Abstract: A method for forming pieces of food dough and an apparatus thereof is able to cut the food dough continuously extruded through a nozzle along the shape of the hole of the nozzle without causing deformation, and to locate pieces of the food dough on a conveyor without causing deformation. The apparatus for forming pieces of food dough comprises an extruding device and a cutting device, wherein the extruding device comprises a nozzle to continuously extrude food dough downward, and the cutting device comprises a cutting blade to cut the food dough into the pieces of food dough, a moving mechanism to move the cutting blade forward from an initial position, then to move the cutting blade downward, and then to return the cutting blade to the initial position, and a carrying-out conveyor, which is disposed below the nozzle and moves in the direction that the cutting blade moves forward.

Abstract: A method for forming pieces of food dough and an apparatus thereof is able to cut the food dough continuously extruded through a nozzle along the shape of the hole of the nozzle without causing deformation, and to locate pieces of the food dough on a conveyor without causing deformation. The apparatus for forming pieces of food dough comprises an extruding device and a cutting device, wherein the extruding device comprises a nozzle to continuously extrude food dough downward, and the cutting device comprises a cutting blade to cut the food dough into the pieces of food dough, a moving mechanism to move the cutting blade forward from an initial position, then to move the cutting blade downward, and then to return the cutting blade to the initial position, and a carrying-out conveyor, which is disposed below the nozzle and moves in the direction that the cutting blade moves forward.

Abstract: Disclosed is an shape-forming shutter apparatus including a plurality of shutter pieces, each having an shaping surface and a sliding surface, which are arranged in a circle with the shaping surface of each shutter piece being slidably in sliding contact with the sliding surface of the neighboring separate shutter piece, and the shape-forming shutter apparatus being capable of dilating and contracting an opening part surrounded by the shaping surfaces respectively of the plurality of shutter pieces. The shape-forming shutter apparatus includes pressure contact biasing means for always keeping the shaping surface of each shutter piece and the sliding surface of the neighboring shutter piece slidably in pressure contact with each other. The pressure contact biasing means is a ring-shaped elastic member for biasing the shutter pieces equally in such a direction to close the opening part.

Abstract: Disclosed is an shape-forming shutter apparatus including a plurality of shutter pieces, each having an shaping surface and a sliding surface, which are arranged in a circle with the shaping surface of each shutter piece being slidably in sliding contact with the sliding surface of the neighboring separate shutter piece, and the shape-forming shutter apparatus being capable of dilating and contracting an opening part surrounded by the shaping surfaces respectively of the plurality of shutter pieces. The shape-forming shutter apparatus includes pressure contact biasing means for always keeping the shaping surface of each shutter piece and the sliding surface of the neighboring shutter piece slidably in pressure contact with each other. The pressure contact biasing means is a ring-shaped elastic member for biasing the shutter pieces equally in such a direction to close the opening part.

Abstract: An apparatus for encrusting bean jam is provided wherein patterns for opening and closing movements and up and down movements of shutter members of a cutting apparatus can be readily changed. The encrusting apparatus includes a cutting apparatus (13) having a plurality of shutter members (11) to cut a bar-like food material that is supplied from a combining nozzle (9), a food-receiving apparatus (17) to receive a food material that is encrusted and that is cut by the cutting apparatus (13), a first control motor M1 to open and close the plurality of the shutter members, and a second control motor M2 to move the food-receiving apparatus (17) up and down. The reference position for the first control motor M1 is determined on the position of the shaft of it when the shutter members (11) are closed to have their front ends meet at the center, or when the position is shifted 180 degrees in phase.

Abstract: An apparatus for encrusting bean jam is provided wherein patterns for opening and closing movements and up and down movements of shutter members of a cutting apparatus can be readily changed. The encrusting apparatus includes a cutting apparatus (13) having a plurality of shutter members (11) to cut a bar-like food material that is supplied from a combining nozzle (9), a food-receiving apparatus (17) to receive a food material that is encrusted and that is cut by the cutting apparatus (13), a first control motor M1 to open and close the plurality of the shutter members, and a second control motor M2 to move the food-receiving apparatus (17) up and down. The reference position for the first control motor M1 is determined on the position of the shaft of it when the shutter members (11) are closed to have their front ends meet at the center, or when the position is shifted 180 degrees in phase.

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 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: 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: An apparatus for producing an elongated enveloped food product is disclosed. A rotary duct for feeding a filling is located in a ring form assembly of elongated rotary rollers for feeding a viscous casing material in a coaxial relationship so as to form the elongated product in which the casing material envelops the filling material. During the feeding of the casing material and the filling material, the rotary duct rotates within the cavity formed by the elongated rollers, while its outer surface is exposed to the viscous casing material. The duct has a scraper that rotates relative to the outer surface of the duct to scrape the viscous casing material from its outer surface to prevent the viscous casing material from sticking to the surface of the duct.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cutting an enveloped body, which consists of an assembly having at least three circumferentially disposed cutting members, each cutting member having at least two sliding surfaces. The cutting members are assembled in sliding contact with each other such that the sliding surfaces of adjacent cutting members are slidable along each other so as to form or close a central opening surrounded by the cutting members. The opening is opened and closed for cutting the enveloped body passing therethrough. One sliding surface of a cutting member forms a convex surface, and the other sliding surface forms a concave surface complementary to the convex surface, so that the convex surface of a cutting member slides on the concave surface of an adjacent cutting member.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical material, including an assembly consisting of a number of rotary polygonal members for forming and closing an opening at their center to pass the material through the opening and cut and shape it. Each of the members has curved sides that abut each other when the members close the opening. The first side has a convex surface, and the second side has a concave surface. Each member is associated with each other such that the tip of each member tracks the convex surface of an adjacent member and when the members close the opening, the convex surface engages the concave surface so that substantially spherical products bearing no uneven flower patterns on their outer cover can be produced without any interruption of the operation of the apparatus caused by powder burning and sticking to the polygonal members.