ROTARY EXTRUDER AND LOADER

• US 3,782,878 A
• Filed: 03/14/1972
• Issued: 01/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James A. Hudson
• Original Assignee: James A. Hudson
• Inventors: Hudson, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Annear, R. Spencer
• Application Number:
  US05/234,547
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 425/310,314,382,464 53/266,282 99/85
• US Class Current: 425/314
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 11/00 Other machines for forming the dough into its final shape before cooking or baking
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 11/16 Extruding machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/145 in an endless path

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for continuously extruding elongated products through a rotary extruder head. For this purpose, a series of dies are mounted in the bottom of a rotary extruder head and there is provided means to continuously force the product through the dies. The product is cut from the dies and permitted to drop into a series of suitable receptacles advancing in spaced relation on a conveyor located below the extrusion dies. There is provided funnel means which rotates with the dies to guide the products into the receptacles. In one embodiment in which spaghetti is extruded, there is provided means to trim the extruded products to a predetermined length before they are cut and permitted to drop into the cans. In another embodiment in which noodles are extruded, a series of blades are provided at spaced intervals along the path of movement of the dies to sever the products sequentially during extrusion thereby to yield products of relatively short lengths. In each embodiment, a member underlies the dies and rotates therewith to accept extruded products in the absence of one or more cans, and a scraper removes the extruded products from the member.

Claims

1. Apparatus for extruding, cutting and loading products into a series of containers advancing in spaced relation in an arcuate path comprising:

an extruder head for receiving an extrudable quantity of the products under pressure and having an inlet, a plurality of dies carried by said extruder head in communication with said inlet, means for displacing said dies in timed relation and into overlying registry with said containers to cause said products to be extruded through the dies and to be loaded into said containers in a loading zone as said containers advance, and cutting means for sequentially cutting the extruded products from said dies to cause the extruded products to fall from their extruding dies and into said underlying containers.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including guide means interposed between each die and its underlying container and means coupling said guide means to said die displacing means to cause said guide means to move with said dies and in timed relation with said containers for guiding said products from the dies and into the containers during extrusion.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a member located below said containers in said path for accepting extruded products, a receiver associated with said member and scraper means for displacing extruded products from said member and into said receiver.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said extruder head includes a hollow cylindrical head having a central inlet with said dies being mounted at peripherally spaced locations in said head so that upon rotation of said extruder head said dies travel in a circular path, said die displacing means including a shaft connected to said cylindrical head and rotatable about a vertical axis, and a radially extending passage in said head providing communication between said inlet and one of said series of dies.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 including conveyor means extending in an arc around said shaft for advancing said containers in underlying registry with said dies, said conveyor means including a conveyor wheel secured to the said shaft and having a series of peripheral recesses for receiving said containers, bracket means associated with said recesses for engaging and supporting the bottom of each container, and magnetic keeper means associated with each recess to releasably secure each container therein, whereby said containers are advanced in underlying registry with said dies upon rotation of said shaft.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including a feed conveyor for supplying empty containers to said conveyor wheel and an unloading conveyor for removing loaded containers from said conveyor wheel, a first transfer wheel interposed between said feed conveyor and said conveyor wheel, and a second transfer wheel interposed between said conveyor wheel and said unloading conveyor, and camming means associated with said second transfer wheel and extending into the path of movement of the containers on said conveyor wheel to release said containers from said magnetic keeper means for transfer to said unloading conveyor.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said dies has a planar bottom surface and said cutting means includes at least one shear blade located in said Loading zone and engaging said bottom surface for severing the products extruded through the dies as each die advances in succession past the blade.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said guide coupling means includes a disc spaced below said head, said disc having a series of apertures like in number to said dies and in underlying registry therewith, and including knife means disposed in advance of said loading zone and engaging below said disc to sever the extruded products depending through the apertures as the apertures advance in succession past the knife.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said guide means includes a series of perforated funnels corresponding in number to said dies and mounted to said disc in registry with the apertures therein, and including a series of hollow guide tubes in registry with said apertures and funnels and depending from said disc to direct the extruded products into the underlying containers after being severed by the cutting means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said loading zone extends throughout a major portion of the peripheral extent of said extruder head, and including a plurality of shear blades located at equally spaced intervals in said loading zone, so that the extruded products are severed a plurality of times as the dies advance through the loading zone.

11. Apparatus for extruding products comprising an extruder head having an inlet, means to rotate said extruder head about a central axis, means to supply an extrudable quantity of products under pressure to the inlet of said extruder head, a plurality of dies carried by said extruder head equally spaced about said central axis and positioned with the face of each of said dies perpendicular to said central axis, and means providing communication between each of said dies and said inlet for passage of said product.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which the means providing communication between the dies on the inlet comprises means defining openings in said extruder head in which each die is carried and a separate passage extending from said inlet to each of said openings.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 including shear means positioned beneath said extruder head for engagement by said dies to cut the extruded products from said dies.