Patent Publication Number: US-2013232926-A1

Title: Feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, and in particular to a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine that improves feeding efficiency and allows of easy cleaning. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Stuffing wrapping of foodstuffs is to wrap or fill a stuffing material, such as lotus seed paste, bean paste, and date paste, by or in a covering material, such as dough and flour batter. Stuffing machines for mass production of filling or wrapping a stuffing material with a covering material are available in the market, wherein the stuffing material and the covering material are separately deposited in feeding channels of the stuffing machine in order to complete a stuffed product. As shown in  FIG. 5 , a conventional stuffing machine comprises the following components: 
     Two horizontally arranged feeding chambers  10 A each receive therein at least a rotation shaft  21 A to which one spiral blade  22 A is mounted and a motor (not shown) coupled to the rotation shaft  21 A. The feeding chambers  10 A are provided with a discharge channel  11 A that has an inlet opening (not shown) substantially perpendicular to an outlet opening  12 A. The discharge channel  11 A has an end where the outlet opening  12 A is formed. Further, the discharge channel  11 A receives therein a scroll blade  13 A. 
     A base (not shown) comprises a discharging opening and a plurality of feeding tubes. Each of the feeding tubes has an end communicating with the discharging opening and an opposite end couple to the outlet opening  12 A of the feeding chambers  10 A. 
     To use, a stuffing material and a covering material are respectively deposited into the feeding chambers  10 A and are conveyed by the rotation shafts  21 A that have the spiral blades  22 A into the discharge channel  11 A to be further driven by the scroll blade  13 A for changing direction toward the outlet opening  12 A and eventually entering the feeding tubes of the base to allow a stuffed food product to be dispensed from the discharging opening. 
     However, the feeding chamber  10 A of the feeding structure of the conventional stuffing machine comprises a discharge channel  11 A having a bend that might form a dead zone. Further, the performance for pushing or conveying material toward a transverse direction is generally poor, making it possible to have the material undesirably accumulated or jamming in the bend or contamination may be induced in the bend. In addition, the structure is complicated and assembling and disassembling is troublesome, making cleaning operations extremely difficult and eventually causing a significant reduction of production efficiency. 
     In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a solution that overcomes the problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, which adopts a unique arrangement comprising a base to which a plurality of feeding tubes that is inclined is mounted and a plurality of funnel-like feeding hoppers corresponding to the feeding tubes to overcome the problems of according to the present invention so as to realize improvement of material pushing performance and processing of various stuffing materials in multiple hoppers. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, which adopts modularized design of a first cutting/feeding module and a second cutting/feeding module and further adopts a simple arrangement of fitting and screwing for coupling the first cutting/feeding module, the second cutting/feeding module, a cutter assembly, and a reverse pushing module of a transmission device and the components thereof so as to achieve easy assembling and disassembling and facilitate the performance of cleaning operation. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, which adopts a mutual cooperative arrangement of a first cutting/feeding module and a second cutting/feeding module of a transmission device to provide localized and stepwise material stirring and pushing operation so as to realize uniformly stirring and increase of the speed of pushing material to thereby facilitate subsequent operation of stuffing wrapping and to increase the types of stuffing to be processed thereby. 
     Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, which adopts an arrangement that a lower segment of a spindle of a second cutting/feeding module  22  comprises, in addition to a plurality of second blades, a plurality of couplings, which is connected between the second blades, so that the upper and lower segments and the coupled portions of the spindle are all functional for pushing material to thereby achieve uniform stirring of material and stable pushing of material. 
     To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, which comprises: a hopper assembly and a transmission device. The hopper assembly comprises a base and a plurality of funnel-like feeding hoppers. The base has a top to which a plurality of inclined feeding tubes is mounted. The base has a bottom forming a discharging opening, which is in communication with the feeding tubes. The feeding hoppers are arranged above and in communication with the feeding tubes respectively. The transmission device comprises a first cutting/feeding module, a second cutting/feeding module, and a motor assembly. The motor assembly is mounted on the feeding hoppers. The first cutting/feeding module comprises a hollow tubular shaft and a first blade mounted to the tubular shaft. The tubular shaft has an end coupled to the motor assembly. The second cutting/feeding module comprises a spindle that is composed of upper and lower segments, a coupling arranged between the upper and lower segments of the spindle, and a plurality of second blades mounted to the spindle. The spindle has an end portion that is received in and coupled to the tubular shaft to be operative in unison with the tubular shaft. The first cutting/feeding module and the second cutting/feeding module are received in the hopper assembly. As such, efficacies of having multiple hoppers to process various stuffing material, uniform stirring, improved material pushing performance, easy assembling/disassembling, and being easy to clean are provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is across-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a first cutting/feeding module according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second cutting/feeding module according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a feeding hopper of a conventional stuffing machine. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1-4 , the present invention provides a feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine, which comprise a hopper assembly  10  and a transmission device  20 . 
