Abstract: A dough-dividing and rounding machine for dividing and rounding dough wherein the machine includes a removable ring and dividing assembly for the convenient cleaning of the machine and to allow for the interchangeability of the dividing assembly with other dividing assemblies for the production of dough or similar materials having different weights, quantities or shapes. The present invention being particularly adapted for use in dividing and/or dividing and rounding machines wherein a predetermined quantity of pieces of equal-sized dough or the like are produced.

Abstract: A dough dividing and rounding machine for dividing and rounding dough wherein the machine includes a removable ring and dividing assembly for the convenient cleaning of the machine and to allow for the interchangeability of the dividing assembly with a second dividing assembly for the production of dough having different sizes, quantities or shapes. The present invention being particularly adapted for use in dividing and/or dividing and rounding machines wherein a predetermined quantity of pieces of equal sized dough are produced.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for producing compacted chopped strands having a high density, wherein flattened wetted chopped strands are prepared and subjected in the wetted state to a rolling action to change the flattened form into rounded rod-like form while being compacted. The chopped strands are conveyed horizontally along a vibrating carrier plate (44, 151, 151') so that the rolling action is imparted to the chopped strands during the convey. The chopped strands moving among the carrier plate (151, 151') is dried by heated air applied from the lower side of the chopped strands.

Abstract: A dough-rounding apparatus in which first and second groups of elements undergo relative revolving movements to round pieces of dough. The elements of one group have chambers for receiving the pieces of dough, the elements of the other group being formed by circular recesses in a working surface which are opposite the chambers. The working surface has a limited region immediately adjacent to and surrounding each circular recess which is of broken, irregular formation to achieve a roughening of the working surface different from the circular recess. The limited region can be circular and concentric with the associated circular recess, the limited region having a diameter between 1.6 and 2.2 times the diameter of the circular recess.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for centering and shaping dough pieces baked products or the like which is inserted between two treatment machines in a commercial baking line for the production of bread or similar baked products, for example between a dividing and weighing machine and a prefermentation chamber, or between a prefermentation chamber and a shaping and alongating machine, this apparatus comprising a conveyor for feeding the ball-shaped dough pieces from the dividing and weighing machine or the prefermentation chamber, an endless belt conveyor of which the outer face comprises rack means consisting of transverse bars, two parallel guideways disposed at the input end of the apparatus and overlying said endless conveyor belt, a centering spout consisting of two convergent vertical walls and disposed downstream of said guideways, a shaping channel having an inner width inferior to the spacing of said pair of parallel guideways and disposed downstream of said centering spout, a plurality of succ

Abstract: A dough rounding machine with a drum rotatable about a vertical axis, a frame disposed around the drum and a trough which is formed between the drum jacket and a number of trough elements mounted on the frame and extending helically adjacent the jacket. Each trough element has a rail fixedly mounted in the frame and abutting the drum, and a wall portion positioned on the rail and displaceable relative to the jacket. The dough rounding machine further comprises a control unit for adjusting the width of the trough, the unit comprising rotatable rods extending from the lower part to the upper part of the drum and substantially parallel to the drum jacket, and link means interconnecting the rods and the wall portions.

Abstract: A device for shaping a semi-moist material into spheres without substantially disintegrating and pulverizing the material, whereby a disc (2) is rotatably arranged in the horizontal plane, which disc (2) on its upper side is arranged to receive a material to be shaped, and thereby is provided with a waffle patterned surface (4), and on its under side is provided with at least two wings (7) arranged substantially radially to the rotational axis of the disc (2), and substantially perpendicular to the under side of the disc (2); that the disc on its upper side, at its periphery has an annular, smooth surface (6), and that the disc (2) is arranged to be rotated against a cylindrical wall (8), whereby between said disc (2) and said wall (8) there is provided an annular slot (9) for allowing the passage of air.

Abstract: Device for forming plastic balls from a bar of plastic material. The bar is separated into balls one by one by a pair of circular cutters, each cutter being formed on its peripheral side surface with a cutting member consisting of plural number of spiral arcuate blades which are arranged within equi-angular ranges, respectively, extending along the peripheral side surface of the cutter.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a generally spherical laminate dough preform that has a first inner dough substantially uniformly encapsulated by one or more outer doughs. If the preform contains morsels such as flavored chips, the appparatus will distribute and optimize the visibility of the morsels in the final baked product.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping dough into round loaves including two continuous belts forming a v-shaped trough between them, one of the bands being oscillated in a direction normal to the molding surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for forming soft and sticky food material such as kneaded mixture of water and rice flour, wheat flour, etc., into globular shape in formation chambers in the form of pipe. Four crossing members constitute one group and create a formation chamber in the form of pipe. The crossing members on one side of the formation chambers are made to reciprocate in the opposite directions to those on the other side thereof, while touching, whereby the material is kneaded into globular shape,.

