Abstract:
For forming a ready-to-bake, endless dough ring, a dough piece is first round kneaded in a round-kneading station and then fermented in a fermenting station. In a pressure station, flattening pressure is exerted on two sides of the dough piece for a flat round piece to produce. After a relaxation interval, an inside hole is punched into the relaxed dough piece in a punching station, with a dough ring being obtained. The individual stations of a corresponding dough treatment system are connected to each other by means of a conveyor. Then secondary fermenting of the shaped dough ring takes place, which is followed by baking of a ring article. The result is an efficient method of forming a ready-to-bake, endless dough ring. Producing the baked ring article can be completely automated.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a method of forming a ready-to-bake, endless dough ring. The invention further relates to a method of producing a baked ring article from such a pre-formed dough ring and an apparatus for forming a ready-to-bake dough ring. 
   2. Background Art 
   A method of the generic type has been known from prior public use in the manufacture of donuts. It starts by a strand of dough being produced, from which the complete donuts are stamped. Even with the articles being stamped out as closely as possible, a considerable rest of dough will remain after the process, which is not used or must be further treated elaborately. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to specify a more efficient method of forming a ready-to-bake, endless dough ring. 
   According to the invention, this object is attained in a method comprising the steps of round kneading a dough piece; fermenting the dough piece; exerting flattening pressure on both sides of the dough piece for a round dough piece to form, the extension of which transverse to the direction of pressure exceeding the height thereof in the direction of pressure; allowing the pressed dough piece to relax; punching an inside hole in the relaxed dough piece for a dough ring to be produced. 
   The method of dough-ring shaping leaves the concept of first producing a strand of dough. Rather, the dough rings are produced from prepared, individual pieces of dough, which means a considerable reduction of any scraps of dough that might remain. 
   With the steps of exerting pressure and relaxation taking place several times in succession, in particular two or three times in succession, the dough pieces can to be molded gently and carefully. 
   The relaxation time required in practice after pressure has been exerted can be used simultaneously for fermenting. 
   Prior to the step of punching, displacement of a central portion of the dough piece outwards takes place such that the thickness of the dough piece, as compared to the rest of the dough piece, is reduced where subsequent punching takes place. This will further reduce any scraps of dough remaining in the production of the dough ring. Instead of punching the inside hole out of the complete piece of dough, the dough is first displaced where the inside hole is going to be located so that only a minimal material thickness has to be punched out, in the most favourable of cases only a thin skin of dough. This also reduces the demands on a punching station. 
   Dough displacement can be effected by pressure being exercised on the central portion of the dough piece by means of a die, in particular of the type of a stamp, which is a simple way of displacement. 
   Prior to the job of punching and/or displacement, the dough piece can be centered, with the inside hole and/or the portion of reduced thickness of the dough piece, after punching and/or displacement, being located symmetrically centrally within the piece of dough. This ensures defined positioning of the dough piece prior to the punching and/or displacement job. 
   Centering may take place by the aid of a defined stop where the dough pieces come to rest prior to the punching and/or displacement job. This way of centering is not complicated. 
   After being punched out, the central dough portion can be sucked off, which implies prompt and proper removal of the central dough portion that has been punched out. 
   Another object of the invention resides in specifying a method of further treating the dough piece obtained. 
   According to the invention, this object is attained by a method of producing a baked ring article from a dough ring, comprising the steps of secondarily fermenting the punched-out dough ring; and baking the secondarily fermented dough ring for obtaining a baked ring article. 
   Forming as well as further treating the ring of dough can be completely automated according to the invention. 
   The punched dough ring can be dusted with flour prior to secondary fermenting, resulting in a finished baked ring of optically attractive appearance. 
   Another object of the invention consists in specifying an apparatus by which to ensure an automated procedure of forming a ready-to-bake, endless dough ring. 
   According to the invention, this object is attained by an apparatus comprising a round-kneading station; a fermenting station; a pressure station for flattening pressure being exerted on both sides of the dough piece; a punching station; and a conveyor for dough pieces to be transferred between the stations. 
   The advantages of this apparatus correspond to those mentioned above in connection with the method according to the invention. The individual stations of the apparatus cooperate preferably intermittently, which ensures defined synchronized interaction of the individual method steps. 
   The apparatus may comprise a centering station located ahead of the punching station and/or displacement station on the path of conveyance, with the centering station providing for a dough piece to be centered prior to punching and/or displacement in such a way that, after the punching and/or displacement job, the inside hole and/or the displaced dough portion will be located symmetrically centrally within the dough piece. 
   The centering station may comprise a stop on which the dough pieces come to rest prior to punching and/or displacement. 
