DOUGH DIVIDING APPARATUS

Abstract: Dividing apparatus for dosing a plastically deformable mass, in particular dough, in equal quantities comprising a supply tank (1), a collection chamber (2) with a first piston (4) and a closing device movable therein, and a dividing chamber (2) movable along a vertical guide, placeable in the line of the collection chamber (5) and adjacent thereto and having a second piston (6) movable therein for successively drawing in mass out of the supply tank (1) into the collection chamber (2), closing off the collection chamber (2) from the supply tank, pressing mass out of the collection chamber (2) into the dividing chamber (5), enclosing mass in the dividing chamber and transferring this mass therefrom onto a transporting device (7), wherein the collection chamber comprises a movable cylinder jacket (3) fitting into this first space, the first piston (4) comprises a movable cylinder-shaped part fitting into this cylinder jacket, the dividing chamber (5) comprises a cylinder-shaped second space, and the second piston (6) comprises a cylinder-shaped part fitting into this second space.

Description: DOUGH DIVIDING APPARATUS The invention relates to a dividing apparatus for dosin a plastically deformable mass, in particular dough, in equal quantities comprising a supply tank, a collection chamber with first piston and a closing device movable therein, a dividing chamber placeable in the line of the collection chamber and adjacent thereto and having a second piston movable therein fo successively drawing in mass out of the supply tank into the collection chamber, closing off the collection chamber from th supply tank, pressing mass out of the collection chamber into the dividing chamber, enclosing mass in the dividing chamber a transferring this mass therefrom onto a transporting device. Such a dividing apparatus is known. In the known dividing apparatus the collection chamber i a space of rectangular cross section under a supply hopper. Th collection chamber connects onto a dividing chamber likewise o rectangular cross section. The pistons movable in the collecti and dividing chambers, which hereinafter will be designated respectively as pressure piston and dividing piston, have a shape of rectangular cross section which fits into the relevan chamber and are usually manufactured from bronze. In the known dividing apparatus a flat plate movable in lengthwise directio is situated between the top of the piston in the collection chamber and the upper wall of the collection chamber. This fla plate, also called knife, functions as closing device between the supply hopper and the collection chamber and also function as upper surface of the collection chamber along which the top surface of the rectangular cylinder can be moved. There are a number of drawbacks associated with the kno dividing apparatus. In order to minimalize the chance of disturbances it is absolutely necessary that the usually heavy, normally cast iro or cast bronze components of the known dividing apparatus satisfy extremely strict requirements demanded inter alia for the dimensions thereof. These strict requirements make the machining of the components a very costly affair. Lubrication of moving parts in the dividing apparatus is an essential condition for the good operation thereof even when it is manufactured in accordance with the most stringent norms, but represents in practice a source of disturbances and delays ' , because, depending on the nature of the product, for instance dough, for processing in the apparatus, lubrication is subject to limitations. Cleaning of the known dividing machine is time-consuming. A high level of wear is inherent to the use of the materials applied in the machine and necessitates a periodic and costly overhaul. The object of the invention is to provide a dividing apparatus not having these drawbacks. This object is achieved according to the invention with a dividing apparatus in which the collection chamber comprises a cylinder-shaped first space, the closing device comprises a movable cylinder jacket fitting into this first space, the first piston comprises a movable cylinder-shaped part fitting into this cylinder jacket, the dividing chamber comprises a cylinder-shaped second space, and the second piston comprises a cylinder-shaped part fitting into this second space. In such a dividing apparatus the movable cylinder jacket functions as slide closing between the collection chamber and the supply hopper, while the inner surface of the cylinder jacket forms the surface along which the pressure cylinder is moved. The cylinder-shaped collection and dividing chambers and the cylinder-shaped pistons offer the advantage that they can be manufactured by simple and thus inexpensive machining operations. Another advantage compared to the known dividing apparatus is the better sealing between the pistons and the slide closing, for instance using piston rings received in peripheral grooves on one side and the parts along which these are movable on the other, whereby the chance of disturbance is smaller and it is possible to suffice with significantly less lubricant for the moving parts. Because a machine according to the invention does not necessarily have to be assembled from relatively heavy components for good operation thereof, components