Muffin scoring machine
O United States Patent [1 1 1111 3,877,330 Noel Apr. 15, 1975 MUFFIN SCORING MACHINE 2,810,416 10/1957 Russell 83/6 x Inventor: Eugene M. Noel, Newton Highlands, 3,669,165 6/1972 Tobey et al 83/4 X Mass. Primary ExaminerFrank T. Yost Asslgneel l Schmidt, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Rummler &amp; Snow Worm eysburg, Pa.  
 [22] Filed: June 12, 1974 [&#39;57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. N0.: 478,450 A machine for scoring the periphery of English muffins preparatory for a tining operation which will facil- 52 US. Cl. 83/6; 83/4; 83/427; l f Separation of .l muffin halves mast mg at tlme of use, comprlsmg means for rolling the 83/431, 83/435.2, 83/44l.1  
  muffins edgewlse agalnst a gulde ra1l WhlCh mounts a [51] Int. Cl B26d 3/08 k f f f d d [58] Field of Search 83/6, 4, 427, 431, 435.2, rwprocatmg 6 l 83/44Ll depth around the entire s1de wall of the muffin midway between the top and bottom grilled surfaces of [56] References Cited the muffin, the muffin being rolled without slippage relative to the knife by pressurized engagement with UNITED STATES PATENTS means on the guide rail for positive engagement with 2 E the muffin side wall as it is rolled therealong. rstmlc 2,803,279 8/1957 Strand 83/4 16 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures MUFFIN SCORING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is a common practice&#39;to prepare grilled muffins, before packaging for sale, for easy separation of the muffin halves at time of use, by means of a forking&#34; or tining operation with a plurality of uniformly spaced tines which are entered into the muffin from opposite sides thereof in interdigitating relation. Usually, however. the muffin side walls are quite tough with the result that the pressure of the tines upon entry into the muffin causes the muffin to be compressed laterally and permanently misshapen. To overcome this defect in the tining operation, it has been proposed to score the muffin peripherally at the level of tine entry so that the tines need work only against the soft interior of the muffin. The mechanisms heretofore proposed for this scoring operation have been rather complicated in structure and quite costly to build, relatively slow in operation, and lacking means for adjustment to accommodate muffins of various sizes and thicknesses.  
  It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved machine for peripherally scoring English muffins which is of simplified construction and operation, which is positive in its scoring action to score the entire periphery of the muffin, and which is extremely rapid in its action being capable of handling up to 300 muffins per minute.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The herein disclosed muffin scoring machine comprises a body having a horizontal passage means on its top surface along which the muffins are propelled between a fixed guide rail and a means for engaging the muffins so as to cause them to roll edgewise along the guide rail, the guide rail housing an elongated knife blade which extends along the guide rail and projects a predetermined distance outwardly from the muffin engaging surface thereof. Means are provided for reciprocating the knife blade in the lengthwise direction, through a predetermined stroke distance, as the muffins are rolled therealong and the means for rolling the muffins along the guide rail is arranged for adjustment toward and away from the guide rail to accommodate muffins of various diameters. Also, means are included for adjusting the elevation of the muffin passage means relative to the knife blade whereby muffins of various thickness can be scored precisely midway between the top and bottom grilled surfaces to provide equal muffin halves upon separation after being tined at the same midway level.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved prescoring machine;  
  FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, partly in section, showing the machine as seen from line 22 of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is an end elevational view ofthe machine, with the end wall panel removed to show the drive arrangement for the muffin transport and peripheral scoring elements; 1;  
  FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectionalelevation as taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 to show in more detail the elements which function to transport and score the muffin;  
  FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the drive for the reciprocating scoring element; and  
  FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, illustrating the manner in which the scoring element is mounted for reciprocating movement relative to its support.  
 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved English muffin scoring machine comprises a box-like body 10 on the top of which is formed to receive a passage means inthe form of a muffin slide plate 12 which extends the length of the body 10 and somewhat beyond each end thereof, as at 14, the body 10 being supported on a frame 15 having legs 16 each of which has a height adjustment foot 18.  
