Abstract: An apparatus is provided for stretching bread dough and the like comprising a rotating member that includes a plurality of planetary rollers that revolve along a circular orbit, a conveying device provided below said rotating member such that a first gap is provided, said first gap gradually decreasing from an inlet to an outlet for the bread dough, said conveying device including a plurality of rollers adapted so that the speed at which each roller rotates gradually increases from said inlet to the outlet for bread dough, and an arcuate plate provided below the rotating member and downstream of the plurality of rollers such that a second gap in which the bread dough is pressed by the plurality of rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for cutting and shaping food products consisting of a filling and a crust from bar-shaped food material. This apparatus comprises shutter members, each having a cutting surface and a sliding surface, a holding member that bridges and holds two adjacent shutter members, shafts equidistantly disposed on an imaginary circle, and driving means for synchronously rotating shutter members in the horizontal direction by the rotation of shafts.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a spherical dough body by rounding a dough piece. The apparatus comprises a pair of opposed pressing and feeding members that apply pressure horizontally to the dough piece and a pressing member that repeatedly applies a force to the lower part of the dough piece, so that the lower part of the dough piece can be brought to the center thereof.

Abstract: A method of conveying bar-like bread dough pieces is provided. By it a bar-like bread dough piece being conveyed on the conveying face of a conveyor, with its axis being perpendicular to the direction of the conveyance thereof, is caused to rotate about the axis at a point downstream of the conveyor, and then the bar-like bread dough piece having a straight shape is moved to the next step. Further, an apparatus for conveying bar-shaped bread dough pieces is provided. It comprises a conveyor, and an engaging member provided near the conveying face of said conveyor, at a point downstream of said conveyor, for allowing a bar-like bread dough piece being conveyed on the conveying face of the conveyor to rotate about its axis while the engaging member contacts the bar-like bread dough piece, the distance between the engaging member and the conveying face being adjustable.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting and shaping food products consisting of a filling and a crust from bar-shaped food material. The apparatus comprises shutter members, each having a convex cutting surface and a sliding surface, a holding member that bridges and holds two adjacent ones of the shutter members, shafts coupled to the shutter members, and a driver for synchronously rotating the shutter members in a horizontal plane by rotating the shafts.

Abstract: An apparatus for joining dough blocks to form a continuous dough sheet. The dough blocks are cut from a dough mass and drop into a space between first and second groups of rollers. The first and second groups of rollers include horizontally-paired rollers arranged in tiers and forming a substantially V-shaped space for receiving the dough blocks, with the uppermost pair of rollers being separated by a first horizontal gap which is wider than a second horizontal gap separating the lowermost pair of rollers. The first group of rollers are rotated in a direction (e.g., clockwise) which is opposite to that of the second group of rollers. In addition, the first group of rollers is alternately moved toward and away from the second group of rollers, thereby applying vibrations to the dough blocks.

Abstract: A powder supply system including a powder replenishment device as a powder source, a suction device and a plurality of powder supply units connected in series. Each of the powder supply units sprinkles powders toward an object mounted on each processing device. An upstream end powder supply unit is fluidly connected to the powder replenishment device, and a downstream end powder supply unit is fluidly connected to the suction device. A suction force generated by the suction device sucks powders from the powder replenishment device through the powder supply units, and powders are successively accumulated in the powder supply units in the order from the upstream end powder supply unit to the downstream end powder supply unit. A powder sensor is provided between the rearmost powder supply unit and the suction device. If all powder supply units are filled with powders, residual powders are discharged out of the downstream end powder supply unit.

Abstract: A simple method and apparatus is provided for manufacturing raised-brim products in which the end of a continuous bar-shaped dough body is fed into an opening surrounded by a plurality of movable cutting members. The bar-shaped dough body includes a filling material enclosed within a cylindrical dough sheet. Each of the cutting members includes a slanted inner surface and a lower surface which meet at an acute angle to form an edge, and the lower surface includes a concave groove located adjacent to and extending along the edge. The cutting members are cooperatively moved such that the edges of the plurality of cutting members cut the bar-shaped dough body to form a separated portion which includes filling material exposed on an upper surface thereof, and such that the slanted inner surface pulls the dough sheet to close the cut end of the bar-shaped dough body.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for readily mass-producing twist-shaped food products. The method is characterized in that cut V-shaped food materials are formed into twist-shaped products by being passed through a cut-spreading/transport apparatus, a twist-providing apparatus, and roll-pressing plates.

Abstract: A method for coating food pieces with powder material. The apparatus includes a drum having a pair of opposing side openings, and engaging members mounted on a cylindrical inner surface thereof. Powder material is sifted by the engaging members as the drum is rotated. An inlet member extends through one of the openings and deposits food pieces into the drum such that one food piece is deposited onto the powder material located between each adjacent pair of engaging members at a bottom portion of the drum. Rotation of the drum causes the food piece to roll on the powder material, thereby completely coating the food piece, and causes the engaging members to lift the coated food pieces to an upper portion of the drum until the coated food pieces roll or slide off of the engaging members. An outlet member is positioned to receive the coated food pieces as they roll or slide from the engaging members.

