It is known that the increasing number of snack-bars and of different mobile and stationary refreshment rooms arisen near to stadiums, stations, ecc. have considerably increased the consumption of stuffed rolls and therefore the necessity to reduce the preparation time of stuffed rolls. Hence apparatuses were already proposed for slicing bread and keeping the slices ready to be coupled and stuffed with something to eat with. These apparatuses are not suitable to prepare rolls of classic type, i. e. rolls formed from a small piece of bread cut in half and stuffed with a desired food.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a simple and cheap splitting apparatus, fitted to allow a quick mass halving of a great number of buns, rolls, loaves, pizzas and other similar bakery products, fried foods, etc.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a faultless splitting of all the above mentioned products, independently from their consistency, whether dealing with hard baking or rising products or dealing with soft baking or rising products. As a matter of fact these latter, while being split, are prone to bending and thus the cutting thereof occurs imperfectly and does not allow at last a suitable stuffing operation. These objects are achieved according to the present invention through the splitting apparatus whose features are specified in claim 1.

Further features of this apparatus are specified in the subsequent claims.

The apparatus for splitting buns, rolls, loaves and the like according to the present invention has the advantage of allowing the splitting in half of any small piece of bread, round or oblong, along a cutting plane parallel to the largest surfaces of buns and the like.

The apparatus allows even to carry out the splitting yet leaving the two halves of the bun still peripherally joined for about 2-3 cm to make the subsequent stuffing easier.

A further advantage of the splitting-roll apparatus according to the present invention is that it can easily be automated with consequent considerable increasing of operative efficiency, by going indicatively from 800 rolls/hour by manual splitting to 3000 rolls/hour by automatic splitting.

These and other advantages of the apparatus for splitting buns, rolls, loaves and the like according to the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which : FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of a splitting apparatus according to the present invention ; and FIGURE 2 shows a lateral see-through view of the apparatus of figure 1.

Referring to figure 1 it is shown that the apparatus for splitting buns, rolls, loaves and the like according to the present invention consists of at least a canal body 1, preferably parallelepiped-shaped or, in any case, of such a shape that the longitudinal dimension is prevailing with respect to the other two. ones, having at least an open end 15. In the central area that is substantially equidistant between the two ends 14 and 15 of the canal body 1 there is a space suitable for receiving the product to be split that is inserted from the top.

Between the end 14 of the canal body 1 and its central area there is slidably mounted a pusher 2 provided with a working knob 3. In pusher 2 the end near to end 14 of body 1 is preferably rectangular in shape, while the opposite end, which is the active one, can be plain, but it is preferably arched in order to be able to receive within arch 4 the peripheral area of the product to be split when the latter has a curved profile. Through this stratagem the guidance of the product is made safer when it is pushed by pusher 2 into the apparatus area that is arranged for cutting, which area is placed between the central area of canal body 1 and the open end thereof.

A further contrivance, not shown in the drawing, is to form the active end of pusher 2, whether it is flat or arched, provided with a groove along its vertical face with a view to allow a further improvement of the guidance safety of the product when this is pushed by pusher 2 towards the cutting area.

The pusher 2 is preferably provided with lateral ribs (not shown in the drawing) engaging in corresponding longitudinal grooves formed along the inner sides of canal body 1.

In the cutting area of the apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention there are mounted two blades 5 and 6 which are arranged with their distal ends converging in a point 7 close to the open end of the apparatus. In order to make the splitting operation gradual under the action of pusher 2, the convergency angle between blades 5 and 6 is narrower than 45° and preferably comprised between 25° and 45°. Both converging blades 5 and 6 have the cutting- edge directed inwardly.

The apparatus according to its second embodiment can be provided, instead of both blades 5 and 6, with a single blade placed horizontally inside the canal body 1 close to end 15 of body 1. This blade is secured with the cutting-edge directed towards pusher 2 and, to make the cutting operation gradual when pusher 2 pushes the product towards the blade, it is preferable that the cutting-edge of said blade forms with the axis of pusher 2 an angle narrower than 90°. The blades are of a known type and therefore do not need a particular description. Blades with serrated or wavy edge are preferable.

Each end of the blades is suitably secured within the side of canal body 1 of the apparatus under a cover 10 which, in the embodiment shown in figure 1, is made of transparent material. This cover aids in avoiding that the operator's hands may accidentally come into contact with the cutting-edge of the blades.

Referring now to figure 2, it is shown that canal body 1 has its end 14 closed and the opposite end 15, where the cutting area finishes, open so as to allow the product to be discharged at the end of the splitting operation. End 14, however, could even be open, thus allowing a longer stroke of the pusher with a consequent widening of central area which would make it possible to use the apparatus for longer products too. In this case however it would be necessary to arrange a suitable catch to retain pusher 2 from getting out of the canal body 1.

In figure 2 there is also shown that the active end of pusher 2 having the arched area 4 in this figure is also provided with a groove 8. This structural

contrivance make it possible to further improve the guidance of product 9 when this is pushed by pusher 2 towards the blades.

In order to effect splitting of product 9, the operator inserts the latter inside the central area of apparatus and, by acting on knob 3, pushes it until it comes in contact with the blades that will split it in two parts: one being above the plane of the blades and the other being below this plane. When the splitting is finished, the product, again under pushing of pusher 2, comes out from the open end of canal body 1 to undergo stuffing.

In the cases in which the splitting is not completely effected in order to leave the two cut parts still joined each other along a last edge of product 9, this one is extracted from the top after moving transparent cover 10 of canal body 1.

In the area below the blades there is preferably placed a grid, not shown in the figure, which lets crumbs formed during the cutting operation gather in an underlying removable drawer 11. Through this contrivance crumbs are prevented from being scattered on work-bench or from obstructing the cutting area.

The blades are preferably provided at their ends with micrometric screws 12 which allow to regulate the position of each blade, both with respect to the other blade in case of two blades, and with respect to the rest of the apparatus. Both regulations have the purpose of modifying the cutting conditions according to the thickness and width of the bun to be cut, as well as to the dough consistency thereof.

In order to prevent the blades from bending during the cutting operation, the apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a support system 13 schematically shown in figure 2.

In figure 2 there is also shown a catch 16 fixed outside the lower surface of canal body 1. This catch is used to avoid sliding of the splitting device in the motion direction of the pusher, during its operation, by locking it on a table or a bearing surface.

The apparatus according to the present invention may be made of any suitable material, preferably it is made of stainless steel or other suitable material for foods. The blades are preferably made of steel and each apparatus can be

equipped with one or several sets of interchangeable suitably differing blades. The apparatus may also be equipped with a set of three pushers 2, the active or contact surface of which may be respectively flat, arched 4 and/or grooved 8.

The apparatus according to the present invention may be internally completed, both on its sides and on upper part, by steel springs arranged in such a way as to keep the product always in a correct position for cutting, while moving towards and beyond the blades.

As mentioned above, the apparatus according to the present invention may be automated by connecting pusher 2 to a mechanical actuator. In a first electric version of the automated apparatus, a linear electric motor can be applied to the apparatus and integrally connected to the pusher. The stroke of the motor is equal to the stroke of pusher 2 so that they proceed in parallel with each other. The pusher 2 can alternatively be connected to a double-acting pneumatic piston driven through compressed air delivered by a compressor. In both cases the stroke speed is adjustable depending on the specific operative needs.

The product to be split can besides be fed to the apparatus through a suitable electric device possibly equipped with a rotating indexing fixture for automatically collecting the split products.