Abstract: A rounder bar with a biased flexible foot portion responsive to surface irregularities of a conveyor for maintaining a continuous contact with the conveyor along the full length of the rounder bar.

Abstract: Agglomerating apparatus in the form of a rotating drum and a method for agglomerating and controlling the size consist of carbonaceous material, such as particulate coal, finely divided char and, optionally, a binder such as pitch. Control of the agglomerate consist size distribution discharged from the drum is achieved by increasing the relative residence time of the small or growing agglomerates and by limiting contact between the large formed agglomerates and the small forming or growing agglomerates. The preferred means to insure adequate growth time for the small agglomerates consists of a plurality of annular ribs spaced about the inside wall of the drum and a cooperating scraping mechanism. The scraping mechanism comprises a plurality of scraper blades projecting radially from a rotating shaft throughout the length thereof of the agglomerate-forming section of the drum. However, at the annular paths wherein a rib is found the scraping blades are shorter in length.

Abstract: A dough-rounding machine, including a substantially horizontal trough defined by a carrying surface at the bottom and a pair of dough kneading plates which diverge upwardly from the carrying surface to form the sidewalls of the trough, has a drive mechanism designed to reciprocate the kneading plates in opposite directions laterally and longitudinally of the trough. The carrying surface may be movable in the longitudinal direction of the trough to advance a piece of dough through the machine.

Abstract: Pellets having uniform size and excellent strength properties are manufactured without fluctuations in production from finely-divided moist material by rolling nuclei of substantially mutually identical size in at least one pellet-rolling circuit in the presence of the finely-divided moist material, to form pellets having at least one layer of said material surrounding respective nuclei.

Abstract: A method of rounding lumps of dough, in which one lump of dough is contacted with two faces including an angle and in which the lump of dough is subjected to a frictional kneading effect by moving the two faces relative to one another, wherein the lump of dough is placed on a reciprocable surface and is alternately contacted with two surfaces disposed above said surface and including a rounding path.

Abstract: A strategically located series of spaced apart classifiers set at varying depths within a pelletizer pan operated to classify the forming pellets and also impart controlled energy into the forming pellets producing pellets of improved quality. Controlled classifying of the forming pellets stabilizes pellet output. With a stabilized pellet output obtained the need for driving the pellet pan with a variable speed device can be eliminated since pan rotation can be maintained at a constant speed.

Abstract: A machine for uniformly forming discrete quantities of material into a predetermined shape is disclosed. The machine includes a conveyor, a plurality of stationary forming members having a predetermined cross-section, and a corresponding plurality of guiding members extending from respective ones of the forming members so that discrete quantities of material carried by the conveyor are guided under the forming members where they are uniformly formed into a predetermined shape.

Abstract: A bread dough rounder bar for use with conventional dough dividing equipment to convert a dough piece into a rounded dough ball which may be subsequently processed into a bread bun or roll or the like. The rounder bar includes a work surface which varies in cross-section between an entrance section, a compression section and a rounding section.

Abstract: A method of forming spherically shaped pellets of relatively small diameter is disclosed which comprises the steps of depositing a finely divided congealable material on a surface of a disk shaped body, transporting the body over a closed course which extends in a plane forming an acute angle with the horizontal while rotating the body during the transport in the plane of the course thereby imparting a tumbling motion to the material and resulting in the fabrication of pellets, and collecting pellets of a predetermined range of sizes. A pelletizing apparatus is described which is adapted for forming pellets of relatively small diameter having enhanced surface characteristics and for automatically classifying the pellets by size.

Abstract: Wet pellets of carbon black are dried to produce dry pellets by means of a two-step process. In the first step a bed of wet pellets is fluidized by means of a heated gas and the pellets are thus partially dried. In the second step the partially dried pellets from the first step are subjected to additional drying while in a nonfluidized state, e.g. pellets from the fluidized bed are heated and subjected to a mild, mechanically produced tumbling action during the second step.