Patent GB-1501531-A (GB)
Title: Fully automatic panning system for white bread production line
IPC: A21C9/08
Filed: 1976-03-04
Abstract: 1501531 Shaping dough OSHIKIRI KIKAI SEISAKU-SHO KK 4 March 1976 8626/76 Heading B5A Dough pieces W are rolled to cylindrical shape between conveyers 1 and 100, and those pieces being longer than a predetermined length or which are too close to an adjacent one are removed from the production line and received in a pan 35. Such a selecting mechanism A, Fig. 3, includes switches 30, 31 which detect dough pieces which are overlong and operate a valve 28 through a control box 33 to swivel a plate 4 and allow the faulty piece to fall between conveyers. 1 and 7 to the pan. A switch 32 detects the time between adjacent dough pieces; if too short the valve 28 is operated via a box 34 to operate the plate 4 and allow discharge to the pan. The pieces are transferred from the conveyer 7 to baskets 10 of a centring means B which detects any lateral misalignment of the pieces and brings them into line. The baskets are carried on a chain conveyer 9 and are: guided by a fixed rail 45, Figs. 5, 6, into which a roller depending from each basket engages. On approaching the upper end of the conveyer each basket moves on to a rail 46 which is laterally moved by means which detect lateral misalignment of a dough piece in the basket and cause the basket to move laterally to compensate. For such detection is provided two groups of fingers 551-553 and 541-543, Fig. 5, spaced above the conveyer 7 which may be. engaged by the dough piece; depending on the fingers engaged, switches controlling the power supply to a pulse motor 47 may be operated to move the rail 46 and hence the basket laterally via a pinion 52 engaging a gear rack secured to the rail. When the dough piece is discharged from its basket on to a conveyer 8 it actuates a switch 57 effecting the return of the rail 46 to a central position. From conveyer 8 the pieces pass via a plate 58 to a dough bending means C, Figs. 9, 10, comprising a conveyer 13, a pivoted lever 14 which engages the centre of a dough piece, stationary guide walls 15 engaging its ends and a rotarymechanism including rotary arms 16 engaging the dough intermediate its centre and ends. The rotary mechanism includes a rotary cam plate- 61 with cams 611 against which the lever 14 is urged by a spring 67. The arms 16, which are driven with the cam, are adjustable towards and away from the walls 15 so that the dough. may be shaped to W, N or U form. The lever halts the passage of each dough piece whilst the arms 16 rotate, and releases the shaped piece when a cam 611 engages a roller 66 on the lever. Each thus shaped dough piece is compressed between opposed belts 17 and transferred from the conveyer 13 toa pocket 19 of a plate 20 on an intermittently driven rotary table 18. Each plate comprises portions 72, 73 pivotable horizontally on pivots 74a, 74b respectively. Each portion has rollers 86b, 86a which ride on a horizontally supported cam plate 87 located below the table whereby the plate portions are maintained horizontal until they reach a discharge position for the pieces where the cam plate has a gap allowing the portions to pivot downwardly. The pieces fall to a compressing device E including pivotable base plates 90a, 90b, Fig. 25, and four side plates 91a-91d which receive the pieces and compress them by urging the side plates inwards before discharging them to a pan 95 on a conveyer 88. Such device may comprise a porous base: and side plates supplied with compressed air via chambers. 98 providing air layers between the dough pieces and the plates to prevent adhesion.