     The hopper assembly  10  comprises a base  11  and a plurality of funnel-like feeding hoppers  12 . The base  11  has a top to which a plurality of feeding tubes  111  (two feeding tubes being shown in the embodiment illustrated and the two feeding tubes  111  being of a horn like configuration having an expanded upper portion and a gradually reduced lower portion) that is generally inclined is coupled. The base  11  has a bottom forming a discharging opening  112 , which is in communication with the feeding tubes  111 . The feeding hoppers  12  are arranged above and in communication with the feeding tubes  111  respectively. Each feeding hopper  12  comprises a hopper cover  122 , which comprises a fixed section  1221  and a lift-to-open section  1222 . The fixed section  1221  and the lift-to-open section  1222  are rotatably coupled to each other. 
     The transmission device  20  comprises a first cutting/feeding module  21 , a second cutting/feeding module  22 , and a motor assembly  23 . 
     The motor assembly  23  is mounted on the feeding hopper  12 . (In the embodiment illustrated, the motor assembly  23  is mounted on the fixed section  1221  of the hopper cover  122 .) 
     The first cutting/feeding module  21  comprises a hollow tubular shaft  211  and a first blade  212  (which is in a spiral form) mounted to the tubular shaft  211 . The tubular shaft  211  has an end coupled to the motor assembly  23 . (In the instant embodiment, the tubular shaft  211  comprises a bearing at one end thereof and the motor assembly  23  comprises a shaft bore that is operatively coupled to the bearing.) 
     The second cutting/feeding module  22  comprise a spindle  221  that is composed of upper and lower segments, a coupling  222  arranged between the upper and lower segments of the spindle  221 , and a plurality of second blades  223  (which are in a spiral form) mounted to the spindle  221 . The spindle  221  has an end portion that is received in and coupled to the tubular shaft  211  to be operative in unison with the tubular shaft  211 . (In the instant embodiment, the end portion of the spindle  221  is the upper end portion of the spindle  221  that has a very end tip coupled to a retainer  2211 , which is in turn fixed to the tubular shaft  211  by a screw  2212 .) The first cutting/feeding module  21  and the second cutting/feeding module  22  are received in the hopper assembly  10 . 
     The coupling  222  comprise an upper tube  2221 , a lower tube  2222 , and a rotor  2223  coupled between the upper tube  2221  and the lower tube  2222 . (In the instant embodiment, the rotor  2223  comprises a short tube that forms a bore vertically extending therethrough and the lower tube  2222  forms, at one end thereof, two spaced coupling lugs corresponding to openings of the vertical bore of the rotor  2223 ; the rotor  2223  forms opposite holes in sides thereof and the upper tube  2221  forms, at one end thereof, two spaced coupling lugs to rotatably joint to the holes, thereby forming a universal joint.) 
     The coupling  222  is coupled between upper and lower segments of the spindle  221  to allow the upper and lower segments of the spindle  221  to be rotatable and foldable. The upper segment of the spindle  221  is received in the feeding hopper  12  and the lower segment of the spindle  221  is received in the feeding tubes  111 . In the instant embodiment, the lower segment of the spindle  221  comprises a plurality of couplings  222  having the same structure as described above. The couplings  222  are respectively coupled between the second blades  223 . Specifically, one of the couplings  222  is coupled between the upper and lower segments of the spindle  221 , while the remaining ones of the couplings  222  are coupled between the second blades  223  (in such a way that the couplings  222  alternate the second blades  223  to form a configuration resembling a stick insect). Each of the couplings  222  comprises third blades  2224  mounted thereto to improve the performance of stirring and pushing material. (In the instant embodiment, the upper tube  2221  and the lower tube  2222  of each coupling  222  each comprise two transversely extending third blades  2224  mounted thereto and the third blades  2224  of the upper tube  2221  and the lower tube  2222  are angularly alternate with each other.) The lower segment of the spindle  221  may further comprises a short tube (not shown) coupled between the second blades  223  for selective adjustment of the spacing distance between the second blades  223 . 
     Preferably, the transmission device  20  further comprises a cutter assembly  24 , which is mounted to the tubular shaft  211  and located above the first blade  212 . The cutter assembly  24  comprises a connection member  241  connected to the tubular shaft  211  and a plurality of wing plates  242  extending outwards from the connection member  241 . (In the instant embodiment, the connection member  241  is a sleeve that is fit over and fixed to the tubular shaft  211  to be movable in unison with the tubular shaft  211 .) Mounted to upper and lower sides of each wing plate  242  is a plurality of cutting blades  243  for improving the performance of stirring and pushing material. 
