Apparatus for dividing bread dough or the like

An apparatus for supplying a uniform strip of plastic dough material comprising:

• an apparatus for dividing dough material comprising a hopper for dough material, the bottom of which is constituted by a first dough-supporting member, a second dough-supporting member, a dough-cutting member, and a dough material outlet, said first dough-supporting member being movable back and forth, and comprising a flat upper surface, a bottom surface, a horizontal forward edge, and a rearward edge, said forward edge extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of said member, said dough-cutting member comprising a saw blade means, and being, at said forward edge of said first dough-supporting member, flush therewith, a drive means for reciprocating said saw blade means in the longitudinal direction while said first dough-supporting member is moved in its advancing direction, said second dough-supporting member being movable in the same direction and in synchronization with said first dough-supporting member, being provided with a flat upper surface positioned at a level lower than the upper surface of said first dough-supporting member, thereby forming said dough material outlet between said second dough-supporting member and said cutting member, and a drive means for moving said first and second dough-supporting members back and forth, a supply conveyor arranged below said dividing apparatus for conveying divided dough material pieces,
• a downstream conveyor arranged downstream of said supply conveyor,
• a single roller or a plurality of rollers spaced apart from the upper flights of said supply and downstream conveyors, and arranged, while being rotated, so as to reciprocate over said supply and downstream conveyors and over a certain distance of the conveyance paths of said two conveyors, and
• a dough-width-measuring device arranged adjacent the downstream end of said supply conveyor.

An apparatus for supplying a uniform strip of plastic dough material comprising:

• an apparatus for dividing dough material comprising a hopper for dough material, the bottom of which is constituted by a first dough-supporting member, a second dough-supporting member, a dough-cutting member, and a dough material outlet, said first dough-supporting member being movable back and forth, and comprising a flat upper surface, a bottom surface, a horizontal forward edge, and a rearward edge, said forward edge extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of said member, said dough-cutting member comprising a saw blade means, and being, at said forward edge of said first dough-supporting member, flush therewith, a drive means for reciprocating said saw blade means in the longitudinal direction while said first dough-supporting member is moved in its advancing direction, said second dough-supporting member being movable in the same direction and in synchronization with said first dough-supporting member, being provided with a flat upper surface positioned at a level lower than the upper surface of said first dough-supporting member, thereby forming said dough material outlet between said second dough-supporting member and said cutting member, and a drive means for moving said first and second dough-supporting members back and forth,
• a weighing device for weighing divided pieces of dough material located below said dividing apparatus,
• a supply conveyor arranged below said weighing device for conveying the divided pieces of dough material,
• a detector for detecting the distance that said supply conveyor travels,
• a control unit for generating a signal to actuate said weighing device and said dividing apparatus, and
• a pressure device for pressing said divided pieces of dough material arranged on said supply conveyor.