   For defined discharge of the punched-out, central dough portion, the punching station can change over, in particular pivot, from a position of punching into a position of discharge. Such a change-over punching station can preferably comprise a plurality of dies, with another die automatically taking the punching position when one of the dies changes from the punching position over into the discharge position. In the position of discharge, the die can for example cooperate with a suction unit for sucking off the punched-out, central dough portion. 
   The punching station and/or displacement station can be designed for optional connection into the process of treating the dough pieces. As a result of this design, the apparatus may be employed optionally for dough rings or for correspondingly shaped dough pieces that have no inside hole. Consequently, the apparatus can be used simultaneously for producing holed donuts and round donuts. In the production of round donuts i.e., when a ready-to-bake dough piece is produced that has no inside hole, the punching station and/or the displacement station are simply omitted, which, given the mentioned ability of optional connection, can be implemented by the punching station and/or the displacement station being deactivated. By alternative, the conveyor assembly may be embodied in such a way that, optionally, the dough pieces do not pass by the punching station and/or the displacement station. In this way it is possible, by means of the conveyor assembly, to provide for a detour past the punching station and/or the displacement station. 
   Details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a dough treatment system, showing internal details; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the system according to  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a view, on an enlarged scale, of details of  FIG. 1  in the vicinity of a part of the system concerned with molding dough pieces; 
       FIG. 4  is a view, similar to  FIG. 1 , of another dough treatment system; and 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the dough treatment system according to  FIG. 4 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 to 3  illustrate a first embodiment of a dough treatment system  1 . It comprises a kneader  2  for kneading dough. The kneader  2  comprises a trough  3  which can be lifted and pivoted and which is illustrated in  FIG. 1  in a position of kneading as well as in a lifted and pivoted position of discharge. In the position of discharge, a feed hopper  4  is located underneath the trough  3 , belonging to a metering and round kneading assembly  5 . The metering and round kneading assembly  5  comprises a round kneading station  6  which is connected, via a six-row transfer conveyor belt  7 , to a fermenting and molding assembly  8  of modular design. The further treatment stations of the dough treatment system  1  process six rows of dough pieces in parallel. 
   A hanger conveyor  9  is connected for conveyance to the discharge end of the transfer conveyor belt  7 ; it is accommodated in two sectional modules  10 ,  11  of the fermenting and molding assembly  8  which are disposed one on top of the other. The hanger conveyor  9  comprises a plurality of hangers (not shown) for the accommodation of dough pieces. The hangers are joined to a conveyor chain  12  that circulates continuously by way of a plurality of deflection pulleys  13 . When conveying, the conveyor chain  12  circulates substantially clockwise inside the sectional modules  10 ,  11 . 
   Proceeding from the discharge end of the transfer conveyor belt  7 , the conveyor chain  12  runs several times up and down in an intermediate fermenting station  13   a  until reaching a pair  14  of deflection pulleys  13  disposed one directly on top of the other. That is where the hangers are turned over by an entrainer so that the dough pieces contained therein are transferred on to a conveyor belt section  15 . A first pressure roller  16  is allocated thereto, pre-forming the dough pieces that pass underneath along the conveyor belt section  15  in such a way that any undefined rolling on the conveyor belt section is precluded. 
   The dough pieces move from the conveyor belt section  15  on to another conveyor belt section  17  which a pressure station  18  is allocated to. The pressure station  18  comprises a pressure plate  19  which is actuated and movable, guided by a stand  20 . Downstream of the pressure station  20 , the dough pieces move from the discharge end of the further conveyor belt section  17  on to hangers of the hanger conveyor  9 . The operation of the hanger conveyor  9  and the conveyor belt sections  15 ,  17  is synchronized in such a way that whenever dough-pieces are being discharged by the further conveyor belt section  17 , a hanger will be ready at the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  17  for accommodation of the dough pieces. 
   Downstream of the place of transfer at the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  17 , the conveyor chain  12  once again passes up and down along further deflection pulleys  13 . As the conveyor chain  12  does so, the hangers run through a second intermediate fermenting station  21 . Then the hangers pass another pair  22  of deflection pulleys  13  and another pressure roller  23  with an associated conveyor belt section  24 . The conveyor belt section  24  transfers the dough pieces into a molding assembly  25  of the fermenting and molding assembly  8 , the molding assembly  25  being lodged in another sectional module of the assembly  8 . 
