Abstract: A composite torroid forming cup for an automated torroid-forming apparatus has a molded plastic upper closure and a bottom reinforced cup section. The upper closure has a hinge pin and an upper non-stick partial torroid forming surface. The bottom reinforced cup section has a substantially rigid reinforcing subframe and a plastic outer body portion that may be molded about the subframe. The bottom reinforced cup section has a bottom non-stick, partial torroid-forming surface. A method of making a composite dough torroid forming cup has several steps. A flat reinforcing plate is perforated with a plurality of apertures, and studs are spot-welded in a spaced relation onto the reinforcing plate. The reinforcing plate is positioned on a forming die and is formed thereon. The reinforcing plate is positioned in a mold, and plastic is molded about the reinforcing plate to form a reinforced bottom cup section.

Abstract: A dough shaping, dividing and reshaping machine has a feed conveyor for conveying a batch of dough to preshaping means including laterally spaced side rollers and vertically spaced top and bottom rollers and other rollers for advancing the batch to a dough divider means for receiving the dough batch in a preshaped configuration, shaping it to two generally rectangular cross section strips of dough and advancing the strips to a cut-off location, dough cut-off knives at the cut-off location for dividing the two strips alternately into parts of determinable size, separating such parts in sequence from the strips and delivering them individually to a dough forming means for receiving the individual dough parts and forming them into toroids or alternatively into dough balls of various sizes; roller means are provided for sensing the buildup of the dough batch between the top and bottom roller and the dough divider means; and an electric drive is provided for varying the advancement of the dough batch by the advanc

Abstract: Dough-dividing and forming apparatus particularly adapted for forming toroid-shaped articles such as bagels, or the like, is disclosed. A first rotary plate member containing a plurality of cylindrical openings receives a cylindical ribbon of dough into the openings and shears the dough into disc-shaped dough lumps. The dough lumps are subsequently flattened in the center to form a web and pierced to form a generally annular shape. During the piercing operation, the dough lumps are transferred to a second rotary plate member carrying a plurality of tapered, cylindrical forming cups. As the second plate member is indexed between rotary positions, a plurality of cylindrical mandrels are repeatedly thrust into and out of the forming cups to roll the dough lumps internally along the length of the forming cups whereby the desired shape is formed.

Abstract: Indexing apparatus is disclosed whereby a constantly rotating drive shaft can intermittently drive apparatus driven thereby. An arm carried by the drive shaft pivotally carries a second arm which has means for engaging a cammed surface whereby the pivoted arm is moved radially toward and away from the drive shaft. The rotated output member is mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and includes a projection adapted to be engaged selectively by an engaging member on the pivoted arm as the pivoted arm is rotated in response to the positioning of the camming surface. In the preferred embodiment, the projection is an extended member and the engaging member is initially brought into contact close adjacent the drive shaft and moved radially outward in a decreasing amount whereby the rotated member is smoothly accelerated. Correspondingly, upon disengagement, the engaging member is moved radially outward in an increasing amount to smoothly decelerate the rotated member.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting an unformed quantity of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped dough bodies has dough divider means for converting an unformed quantity of dough into at least one uniform ribbon of dough, moving the ribbon of dough through an outlet and severing the ribbon of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized pieces at an outlet of the dough divider; and dough forming means communicating with the dough divider means for engaging the ribbon of dough at the outlet of the dough divider means and drawing portions of the ribbon of dough away from the outlet in an initial drawing operation prior to severing the portion of dough from the ribbon of dough.