other than those mentioned above, for instance the drive, can be manufactured more simply and inexpensively. The costs of repair and/or overhaul of a machine according to the invention are considerably lower than those for a known machine because repair and overhaul are less often necessary and becaus it is for instance possible to refurbish the inner walls of the collection chamber and the dividing chamber by using a replaceable cylinder lining. An apparatus according to the invention is particularly suitable for dosing equal quantities of dough, but can also be used for a great variety of other plastically deformable masses, for instance cheese curd. In preference the dividing chamber of a dividing apparatus according to the invention is movable in operating conditions along a vertical guide between a first end position in which the dividing chamber is placed in the line of the collection chamber and a second end position in which the dividing chamber debouches above the transporting device. In such a dividing apparatus the pistons in the collection and dividing chambers and the movable cylinder jacket, which functions as knife, are provided with a drive suc that the following successive steps can be performed. In a starting position the hopper filled for instance with dough is completely separated from the collection chamber by the knife, the pressing and dividing piston are pushed as fa as possible into respectively the collection and dividing chambers and the dividing chamber is not placed in line with th collection chamber but is situated at a level below the collection chamber. In a suction stroke first the knife and the the pressure piston are retracted, as a result of which dough i drawn out of the hopper into the collection chamber. In the subsequent separation stroke the knife is moved in a movement opposed to the preceding one, as a result of which the collection chamber is closed off again from the hopper and a separated quantity of dough is located in the collection chamber. The knife now once again forms the peripheral surface of a cylinder-shaped chamber in which the pressure piston can b driven. Following the separation stroke the dividing chamber an the dividing piston movable therein are placed in alignment wit and adjacent to the collection chamber. In the pressing stroke subsequent hereto, wherein collection chamber and dividing chamber are placed in open communication in mutual alignment, the pressure piston is pressed in forward direction, as a resul of which the dough is pressed out of the collection chamber int the dividing chamber, wherein the dividing piston is pressed in rearward direction until it is stopped in an adjusted end position and the drive force exerted on the pressure piston has reached a determined preset value. When both these latter conditions have been satisfied the dividing chamber filled with dough is moved in downward direction during the dividing and ejecting stroke while the collection chamber is simultaneously closed off. Situated in the dividing chamber is a measured quantity of dough which is pressed therefrom by the dividing piston to land on a transporting device. The transporting devic normally ends at the entrance to a shaping machine, that is, a device in which the desired shape is given to the measured doug quantity. In an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention the inner diameters of the movable cylinder jacket an of the cylinder-shaped second space are at least practically th same. In a machine with thus equal inner diameters dough drawn into the collection chamber can be pressed into the dividing chamber in a manner wherein it is. subjected to minimum resistance. In preference at least one piston consists at least partly of plastic material. A cylindrical plastic piston is simpler to make, is lighter, runs with less friction in an associated cylinder housing and is easier to drive than the corresponding rectangular bronze piston of the known dividing apparatus. Plastic materials suitable for a piston are for instance high molecular polyethylene (HmPE), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyamides (PA) . In preference a dividing apparatus according to the invention is characterized by a driving of the movable cylinder jacket derived from the drive of the first cylinder. Such a derived drive makes a direct driving of the movable cylinder jacket unnecessary, which results in a further simplification of the dividing apparatus and a further lowering of the purchase and operational costs thereof. In an embodiment of this latter dividing apparatus, during forward movement of the first piston the movable cylinde jacket is coupled under spring tension to a piston rod of this piston. In such a dividing apparatus, when the piston is driven in forward direction during the separation stroke the movable cylinder jacket coupled under spring tension is also moved in forward direction, that is, in the direction of the dividing chamber, until the cylinder jacket is stopped at the end of the separation stroke, whereupon the cylinder is pushed further in counter to an increasing spring pressure (the press stroke) . After the press stroke the first piston is retracted until it i stopped against a fixed point on the movable cylinder jacket, for instance a rear surface, whereafter