A method and apparatus for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces. In and by this method and apparatus a bread dough piece, namely a pre-shaped bread dough roll (10), is subjected to a first rotation, thereby pressing and rolling it in a first gap (11) defined between a conveyor (6) and an opposed first pressing belt (12), while being conveyed downstream, so as to shape the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece. This elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece is then fed into a second gap (13) defined between an upper face provided by a second pressing belt (14) and an opposed lower face provided by the conveyor (6), and is subjected to a second rotation in a direction reverse to that of the first rotation, thereby further shaping and elongating the bar-shaped bread dough piece (16) with a straight wound-dough end.

Description: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces. It especially relates to a method and apparatus in and by which bread dough pieces are shaped to bar-shaped bread dough pieces elongated in their axial direction to produce bar-shaped bread such as French rolls and hot dog rolls. As a means relating to the above, an apparatus has been provided wherein a pressing board or belt is disposed above a conveyor that conveys divided dough pieces, so as to provide a desired gap between the pressing board or belt and the conveyor. The divided dough pieces are supplied into the gap, while being pressed and rolled, thereby producing elongated bar-shaped dough pieces, each being elongated in the axial direction of its rotation. In shaping bar-shaped bread dough pieces, say, for French rolls, a dough mass is divided and cut into pieces at a prior stage. Each piece is then cut to a desired length. The cut dough piece is then pressed and rolled between the gap, thereby an elongated bar-shaped dough piece being shaped. In stretching the bar-shaped dough piece to elongate it in the axial direction, both its ends tend to be easily elongated as compared with its middle part. Therefore, the wound up bar-shaped dough piece is not uniformly elongated, but has a curved wound-dough end formed on the outer surface of and between the two ends of the bar-shaped dough piece. Thus, as shown in Fig. 11, the wound-dough end (the outer end of the dough that is wound about itself and that end forms a line in the axial direction of the wound-dough piece) of the elongated bar-shaped dough piece 28 does not have a straight line. Also, the wound dough has a residual stress that results from applying an outer force caused by rolling the dough piece. After baking such a dough piece, bar-shaped bread with a curvature or twist on its surface it produced. Therefore, defects have existed in that the bar-shaped dough piece had a bad appearance or a deformed shape due to the curvature of the dough piece resulting from a residual stress within the dough. It has previously been proposed, in US-A-3,121,406, to alleviate the above problems by compacting and elongating a dough piece whilst rotating it in one direction, and then compacting and elongating the dough piece further whilst rotating it in the opposite direction. The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus, basically of the foregoing type, as defined in the precharacterising clauses of claims 1, 2 and 7 respectively. In the apparatus disclosed in US-A-3,11,406, the dough piece is compacted and elongated between a first pressing board and a first conveyor, and then between a second pressing board and second conveyor. In order to reverse the direction of rotation of the dough piece whilst it is being conveyed in a downstream direction, the second pressing board and conveyor are located beneath the first pressing board and conveyor, and the conveying direction of the second conveyor is the reverse of that of the first conveyor. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces. According to the present invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces as defined in the characterising clauses of claims 1, 2 and 7 respectively. The bread dough pieces, such as preshaped bread dough rolls, bread dough sheets or divided dough masses, are pressed, and rolled in a first direction, as they are conveyed through the first gap between the first conveying face portion and the first pressing face, thereby shaping the dough pieces into elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces. Then, the elongated dough pieces are pressed, and rolled in the reverse direction, as they are conveyed through the second gap between the second conveying face portion and the second pressing face of the motor-driven pressing belt. Therefore, if a bread dough piece, axially elongated by the first gap, has a curved wound-dough end on its surface, the shape of the bread dough piece can be changed to a shape having no curved end, but having a straight end. Also, the problem of the residual stress within the dough is resolved, by applying the second rotation. Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic and perspective view of a first embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic and perspective view of a second embodiment of this invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a third embodiment of this invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of a fourth embodiment of this invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of a fifth embodiment of this invention. Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of a sixth embodiment of this invention. Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of a seventh embodiment of this invention. Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of an eighth embodiment of this invention. Fig. 9 is a schematic side view of a ninth embodiment of this invention. Fig. 10 shows an elongated bar-shaped dough piece 19 prepared by an embodiment of this invention. Fig. 11 shows an elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 28 having a curved wound-dough end prepared by the prior-art apparatus. A first embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to the attached drawings. In Fig. 1 a conveyor 2 is provided. It is adapted to be driven by means of a motor (not shown). The conveyor 2 conveys a bread dough sheet 4 downstream. A conveyor 6 is disposed downstream of the conveyor 2. This conveyor 6 is adapted to be driven by means of a motor (not shown). A winding-up means 8 is disposed above the upstream end of the conveyor 6. It is adapted to wind up bread dough pieces. A first pressing belt 12 is disposed above the conveyor 6 to provide a first gap 11 between the first pressing belt 12 and the conveyor 6. The first pressing belt 12 is adapted to be driven by means of a motor (not shown). A second pressing belt 14 is disposed downstream of the first pressing belt 12 and above the conveyor 6 to provide a second gap 13 between the second pressing belt 14 and the conveyor 6. The second pressing belt 14 is adapted to be driven by means of a motor (not shown). The conveyor 2, the conveyor 6, the winding-up means 8, the first pressing belt 12, and the second pressing belt 14, are supported by arms (not shown) mounted on a frame (not shown). The gaps 11 and 13 and their inclinations can be adjusted. The first gap 11 between the first pressing belt 12 and the conveyor 6 is adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction, and the second gap 13 between the second pressing belt 14 and the conveyor 6 is also adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction. The speed of the first pressing belt 12 is less than that of the conveyor 6, and the direction of rotation of the belt 12 is opposite that of the conveyor 6. The speed of the second pressing belt 14 is higher than that of the conveyor 6, and the direction of movement of the belt 14 is the same as that of the conveyor 6 where they face each other. A preshaped bread dough roll 10 wound by means of the winding-up means 8 is pressed and rolled in the first gap 11, while being conveyed downstream. The first gap 11 between the first pressing belt 12 and the conveyor 6 decreases gradually in the downstream direction. Therefore, the preshaped bread dough roll 10 is pressed and rolled, while being conveyed downstream, between the first pressing belt 12 and the conveyor 6, and is elongated in the axial direction of the preshaped bread dough roll 10, whereby an elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is obtained. Then, the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is conveyed between the second gap 13 between the second pressing belt 14 and the conveyor 6. The second gap 13, like the first gap 11, also decreases gradually in the downstream direction. Therefore, the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is pressed and rolled downstream between the second pressing belt 14 and the conveyor 6, and is elongated in its axial direction, whereby a further elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 19 is obtained. The elongation of the middle part of the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16, which is shaped in the first gap 11, is less than that of either end. Therefore, distortion appears in the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16, and it causes a curved wound-dough end to be formed on the outer surface of the elongated bar-shaped dough piece 16, like the elongated bar-shaped dough piece 28. This dough piece 28 is prepared by means of the prior-art apparatus, and as shown in Fig. 11, the wound-dough end of this dough piece 28 does not form a straight line. However, this distortion disappears in the further elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 19 coming out of the second gap 13, because the second gap 13 applies a reverse rotation to the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16, so that, as shown in Fig. 10, its wound-dough end forms a straight line. Applying the second rotation to the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 does not require rewinding the dough piece, because each of the dough layers wound up by the first gap adheres to other layers. A second embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to the attached drawings. In Fig. 2, in place of the conveyor 6 in the first embodiment, a first conveyor 18 and a second conveyor 20 are disposed below the first pressing belt 12 and below the second pressing belt 14, respectively. The first conveyor 18 and second conveyor 20 are also supported by arms (not shown) mounted on a frame (not shown), and are adapted to be driven by means of motors (not shown). The first pressing belt 12 and the first conveyor 18 provide a first gap 15, and the second pressing belt 14 and the second conveyor 20 provide a second gap 17. The gaps 15 and 17 and their inclinations can be