Abstract: An apparatus for stretching a plastic raw material such as bread dough. By providing a plurality of conveying assemblies which is adapted to be driven at respective different speeds and driven forwardly or backwardly, and a roller mechansim positioned above the conveying assemblies, an effective stretching of the plastic material fed between the rollers of the roller mechanism and the conveying path of the conveying assemblies is performed. The plastic material is fed from either direction of the conveying path to simply repeat the stretching operation.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. At least one introducing means such as a driven roller having a vane adapted to protrude from it propels the food material into a cylindrical food forming device, which comprises a longitudinal groove and a cylinder having a rectangular opening on a side thereof and encloses the food material for a piston to extrude it from the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a uniform volume and weight of food material, and continuously delivering it, is provided. The apparatus comprises screws disposed at the bottom of a hopper and a delivering means having a rotating cylinder and vanes freely slidable in respective pairs of slots formed in the periphery of the cylinder. The delivering means is disposed in a housing, and both ends of the vanes slidably contact the inner surface of the side wall of the housing to form compartments between each adjacent pair of vanes. In the apparatus, the material is fed by screws and introduced into the compartment for measuring. Since the rotational speeds of the screw and cylinder are respectively controlled to introduce a sufficient amount of the material into the compartment, the density of the material in the compartment becomes uniform. The material is then continuously discharged from the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quantitatively providing food material, in particular, a low fluid food material is provided. In the apparatus, the material is propelled by propelling means into a space at the bottom of the hopper. In this space, the density of the material is made uniform. The material is then introduced into a chamber. A piston with a receding underside reciprocates in the chamber, and presses the material in the passage of the chamber into a mold opening, and shapes it into a desired form. By ejecting the material from the opening, the same amount of the shaped material is provided.

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: An apparatus for producing composite food having a controlled composition is provided. In this apparatus, a plurality of supply means (3, 11) for supplying materials, a conveyor (7) for conveying the materials, a plurality of measuring devices (5, 13) at each of the supply means (3, 11) and a selecting device (17) for eliminating poor products are provided, and the materials are put together on the conveyor (7) resulting in a composite food mass.The quantity of each material per unit time is measured by the measuring means (5, 13), and ratios of the materials of the composite food mass are computed based on the quantity data. When the portions are cut into separate products, poor products are removed by the selecting means (17) based on the data from the comparison of the ratios of the materials of each portion with the reference ratios.

Abstract: An apparatus for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. In this apparatus the material is introduced into the space formed between the periphery of a drum and the side wall of a housing. The drum has an inner chamber between its inner wall and the periphery of a cam. A pair of blades is inserted into slits formed on the drum form a compartment in the outside of the drum and a compartment in the inner chamber.Since the dimensions of the space in the compartment outside of the drum decrease towards the exit port, while the space of the inner chamber increases, the pressure in the space becomes much higher than that of the inner chamber. Thus the air in the material is drawn out of the outer compartment into the inner chamber via a path formed between the recess on the trailing surface of the blade and the wall of the slit. As a result material of a uniform quantity and density, and that has no air entrainment, is extruded from the exit port.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. The apparatus comprises a hopper, a frame supporting the hopper and having a chamber therein with first and second ports, to which a nozzle and a piston and cylinder assembly are connected, and a cylindrical food forming device. The food material which flows from the hopper into the chamber is confined by the cylindrical food forming device and forms a cylindrical body, which is then extruded by the piston from the nozzle, whereby even food material including large solids can be quantitatively extruded.

Abstract: A method of producing filling-containing baked bread is provided. A dough sheet having layers of fats and oils therein is formed, cut in desired dimensions, wound, and baked to form the bread having flexible layers therein into which a filling is introduced through a pipe.The introduction of filling is done by inserting the pipe along the axis of the baked bread, so that the tip of the pipe can be easily entered into thin cavities formed by expanded gaseous material when baking the wound dough sheet, without damaging the whole shape of bread and without clogging the tip of the pipe with crumbs, whereby the filling material containing the solid, or the filling material consisting only of a solid, is introduced into the baked bread.

