PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice ball production apparatus, even in rice not properly arranged on a conveyor belt such as rice arranged slightly titled than a proper arrangement posture, capable of preventing the exposure of material from both the edge parts of cylindrically formed rice.SOLUTION: There is provided a rice ball production apparatus A comprising: a conveyor belt 20 capable of being mounted with sheet-formed rice SR and formed by a flexible member in which both the edge sides are bendable to the width direction in the conveyance direction a pair of belt lifting bodies 40 erected at prescribed intervals in the width direction of the conveyor belt 20 a rice upper face shaping roller 50 rolling the rice molded into a drainboard shape along the conveyor belt 20 in which both the side edges are erected almost into a U shape by the belt lifting bodies 40 from the upper part thereof into almost a cylindrical shape and an intermittent roller 60 with a cam crest part provided on the downstream side of the rice upper face shaping roller 50 and butted against the vicinities of the front/rear end opening parts the rice molded into almost the cylindrical shape from the upper part to make the same into edge-closed rice in which the front/rear end opening parts are closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2018,JPO&INPIT【課題】コンベアベルト上に適正に配置されていない米飯、例えば、適正配置姿勢よりもやや傾いた配置となっている米飯であっても、筒状に形成した米飯の両端部からの具材の露出を防止できるおにぎり製造装置の提供。【解決手段】シート状に形成した米飯SRを載置可能であり、搬送方向幅方向に両端側が折り曲げ可能な可撓性部材により形成されたコンベアベルト20と、コンベアベルト20の幅方向に規定間隔を置いて立設された一対のベルト持上げ体40と、ベルト持上げ体40によりその両側端が略U字状に起立されたコンベアベルト20に沿ってすのこ巻き状に成形した米飯をその上方から転圧して略筒状とする米飯上面整形ローラ50と、米飯上面整形ローラ50の下流側に設けられ、前記略筒状に成形された米飯の前後端開口部近傍に上方より当接して前記前後端開口が閉塞された閉端米飯とするカム山部を備えた間欠押圧ローラ60を備えるおにぎり製造装置A。【選択図】図1