the movable cylinder jacket is likewise retracted and dough can be drawn out of the supply hopper into the collection chamber. A dividing apparatus according to the invention is preferably characterized by a driving of the first piston derived from the drive of the movable cylinder jacket. Such an apparatus offers the advantage of a marked reduction in the volume required for the drives of the movable cylinder jacket and the first piston. In such a dividing apparatus, during forward movement of the movable cylinder jacket a piston rod for instance of the first piston is coupled under spring tension to this cylinder jacket. In such a dividing apparatus the forward movement of the cylinder jacket (the separation stroke, wherein the supply hopper is closed off from the collection chamber) is followed with some time delay by the forward movement of the first cylinder. The time delay occurs because in the coupling between the movable cylinder jacket and the first piston a pressure must first be built up that is sufficiently great to overcome the pressure of the dough mass present in the collection chamber. In this apparatus the separation stroke and the press stroke transpose gradually as it were into one another. During the return movement (the suction stroke) the first piston and the cylinder jacket are retracted simultaneously so that the suction of dough out of the supply hopper into the collection chamber starts as soon as the return movement is commenced. A particularly compact and easily serviced apparatus is obtained when the spring tension is provided by a gas spring. The dividing apparatus is advantageously used when the transporting device comprises a conveyor belt disposed along a side wall, the carrying surface of which rises from this side wall at a determined angle in cross section perpendicularly of the transporting direction. When using the dividing apparatus for dosing dough the shape of the measured quantities of dough ejected from the dividing chamber by the second piston onto the conveyor belt is of course determined by the shape of this dividing chamber. Depending on the shape of the dough quantities these must be further processed until a form suitable for baking is obtained. When the quantities of dough are dosed in a known dividing apparatus the use of a separate machine is a prerequisite for shaping the dough, a shaping machine. It has now been found that with use of a dividing apparatus according to the invention a processing in a separate shaping machine can be omitted when the transporting device in the dividing apparatus has the above described feature. To increase the application potential according to the invention the angle between the conveyor belt and the side wall in such a transporting device is adjustable. An adjustable angle is for instance obtained with conveyor belt tiltable on a lengthwise axis or a side wall tiltable on a lengthwise axis. The shaping of round mass quantities, in particular doug quantities, is furthered still more in a dividing apparatus whereof the side wall of the transporting device has in section perpendicularly of the transporting device a concave form facin the conveyor belt. The invention will be further elucidated hereinafter on the basis of embodiments and with reference to the drawing. In the drawing: figure 1 shows a cut away perspective view of a dividing apparatus according to the invention; figure 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through part of another apparatus; figure 3 is a schematic longitudinal section through a part of yet another apparatus; and figure 4 shows a schematic front view of a transporting device. Figure 1 shows a dividing apparatus, for instance for dough, with supply hopper 1 above a cylindrical collection chamber 2 having a first piston 4 movable therein, designated hereinafter as pressure piston 4, and a movable cylinder jacket 3. Situated in the line of the cylindrical collection chamber 2 is a cylindrical dividing chamber 5 having therein a second piston 6 (dividing piston 6). In the ejecting position 51 the dividing chamber 6 is situated above a conveyor belt 7 which is fixed by rollers 9 in an adjustable roller support 8 along a concave side wall 10 which can be displaced relative to a side wall guide 12 using hand wheels 11. The apparatus is driven by drive shaft 13 which is provided with curve discs 14, 15, 16 connected to drive rods 18, 19, 26 respectively. Two drive rods 18, 19 are connected to lever rods 20, 21 respectively which ar tiltable on a rocker shaft 17 and which are also connected via connecting shafts 22, 23 respectively to the piston rod 24 of pressure piston 4 and the jacket rod 25 of cylinder jacket 3. Drive rod 26 is connected via a guide 52 connected to the frame to dividing chamber housing 27 and provides the downward movement of this housing in the direction of arrow 28. Dividing piston 6 is received in dividing chamber 5 under bias which is exerted via piston rod 29, wheel 30 and guide 31 by springs 33 supporting on the frame. The spring pressure can be adjusted with adjusting screws 34 in the direction indicated by double arrow 35. Collection chamber 2 and dividing chamber 5 are provided with cylinder linings 49, 50 respectively. The arrows 36, 37 indicate respectively the transporting direction of conveyor belt 7 and the rotation direction of drive shaft 13. The operation of the dividing apparatus is as follows. The apparatus is drawn in a starting position in which drive rods 18 and 19 co-act with respectively the sector D of disc 14 and sector B of disc 15. As a result of the rotation of drive shaft 13 piston 4 and cylinder jacket 3 are retracted, while dividing chamber 5 is driven downward as soon as drive rod 26 no longer co-acts with segment E of curve disc 16. As soon as pressure piston 4 and cylinder jacket 3 are fully retracted and the collection chamber 2 is completely filled with dough from supply hopper 1 by suction and through the action of the force of gravity, cylinder jacket 3 is again driven forward because drive rod 19 co-acts with sector A of curve disc 15, wherein collection chamber 2 is closed off again from supply hopper 1 (the separation stroke) . Some time after the forward movement of cylinder jacket 3 has been started, drive rod 18 is carried along by sector C of disc 14, as a result of which the pressure piston 4 is driven in forward direction whereby dough is pressed out of collection chamber 2 into dividing chamber 5 while the dividing piston 6 is simultaneously pushed away. While adjusting a balance of the pressure applied by dough in dividing chamber 5 on dividing piston 6 and by springs 33 on this dividing piston 6, the rearward movement of piston 6 stops and the dividing chamber housing 27 with the dividing chamber 5 filled with dou and the piston 6 are pulled downward by drive rod 26 (ejecting position indicated in dashed lines 51; drive rod 26 then co-ac with sector F of curve disc 16), whereupon the dough can be ejected above, and carried away by, conveyor belt 7. Dividing chamber housing 27 is then driven upward again and the cycle is repeated. Figure 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through part of another apparatus with supply hopper 201 above a cylindrical collection chamber 202 in which a movable piston 20 in a likewise movable cylinder jacket 203 is derived from the drive of pressure piston 204 by means of a spring 241 which is enclosed round piston rod 224 between a rear surface 238 of cylinder jacket 203 and a spring cup 239 connected to the pisto rod 224. Spring cup 239 can be connected into piston rod 224 with different adjusting holes 240 so that the bias exerted by spring 241 on cylinder jacket 203 can be varied. One drive rod 220 can suffice for the driving of pressure piston 204 and cylinder jacket 203, in the following manner. When piston 204 and cylinder 203 are driven forward (in the direction of arrow 242) from the most retracted position (on the right in the figure) the cylinder jacket 203 is carried along by the piston rod 224 and the piston 204 connected thereto due to the spring pressure exerted on end surface 238 until cylinder jacket 203 i stopped. At that moment the collection chamber 202 is closed of from the supply hopper 201 and the movable cylinder jacket 203 is filled with dough which is pressed by the piston 204 in the direction of arrow 242 to the dividing chamber (not shown) whil overcoming the spring pressure that becomes increasingly stronger. When the piston rod 224 is retracted from the most forward position of piston 204 (on the left in the drawing) the cylinder jacket 203 remains in place under the influence of the spring pressure exerted thereon via end surface 238 until pist 204 is stopped against the inner side of end surface 238 and i this position (indicated with dashed lines 243) pulls cylinder jacket 203 along with it in rearward direction. Figure 3 shows a schematic longitudinal section through part of yet another apparatus. A supply hopper 301 is disposed here above a cylindrical collection chamber 302 in which is again received a movable cylinder jacket 303 having therein a first piston (pressure piston) 304. In the line of and connecting to collection chamber 302 is situated a cylindrical dividing chamber 305 having therein a second piston (dividing piston) 306. A conveyor belt 307 is shown schematically. In figure 3 the pressure piston 304 and cylinder jacket 303 are situated in their rearmost position (furthest to the right) . Cylinder jacket 303 is directly driven by a lever rod 321 tiltable on a rocker shaft 317 and connected thereto via a connecting shaft 322. In the forward movement (to the left in the figure) of cylinder jacket 303 the latter again closes off the collection chamber 302 from the supply hopper 301. The piston rod 324 of pressure piston 304 is driven via drive rods 345 and 344 connected to drive rod 321 and a gas spring 341. Because a pressure must be built up in gas spring 341 that is greater than the pressure exerted on the pressure piston 304 by the dough enclosed in the collection chamber 302, the forward movement of piston 304 is started with some delay relative to that of cylinder jacket 303. The dough in collection chamber 30 is pressed by piston 304 into dividing chamber 305 while the dividing piston 306, which is held under bias against a guide 331 via a piston rod 329 and a wheel 330 connected thereto, is pushed away. When the pressure exerted on the dough pressed int dividing chamber 305 has reached a preset value dividing chambe housing 327 is again pulled downward by drive rod 326, whereafter the dough present in