Patent EP-1856979-A2 (EP)
Inventor: BERNHARDT UDO
IPC: A21C3/06
Filed: 2007-05-16
Abstract: The mechanical production of braided dough product from initial dough piece, comprises moving the dough piece by a conveyor base structure (1) and rolling and/or folding inwardly the moved dough piece. In a first phase, using height-adjustment means, the initial dough pieces are lifted up to discrete or interspersed individual edge points or sections of its front edge that precedes in the direction of transport. In a second phase, starting from the raised individual edge point or the section, the front edge is carried along and/or folded inwardly. The mechanical production of braided dough product from initial dough piece, comprises moving the dough piece by a conveyor base structure (1) and rolling and/or folding inwardly the moved dough piece. In a first phase, using height-adjustment means, the initial dough pieces are lifted up to discrete or interspersed individual edge points or sections of its front edge that precedes in the direction of transport. In a second phase, starting from the raised individual edge point or the section, the front edge is carried along and/or folded inwardly during the lifting up of the individual edge point(s) or section(s) using winding elements (23) and in a third phase, the winding elements, starting from the already raised and/or folded front edge, the initial dough piece is rolled and/or folded inwardly. The height-adjustment means are adjusted independent of the winding elements and are brought to acting upon and/or application on the winding element(s) through contact with the initial dough pieces in such a manner that the distance of the winding element(s) to the conveying base structure increases and therewith a direct passage and/or junction is established for the delivered initial dough piece from the height-adjustment means to the winding elements. The first and the second phase are carried out in a time-wise and/or spatially overlapping manner. The distance of the height-adjustment means to the conveying base structure is increased by and/or through contact with the initial dough pieces. With or at the end of the first phase, the distance of the height-adjustment means to the conveying base structure is decreased until a subsequent contact with following initial dough pieces, while the increased distance of the winding element(s) to the conveying base structure is further increased or maintained at the same level until termination of the third phase. The height-adjustment means form a common plane with the winding elements for the passage or bridging of the initial dough pieces during the contact with a supplied initial dough piece. The first and second phases are carried out with a common conveying base structure. The moving and/or suspendably-mounted winding elements are used for the second phase. The winding elements react with unbalancing or balancing motions to the effect of force due to the initial dough piece present in the winding process and/or the upstream height-adjustment means. The winding elements are rotatably or tiltably mounted with respect to an axis of rotation that extends transverse to the direction of transport and the distance of the axis of rotation to the conveying base structure is increased by the effect and/or application of the height-adjustment means on the winding elements. The initial dough piece is extended or rather pulled longitudinally and/or along the direction of transport before entering the first phase and/or widened transverse to the longitudinal and/or direction of transport. An initial dough piece is used with a preceding front edge that extends transverse to the direction of transport. The dough piece is stretched or pulled along an altitude line that extends perpendicular to the front edge. The initial dough piece is flipped over along the direction of transport for the purpose of widening after the stretching or pulling. The conveying base structure is used in combination with an upstream stretching base for the length-wise stretching of the dough piece. The stretching base is held stationary and/or is operated with a slower transport speed than the conveying base structure and the initial dough piece is pressed on to both the conveying base structure as well as the stretching base. Independent claims are included for: (1) arrangement or device for the mechanical production of a braided dough product; (2) elevated arrangement or high-adjustment arrangement for the edges of flat dough product; and (3) stretch arrangement for extending of initial dough piece on a conveying base structure.