     More preferably, the transmission device  20  further comprises a reverse pushing module  25 , which is mounted to the tubular shaft  211  and located above the cutter assembly  24 . The reverse pushing module  25  comprises a connection member  251  connected to the tubular shaft  211  (in the instant embodiment, the connection member  241  being a sleeve that is fit over and rotatably coupled to the tubular shaft  211 , the sleeve carrying a gear that is in operative engagement with a gear of the motor assembly) and a plurality of folded plates  252  that extends outward from the connection member  251  and folded downward (in the form of a plate) to improve the performance of stirring and pushing material. 
     The present invention uses the mutual cooperative arrangement of the first cutting/feeding module  21  and the second cutting/feeding module  22  of the transmission device  20  to provide localized (a central area and a circumferential area of the feeding hopper  12 ) and stepwise (two steps respectively defined by the feeding hoppers  12  and the feeding tubes  111 ) material stirring and pushing operation so as to improve the performance of uniformly stirring and increase the speed of pushing material to thereby facilitate subsequent operation of stuffing wrapping and to increase the types of stuffing to be processed thereby. 
     To effectively reduce the potential risk of material jamming and to improve performance of pushing material, the present invention provides the following unique arrangement: 
     (1) The funnel like feeding hoppers  12  (which are expanded at the upper side and reduced at the lower side) facilitates deposition of material and uses gravitation to feed material downward from the top opening of the hopper and this is different from the horizontally arranged feeding hopper that is conventionally used, so that the problems of material accumulation and jamming in the hopper assembly  10  can be overcome and the performance of pushing material is effectively improved. 
     (2) A plurality of inclined feeding tubes  111  (which are expanded at the upper side and reduced at the lower side) is connected, at the upper end, to the feeding hoppers  12  and is in communication, at the lower end, with the discharging opening  112 , and a vertical arrangement is adopted to allow the material deposited in the feeding hoppers  12  to be fed downward by gravity, this being different from the conventional arrangement in which the material fed from a feeding hopper to a discharging opening  112  must be moved through a horizontal bend (which is roughly a right angle) and cause serious jamming problems, so that the problems of material accumulation and jamming in the hopper assembly  10  can be overcome and the performance of pushing material is effectively improved. 
     (3) The lower segment of the spindle  221  of the second cutting/feeding module  22  comprises, besides a plurality of second blades  223 , a plurality of couplings  222 , which is connected between the second blades  223  so that the upper and lower segments and the coupled portions of the spindle  221  are all functional for pushing material to thereby achieve uniform stirring of material and stable pushing of material. 
     To efficiently and conveniently assemble and disassemble for the purpose of efficient cleaning, the present invention provides the following unique arrangement: 
     (1) The first cutting/feeding module  21  and the second cutting/feeding module  22  are both of modularized design, so that the first cutting/feeding module  21  and the second cutting/feeding module  22  can be assembled and disassembled as a whole set to facilitate cleaning operations. 
     (2) The first cutting/feeding module  21 , the second cutting/feeding module  22 , the cutter assembly  24 , and the reverse pushing module  25  of the transmission device  20  and the components thereof are jointed in a simple arrangement of fitting or screwing so that assembling and disassembling are easy and can facilitate the cleaning operations. 
     The feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine according to the present invention has the features that a unique arrangement that comprises a base  11  to which a plurality of inclined feeding tubes  111  is mounted and a plurality of funnel like feeding hoppers  12  respectively corresponding to the feeding tubes  111  is adopted to improve the material accumulation and jamming problems of the hopper assembly  10  so as to realize improvement of material pushing performance and processing of various stuffing materials in multiple hoppers. Through modularized design of the first cutting/feeding module  21  and the second cutting/feeding module  22  and further through simple arrangement of fitting and screwing for coupling the first cutting/feeding module  21 , the second cutting/feeding module  22 , the cutter assembly  24 , and the reverse pushing module  25  of the transmission device  20  and the components thereof, easy assembling and disassembling is achieved to facilitate cleaning operation. Through the mutual cooperative arrangement of the first cutting/feeding module  21  and the second cutting/feeding module  22  of the transmission device  20  to provide localized (a central area and a circumferential area of the feeding hopper  12 ) and stepwise (two steps respectively defined by the feeding hoppers  12  and the feeding tubes  111 ) material stirring and pushing operation, the performance of uniformly stirring and increase of the speed of pushing material are realized to thereby facilitate subsequent operation of stuffing wrapping and to increase the types of stuffing to be processed thereby. Further, through the fact that the lower segment of the spindle  221  of the second cutting/feeding module  22  comprises, in addition to a plurality of second blades  223 , a plurality of couplings  222 , which is connected between the second blades  223 , the upper and lower segments and the coupled portions of the spindle  221  are all functional for pushing material to thereby achieve uniform stirring of material and stable pushing of material. As such, the feeding and cutting structure of stuffing machine according to the present invention is practical, novel, inventive, and convenient. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.