     FIG. 3  shows the molding assembly  25  in detail. From the conveyor belt section  24 , the dough pieces first arrive on another conveyor belt section  26 , which is where they pass another pressure station  27  of the same design as the pressure station  18 . Then the dough pieces are being transferred from the conveyor belt section  26  towards a centering station  28  where the round dough pieces are being aligned and centered. The centering station  28  possesses a stop  28   a  for centering the dough pieces. Subsequently, the centered dough pieces are being conveyed from the conveyor belt  26  to a displacement station  29  which comprises an actuated lift-and-descent die (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) in the form of a stamp with a spherical end. A support  30  of the die is mounted on a stand  31  of the displacement station  29 . Displacement of a central dough portion outwards takes place in the displacement station  29  by the die pressing on the piece of dough, centrally reducing the thickness as compared to the rest of the dough piece. 
   Downstream of the displacement station  29 , the pre-formed dough piece is being conveyed by the conveyor belt section  26  to a punching station  32 . It comprises a punch  33  in the form of an actuated lift-and-descent punching peg. The punch  33  is mounted on a support  34  which, in relation to a stand  36  of the punching station  32 , is pivotable about a pivot  35  that is perpendicular to the plane of projection of  FIG. 3 . The punch  33  and the support  34  are seen in a position of discharge in  FIG. 3 , with the punch  33  being pivoted about the pivot  35  clockwise by 90° in relation to the position of punching. In the position of punching, the punch  33  is vertical like the die of the displacement station  29  i.e., it is perpendicular to the plane of conveyance given by the conveyor belt section  26 . Another conveyor belt section  37  is located under the free end of the punch  33  in the position of discharge. The conveyor belt section  37  serves for collecting and carrying off the punched-out dough portion that is ejected by the punch  33 . The punching station  32  may have two punches  33 , with one of the two punches  33  taking the position of punching whenever the other one changes from the position of punching over into the position of discharge. For removal of the punched-out dough portion, the punching station  2  may just as well cooperate with a suction unit (not shown) for sucking off the punched-out central dough portion. This way of sucking off can take place by alternative of the ejection of the punched-out dough portion. 
   Downstream of the punching station  32 , the punched-out dough piece is being conveyed by the conveyor belt section  26  for further processing. A depository station  38  is allocated to the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  26 ; there, the punched-out dough pieces are placed on trays. Then the dough pieces are manually inserted in fermenting chambers for secondary fermenting. 
   Endless, ready-to-bake dough rings, for example donuts, can be produced by the dough treatment system  1  in the following way: At first, dough is being kneaded in the kneader  2  and automatically fed via the feed hopper  4  into the metering and round kneading assembly  5  where the fed-in dough is metered into individual pieces of dough, with round kneading taking place in the round kneading station  6 . Via the transfer conveyor belt  7 , the round-kneaded dough pieces are being transferred in six rows to the hangers of the hanger conveyor  9 , with intermediate fermenting taking place in the first intermediate fermenting station  13   a . The dough pieces are then being turned over and transferred on to the conveyor belt section  15  where they are slightly pressed by the pressure roller  16  so as to prevent undefined rolling. In the pressure station  18 , the dough pieces are then more strongly pressed by cooperation of the pressure plate  19  with the conveyor belt section  17 , obtaining a flattened, round shape. What is formed is a round piece, the extension of which, transverse to the direction of pressure, exceeding its height along the direction of pressure. Then the pressed dough pieces are again being transferred to the hangers of the hanger conveyor  9 , with intermediate fermenting continuing in the second intermediate fermenting station  21 . Then the dough pieces are being turned over once again and transferred on to the further conveyor belt section  24  where they are slightly pressed once again by the pressure roller  23  in order to prevent undefined rolling. Then the dough pieces are being pressed more strongly in the pressure station  27 , obtaining an even more flattened shape. After being pressed in the pressure stations  18 ,  27 , the dough pieces are allowed to relax. Then the dough pieces, which are rotationally symmetrical about a vertical axis, are being centered in the centering station  28 . This takes place by the aid of the stop  28   a . After the centering job, the dough pieces arrive in the displacement station  29  where the central dough portion is being displaced by the aid of the die. The dough pieces then arrive in the punching station  32  where the central dough portion, which is but a thin skin after the displacement job, is being punched out by the aid of the punch  33 . The displaced dough portion as well as the inside hole formed by punching are located centrally in the dough piece. After the punching job, the punch  33  is being transferred into the position of discharge seen in  FIG. 3 , passing the punched-out dough portion on to the conveyor belt section  37 . The ring of dough produced after the punching job is then being placed on trays in the depository station  38 . After secondary fermenting, the dough rings are either being deep frozen or directly baked as donuts. 
   The dough treatment system  1  works intermittently. In particular, the conveyor belt section  26  conveys intermittently, with the jobs of pressing in the pressure station  27 , displacing in the displacement station  29  and punching in the punching station  32  taking place when the dough pieces are at rest. The intermittent conveyance of the conveyor belts  7 ,  15 ,  17 ,  24  and  26  and the conveyance of the hanger conveyor  9  are synchronized. 
   The dough treatment system  1  according to  FIGS. 1 to 3  comprises two pressure stations  18 ,  27 . Alternatively, any other number of pressure stations may be provided. 
   For the manufacture of round donuts, it is possible to inactivate the displacement station  29  and the punching station  32  and possibly also the pressure stations  18  and  27  so that the dough pieces will pass these stations without being molded. Apart from that, the dough treatment system  1  can be operated as described above in connection with the production of flat donuts. In this way, the dough treatment system  1  can just as well be used for producing round donuts. 
   The dough treatment system  1  of  FIGS. 1 to 3  has an output of 6,000 dough pieces per hour in the case of flat donuts, and an output of approximately 3,000 per hour in the case of round donuts. The intermediate fermenting time in the intermediate fermenting stations  13   a  and  21  amounts to approximately 20 minutes in the production of flat donuts and approximately 40 minutes in the production of round donuts. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an alternative dough treatment system. Component parts that correspond to those specified above with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  have the same reference numerals and are not going to be discussed in detail once again. 
   In the dough treatment system  1  according to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the molding assembly  25  is modularly integrated in a dusting and secondary-fermenting assembly  39  that comprises several sectional modules. In this assembly  39 , the dough pieces are being transferred from the conveyor belt section  26  on to another conveyor belt section  40 . While being conveyed on the conveyor belt section  40 , the dough pieces pass two flour-dusting stations  41 ,  42  where the pre-formed flat or round donuts are dusted with flour. 
   From the conveyor belt section  40 , the dusted dough pieces are then being transported towards another hanger conveyor  43  which is designed in accordance with the hanger conveyor  9  and in which is accommodated the dusting and secondary-fermenting assembly  39 . In case of the hanger conveyor  43  according to  FIG. 4 , the hangers also circulate substantially clockwise. Proceeding from the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  40 , the hangers first arrive in a first secondary fermenting station  44  where the conveyor chain  12  of the hanger conveyor  43  runs substantially to and fro. Then the hangers are being transferred to another secondary fermenting station  45  where the hangers run substantially up and down. Finally, the hangers pass a pair  46  of deflection pulleys, the function of which corresponding to the pairs of deflection pulleys  14  and  22 . Consequently, the dough pieces positioned in the hangers are being turned over and transferred on to a conveyor belt section  47  and pressed by means of another pressure roller  48  so that any undefined rolling of the dough pieces on the conveyor belt section  47  is precluded. 
   From the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  47 , the dough pieces are again being transferred to hangers of the hanger conveyor  43 . The hanger conveyor  43  and the conveyor belt section  47  are synchronized as explained in connection with the hanger conveyor  9  and the conveyor belts  15  and  17 . Proceeding from the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  47 , the hangers are being transferred to another secondary-fermenting station  49  above the conveyor belt section  47  where the conveyor chain  12  of the hanger conveyor  43  runs substantially up and down. From there, the hangers reach a secondary-fermenting and cooling station  50  where the dough pieces are cooled for skin formation. The hangers then pass another pair  51  of deflection pulleys and are emptied. The cooled dough pieces are then transferred on to another conveyor belt section  52  which another pressure roller  53  is allocated to, preventing any undefined rolling of the dough pieces on the conveyor belt section  52  by pressing the dough pieces. From the discharge end of the conveyor belt section  52 , the cooled dough pieces are then being transferred to a fat-baking oven (not shown). 
   As compared to the dough treatment system  1  according to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the dough treatment system  1  of  FIGS. 4 and 5  comprises the further difference of a re-assorting assembly  54  in the form of a discontinuous belt being provided downstream of the transfer conveyor belt  7 , re-assorting, into twelve rows, the six rows of round-kneaded dough pieces that arrive downstream of the transfer conveyor belt  7 . The dough treatment system  1  of  FIGS. 4 and 5  alternatively offers six-row or twelve-row operation. Upon twelve-row operation, the dough treatment system  1  according to  FIGS. 4 and 5  has an output of 12,000 dough pieces per hour in flat donut production. In the case of round donuts, an output of 6,000 dough pieces per hour is possible. As compared to the dough treatment system  1  of  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the intermediate fermenting time remains unchanged. In the dough treatment system  1  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the final fermenting times amount to 35 minutes in the production of flat donuts and 70 minutes in the production of round donuts. The dwell time of the dough pieces in the cooling unit of the secondary-fermenting and cooling station  50  amounts to 5 minutes in the case of flat donuts and 10 minutes in the case of round donuts.