Portion-metering device.

(42) Date of commencement of the patent: 15. 5.1995 (45) Date of issue: 27.12.1995

<td>(56) Documents:</td><td>(73) Patent owner:</td>

<td>US 4722267A US 4748902A WO 91/06225</td><td>FAMULUS ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT SOCIETY MBH A-8051 GRAZ, STYRIA (AT).</td>

<td></td><td>(72) Inventor:</td>

<td></td><td>NEUKAM HELMUT HOUSEMANSTÄTTEN AT GRAZ, STEIERMARK (AT).</td>

(54) DEVICE FOR PORTIONING OF FROZEN FRENCH FRY

A FRYER (57) Device for portioning frozen French fries to a fryer, with a storage container (2) arranged in a freezer (1) for the frozen French fries and an outlet (2 ') of the storage container downstream, rotatably mounted cylindrical drum (3), which is end-face-open towards the outlet and provided on its inner peripheral wall with a concentric shaft (4) for carrying and orienting French fries as well as with a volumetric portioning container (5) arranged downstream of said shaft (3); from a filling position, in which he receives french fries taken from the takeaway and alignment shaft, is pivotable by a previously covered by the portioning container peripheral wall opening of the drum in a dispensing position, in which way he rather delivers the portion to the fryer's inlet.

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AT 400 384

Π® &lt;3378013

AT 400 384 B

The invention relates to a device for portion-feeding frozen French fries to a fryer, with a arranged in a freezer Vorratsbehäiter for frozen French fries and an outlet of the reservoir downstream portioning, with which the inlet of the deep fryer each a portion can be fed, wherein the outlet of the reservoir is arranged downstream of a rotatable about a horizontal axis mounted cylindrical drum.

Such devices are known for example from US-PS 4,722,267 and US-PS 4,748,902. The drum is arranged in these known devices below the outlet and has an opening towards the drum periphery portioning chamber, which comes to lie in rotation of the drum in its upper position below the outlet, a portion of French fries receives and in its lower position on this portion a conveyor belt for further processing gives. These constructions have the disadvantage that an alignment of the French fries in the Portionierkammer not done, whereby the amount of French fries in one portion is subject to strong fluctuations, depending on the degree of interweaving the confused French fries.

From WO 91/06 223 a device is also known, in which a fan wheel is provided, whose compartments have flexible walls and are bent against each other before the release of a portion to achieve an alignment of the chips contained between them by compression. The achievable degree of alignment is extremely questionable and not optimal. The amount of French fries in one serving can not be exactly predetermined.

The invention aims to provide a structurally simple and inexpensive device of the type described in the introduction, with which frozen French fries a fryer of a preparation and dispensing machines for French fries in exactly predetermined amount without risk of interference can be supplied. This is achieved according to the invention by in that the drum is open at the end face against the outlet and at its inner peripheral wall with a concentric shaft for carrying and aligning French fries and with a volumetric portioning container arranged downstream of this shaft in the direction of rotation of the drum, the drum from a filling position, in which he receives french fries taken from the takeaway and alignment shaft, is pivotable by a previously covered by the portioning container peripheral wall opening of the drum in a dispensing position, in which he delivers the portion to the inlet of the fryer.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving and alignment shaft extends in the circumferential direction of the drum substantially over a quarter circle.

According to another feature of the invention, the portioning container is pivotally mounted in the interior of the drum and can be pivoted into the dispensing position by means of a scanner guided in a fixed guide in which it protrudes with its open end side out of the drum peripheral wall.

The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a device according to the invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively side views of the device in two different operating positions.

The portioning device shown serves for the automatic removal of individual portions of, for example, 120 g of frozen French fries from, for example, 10 to 20 kg capacity bulk storage container. The entire portioning device is located in a freezer 1, for example, set to -18 ° C. The French fries are poured in the frozen state in the reservoir 2, which has an outlet 2 'in its lower part. In the region of the outlet 2 'is outside the container 2, a rotating cylindrical drum 3 rotatably disposed about a horizontal axis XX and open against the outlet 2' of the reservoir 2, so that the chips as a result of an oblique bottom part of the reservoir 2 in the drum. 3 slip.

As a result of the clockwise rotation of the drum 3, the chips are slid into a driving and aligning chute 4 concentric with the drum inner peripheral wall, in which they are aligned in their longitudinal direction, and further into a driving and aligning chute in the direction of rotation of the drum downstream cup-shaped portioning 5, which volumetrically determines the portion size. The portioning container 5 is connected at its rear side to a pivot axis 6 which is mounted in bearings 3 'on the drum peripheral wall and which is actuated by a scanner 6 via a lever 6' which is guided in a fixed slide guide 7.

During a full rotation of the drum 3, the portioning container 5 is filled during passage through the lower part of the storage container 2 in its position folded into the drum from the shaft 4 (FIG. 2), and when passing through the upper part via an opening previously covered by the container 5 from the drum outwardly pivoted (Fig. 3), where he tilts the French fries portion outside the drum 3 in a feed chute 8 of the fryer, not shown. From the feed chute 8, the French fries reach the fryer via an only indicated lock 9. The lock is also controlled by a mounted on the portioning drum (not shown) backdrop.

AT 400 384 Β

The drum 3 is connected by a laterally arranged electric motor via a gear 10 and, for example, an am

Outer ring of the drum attached chain 11 driven. The engine is controlled by a located on the lock 9 limit switch. With each full turn of the drum a portion is delivered.

The storage container 2 can be filled via a pivotable flap 12. The drum 3 is for

Clean seen from the front (Fig. 3) by 90 'by means of a pivoting arm 13 to the left pivot. The pivot arm 13 carries, as shown in FIG. 1, by means of a front plate 14, the slide guide 7. From the drum 3 facing side of the face plate 14 projects a pin 15 in the drum interior, sitting on the bearing 16, which is firmly connected to the drum end wall Support bearing bush 17.

It is understood that the embodiment shown can be variously modified within the scope of the invention, for example as regards the control of the portioning container 5 and the drive of the drum 3.