adjusted. The first gap 15 is adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction. The second gap 17 is also adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction, like the first embodiment. The speed of the first pressing belt 12 is less than that of the first conveyor 18, and the direction of rotation of the belt 12 is opposite that of the first conveyor 18. The speed of the second pressing belt 14 is higher than that of the second conveyor 20, and the direction of rotation of the belt 14 is the same as that of the second conveyor 20. A preshaped bread dough roll 10 wound by means of the winding-up means 8 is pressed and rolled in the first gap 15, while being conveyed downstream. The preshaped bread dough roll 10 is pressed and rolled in the first gap 15, and is elongated in the axial direction of the preshaped bread dough roll 10, whereby an elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is obtained while being conveyed downstream. Then, the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is fed into the second gap 17, where the second rotation is applied to the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16, and a further elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 19 is obtained. The same technical effects of the first embodiment can be attained. A third embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 3. The structure of the apparatus used in this embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment (see Fig. 2). However, the conveying direction of the second conveyor 20 is reverse that of the first conveyor 18. In this embodiment the second rotation, which is in a direction reverse to that of the first rotation, is also applied to the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16, thereby a further elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 19 being obtained. It is conveyed downstream by a conveyor 19. In this embodiment, to have the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 contact the second pressing belt 14 before it contacts the second conveyor 20, the upstream end of the second pressing belt 14 extends above the downstream end of the first conveyor 18. Thus, the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 can be precisely transferred from the first gap 15 to the second gap 17. Also, to have the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 19 precisely fed from the second gap 17, the downstream end of the pressing belt 14 extends above the upstream end of the conveyor 22. The technical effects of the second embodiment can also be attained in this embodiment. A fourth embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 4. A first conveyor 18 conveying a preshaped bread dough roll 10 is provided. A first pressing belt 12 is disposed above the first conveyor 18 to provide a first gap 15 between the first pressing belt 12 and the first conveyor 18. They constitute a first means. They are similar to the first means of Fig. 3. A second means, comprising a second conveyor 20 and a second pressing belt 14, is disposed below the first means. The second conveyor 20 and second pressing belt 14 provide a second gap 17. The upstream end of the second conveyor 20 extends so that the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 falling from the downstream end of the first conveyor 18 can be received by the second conveyor 20. Alternatively, in place of an extended upstream end of the second conveyor, any means to guide the dough piece to the upstream end of the second conveyor 20 may be disposed to ensure that the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 conveyed from the first conveyor 18 reaches the second conveyor 20. The first gap 15 between the first pressing belt 12 and the first conveyor 18 is adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction. The second gap 17 between the second pressing belt 14 and the second conveyor 20 is also adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction. The speed of the first pressing belt 12 is less than that of the first conveyor 18, and the moving direction of the first pressing belt 12 is opposite that of the first conveyor 18. The speed of the second pressing belt 14 is less than that of the second conveyor 20. The moving direction of the second pressing belt 14 is opposite that of the second conveyor 20. A preshaped bread dough roll 10 is pressed and rolled between the first pressing belt 12 and the first conveyor 18, and is elongated in the axial direction of the preshaped bread dough roll 10, whereby an elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is discharged from the first gap 15. Then, the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 falls onto the second conveyor 20, and is fed into the second gap 17. As in the first gap 15, it also decreases gradually in the downstream direction. Therefore, the elongated bar-shaped dough piece 16 is pressed and rolled, and is further elongated in its axial direction, whereby a further elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 19 is obtained. The technical effects of the previous embodiments can also be attained in this embodiment. A fifth embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 5. The apparatus used in this embodiment is similar to that of the third embodiment (see Fig. 3). However, a first gap 9 is adapted to increase gradually in the downstream direction. Therefore, a