US3854627A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for discharging measured amounts of dough
Assignee: WM Wrigley Jr Co
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Filing: 1971-06-07
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Granted: 1974-12-17
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Expires: 1991-06-07
Abstract
Abstract The invention resides in a method of and apparatus for discharging doughy products such as chewing gum from a kneader upon a conveyor. For subsequent processing of the products it is desirable that they be in the form of discrete loaves of predetermined size. Whereas prior discharge methods and devices discharged the doughy products upon the conveyor in a continuous ribbon which was then cut into loaves, the present apparatus forms the loaves in the first instance by the interaction of the discharge auger of the kneader and the rim of the discharge opening, thereby eliminating the operation of cutting a ribbon of the products into loaves. The discharge auger is comprised of two augers of opposite hand connected together to provide a continuous edge which traps a quantity of the products and feeds that quantity toward the center whence it is discharged laterally into and through the opening as a discrete loaf.
Inventors
- 👤 U Coons
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 06:33
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23G; A23G4/00; A23G4/02; A23G4/04; A21; A21C; A21C5/00; A23G3/00; A23G3/02; A23G3/0236; A23G3/0252; A23G3/0257
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for manipulating doughy products, said apparatus comprising a container for the products, a discharge opening in the bottom region of the container, rotatable means for moving a portion of the products opposite said opening in a radial direction said radial direction being oriented about a longitudinal axis of said rotatable means, additional means for moving products into said rotatable means behind said radially moving portion, said rotatable means pushing part of the radially moving portion through said opening and severing means on said rotatable means cooperating with the edge of said opening to sever said part from said radially moving portion and thereby form and discharge said part from the container as a discrete loaf.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for manipulating doughy products, said apparatus comprising a container for the products, a discharge opening in the bottom region of the container, rotatable means for moving a portion of the products opposite said opening in a radial direction said radial direction being oriented about a longitudinal axis of said rotatable means, additional means for moving products into said rotatable means behind said radially moving portion, said rotatable means pushing part of the radially moving portion through said opening and severing means on said rotatable means cooperating with the edge of said opening to sever said part from said radially moving portion and thereby form and discharge said part from the container as a discrete loaf.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 said rotatable means comprising converging surfaces forming an apex and adapted to sweep across the edges of said opening with shearing action.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1, said additional means for moving products into said rotatable means comprising an auger, and means for rotating said auger in a direction to advance the products along said auger into said rotatable means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as described in claim 3, said rotatable means comprising an extension of the auger for moving products into said opening, and means for inhibiting further axial movement of said products.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as described in claim 4, said means for inhibiting further axial movement of said products comprising a second auger axially aligned with said first-mentioned auger and adapted to move products in the opposite direction tO that moved by said first auger.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of forming discrete loaves of a doughy product from a quantity of said product, comprising confining said quantity in a tank having a bottom discharge opening, imparting continuous movement to a portion of said quantity over said opening in an axial rectilinear direction, inhibiting said axial rectilinear movement at a point over said opening, changing the direction of said axial rectilinear movement to a radial outward movement, severing said portion of said quantity by rotational force, and discharging said portion through the opening to form a discrete loaf.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of forming discrete loaves of a doughy product from a quantity of said product, comprising confining said quantity in a tank having a bottom discharge opening, imparting continuous movement to a portion of said quantity over said opening in an axial rectilinear direction, inhibiting said axial rectilinear movement at a point over said opening, changing the direction of said axial rectilinear movement to a radial outward movement, severing said portion of said quantity by rotational force, and discharging said portion through the opening to form a discrete loaf.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as described in claim 6, said inhibiting of said axial rectilinear movement comprising the steps of imparting continuous movement to an additional axially aligned portion of said quantity over said opening in an axial rectilinear direction in opposition to the axial rectilinear movement of said first-mentioned portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as described in claim 6, including the step of kneading the quantity of the product in the tank while forming said loaves.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as described in claim 7, said steps of imparting opposing axial movements to axially aligned portions of said quantity comprising augering said portions with a single auger having formed thereon oppositely handed flights abutting one another and being symmetrically arranged axially and angularly on said auger.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-16 | 1978-06-17 | 1978-12-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-16 | 1982-06-17 | 1982-12-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-16 | 1986-06-17 | 1986-12-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |