DOSING DEVICE FOR COMMINUTED BULK MATERIAL

DOSEUR POUR SOLIDES EN VRAC PULVERISES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A device for measuring an exact volume of comminuted bulk
material, such as flour to be fed to an extruder for the produc-
tion of pasta, comprises an open-topped vessel with a hinged
attachment is a flat pan, of the same diameter as the vessel,
with a coarse-mesh sieve at its bottom which breaks up lumps
of the material during filling and levels the contents of the
vessel upon being swung aside prior to emptying.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A device for dosing comminuted bulk material to
be fed to a recipient therefor, comprising an open-topped vessel
and an extension thereof, said extension being a pan with a
bottom in the form of a coarse-mesh sieve of the same outline as
the top of said vessel, said pan being peripherally articulated
to said vessel for horizontally swinging between a working
position closely overlying the open top of said vessel and a
withdrawn position exposing said open top for enabling a
filling of said vessel through said bottom in said working posi-
tion and for leveling the contents of said vessel upon subse-
quent removal to said withdrawn position.
2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein
said vessel is provided at the top thereof with catch means for
releasably retaining said pan in said working position.
3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said
vessel is provided, at a location opposite said catch means,
with an eye pivotally engaged by a depending pin on the outer
periphery of said pan.
4. A device as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein
said vessel is provided with a handle at a location opposite the
point of articulation thereof to said pan.

Description

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Field of the Invention
My present invention relates to a device for dosing
comminuted bulk material, such as flour, which is to be fed to a
recipient therefor, specifically to an extruder for the production
of farinaceous food items such as spaghetti, noodles, macaroni
or the like, referred to hereinafter as pasta.
Background of the Invention
A person desiring to make pasta, particularly a house-
holder, must be able to measure accurately the amount of flour
to be mixed with a given volume of water and milk, and with a
specified number of eggs,- in order to obtain a product of the
proper consistency. Usually, the amount of flour is measured
in one or more cupfuls, yet this manner of dosing is not very
accurate unless the user carefully levels the contents of a
filled cup at the brim. Flour, especially when slightly moist,
also tends to form lur,lps which make dosing and mixing more
difficult.
Objects of the Invention
The general object of my present invention, therefore,
is to provide a simple device facilitating the accurate dosing
of flour or similar comminuted bulk material.
A more particular object is to provide a device of
this character adapted to be used as a ~itchen utensil in a pri-
vate household.
Summary of the Invention
A dosing device according to my invention comprises an
open-topped vessel and an extension therefor, that extension
having the shape of a pan with an apertured bottom in the form
of a coarse-mesh sieve whose outline, preferably circular, is tl~
same as that of the vessel rim. The pan is pcripherally

articulated to the vessel for horizontally swinging between a
working position, in which it closely overlies ~he top thereof,


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and a withdrawn position exposing that open top. In its working
position, therefore, the vessel can be filled through the apertured
bottom with concurrent breakup of any lumps formed by the
comminuted material. When the pan is then swung out into its
withdrawn position, it automatically levels the contents of
the vessel at the brim.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The above and other features of my invention will now
be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dosing device
embodying my invention, shown immediately after a filling and
leveling operation; and
Fig. 2 is a perspectlve view showing the emptying of
the device of Fig. 1 into a pasta-producing extruder.
Specific Description
In Fig. 1 I have shown a cylindrical vessel 1, of
roughly the size of a coffee cup, with a closed bottom and an
open top. An extension 2 hingedly attached to that vessel has
the shape of a pan 7 whose diameter equals that of vessel 1 and
whose bottom is a sieve in the form of a coarse-mesh grid 3 forming
a sieve. A pin 9 on the outer periphery of pan 7 projects down-
wardly into an eye 5 at the top of vessel 1 to form a hinge joint
whereby the attachment 2 can be pivoted horizontally to lie
directly above the vessel or to be offset therefrom, the latter
position having been illustrated in Fig. 1.
At a location diametrically opposite the hinge joint 5,
9, vessel 1 is provided with a handle 6 and a catch 4 which
releasably indexes the pan 7 in its aligned workin~ position.
In that position, vessel 1 can be filled with flour until the
mass rises above the grid 3. At this point, the user may shake

the vessel for a uniform settling of its contents whereupon pan 7


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is swung out through about 180 to entrain the excess flour onto
an underlying tray (not shown) as indicated at 10.
Fig. 2 shows how the user, after seizing the vessel
1 by its handle 6, empties it into an extruder 8 for mixing with
the other ingredients required to make pasta. The pan 7 has
been removed in Fig. 2, as can be readily done by merely with-
drawing the pin 9 from the eye 5.
The vessel 1 and the pan 7 (including its grid 3) can
be conveniently manufactured from thermoplastic sheet material
by a deep-drawing and stamping process.




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