bread dough sheet 4 can be directly fed into the gap 9 and is wound up to be a preshaped bread dough roll 10, while being pressed in the first gap 9. The first gap 9 allows the preshaped bread dough roll 10 to advance. Its diameter gradually increases, in the downstream direction. Namely, the bread dough sheet 4 can be wound up in the first gap 9, and simultaneously it is elongated in its axial direction. This way can provide a technical effect whereby a bread dough sheet is preshaped at the first stage of the preceding embodiments. Thus, the bread dough sheet 4 becomes the preshaped bread dough roll 10, and it becomes an elongated bread dough piece 16 in the first gap 9. This elongated bread dough piece 16 is then fed into the second gap 17. In this gap the elongated bread dough piece 16 receives the second rotation in a direction reverse to that of the first time, so that the curvature of the wound-dough end of the elongated bread dough piece 16 is eliminated, and a further elongated bread dough piece 19 is obtained. The wound-dough end of the dough piece 19 has an almost straight line. A sixth embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 6. The apparatus used in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment (see Fig. 1) except for the first pressing belt 12. In this embodiment, in place of the first pressing belt 12, a pressing board 24 is used. It may be made of a metal or plastic plate. To avoid a piece of dough adhering to the pressing board's surface, cloth or some other material is usually attached to it to decrease adhesion to the dough. The pressing board 24 is stationary. However, since it holds the preshaped bread dough roll 10 and the conveyor 6 causes it to be rolled, it is conveyed downstream. The pressing board is supported by arms (not shown) mounted on a frame (not shown), and adapted so that the first gap 11 and its inclination can be adjusted. The preshaped bread dough roll 10 is pressed and rolled between the pressing board 24 and the conveyor 6, while being subjected to the first rotation. Then, an elongated bar-shaped bread piece 16 is produced, and it is fed into a second gap 13, thereby further elongating a bar-shaped bread piece 19. The technical effects of the previous embodiments can also be attained in this embodiment. A seventh embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 7. The apparatus used in this embodiment is the same as that of the sixth embodiment (see Fig. 6), except that a first conveyor 18 and a second conveyor 20 are disposed below the pressing board 24 and a pressing belt 26. In this embodiment, in place of the second conveyor 20 a second pressing board may be disposed. In any event, in this embodiment the technical effects of the previous embodiments can also be attained. An eighth embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 8. The structure of the apparatus used in this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the seventh embodiment. However, the conveying direction of the second conveyor 20 is reverse that of the first conveyor 18. Since the moving speed of the pressing belt 26 is higher than that of the second conveyor 20, the elongated bread dough piece 16 is allowed to advance in the gap 17 in the downstream direction, while being rotated by the second rotation. In this embodiment, in place of the second conveyor 20, a second pressing board can also be disposed. In any event, in this embodiment the technical effects of the previous embodiments can also be attained. A ninth embodiment of this invention will now be explained by reference to Fig. 9. The apparatus used in this embodiment is the same as that of the fourth embodiment (see Fig. 4) except that the first pressing belt 12 is replaced with a pressing board 24. The technical effects of the fourth embodiment can also be attained. In the embodiments of this invention the first and second gaps are adapted to decrease gradually in the downstream direction. However, the second gap may be one that has a constant value from the upstream end to the downstream end of the second conveyor 20. Thereby the preshaped dough roll 10 is elongated at the first gap, but the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 is not elongated at the second gap. The second gap only causes the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece 16 to roll, whereby the residual stress within the dough is made to disappear. As stated above, this invention comprises passing a preshaped bread dough roll or a bread dough sheet being conveyed through a first gap formed by a conveying face and a first face provided opposite the conveying face, to thereby roll the preshaped bread dough roll or bread dough sheet while applying a pressure between the faces, thereby shaping an elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece, and passing it through a second gap formed by two faces facing each other, to thereby apply to the elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece a rotation that is in a direction opposite that at the first gap. Therefore, in shaping an elongated bar-shaped bread dough piece for French rolls, hot dogs, or such, this invention provides a method and apparatus to maintain the straight wound-dough end, so as to produce dough pieces which are not deformed or twisted so that a cylindrical dough piece is produced when they are baked. Thus, the quality of the final product can be improved.

