
dough is always cut and discharged by the abutment and separation of the 
cutting blades. 
The apparatus of this invention for continuously cutting and discharging 
bread dough is constituted such that the bread dough in a hopper 1 is cut 
and discharged through a bottom opening of the hopper by a rotary cutter 
comprising pairs of opposing rotary cutting blades 4 disposed at the 
bottom opening. It is characterized by projections 5,6 provided on front 
surfaces of the rotary blades 4 such that a constant quantity of bread 
dough can always be cut and discharged by eliminating slipping between the 
blades 4 and the bread dough. Thus, accuracy in measuring the cut bread 
dough is improved, and the discharge of the cut bread dough is made easy. 
To achieve the purpose of this invention bar-shaped or needle-like 
projections that are provided on front surfaces of the blades at arbitrary 
intervals are effective. Plane eave-shaped or hoe-shaped projections that 
are provided on the blades along their longitudinal directions and in the 
directions of their tangents are also effective. 
By using the thus-structured rotary cutter, the projections on the blades 
can prevent the bread dough in the hopper from escaping into the upper 
part of the hopper, and can draw the bread dough down from the hopper so 
that a structure can be obtained wherein a constant amount of cut bread 
dough can always be easily discharged.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Based on examples some embodiments of this invention will now be described 
by reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of this 
invention, wherein a hopper 1 accommodates bread dough 2, and arrows c,c' 
show the directions of the flow of the bread dough 2. Two opposing 
rotating shafts 3,3' are provided at a bottom opening of the hopper 1 with 
a constant and parallel interval provided therebetween. 
Plate-shaped blades 4,4' of equal number are radially mounted on the 
peripheries of the rotating shafts 3,3' such that the peripheries of the 
blades 4,4' contact those of the counterpart blades by the opposing 
rotation of the opposite rotating shafts 3,3', so as to cut the bread 
dough 2 to discharge the cut bread dough 2' downwards. 
As shown in FIG. 2, well-known types of gears 8,8' and sprockets 9 are 
mounted on the rotating shafts 3,3', via which this conventional 
transmission means transmits the rotational force of a motor 10. 
A cam 11 is fixed to the rotating shafts 3,3' so as to provide a proximity 
switch 12 for detecting the rotation of the cam 11. 
The bottom part of the hopper 1 and the side parts adjacent thereto can be 
closed by placing opposingly-positioned blades 4 at its bottom opening so 
as to form a box-like shape. 
In this closed box-like state the blades 4,4' are stopped from rotating. 
The position where the blades stop can be adjusted by the proximity switch 
12 and the cam 11. 
The operation of the embodiment will now be described. For every batch, 
kneaded and prepared bread dough 2 is transported as a unit in a mixer 
bowl (not shown), and manually or mechanically fed into the hopper 1 to be 
accommodated therein. 
The blades 4,4' rotate while the bread dough is being retained in the 
hopper such that a given amount of bread dough is cut from the bread dough 
in the hopper 1 so as to feed a constant weight of a cut bread dough piece 
2' into dough-forming means (not shown) thereunder. 
When the blades 4,4' rotate while the bottom part of the hopper is being 
closed by means of them in a closed box-like state, bar-shaped projections 
5 penetrate the bread dough 2 and hold it therebetween so that it can be 
forcedly pushed down to be cut and discharged by the movement of the 
blades 4,4'. 
During this process the projections 5 can eliminate any slipping between 
the blades 4,4' and bread dough 2. The projections 5 cooperate with the 
front surfaces of the advancing blades 4,4' in pulling the bread dough 
down from its upper position to a lower position so that a constant volume 
of bread dough 2, defined by the closed box-like blades, can be cut by the 
abutting blades 4,4'. 
A second embodiment of this invention will now be described by reference to 
FIGS. 3-5. Constituents like those of the first embodiment are designated 
by like marks, so that their explanations are omitted. 
The bar-shaped projections mounted on the rotating blades 4 are replaced 
with hoe-shaped projections 6 having a hoe-like shape in section along the 
longitudinal direction of the blades 4. Since the hoe-shaped projections 6 
are arranged in opposed relationships, when the blades 4 rotate the tips 7 
of those projections 6 move in the directions of arrows "a" to hold the 
bread dough 2 therebetween to pull it down, so that it can be cut and 
discharged downwards. 
As an alternative, to achieve the same effects, plane eave-shaped 
projections can also be provided on the blades instead of the hoe-shaped 
projections. 
Although in the second embodiment one continuous projection along the 
longitudinal direction of the blade 4 is described, a plurality of 
comb-shaped projections with tips (not shown) can also be provided. 
As stated above, the conventional apparatus has drawbacks in that the cut 
bread dough has no constant weight. This invention has succeeded in 
providing an apparatus with a simple structure that can always discharge a 
constant amount of cut bread dough pieces by having bar-shaped, hoe-shaped 
or plane eave-shaped projections mounted on the front surfaces of the 
cutting blades. 
The cutting blades of this invention can securely hold therebetween bread 
dough to be cut by mounting bar-shaped or plate-shaped projections on the 
peripheries of their front surfaces so as to prevent the weight of cut 
bread dough from fluctuating. 
As any number of bar-shaped projections can be mounted on the cutting 
blades, and as the number can be changed if necessary, the best cutting 
conditions can be achieved by selecting an appropriate number of 
bar-shaped projections according to the properties of the bread dough 
used. 
The plane eave-shaped or hoe-shaped projections enable the apparatus to be 
simplified, since they act to hold and pull down the bread dough, as well 
as to cut it by abutting each other. 
As the apparatus can always cut and discharge a constant amount of bread 
dough, it makes later work easy. Thus, the apparatus can increase the 
yield when the cut bread dough is processed, to produce products such as 
bread dough balls smaller than the cut bread dough. 
If the cut and discharged bread dough is joined to form a bread dough sheet 
of a constant thickness and width, and the sheet is then cut into a given 
shape to produce various kinds of products, the fluctuations in weight of 
the products can be reduced. 
In conclusion, this invention can always continuously and accurately cut a 
constant amount of bread dough, to be supplied for a later process, from a 
mass of mixed bread dough, by rotating cutter blades and by eliminating 
slipping between the bread dough and the blades such that part of the 
bread dough is held and pulled down from its upper position to a lower 
position by the projections mounted on the front surfaces of the advancing 
blades, which are opposedly arranged at the lower opening of the hopper.