Patent Application
20240225014
The invention pertains to the art of rollers used in industries, such as the food production industry and, more particularly, to producing edible dough products with rollers.
Food manufacturers often make large quantities of dough-based products. To do so, the manufactures often employ machinery that moves dough from a hopper or other source of dough through processing rollers to form dough products which are then placed onto a conveyer and sent into an oven for baking. However, many different types of rollers are employed during the manufacture of food. In each case the roller has an outer surface with a specific structure designed for a particular role. For example, mold rollers have die cavities for molding dough products, feed rollers have patterns for pushing dough, and cutting rollers have blades for cutting dough products.
In some arrangements, a combination of a feed roller with ridges and a mold roller with die cavities work together to process dough. The shape of the die cavities determines the shape of the final dough products. Some mold rollers are used in producing round cookies, while other mold rollers produce polygonal-shaped cookies or other baked dough products. A problem occurs when the surface of a roller wears out or when a different dough product is desired such that the roller must be replaced. The feed rollers are very heavy solid units which makes them difficult to remove. Rollers designed for certain types of dough, such as soft dough matrices, will not work well with different dough types. For example, a heavy solid feed roller for soft dough types crushes higher particulate/drier doughs. This creates waste and sometimes results in chunks of crushed particles in the final food product, which is considered undesirable. In any case, replacing a roller is a complicated and expensive process. The rollers are not only heavy but also often difficult to access or remove from an operating position. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a roller that is easily adapted to different roles and can overcome the problems outlined above.
The invention is directed to providing a roller with replaceable shells formed of panels, with each panel having a surface of a desired shape and texture. The roller includes a shaft extending in a longitudinal direction. A center flange is mounted on the shaft and extends radially outward from the shaft. Likewise, two end flanges also are mounted on the shaft and extend radially outward from the shaft. Between each end flange and the center flange there is located a replaceable shell. Preferably, multiple additional center flanges and replaceable shells are mounted on the shaft between the end flanges. An internal pin system secures the replaceable shells in place and ensures no screws are visible on an outer surface of the panels. The panel designs are configured to achieve many goals, including to reduce pressure on the dough.
The connection between an end flange and the shaft allows for quick mounting of the replaceable shells to the shaft. The shaft has a central section which supports the central flanges and replaceable shells. The shaft includes axially facing walls, one at each end of the shaft, formed with threaded mounting holes. Each end flange includes inner mounting holes, which are preferably threaded, and outer mounting holes, which are sized to receive pins and are located radially outward of the inner mounting holes. Preferably, the end flange is formed of multiple components combined to form the shape of a washer. The multiple components fit around the shaft and are preferably in a clamshell arrangement. Threaded fasteners are placed through the inner mounting holes of the end flange into the threaded mounting holes in the shaft to secure the end flange in place. Pin connectors are mounted in the outer mounting holes of the end flange and extend into mounting holes in the replaceable shell to hold the replaceable shell in place. The pins are preferably sized to protrude from the flange when placed in the outer mounting holes. Alternatively, the pins may be fixed to the end flange so as to protrude from the end flange and into the mounting holes on the shell.
As noted above, the roller may have central flanges in addition to the end flanges. An additional central flange allows for two axially spaced replaceable shells, with the central flange located therebetween. Pins extend from both sides of the central flanges so as to engage the replaceable shells. The pins are press-fit into the mounting holes or otherwise attached to the central flanges. In a similar manner, a second central flange allows for three replaceable shells. As many central flanges as desired may be added. Both the central flanges and the replaceable shells are preferably formed of multiple components that fit around the shaft. Seals can be optionally added between the replaceable shells, if desired, to prevent contamination.
The roller includes replaceable shells preferably adapted for a particular use. For example, the roller may be a mold roller with a replaceable shell having mold cavities, or a feed roller with a replaceable shell with ridges. This way, one roller is adaptable to many different uses. Also, new panels may be produced, such as by three-dimensional printing with plastic material. Therefore, different surface patterns can be readily created on the replaceable shells. The different surface patterns can be quickly employed because the replaceable shells are easily switched with different replaceable shells.
The invention is also directed to a method of replacing shells of a roller in order to remove a damaged or worn shell or to add a shell with a differently designed outer surface configured to perform a different function. The method allows for mounting the replaceable shells on the central shaft which extends in a longitudinal direction. To start, an end flange, formed with inner and outer mounting holes, is placed on the shaft, with the shaft having an axially facing wall with threaded mounting holes. The end flange has a central aperture which allows the end flange to be slid along the shaft until the end flange abuts the axially facing wall. Threaded fasteners are placed through the inner mounting holes and into the threaded holes to secure the end flange in place. The end flange is preferably formed of pieces that are fit around the shaft. The multiple pieces are fit around the shaft without having to remove the shaft from a working position.
A replaceable shell is slid along the shaft until the replaceable shell abuts the end flange. Alternatively, the shell is of a clamshell design and is wrapped around the shaft. The replaceable shell is fastened to the end flange by passing fasteners, such as pins, located in the outer mounting holes of the end flange into the mounting holes in the replaceable shell. An additional end flange may then be placed on the shaft and fastened thereto in a similar manner as the other end flange by passing fasteners, such as pins located in the outer mounting holes of the end flange into mounting holes in the replaceable shell and passing fasteners, such as threaded fasteners, through the inner mounting holes of the end flange into mounting holes in the shaft. If a longer roller is employed, more replaceable shells may be added by placing a center flange on the shaft and sliding the center flange along the shaft to abut with the replaceable shell and then fastening the center flange to the replaceable shell by passing fasteners located in the mounting holes of the center flange into mounting holes in the replaceable shell and then sliding a second end flange along the shaft to abut with the replaceable shell. Once again, the method includes fastening the second end flange to the replaceable shell.
The replaceable shells are removed by first removing an end flange. More specifically, the fasteners holding the end flange to the shaft are removed, allowing the end flange to be removed in pieces. The replaceable shell is slid to an easy access point and then removed. Similarly, the remaining sections of the roller can be slid along the shaft and removed in a corresponding manner.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to common parts in the several views.
Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention.
The hopper 110 is seen mounted at the top of the molding machine 100 in a conventional manner. The hopper 110 is shown in a hidden view to show the set of rollers 120, more clearly. The hopper 110 is configured to receive dough at an upper portion 142 and to temporarily store the dough 115 until the dough 115 is needed. The hopper 110 has a main storage area 145 centrally located in the hopper 110 and a dispenser 146 located at the bottom portion of the hopper 110. The dispenser 146 is formed of two converging walls 147, 148 and a scraper (not shown for clarity) all work together to place dough 115 between the set of rollers 120, as described below.
The first roller is the feed roller 121 which is rotatability mounted on a central shaft 150 supported by first and second bearing assemblies 151, 152. Preferably first bearing assembly 151 is mounted at one end of the central shaft 150, between two vertically extending supports 155, 156. Likewise, second bearing assembly 152 is mounted at the opposite end of central shaft 150 and mounted between two vertically extending supports 157, 158. Bearing assemblies 151, 152 are preferably vertically adjustable and may be mounted at a desired height. The vertically extending supports 155, 156 are preferably connected to a horizontal stand 160. The horizontal stand 160 is preferably mounted to a secure surface, such as a factory floor (not separately labelled) with fasteners 161. The horizontal stand 160, vertically extending supports 155, 156 and bearing assembly 151 all constitute a first support assembly 165. Three additional support assemblies 166, 167, 168, preferably constructed in a corresponding manner to first support assembly 165, are provided at the ends of the feed roller 121, and mold roller 122 such that the set of rollers 120 is supported for rotation above the conveyor 140. The set of rollers 120 can either be positively driven by the bearing assemblies 151, 152 or simply be driven by the frictional engagement between the set of rollers 120 and the conveyor 140.
Mold roller 122 is formed with a plurality of spaced cavities 170 that function as dies. The cavities 170 are arranged in a series of circumferential rows 171, which are longitudinally spaced. The cavities 170 are also aligned longitudinally with mold roller 122. The cavities 170 may be round to produce dough pieces 105 that are round, or the cavities 170 may be of any desired shape so as to produce dough products of other shapes. Preferably, the cavities 170 are made of a stainless-steel alloy to reduce wear or a nonstick material to allow for easy release of the dough 115 from cavities 170. Other materials, such as food safe plastic, can also be employed especially when the cavities 170 are formed with a 3D printer. Additional details of a molding machine are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,837 and European Patent No. 1008299, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The feed roller 121, shown in more detail in
Turning to
The end flange 360 is generally formed in the shape of an annular washer and preferably made of metal. End flange 360 is thus formed with an end surface 365 and an abutment surface 366. The end flange 360 is provided with an inner set of threaded mounting holes 370 arranged in an evenly spaced circular configuration that aligns with the threaded mounting holes 361 in the axially facing annular wall 357. The end flange 360 is shown as having at least two subcomponents in the shape of half sections 371, 372, best seen in
Turning back to
Turning now to
As best seen in
The replaceable shells 300, 310, 320 of the feed roller 121 are preferably exchanged in order to remove a damaged or worn shell or to add a shell with a different type of outer surface designed to perform a different function. The replaceable shell 300 is formed of two panels mounted on the central shaft 150. To start, end flange 360 is placed on the central shaft 150. The central shaft 150 has an axially facing annular wall 357 with threaded mounting holes 370. The end flange 360 has a central aperture which allows the end flange 360 to be slid along the central shaft 150 until the end flange 360 abuts the axially facing annular wall 357. Threaded fasteners 362 are placed through the inner mounting holes 370 and into the threaded holes 361 to secure the end flange 360 in place. The replaceable shell 300 is slid along the central shaft 150 until the replaceable shell 300 abuts the end flange 360. The replaceable shell 300 is fastened to the end flange 360 by passing fasteners through mounting holes 530 on the replaceable shell 300 and into the outer mounting holes 374. An additional end flange 550, shown in
Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides a mechanism for replacing shells on a roller in order to ready change the outer surface of the roller. For example, with reference to
While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth, it should be understood that various changes or modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.