Claims: A method of shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces, comprising:- pressing and rolling a bread dough piece (10) while conveying it downstream in a first gap (11, 15) between a conveying face and a superimposed face that faces the conveying face to rotate said dough piece in a first direction, thereby shaping an elongated bar-shaped dough piece, and pressing and rolling said elongated bar-shaped dough piece (16) while conveying it downstream in a second gap (13, 17) between two mutually superimposed faces facing each other to rotate said dough piece in a second direction reverse to that of said first direction of rotation, characterised in that the uppermost face of said second gap is a moving face defined by a motor-driven belt (14, 26), the movement of said uppermost face causing the dough piece (16) to rotate in said second direction. An apparatus for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces comprising: conveyor means defining a first conveying face portion driven to travel in a downstream direction, and a second conveying face portion located downstream of the first conveying face portion, first pressing means defining a first pressing face portion disposed to face the first conveying face portion to provide a first gap (11, 15) to receive, press and roll a bread dough piece (10) being conveyed downstream with the doughpiece rotating in a first direction, and second pressing means defining a second pressing face portion positioned downstream of said first pressing face portion and disposed to face the second conveying face portion to provide a second gap (13, 17) to receive, press and roll an elongated bar-shaped dough piece (16) from said first gap with the dough piece rotating in a reverse direction, characterised in that: said first pressing face portion is either (a) a stationary pressing face portion, defined by a pressing board (24), or (b) a movable pressing face portion, defined by a motor-driven pressing belt (14), driven to travel in an upstream direction at a lower speed than the downstream speed of the first conveying face portion, and said second pressing face portion is a movable pressing face portion, defined by a motor-driven pressing belt (14, 26), driven to travel in a downstream direction at a higher speed than the second conveying face portion. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second conveying face portions form part of a single continuous conveyor (6). The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second conveying face portions are formed by first and second conveyors (18, 20). The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the upstream end of the second pressing face portion (14, 26) extends above the first conveying face portion (18). The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, wherein the second conveying face portion (14, 26) travels in an upstream direction. An apparatus for shaping elongated bar-shaped bread dough pieces comprising:- first and second conveyors (18, 20) defining, respectively, first and second conveying face portions driven to travel in a downstream direction, the second conveying face portion being located downstream of, and below, the first conveying face portion, first pressing means defining a first pressing face portion disposed to face the first conveying face portion to provide a first gap (15) to receive, press and roll a bread dough piece (10) being conveyed downstream, with the doughpiece rotating in a first direction, and second pressing means defining a second pressing face portion positioned downstream of, and below, said first pressing face portion and disposed to face the second conveying face portion to provide a second gap (17) to receive, press and roll an elongated bar-shaped dough piece (16) from said first gap with the dough piece rotating in a second, reverse direction, characterised in that: said first pressing face portion is either (a) a stationary pressing face portion defined by a pressing board (24), or (b) a movable pressing face portion, defined by a motor-driven pressing belt (12), driven to travel in an upstream direction at a lower speed than the downstream speed of the first conveying face portion, and said second pressing face portion is a movable pressing face portion, defined by a motor-driven pressing belt (14, 26), driven to travel in an upstream direction at a lower speed than the downstream speed of the second conveying face portion. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the upstream end of the second conveying face portion extends to a position where it can receive a dough piece conveyed downstream from said first gap.

Inventors: KANEKO TAMOTSU, KOBAYASHI MIKIO, KANEKO, TAMOTSU, C/O RHEON AUTOM. MACH. CO., LTD., KOBAYASHI, MIKIO, C/O RHEON AUTOM. MACH. CO., LTD.
Applicants: RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO, RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO. LTD.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A21C3
IPC codes: A21C3, A21C11