Patent GB-774505-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the automatic control of dough-dividing and kneadingmachines
IPC: A21C5/08
Filed: 1953-03-10
Abstract: 774,505. Dough-moulding machines. SCHRODER, H. March 10, 1953 [July 19, 1952 ; Sept. 10, 1952 ; Sept. 10, 1952 ; Sept. 10, 1952], No. 12768/55. Divided out of 774,504. Class 87(2). Relates to dough-dividing and kneading machines for moulding many pieces of dough simultaneously, of the kind having knives 4, Figs. 1 and 2, a pressing plate 2 forming part of a dough-pressing head 7, a dough-surrounding ring 3 and a dough-supporting gyrating kneading plate 1. First a lump of dough is placed on the kneading plate, then the ring is lowered on the said plate, Fig. 5, then the dough is pressed flat by the pressing plate 2, then the knives are lowered as in Fig. 5 and the plate 1 is gyrated to knead the dough pieces. According to the invention the pressing plate 2 is pressed down upon the dough by a crank arm 11 which is operatively connected to the pressing plate only during the downward movement of the plate. The figures show a machine in which the pressing head 7 is carried by arms 8 each having a pin-and-slot connection with the crank arm 11 on a sleeve 13 rotatably mounted on a shaft 12. A lever 14 is fixed to sleeve 13, and when this lever is rocked clockwise, Fig. 2, the head descends from the idle position of Fig. 2 to the pressing position of Fig. 5, the head being pressed down by pin 10 acting on the lower end of slot 9. When lever 14 rocks counter-clockwise the pin rises idly to the top of the slot. Lever 14 is rocked clockwise by worm wheel 26 acting through crank pins 25, 28 joined by spring-pulled arm 27, lever 19 pivoted at fixed point 21, and telescopic resilient link 16. A counterweight 32 counterbalances the weight of rod 16 and levers 14, 19. The head being down, the knives 4 are lowered to the Fig. 5 position by means of wheel 26 acting through crank pin 41, lever 42 pivoted at fixed point 43, links 45, 47, rack-and-pinion 49, 48 and rod 6 which extends through the pressure head and is secured to the knives. When the knives have been lowered, pin 28, Fig. 2, passes shoulder 24 and the pressure on head 7 is released. The kneading then proceeds, without pressure from head 7, and as it does so the dough pieces become spherical and become taller. To allow for this increase in height of the dough pieces, the plate 2 is slowly raised by means of a cam 101, Fig. 7, on shaft 33, the cam acting through lever 105, links 111, 113 and lever 114 pivoted at 115 and connected to head 7 by a pin-and-slot link 118. After kneading is complete the knives are raised by crank pin 50 acting on abutment 51 on wheel 26. The extent of the kneading throw of plate 1 is controlled by adjustable cams 34, 36 on the shaft 33 that carries wheel 26, as described in Specification 774,504. Wheel 26 rotates once for each cycle of the machine, this one-revolution mechanism being shown in Figs. 9 and 10. A motor (not shown) drives pulley 126, clutch 169 and shaft 165 which carries a worm 135 which drives wheel 26. Fig. 10 shows the clutch held out of engagement with pulley 126 by a projection 179 on wheel 26, the projection restraining an arm 173 pivoted to the clutch at 174. When a cycle is to be performed the operator raises arm 173 by means of handle 184, whereupon a spring 172 engages the clutch. When wheel 26 has turned through one revolution 179 bumps against 177, pulling 173 to the right and disengaging the clutch.