DOUGH PAN ASSEMBLY FOR CONVEYING, FREEZING AND DISCHARGING SOLIDLY FROZEN DOUGH LOAVES

• US 3,685,313 A
• Filed: 03/22/1971
• Issued: 08/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Duncan Helen Trustee Under The Will of Herbert C Rhodes Deceased
• Original Assignee: Herbert C. Rhodes
• Inventors: Rhodes, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Jordan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Larkin, Geo. V.
• Application Number:
  US05/126,839
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 107/8R,8C,1R,3,27R,57R,28,29R,29A,58,68,57A 13/32 18/5A,5R 53/122,123 25/7,41-45,99,104 99/192 62/345,380
• US Class Current: 62/345
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 3/18 Discharging baked goods from tins
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/766 Adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/04 by conveyors in general B65G

Abstract

A series of dough pans, carried by a pair of endless traveling chains, convey the dough through freezing chambers causing it to be frozen solid. Each pan is divided transversely into two separable portions. When the pan reaches the end of the chain course the forward portion of the pan turns downwardly out of alignment with the remaining rear portion leaving the forward end of the dough protruding from the latter. At this point a separator blade engages the bottom face of the protruding dough and, with the continued travel of the pan, the dough is thrust outwardly and downwardly over the separator blade and entirely free from the pan.

Claims

1. In a device of the character described for receiving equal masses of bread dough and for conveying and freezing the dough and discharging frozen dough loaves formed therefrom, a pair of endless drive conveyor chains and two pairs of sprockets, said chains passing up over the first pair of sprockets at the intake end of the device and down over the second pair of sprockets in the outlet end of the device, means for driving said chains, a pair of tracks for the top courses of said chains extending between said pairs of sprockets, a freezing zone between said intake end and said outlet end, said chains passing through said freezing zone, a series of identical dough pans carried by said chains, each of said pans divided transversely into separable front and rear portions, mounting means for said front portions of said pans on said chains, separate mounting means for said rear portions of said pans on said chains, said mounting means so positioned and arranged that the front portion of each pan will be fully in contact and in alignment with the corresponding rear portion of the pan when the pan is moved through said freezing zone with the travel of said chains along said tracks, but said front portion will separate from said rear portion and move downwardly therefrom as said chains pass down around the sprockets in said outlet end of the device, thereby leaving the forward end of the dough loaf in the pan protruding from said rear portion of the pan, and an interceptor blade extending into the path of the protruding forward end of the dough loaf for prying the dough loaf from said rear portion of the pan as said rear portion follows the forward portion of said pan with said chains, whereby the dough loaf will be entirely freed from the pan and delivered down said interceptor blade in the discharging end of the device.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 but with a series of integral blocks of identical pans carried by said chains, each of said blocks of pans divided transversely into separable front and rear portions, mounting means for said front portion of each block on said chains, separate mounting means for the rear portion of each block on said chains, said mounting means so positioned and arranged that said front portion of each block will be fully in contact and alignment with the corresponding rear portion of the block when the block of pans moves through said freezing zone with the travel of said chains along said tracks, but said front portion of each block will separate from said rear portion and move downwardly therefrom as said chains pass down around the sprockets in the outlet end of the device and thereby leave the forward ends of the dough loaves in said block pans protruding from the rear portion of the block, and a plurality of interceptor blades extending into the paths of the protruding ends of the dough loaves respectively for prying the dough loaves from the rear portion of said block of pans as said rear portion follows said forward portion with said chains.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 with said front portion of each block of said pans shorter than the corresponding rear portion.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 with means connected with the movement of said chains for moving said interceptor blades to cause said interceptor blades to move outwardly when said interceptor blades engage the forward ends of the dough loaves protruding from the rear portion of said block of pans.