Portioning device and method for large dough chunks

A method of operating a bulk dough chunk portioning device, comprising:

• operating bulk dough chunking machine to provide a stream of bulk dough chunks;
• conveying on an at least one vertical conveyor a stream of bulk dough chunks;
• feeding the stream of bulk dough chunks with the at least one horizontal conveyor to at least two vertical conveyors that entrain a lesser portion of a bulk dough chunk from said stream of bulk dough chunks;
• conveying the lesser dough chunk portion with the vertical conveyors so as to increase the tensile forces on the lesser dough chunk portion and begin separation from the bulk dough chunk;
• engaging a sectioner portioner to cut the lesser dough chunk portion from the bulk dough chunk portion;
• and
• releasing the lesser dough chunk portion to the at least two vertical conveyors.

A portioning machine reducing bulk semi-viscous material portions to lesser semi-viscous material portions comprising:

• an at least one horizontal conveyor belt with a stream of bulk semi-viscous material portions thereon;
• an at least two vertical conveyors communicating with an end of the at least one horizontal conveyor and entraining the bulk semi-viscous material portions there between;
• a portioner sectioner;
• and
• a controller, wherein the controller is adapted to operate the at least one horizontal conveyor to feed and thereby entrain the bulk semi-viscous material in the at least two vertical conveyors, which in turn entrain and pull a lesser portion of semi-viscous material from the bulk semi-viscous material portion and the controller is further adapted to drive the portioner sectioner into the bulk semi-viscous material portion to sever the lesser portion of semi-viscous material portion from the bulk semi-viscous material portion and thereby convey the lesser semi-viscous material portion up the at least two vertical conveyors.