  Muffins M delivered onto the slide plate 12 are propelled through the machine by the coaction of a muffin drive and turning belt 20, running along the rear side of the slide plate, and a fixed guide rail 22 mounted at the opposite side of the slide plate, the turning belt 20 traveling between pulleys 24 and 26 and engaging the sides of the muffins to cause them to roll against the guide rail 22 and slide along the plate 12. As shown, the pulleys 24 and 26 are journaled on vertical axes and the belt 20 travels in a vertical plane so as to flatly engage the sides of the muffins, the belt being guided by a channel-like backing member 28 mounted on a turning belt frame 30 which also supports the pulleys 24 and 26.  
  The turning belt frame 30 is mounted on the top of the body 10 so as to be slidable toward and away from the fixed guide rail 22, to adjust for English muffins of different diameters, and is held in adjusted position by means of. locking bolts 32 disposed adjacent the ends of the frame 30 and which extend through the frame 30 and into the top of the body 10 through suitable slots 34 therein, as shown in FIG. 4. The turning belt frame 30 is held square on the top ofthe body 10 and against lateral movement, in the direction of turning belt travel, by means of angle members 35 secured to the frame 30 and disposed to engage the ends of the machine body 10.  
  Adjustment of the frame 20, relative to the opposite guide rail 22 is had by means of a screw 36 extending into the body 10 from the rear thereof and threadedly engaging a coupling nut 38 welded onto a slide bar 39 which extends lengthwise of the frame 30 and is secured to the clamping bolts 32. The screw 36 is operated by a turning knob 40, as indicated in FIG. 1.  
  The fixed guide rail 22, against which the muffins are rolled, is mounted on the top of the body 10 at the edge of the muffin slide plate 12 and this member carries a reciprocable knife 42 for scoring the periphery of the muffins as they are rolled along, edgewise against the guide rail 22, under the driving force and pressure of the turning belt 20, and to prevent any slipping of the muffins, or failure to roll along the rail and to engage the entire muffin periphery with the scoring knife, a series of uniformly spaced pins 44 is mounted along the rail, directly below the knife 42, to engage the periphery of the lower one-half of the muffin. This provides a perfect rolling action of the muffins as they pass through the machine, regardless of how rapidly they are moving, and hence assures perfectly uniform scoring of the periphery of each muffin,.the scoring blade being of a length at least 1 /2 times the circumference of the largest muffin to be processed.  
  The mounting of the scoring knife 42 is shown by FIGS. 4 and 6 and in the structure shown the knife is carried by a slider assembly 46, made up of a pair of back-to-back angles 48 and 50. This assembly includes an upwardly projecting post 52 on the inner angle 48, on which the knife blade 42 is positioned, and a downwardly projecting spool 54 by which the slider assembly and knife are connected with the reciprocation drive elements. In the form shown, the guide rail 22 is a composite structure comprising a pair of elongate inner and outer members 56 and 58, suitably secured together in face-to-face relation and capped by a top plate 60 to provide a unitary guide rail assembly. About midway of the length of this guide rail 22 the mutually facing surfaces of the members 56 and 58 are relieved sufficiently to receive the slider assembly 46 between them, the length of such relief being somewhat greater than the stroke of the slider assembly during reciprocation of the scoring knife 42. Also, the top surface of the inner rail member 56 is relieved in the slide area to receive the upper arm of the angle 48, the top plate 60 is provided with a slotted recess to receive the post 52 by which the scoring knife is connected to the slider assembly, and the thickness of the inner rail member 56 is sufficiently less than that of the rear or outer rail member 58 to permit free sliding action of the knife 42 as it reciprocates.  
