Abstract: This invention relates to means for cutting a mass of material, such as dough or ground meat, into pieces of predetermined shape and of substantially uniform size as the material is fed from a hopper on to a conveyor belt.

Abstract: This invention relates to safety devices built into a machine designed to press a ball of dough into a pizza crust of uniform predetermined size.

Abstract: The metering device comprises a roller having a plurality of parallel grooves spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the roller and extending across the entire width of the roller, and drive means for rotating the roller. The grooves are of uniform width and depth, and extend radially inwardly from the outer peripheral surface of the roller. A block of approximately the same width and length of each of the grooves is mounted for reciprocating movement in each of the grooves. As the roller is rotated each block is reciprocated radially of the roller within its groove by the interengagement of cam rollers projecting from each end of each block and cam tracks mounted adjacent opposite ends of the roller. Each groove is filled with dough when it is in its upper vertical position and its block is in its lowermost position within the groove. The dough is discharged from each groove on to a conveyor belt as the block within the groove is moved toward the periphery of the roller.