Abstract: To make a piece of bread, such as a croissant, an apparatus is provided to prevent a sheet of dough from being loosely rolled up, to prevent the sheet from being unevenly rolled up, and to firmly roll the sheet up. The apparatus includes a conveyor that feeds the sheet and a roll-up roller that is moveable up and down above the conveyor, so that the rotation of the roll-up roller and the feeding of the conveyor allow the sheet for bread, such as a croissant, to be firmly rolled up.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for discharging a food material is provided, in which a plurality of supply rollers provided with grooves or ridges on their surfaces are circularly disposed to form a funnel-shaped space, into which space the food material is charged. The food material is subjected to a circumferential force by the rotating supply rollers and is steadily fed downward, without slipping. Further, an apparatus for discharging a food material is provided, in which a supply pipe with a scraper is disposed under a food-material-supply section. The scraper is positioned adjacent the inner wall of the supply pipe or positioned such that the scraper slidably contacts the inner wall of the supply pipe, to thereby peel off the food material adhering to the inner wall, so as to stably feed the food material downward.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for sprinkling food pieces with powder material. The apparatus includes a drum having a pair of opposing side openings, and engaging members mounted on a cylindrical inner surface thereof. Powder material is sifted by the engaging members as the drum is rotated. An inlet member extends through one of the openings and deposits food pieces into the drum such that one food piece is deposited onto the powder material located between each adjacent pair of engaging members at a bottom portion of the drum. Rotation of the drum causes the food piece to roll on the powder material, thereby completely coating the food piece, and causes the engaging members to lift the coated food pieces to an upper portion of the drum until the coated food pieces roll or slide off of the engaging members. An outlet member is positioned to receive the coated food pieces as they roll or slide from the engaging members.

Abstract: A method for mounting food products or the like, has the steps of: (a) transferring food products on a continuously moving conveyor in a column; (b) detecting the food product by a food product detecting sensor attached to a predetermined position of the conveyor, wherein each food product is transferred with position data thereof given by a control unit; and (c) mounting each food product at a preset position on a receiving surface with a food product discharge end section of the conveyor being caused to withdraw at a speed corresponding to the position data thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for stabilizing the amount of belt-form edible dough produced per hour by a production system. The apparatus features a calculating device (67) to calculate the hourly throughput of the edible dough (W) by dividing the weight of the proper number of the divided edible dough bodies (W) by the time used to charge that proper number of the divided dough bodies (W). If by the calculation the hourly throughput of the edible dough is found to be below the predetermined goal, a controlling section (65) controls a motor (47) for gap-adjusting to expand the size of a gap for discharging between a pair of roller members (29L) and (29R). If the hourly throughput is found to be above the predetermined goal, the controlling section (65) controls the motor (47) to reduce the size of the gap for discharging.

Abstract: A sheet of dough is wound up by a roller and a pressing device. The roller is located above a conveyor that conveys a sheet of dough. The pressing device is located near the roller. When the roller is winding up the sheet of dough, the pressing device moves to the roll of the sheet, so that the pressing device presses the wound-up sheet. Then, the pressing device moves away from it. This is repeated, so that the sheet is repeatedly pressed and thus tightly wound up.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting and shaping spherical products, such as filled dumplings, including a plurality of shutter members, each shutter member having first and second adjacent sliding surfaces and an elongated hole, a connecting member for slidably connecting adjacent shutters, and shafts equidistantly disposed on an imaginary circle which are received in the elonagated holes for slidably rotating the shutter members to thereby open and close a central opening.

Abstract: A powder collecting and transporting device can collect powder left on a conveyer after the powder is sprinkled on cakes and bread into a laterally elongated powder container, and transport the powder in the container to a desired location by air suction. The device includes a hopper having an elongated powder discharge opening at its bottom portion and a cylindrical frame fluidly connected to the bottom portion. In the cylindrical frame, a suction pipe is rotatably provided. The suction pipe has an end portion in communication with a suction device. The suction pipe is formed with a slit at its peripheral surface. The slit forms a spiral line making one round along the longitudinal axis of the suction pipe. A part of the spiral slit is in alignment with the discharge opening to provide a suction port having small area for providing fluid communication between the hopper and the suction pipe.

Abstract: A simple method and apparatus is provided for manufacturing raised-brim products in which the end of a continuous bar-shaped dough body is fed into an opening surrounded by a plurality of movable cutting members. The bar-shaped dough body includes a filling material enclosed within a cylindrical dough sheet. Each of the cutting members includes a slanted inner surface and a lower surface which meet at an acute angle to form an edge, and the lower surface includes a concave groove located adjacent to and extending along the edge. The cutting members are cooperatively moved such that the edges of the plurality of cutting members cut the bar-shaped dough body to form a separated portion which includes filling material exposed on an upper surface thereof, and such that the slanted inner surface pulls the dough sheet to close the cut end of the bar-shaped dough body.

Abstract: A compact apparatus for conveying triangular pieces of dough which are upside down group-by-group on a upstream conveyor to a downstream conveyor where each group of pieces of dough is separated from the remaining groups, and the pieces of dough of the group are separated from each other and simultaneously rotated 90 degrees in opposing directions per alternating group.