  The rail members 56 and 60, which are the main slide elements, are made of a low friction material, such as Delrin, and to minimize friction between the slider assembly 46 and the outer rail member 58, which is preferably of cold rolled steel, the member 58 is recessed in the slider movement area to a depth of about onehalf the width of the member 58 and for a length sufficient to receive a bearing plate 62 that is at least as long as the slider assembly stroke. The bearing plate 62 is preferably of the same material as the rail members 56 and 60 and is secured to the outer rail 58 by suitably screws 64. 7  
  At this point it will be understood that the backing guide 28 for the muffin turning belt is also made of a low friction material such as Delrin.  
  The drive for the moving elements of the scoring machine comprises a motor 70 having a shaft extension carrying a pair of pulleys 71 and 72. A belt 73 connects the pulley 71 with a pulley 74 mounted on the lower end of a shaft 75 which carries an eccentric, or crank member 76, connected to the slider spool 64 by means of a crank arm 77. Operation of the crank member 76 and arm 77 reciprocates the slider assembly 46 to reciprocate the knife or muffin scoring blade 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the shaft 75 is mounted in bearings 78 which in turn are mounted on spacer blocks 79 suitably secured to the front wall 80 of the body 10.  
  The pulley 72 on the motor 70 connects with a pulley 81 by means of a belt 82 and the pulley 81, in turn, drives a shaft 83 which carries a pulley 84 which connects with the turning belt drive shaft 85 by means of a belt 86 and pulley 87.  
  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the turning belt drive shaft 85 extends through and above the top of the body 10 where it carries a turning belt drive pulley 88, the shaft 85 being supported in bearings 89 and 90 mounted on the rear wall of the body 10.  
  As shown in FIG. 1, the turning belt 20 is trained over an idler pulley 91 carried by a swing arm 92, which is pivoted at its opposite end on a vertical shaft 93. The shaft 93 is spring actuated, by means not shown, to swing the arm 92 counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 1, and thus cause the idler pulley 91 to serve as a constant and automatically adjustable belt tightening or tensioning means. From the belt tensioning pulley 91, the muffin turning belt runs over the pulley 24 and along the guide rail 28 to the pulley 26 and thence to return to the drive pulley 88.  
  By virtue of the horizontally adjustable turning belt frame 30 and the automatically adjustable turning belt tensioning means 91, 92, and 93, the muffin scoring machine can readily be made to accommodate substantially all conventional English muffin diameters. Adjustment of the slide plate 12 to accommodate different thicknesses of the muffins is had by varying its height relative to the scoring blade 42 so that the score line cut into the muffin periphery will be half way between the top and bottom of the muffin. This adjustment of the slide plate 12 is had by means of suitable bolts 94 extending through the sides of the channel 95 formed in top of the body 10 to receive the slide plate 12, the bolts being located near the ends of the channel and passing through vertical slots in the sides of the slide plate where they can be reached for manipulation to loosen and tighten them for slide plate height adjustment.  
  In the operation of the herein described muffin scoring machine, themuffins M are usually fed into the machine by means of a conveyor belt which is entered between the extension of the turning belt frame 30 and the guide rail 22 so that the muffins will be engaged by the turning belt 200 and brought over a lift roller 96 onto the slide plate 12, the turning belt 20 pressing the muffins edgewise against the guide rail 22 so as to cause the muffins to turn about their vertical axes and roll along the rail 22.  
  As the muffins enter onto the slide plate, they become engaged by the pins 44 projecting from the guide rail 22 and this compels the muffins to roll, without slippage relative to the guide rail, through the entire length of the slide plate and the operating zone of the reciprocating knife.  
  Preferably the knife blade 42 extends beyond the guide rail 22 about one-quarter inch so as to cut a score line one-quarter inch deep in the periphery of the muffin and the pins 44, which prevent the muffin from sliding under the action of the reciprocating knife 42, project a like distance. From the scoring machine, the muffins are delivered directly to a muffin tining machine where the banks of interdigitating tines are entered into the muffins from opposite sides and precisely at the score line in the muffin periphery. This produces an English muffin that is closed against interior drying, which occurs in sliced muffins, and yet is easily broken apart by hand at the time of use to form halves of equal thickness with the rough textured surface so necessary to toasting quality and taste.  
  Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the structure shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.  
 I claim:  
  l. A muffin scoring device comprising a generally horizontal work surface having a passageway extending from end to end of the work surface for muffins to pass therealong, a guide rail extending along one side of said passage, a reciprocable knife blade extending lengthwise of said guide rail and projecting a predetermined distance therefrom into said passageway, and means extending along the opposite side of said passage for rolling muffins edgewise along said guide rail for peripheral engagement with the projecting edge of said knife blade.  
  2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide rail and the means for rolling the muffins extend a substantially equal distance beyond each end of the said passageway.  
  3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for rolling the muffins along the guide rail engages the muffins peripherally to urge them toward and along the guide rail.  
  4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide rail is provided with means for positively engaging the periphery of muffins as they roll along the guide rail to prevent their slippage relative to the knife blade and assure complete engagement of the muffin periphery therewith.  
  5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for reciprocating the knife blade through a predetermined stroke distance.  
  6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for rolling the muffins along the guide rail comprises an endless belt which flatly engages the periph er of the muffins and urges them toward the guide rail.  
  7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for rolling the muffins is adjustable toward and away from the guide rail to accommodate muffins of different diameters.  
  8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the passageway has a flat surface against which the muffins slide and means is provided for adjusting the relative distance between the said flat surface and the knife blade to accommodate muffins of different thicknesses whereby the knife blade may engage the periphery of the muffins midway between the opposite end surfaces thereof.  
  9. A device according to claim 2 wherein the means for rolling the muffins along the guide rail comprises an endless belt having a flat surface for engaging the side wall of the muffins to urge them against the guide rail, and the passageway comprises a generally horizontal flat surface.  
  10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the endless belt runs parallel with the guide rail for substantially the length thereof, and means is provided for adjusting the belt toward and away from the guide rail.  
  11. A device according to claim 9 wherein means is provided for adjusting the relative distance between the plane of the knife blade and the plane of the passageway surface to position muffins of different thicknesses for knife blade engagement midway between the muffin end faces.  
  12. A device according to claim 9 wherein the guide rail is provided with a series of spaced apart pins extending along the guide rail below the knife blade, the pins projecting into the passageway for engaging the periphery of the muffin as the muffin is rolled along the guide rail by the said belt.  
  13. A muffin scoring machine comprising a body having a horizontal top surface and flat passageway extending from end to end thereof for muffins to pass therealong,  
 a. a guide rail mounted on said top surface along one side of said passageway,  
 b. a longitudinally extending reciprocable knife blade mounted on the guide rail with a cutting edge projecting into the passageway,  
 c. an endless belt mounted at the opposite side of the passageway and running lengthwise thereof in a plane normal thereto,  
 d. a rigid channel-like backing member extending parallel with the guide rail for supporting and guiding the run of said belt along the passageway,  
 e. said guide rail and belt backing member extending beyond each end of said passageway,  
 f. means for reciprocating said knife blade and driving said belt, and I g. means for adjusting said belt backing member toward and away from the guide rail whereby the belt will engage the side wall of muffins entering said passageway face downward and cause them to roll against and along the length of the guide rail for a peripheral scoring engagement with said knife blade.  
  14. The scoring machine defined by claim 13 wherein the passageway comprises a slide plate along which the muffins travel as they are rolled against the guide rail.  
  15. The scoring machine defined by claim 13 wherein the guide rail is provided with a series of spaced apart pins extending the length thereof below the plane of said knife blade, the pins projecting into said passageway for engaging the periphery of the muffins as they are rolled along the guide rail to prevent slipping of the muffins relative to the guide rail under the reciprocating action of the knife blade.  
  16. The muffin scoring machine defined by claim 15 wherein the passageway comprises a slide plate on which the muffins are supported as they are rolled along and against the guide rail.