Vacuum seal for dough dividers

Claim 1

In combination, a tubular cylinder having an open upper end disposed angularly relative to the axis of said cylinder, a metal plate having a smooth lower surface seated on the upper end of said cylinder, a retainer member engaging opposite edges of said plate to hold it against the upper edge of said cylinder, said plate being movable laterally relative to said cylinder, an annular groove in said angularly disposed upper edge of said cylinder encircling the opening therein, a flat annular elastomeric ring seated in said groove, and a flat annular metal ring having the same inside and outside diameters as the elastomeric ring and seated in said groove on top of said elastomeric ring, said metal ring having a smooth upper surface, said elastomeric ring pressing said metal ring upwardly to form a seal between said cylinder and said plate throughout the flat surface area of said metal ring, a hopper adjacent said cylinder, an inlet opening in the sidewall of said cylinder that is completely covered by material held in said hopper and providing flow communication of said material from said hopper into said cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, and a sealing ring mounted on said piston, said sealing ring comprising a metal strip having a smooth outer surface engaging the inner wall surface of said cylinder and an elastomeric strip bonded to the inner surface of said metal strip, said elastomeric strip pressing the smooth surface of said metal strip into sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of said cylinder, said sealing ring being located below the lower edge of said inlet opening in all positions of said piston, whereby downward movement of said piston in said cylinder creates suction to suck material from said hopper into said cylinder.