Dough portioning apparatus

A dough portioning apparatus,

• comprising a multiple-row configuration with a corresponding plurality of portioning chambers and metering pistons,
• wherein the plurality of portioning chambers define a portioned dough quantity,
• wherein the plurality of metering pistons are each displaceable in the portioning chambers
• between a retracted metering position in which the respective metering piston defines a predetermined portioning volume in the respective portioning chamber,
• and an extended ejection position,
• wherein the respective portioning chamber is accommodated in a portioning cylinder, which is pivotable between
• a metering pivot position in which the metering piston defines the predetermined portioning volume in the metering position,
• and a pivoted ejection pivot position in which the metering piston is displaceable into the ejection position in order to deliver a dough portion to a downstream processing unit,
• wherein a displacement stroke of the respective metering piston between the metering position and the ejection position is greater than half a diameter of the respective portioning cylinder,
• wherein the metering piston is in each case guided in the associated portioning chamber by two axially spaced guide surfaces, an axial distance of the guide surfaces being smaller than one third of the diameter of the portioning cylinder,
• wherein the dough portioning apparatus comprises a drive unit having a control component, the drive unit being configured to displace the metering piston from the metering position into the ejection position, the dough portioning apparatus being configured such that a displacement of the metering pistons takes place exclusively on account of a pressure exerted on the metering pistons by the dough,
• wherein the control component is configured as a control roller, which is configured to interact with a control cam of the drive unit,
• wherein the control component is connected to all metering pistons to transmit a tensile force from the control component to the metering pistons, wherein the transmission of said tensile force results in all metering pistons being brought into the same relative end position in the metering position in relation to the respective portioning chamber via the control roller during the stroke displacement from the ejection position into the metering position.