Manifold and valving arrangement for dough divider
AssigneeAMF Machinery Systems, Inc.
InventorKenneth C. Honings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for dividing a mass of dough into a plurality of smaller volumes for buns and the like of uniform weight which includes a manifold having internal dividers and monolithic conduits for dividing the dough into a plurality of streams. The manifold has a large volume to surface area and divides the dough under relatively low pressure of preferably 40 to 45 pounds per square inch gauge pressure. The apparatus also utilizes restrictors to fine tune the flow rates of the separate streams. The restrictors are flexible tube conduits that pass through a valve assembly having adjustable pressure bars that pinch the flexible tubes to vary their opening.
Claims15
Apparatus for dividing a mass of dough into a plurality of smaller volumes of substantially uniform weight comprising:
- a pump to provide a source of dough of substantially uniform density under pressure;
- a manifold assembly having an inlet connected to said pump;
- a manifold cavity located in said manifold assembly adjacent said inlet;
- a plurality of internal conduits for dividing a stream of dough into equally flowing streams located in said manifold assembly adjacent said manifold cavity each having a funnel shaped opening;
- an extrusion assembly having a plurality of extrusion openings each having an inlet end connected directly to a single one of said divided stream conduits and each having an outlet end for extruding said divided streams of dough;
- and
- a cut-off mechanism adjacent said extrusion assembly arranged to cut off said divided streams of dough as they are extruded from said outlet end into a plurality of pieces of dough of substantially uniform weight.
Apparatus for dividing a mass of dough into a plurality of smaller volumes of substantially uniform weight comprising:
- a pump to provide a source of dough of substantially uniform density under pressure;
- a manifold assembly having an inlet connected to said pump for dividing said dough into a plurality of streams;
- an extrusion assembly having a plurality of extrusion openings each having an inlet end and each having an outlet end for extruding said divided streams of dough;
- a cut-off mechanism adjacent said extrusion assembly arranged to cut off said divided streams of dough as they are extruded from said outlet end into a plurality of pieces of dough of substantially uniform weight;
- a passageway for dough between said manifold assembly and said inlets in said extrusion assembly which include a flexible tube forming at least a portion of said passageway;
- and
- an adjustable pinching member for pinching said flexible tube at least partially closed.
Apparatus for dividing a mass of dough into a plurality of smaller volumes comprising:
- a manifold assembly having an inlet, a base and a cover;
- a manifold cavity located in said manifold assembly adjacent said inlet which is substantially wider than it is long and of a height substantially less than it is long and which has a top which is substantially flat and a bottom which is substantially flat;
- a plurality of internal conduits located in said manifold assembly adjacent said manifold cavity each having a funnel shaped opening;
- and
- two side walls located in each of said internal conduits with all side walls of adjacent internal conduits which are adjacent to one another converging upstream to define a divider cutting edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.