Patent DE-102010008026-A1 (DE)
Title: Molding unit of a device to form loops of pretzels comprises several conveyor straps with a conveyor belt to supply a portion of a blank of a looping device, and several pins arranged vertically between individual conveyor straps
Inventor: PILLER OSWALD
IPC: A21C3/08
Filed: 2010-02-15
Abstract: Molding unit (1) of a device to form loops of pretzels comprises: several conveyor straps with a conveyor belt, through which the pi -shaped or U-shaped portion of a blank of a looping device is supplied; and several pins, which are arranged between the individual conveyor straps and vertically to it. The pins are adjusted in their longitudinal direction vertically to the plane of the belt between a first and a second end position in such a manner that when the pins are in the first end position, the free ends of the pins are not protruding out from the plane of the belt. Molding unit (1) of a device to form loops of pretzels comprises: several conveyor straps with a conveyor belt, through which the pi -shaped or U-shaped portion of a blank of a looping device is supplied; and several pins, which are arranged between the individual conveyor straps and vertically to it. The pins are adjusted in their longitudinal direction vertically to the plane of the conveyor belt between a first and a second end position in such a manner that when the pins are in the first end position, the free ends of the pins are not protruding out from the plane of the conveyor belt, and the free ends of the pins in the second end position are protruding out from the plane of upper strand of the conveyor belt. A first group of pins (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) is arranged in the conveying direction in such a manner that when the pins of the first group is in the second end position, the incoming portion of the blank with its middle section with these pins, which are arranged on a U-shaped curve vertically to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, enters the device. A second group of pins (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is provided, where the second group of pins is arranged in the conveying direction after the first group of pins, where the arrangement of the pins of both groups, which are located in the second end position, corresponds to an inner contour of a produced pretzel blank (15), and the arms of the pretzel blank (16, 17) are not considered. The radially located inner side of a finished molded pretzel blank is lying on the pins, which are located in the second end position. The number and the arrangement of the pins of the first and the second groups, which are located in the second end position, depend on the size of the produced pretzel blank. An independent claim is also included for operating the molding unit, comprising producing the pretzel blank of a predetermined size, and bringing the several pins of the first and the second groups from the first end position to the second end position to receive the raw dough supplied by the conveyor belt, depending on the width of the pretzel blank, i.e. the size of the produced pretzel blank vertically to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor belt and the length of the pretzel blank, i.e. the size of the produced pretzel blank in the axial direction, where the pins are selected and arranged in the longitudinal direction in such a manner that the arrangement corresponds to the inner contour of the produced pretzel blank, without considering the arms of the pretzel blank.