dividing chamber 305 can be ejected above transporting device 307 by dividing piston 306. The apparatus shown offers the advantage that the drive of pressure piston 304 and cylinder jacket 303 can be embodied in exceptionally simple manner, that it is compact and requires little servicing. Figure 4 shows a schematic front view of the transportin device of figure 1 with conveyor belt 407, roller 409, concave side wall 410, side wall guide 412, to which is connected a han wheel 411, and a dough mass 413. Using hand wheel 411 the distance of the concave side wall 410 to the conveyor belt 407 is adjustable, while further the angle between the side wall an the surface of the conveyor belt is adjustable in cross section, as a result of which a dough mass 413 makes less (figure 4a) or more (figure 4b) contact with the profile of the concave side wall 410. *****

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Dividing apparatus for dosing a plastically deformable mass, in particular dough, in equal quantities comprising a supply tank, a collection chamber with a first piston and a closing device movable therein, and a dividing chamber placeable in the line of the collection chamber and adjacent thereto and having a second piston movable therein for successively drawing in mass out of the supply tank into the collection chamber, closing off the collection chamber from the supply tank, pressing mass out of the collection chamber into the dividing chamber, enclosing mass in the dividing chamber and transferring this mass therefrom onto a transporting device, characterized in that the collection chamber comprises a cylinder-shaped first space, the closing device comprises a movable cylinder jacket fitting into this first space, the first piston comprises a movable cylinder-shaped part fitting into this cylinder jacket, the dividing chamber comprises a cylinder-shaped second space, and the second piston comprises a cylinder-shaped part fitting into this second space. 2. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the dividing chamber is movable in operating conditions along a vertical guide between a first end position in which the dividing chamber is placed in the line of the collection chamber and a second end position in which the dividing chamber debouches above the transporting device. 3. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner diameters of the movable cylinder jacket and of the cylinder-shaped second space are at least practically the same. 4. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the movable cylinder jacket is connectable to the cylinder-shaped second space of a dividing chamber placed in the line of the collection chamber such that a combined, at least practically cylinder-shaped, space is created. 5. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 1-4, characterized in that the wall of at least one cylinder- shaped space comprises a replaceable cylinder lining. 6. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, characterized in that at least one piston consists at leas partly of plastic material. 7. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, characterized in that at least one piston comprises a groove in peripheral direction for receiving a piston ring. 8. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 1-7, characterized by a driving of the movable cylinder jacket derived from the drive of the first piston. 9. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that during forward movement of the first piston the movable cylinder jacket is coupled under spring tension to a piston rod of this piston. 10. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 1-7, characterized by a driving of the first piston derived fro the drive of the movable cylinder jacket. 11. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that during forward movement of the movable cylinder jacket a piston rod of the first piston is coupled under spring tension to this cylinder jacket. 12. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 1-7, characterized in that a piston rod of the first piston is coupled under spring tension to this piston during forward movement thereof. 13. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 9, 11 or 12, characterized in that the spring tension is provided by a gas spring. 14. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized by a drive coupled to the drive of the first piston and the drive of the movable cylinder jacket for the vertical movement of the dividing chamber. 15. Dividing apparatus as claimed in any of the foregoin claims, characterized in that the transporting device comprises a conveyor belt disposed along a side wall, the carrying surfac of which rises from this side wall at a determined angle in cross section perpendicularly of the transporting direction. 16. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the angle is adjustable. 17. Dividing apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that in a section perpendicularly of the transporting device the side wall has a concave form facing the conveyor belt. *****

Inventors: HOLTKAMP LEONARDUS HENDRIKUS M, HOLTKAMP, LEONARDUS, HENDRIKUS, MARTINUS
Applicants: HOLTKAMP HOLDING BV, HOLTKAMP HOLDING B.V.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A21C5
IPC codes: A21C5, A21C7