Patent EP-1935246-A1 (EP)
Inventor: BERNHARDT UDO
IPC: A21C9/08
Filed: 2007-12-18
Abstract: The method for measuring and/or adjusting length and/or position of dough strands (1) useful in pretzel knotting machines or other dough processing machines, comprises bringing a dough strand over a conveyor in connection with a scanning device, receiving and processing the output signals of the scanning device by a control, if necessary with integrated regulation, predetermining a quantity of energy flow and energy flux by the scanning device and then emitting it on the dough strand, and sensing, detecting or determining the energy quantity. The method for measuring and/or adjusting length and/or position of dough strands (1) useful in pretzel knotting machines or other dough processing machines, comprises bringing a dough strand over a conveyor in connection with a scanning device, receiving and processing the output signals of the scanning device by a control, if necessary with integrated regulation, predetermining a quantity of energy flow and energy flux by the scanning device and then emitting it on the dough strand, sensing, detecting or determining the energy quantity, which previously flows at the ends of the dough strands and/or is reflected and/or absorbed by the dough strand, applying and/or evaluating the reflected dough strand as a measure for the length or a part of the length of the dough strands, and setting the reflected, absorbed or flowed quantity of light for determining the energy quantity in a ratio, which is applied and/or evaluated as the measure for the length and/or the position of the dough strands. The dough strand is brought with a middle section over the conveyor at an impact to a plant. The energy flow is determined only on one end section or both end sections (2) of the dough strand. The both end sections of the strands are subjected with the same quantity of the energy flow. The energy flux is produced with multiple discrete parallel energy sources arranged and/or lined up together in an assembly. The energy sources are aligned towards the region of the dough strands. Each end sections are arranged in same number of several energy sources. The dough strand is brought over the conveyor with a motor adjustable directional organ in wheel-shaped impact, plant or intervention. The directional organ controls by the control and is controlled for possible position adjustment of the strands corresponding to the flowed, reflected or absorbed energy quantity and/or the ratio of the flowed, reflected or absorbed energy quantity to the emitted energy quantity. The dough length is measured from the energy quantity or the ratio of the energy quantity/energy quantity in connection with geometrical dimensions or the other geometrical structure of the impact or directional organ in the control and is positioned corresponding to data in an output interface for regulation. The data corresponds to the energy quantity and/or the ratio of the energy quantity/energy quantity or the determined strand length and is transmitted to an upstreamly or downstreamly arranged dough processing station, for example an upstreamly arranged dough work station and/or a downstreamly arranged dough strand knotting station with dough strand extension means. A breaking wheel is rotatable by a drive unit, which is controlled by the control corresponding to the energy quantity and/or the ratio of the energy quantity/received energy quantity. The strand over the conveyor is brought under receipt or retention of a U-form at the breaking wheel to the plant. The length and the position of the strand are determined on the basis of the received energy quantity and/or the ratio of the energy quantity/energy quantity in the control, whether the strand-ends standing off by the breaking wheel in the conveyor lie diagonal to the conveyor in a common alignment or on same height or the strands are symmetrically aligned. The drive unit is un-symmetrically actuated by the control to its rotation, for the position adjustment and for bringing the common alignment. The position adjustment and the alignment of the dough strands take place as long as until the energy quantities received by each end section of the strands and/or are determined directly to the ratio of the energy quantity/received energy quantity. Several energy sources are arranged on each end sections of the strand in the conveyor and the breaking wheel is rotated with the adjoining strand, if necessary to its symmetrical alignment, until the energy sources uniformly surround the end sections. The strand is brought for transporting the intervention outwardly with the impact or directional organ after its measuring and/or adjusting. A light is used for producing the energy flow or the energy flux. The reflected and/or the absorbed energy quantity and/or the energy quantity received in the control are set in reference of the energy quantity emitted on the dough strand. Independent claims are included for: (1) an arrangement for measuring and/or adjusting length and/or position of dough strands; and (2) a device for measuring and/or adjusting length and/or position of dough strands.