US4266920A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for continuously manufacturing multi-layered dough materials
Assignee: Rheon Automatic Machinery Co Ltd
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Filing: 1978-08-30
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Granted: 1981-05-12
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Expires: 1998-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for continuously manufacturing multi-layered dough materials containing at least dough layers comprising the steps of continuously extruding material in a tubular form onto a conveyor belt, stretching the material to a thin strip while being transported, folding and piling up the strip of material and re-stretching the piled up material. The apparatus comprises a dough feeder comprising a vertical hollow screw and a double-layered annular bottom outlet, a first conveyor means, a first roller assembly consisting of rollers progressing along a closed orbit, a swinging means positioned between the first and the second roller assemblies for swinging dough material so as to allow it to be piled up on a second conveyor means in a multi-layered form, and a second roller assembly similar to the first roller assembly for stretching the piled up dough material in coaction with the second conveyor means.
Inventors
- 👤 Torahiko Hayashi
- 👤 Minoru Kageyama
- 👤 Michio Morikawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:03
CPC Classifications
A; A21; A21C; A21C3/00; A21C3/02; A21C3/022; A21C11/00; A21C11/16; A21C11/163
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
An apparatus for manufacturing food material having a plurality of layers of dough, including means for forming food material into a strip having at least a layer of dough; a series of conveyor belts; means positioned between said dough forming means and said series of conveyors belts for receiving said strip and folding it onto the first conveyor belt of said series to form a pile thereon composed of a plurality of layers of said strip; and means including a plurality of rollers adapted to move about an endless roller path having a lower straight portion extending over each conveyor belt of said series for reducing the thickness of said pile, said first conveyor belt approaching said lower straight portion at an angle sufficient to increase the portions of said pile engaged initially by said rollers to assure the layers of said pile will remain laminar as said pile is initially engaged by said rollers.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
155 words
An apparatus for manufacturing food material having a plurality of layers of dough, including means for forming food material into a strip having at least a layer of dough; a series of conveyor belts; means positioned between said dough forming means and said series of conveyors belts for receiving said strip and folding it onto the first conveyor belt of said series to form a pile thereon composed of a plurality of layers of said strip; and means including a plurality of rollers adapted to move about an endless roller path having a lower straight portion extending over each conveyor belt of said series for reducing the thickness of said pile, said first conveyor belt approaching said lower straight portion at an angle sufficient to increase the portions of said pile engaged initially by said rollers to assure the layers of said pile will remain laminar as said pile is initially engaged by said rollers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, each conveyor belt of said series moving at a speed faster than any upstream conveyor belt of said series, and said rollers moving along said lower straight portion of said roller path in the same direction as said conveyor belts of said series but at a speed faster than the fastest of said conveyor belts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, further including a respective brush roller between each adjacent pair of the conveyor belts of said series.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, the spacing between the axes of adjacent rollers being less than the length of the shortest upper flight of any conveyor belt of said series.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
65 words
An apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, said rollers each being mounted for free rotation about its respective axis, and said reducing means further including friction means engaging said rollers as they first engage said pile for rotating said rollers so that their peripheral surfaces contacting said pile rotate in the same general direction as the movement of said rollers along said roller path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, said lower straight portion of said roller path sloping gradually towards the conveyor belts of said series in the direction of movement thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, said strip forming means including another series of conveyor belts each moving at a speed faster than any upstream belt of the same series thereof and means including another plurality of rollers moving about an endless roller path having a lower straight portion extending along each conveyor belt of said another series thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, said another plurality of rollers moving along the straight lower portion of their endless roller path in the same direction as said conveyor belts of said another series thereof but at a speed faster than the fastest of said conveyor belts.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to claim 8, further including a respective brush roller between each adjacent pair of the conveyor belts of said another series thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 8, the spacing between the axes of adjacent rollers of said another plurality thereof being less than the length of the shortest upper flight of any conveyor belt of said another series thereof.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to claims 1 or 7, said strip forming means including feeder means initially forming a continuous tubular length of said food material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
126 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, said feeder means including a vertical hollow cylinder having an opening in its side wall for receiving dough therethrough, a hollow screw element arranged concentrically within said cylinder for feeding dough downwardly from said cylinder, means cooperating with the lower end portion of said cylinder for providing a circular first orifice to exit said dough, means for feeding a second food material downwardly through said screw element and a plug means arranged centrally within a lower end portion of said second food material feeding means for forming therewith a second circular orifice concentric with said first orifice and providing an exit for said second food material, whereby a tube of concentric dough and second food material can be formed continuously.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 12, said tube being sufficiently thin walled that it will collapse longitudinally of its own weight when laid on a conveying surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 12, said second food material feeding means including a hollow tube arranged concentrically within said screw element and having a portion flaring outwardly to form said first orifice providing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, said tube being sufficiently thin walled that it will collapse longitudinally of its own weight when laid on a conveying surface.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
123 words
An apparatus for forming two kinds of food material into a continuous tube having concentric layers of said two materials, comprising a vertical hollow cylinder having an opening in its side wall for receiving dough therethrough; a hollow screw element arranged concentrically within said cylinder for feeding the first food material downwardly from said cylinder; means cooperating with the lower end portion of said cylinder for providing a circular first orifice to exit said first food material; means for feeding a second food material downwardly through said screw element; and a plug means arranged concentrically within a lower end portion of said second food material feeding means for forming therewith a second circular orifice and providing an exit for said second food material.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
123 words
An apparatus for forming two kinds of food material into a continuous tube having concentric layers of said two materials, comprising a vertical hollow cylinder having an opening in its side wall for receiving dough therethrough; a hollow screw element arranged concentrically within said cylinder for feeding the first food material downwardly from said cylinder; means cooperating with the lower end portion of said cylinder for providing a circular first orifice to exit said first food material; means for feeding a second food material downwardly through said screw element; and a plug means arranged concentrically within a lower end portion of said second food material feeding means for forming therewith a second circular orifice and providing an exit for said second food material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, said tube being sufficiently thin walled that it will collapse longitudinally of its own weight when laid on a conveying surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, said second food material feeding means including a hollow tube arranged concentrically within said screw element and having a portion flaring outwardly to form said first orifice providing means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 18, said tube being sufficiently thin walled that it will collapse longitudinally of its own weight when laid on a conveying surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
11 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, said angle being approximately 20°.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, the downstream end portion of said first conveyor extending away from said lower straight portion.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-05-11 | 1984-11-10 | 1985-05-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-05-11 | 1988-11-10 | 1989-05-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-05-11 | 1992-11-10 | 1993-05-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |