TODAY’S PATENT – DOUGH ROUNDER
The Dough rounder was invented Ronald L. Meade, Eric Anthony Villasenor on 15th September 2015, bearing patent number US9131701B2.
This present invention is a compact, rounding machine, or rounder, for quickly rounding dough units discharged from a divider into substantially round dough balls used to make products like flour tortillas, buns, rolls, etc. The rounder includes a stationary shoe having a curved inner face that curves partially around an axis of rotation, and a stationary groove having a substantially semicircular profile and extending between an entry end and an exit end. A roller with an outer face and moving groove is positioned against the stationary shoe’s inner face and stationary groove to define a rolling cavity, one half of the rolling cavity being formed by the stationary groove and another half of the rolling cavity is formed by the moving groove. A funnel assembly positioned adjacent to the roller, along with a beveled entry wall at the entry end of the stationary groove, guide dough units into the rolling cavity.
The dough ball rounder further comprises of a funnel assembly positioned adjacent to the roller, the funnel assembly having an enlarged opening for receiving a dough unit and comprising a side skirt that extends downward to guide the dough unit into the rolling cavity defined between the moving groove and the stationary groove.