Abstract: The invention provides a method for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular a meat mass. The method comprises the steps of filling a mould cavity, which is open on one side, with the mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for consumption, which mould cavity is defined by a boundary comprising walls and base, in order to mould a moulded three-dimensional product, and the removal of the moulded three-dimensional product from the mould cavity. In the method according to the invention, during removal the adhesion forces between the moulded product and the boundary are eliminated virtually simultaneously along all the interfaces.

Abstract: A device and a method for portioning food, in particular meat, into portions with a predetermined weight and/or predetermined thickness are proposed.

Abstract: A preferred method of the present invention includes the steps of: (1) providing a mass of dough; (2) providing a length of dough delivery conduit; (3) detaching a first portion of dough from the mass of dough; (4) delivering the first portion of dough into the dough delivery conduit; (5) detaching a second portion of dough from the mass of dough; (6) delivering the second portion of dough into the dough delivery conduit to form a stream of dough within the dough delivery conduit; (7) passing the stream of dough toward a dough piercing sharp for dividing the stream of dough, and; (8) forming the stream of dough into a plurality of dough pieces. Preferably, the step of delivering the portions of dough comprises utilizing a piston.

Abstract: A dough divider is operable within a mixer bowl to divide the dough into preset weights (e.g., for bread, loaves, buns). A pendulum assembly has a retractable divider to cut a charge of dough, which is compressed by a piston. The charge of dough is expelled into a scaling die cylinder and causes a scaling die piston to be retracted until a preset weight of dough is in the scaling die cylinder. As the divider moves out of alignment with the scaling die cylinder, any excess dough is cut off and the preset weight of dough is then expelled by the scaling die piston.

Abstract: An improved dough divider is provided which has a measuring cup assembly for dividing a mass of dough into uniform smaller slugs. The apparatus is adjustable so that size of the dough slugs can be increased or decreased. The dough divider has a piston-cylinder arrangement for supplying a flow of dough. The measuring cup assembly has a cylindrical housing which has a central axis. A plunger aligned on the axis so that it can reciprocate axially within the housing. An elongated stud is threaded through the housing so that the stud is aligned axially with a stem of the plunger. The plunger slides in said housing when dough is pressed against the plunger face, such that the plunger stem can contact the stud to limit the sliding of the plunger.

Abstract: An apparatus for portioning dough has a filler hopper (31) for the dough in which hopper a pre-portioning tool (51) in form of two star rollers (32) is disposed which rotate in inverse direction and are driven by a drive device if the amount of dough in a chamber (30) below decreases a predetermined value. From this chamber the dough (30) is pressed by a pusher device (25) in receiving openings (4) on the periphery of a step-wisely rotated drum (2). The volume of dough in the chamber (30) is controlled by a capacitive sensor (35) embedded into the wall (36) of the filler hopper (31) so that this sensor (35) does not interfere with the stream of the dough.

Abstract: A machine for dividing dough in which a dough supply unit delivers dough under pressure at an outlet end into dividing chambers of a rotatable carrier, the carrier having double measurement pistons in the dividing chambers for selectively delivering larger and smaller dough masses for a given stroke of the pistons. Each of the measurement pistons can be manually adjusted from outside the machine to be placed into first and second operational states in which, for a given stroke of the measurement piston respective larger and smaller volumes of dough mass are discharged from the machine. Each measurement piston includes an external piston slidable in a respective dividing chamber and an internal piston slidable in the external piston and the pistons are coupled for conjoint movement in the first operational state whereas in the second operational state, the external piston is fixed in the dividing chamber and the internal piston is slidable in the external piston.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the purification of an exhaust gas which contains dust and gaseous pollutants, such as SO.sub.2, SO.sub.3, HCl, HF and nitrogen oxides. In the process 70 to 90% of the total amount of sorbent required is introduced as a dry powder into the gas stream and the remaining 10 to 30% of the sorbent is introduced into the gas stream as a solution or suspension after a turbulence has been induced in the gas stream.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying a uniform amount of a loose food material comprising a hopper, a rotating drum and a pushing mechanism. In the apparatus, the material is introduced in pockets on the periphery of the drum and then compressed by a piston mechanism into a solid or cohesive form by pushing it, together with an additional amount of the material, against the piston provided in each of the pockets. Then the material, as shaped into a form, is discharged from the pocket onto a dough sheet. The material is compressed to a high density and a uniform shape.

Abstract: In order to make higher production speeds possible when making confectionery lollipops a method and a device are presented wherein the separation of the pieces of confectionery takes place by means of a cutting stamp making an up and down movement in the vertical plane and, each time, a piece of confectionery is transferred to a production head in which a partially inserted stick is present already and in which the piece of confectionery is prepressed, whereupon the stick is inserted further into the piece of confectionery during a rotation of the production head to a second position in which, by means of a pressing stamp moving to and fro in radial direction, the subsequent pressing of the lollipops takes place, the production head being rotated thereupon again over a distance to a position in which the lollipop is ejected from the production head.