Abstract: This invention provides an apparatus for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling from a continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, and comprising at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. Each of the members has a tapered portion adjacent to an edge formed at the corner where two adjoining side surfaces meet. The edge has a preselected length so that the spherical body with a highly elastic dough crust is shaped without exposing the filling.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a cylindrical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling into a spherical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling, comprising at least three slidable members adapted to slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. Each of the members has tapered portions (2 and 2'), with slopes (7) comprising a steep gradient portion (4) and a gentle gradient portion (6), to minimize the area of contact between the cylindrical body and the members to bring the dough to the portion at which the body is to be cut and to minimize the likelihood of the dough adhering to the members.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the quality of bread dough is provided. Instruments such as a strain gauge, a thermometer, a weighing device, and a pH meter are disposed, and values measured with these instruments are indicated on a display for monitoring.By comparing the temperature, weight, and pH values of the dough and strain caused on an agitator with control values stored in a computer, undesirable products can be eliminated and dough temperature can be adjusted during the kneading operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling is provided. A continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, is constricted by at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. The contact area of the members with the surface of the cylindrical body gradually decreases as the opening is closed, thereby constricting the cylindrical body and shaping the spherical body.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for selectively determining the orientation of dough pieces, dough pieces are made to fall from an upper conveyor passing around a curved end portion formed at the downstream end thereof. The falling dough pieces hit a bar positioned underneath the curved end portion and land on a lower conveyor positioned under the bar with the orientation reversed or unchanged depending upon whether the dough piece rides on the forward or the rearward side of the bar.

Abstract: An apparatus for stretching plastic dough is provided. A plurality of conveyors arranged in series and a plurality of rollers disposed above the conveyors cooperatively act to stretch dough fed therebetween. The plurality of rollers are freely rotatable and the shafts thereof are fixed to connecting arms which can reciprocate above the conveyors to make the dough less thick.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously cutting a filled cylindrical dough body is provided. The apparatus comprises a conveyor belt and at least one cutter arranged above and perpendicularly to the conveyance path of the conveyor belt. The cutter has a wedge-form blade which penetrates the cylindrical dough body from above, while the dough body is being conveyed, by the combination of a downward movement and repeated lateral movements, whereby the dough is cut into separate filled dough pieces without exposing the filler.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously producing a strip of dough which is quantified in its flow rate and controlled in its dimensions while the dough is conveyed. The apparatus comprises a dough feed conveyor having a weighing device, a constant speed conveyor provided thereon a dough defining means, and a roller mechanism disposed over both the two conveyors and having an endless roller pass with a straight portion facing the conveyors. The dough fed between the roller mechanism and the two conveyors is thickened or stretched in response to the speed difference of the two conveyors, so as to be made a dough strip of uniform thickness and width, without imparting the stirring force to the dough.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring shaped articles comprising, a first conveyor for conveying shaped articles at a constant speed, a detecting unit disposed at a predetermined position above the first conveyor so as to detect the shaped articles being conveyed on the first conveyor, a second conveyor for conveying at a variable speed trays spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other, the second conveyor being disposed beneath and opposite to the delivery end of the first conveyor, a rotary encoder coupled to the second conveyor; and a control device which receives information from the detecting unit, information from the rotary encoder, and information concerning the positions of the shaped articles placed on the trays. The control device controls the speed of the second conveyor on the basis of the above three kinds of information, whereby the shaped articles are automatically transferred onto the trays.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for arraying and conveying rows of products is provided. The apparatus comprises a first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a third conveyor. The delivery end of the first conveyor is adapted to move forwardly and rearwardly to transfer rows of products onto the second conveyor. The second conveyor is adapted to intermittently move transversely of the conveyance path and receives additional rows of products from the first conveyor and when a sufficient number of rows of products are arrayed on the second conveyor, they are transferred to a third conveyor at a high speed to be carried to a subsequent station. The third conveyor is then restored to a position to receive a fresh rows of products from the first conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for quantitatively extruding food material is provided.The apparatus comprises a hopper, a frame supporting the hopper and having a chamber therein with first and second ports, to which a nozzle and a piston and cylinder assembly are connected, and a cylindrical food forming device.The food material which flows from the hopper into the chamber is confined by the cylindrical food forming device and forms a cylindrical body, which is then extruded by the piston from the nozzle, whereby even food material including large solids can be quantitatively extruded.