Metering device for a dough kneading machine

Claim 1

A DOUGH FEEDING AND PORTIONING DEVICE FOR A DOUGH KNEADING MACHINE OF THE KIND WHEREIN AN INNER HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ROTARY KNEADING DRUM HAVING IN ITS OUTER WALL A ROW OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RECESSES AND A COAXIALLY MOUNTED OUTER ROTARY KNEADING DRUM HAVING A CORRESPONDING ROW OF TRANSVERSE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED OPENINGS IN ITS WALL ARE ROTATED IN THE SAME DIRECTION, WHEREBY THE INNER DRUM ALSO PERFORMS ROTATIONAL AND AXIAL RECIPROCATORY MOTIONS IN REFERENCE TO THE OUTER DRUM, THE OPENINGS IN THE OUTER DRUM CONSTITUTING KNEADING CHAMBERS IN WHICH DOUGH PORTIONS ARE KNEADED BY THE RELATIVE ROTATIONAL AND AXIAL MOTIONS OF THE TWO DRUMS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A ROTARY DOUGH METERING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOVE SAID KNEADING DRUMS ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF THE KNEADING DRUM, SAID AXES BEING SITUATED IN A COMMON PERPENDICULAR PLANE, SAID METERING DRUM HAVING A PERIPHERAL OUTER WALL PORTION INCLUDING SEVERAL SPACED DOUGH FEEDING CHAMBERS, SAID FEEDING CHAMBERS BEING ROTATIONAL IN A PLANE IN WHICH SUCCESSIVE DOWNWARDLY FACING FEEDING CHAMBERS ARE ALIGNED WITH SUCCESSIVE UPWARDLY FACING KNEADING CHAMBERS IN A PERPENDICULAR PLANE, DOUGH FEEDING MEANS CHARGING SUCCESSIVE FEEDING CHAMBERS OF THE METERING MEANS WITH DOUGH, DOUGH DISCHARGE MEANS DISCHARGING