Patent Publication Number: US-2013243905-A1

Title: Machine for folding an edible dough

Description:
The present invention concerns a machine for folding an edible kneading. 
     It is known that the bread-making process comprises the steps of fermenting/leavening and forming an edible kneading. 
     The fermenting/leavening step usually lasts about 8 hours and, by stretching the gluten fibres, allows a kneading to be obtained with a specific weight of about 0.4-0.5 kg per litre. The forming usually takes place by means of extrusion which subjects the kneading to a mechanical stress which substantially reduces the effect of the long fermentation, i.e. it twists the gluten fibres, thus creating complex gluten webs which are unfavourable to the development of internal porosities and to the volume increase (leavening) of the kneading: the result is an increase in the specific weight which reaches 0.8-0.9 kg/l. A subsequent step of lamination again reduces the specific weight, reactivating the leavening of the kneading. 
     It is known that the lower the specific weight, the better the leavening of the kneading, because the development of porosities favours the evaporation of water and the volume increase of the kneading. 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a machine adapted to form the kneading block, thus limiting the increase in specific weight and therefore favouring the leavening of the kneading. 
     In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved with a machine for folding an edible kneading, characterized in that it comprises a hopper for loading and unloading the edible kneading, stretching means and a couple of supporting and folding means of the edible kneading, said supporting and folding means being selectably horizontally movable between opposite lateral resting areas and a central working area of the machine. 
    
    
     
       These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment thereof, shown by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a machine according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a rear perspective view of the machine; 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of the machine; 
         FIG. 4  shows a top plan view of the machine; 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of the machine; 
         FIG. 6  shows a section view according to the line VI-VI in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows a section view similar to that in  FIG. 6 , before unloading the edible block from the hopper: 
         FIG. 8  shows a section view similar to that in  FIG. 6 , after the unloading of the edible block with the stretching means in a first working position; 
         FIG. 9  shows a section view similar to that in  FIG. 6 , with the stretching means in a second working position; 
         FIG. 10  shows a section view similar to that in  FIG. 6 , with the machine in an unloading position of the stretched block; 
         FIG. 11  shows a section view similar to that in  FIG. 6 , with the belts being folding the stretched block; 
         FIG. 12  shows a side view of the conveyor belt of the folded block partially overlapping a previously unloaded folded block; 
         FIG. 13  shows a side view of the conveyor belt with two blocks joined to form a single ribbon; 
         FIG. 14  shows a side view of the conveyor belt with three blocks joined to form a single ribbon. 
     
    
    
     A machine  1  for folding an edible kneading  2  comprises a hopper  3  for loading the fermented kneading  2 , two stretching pushers  4  and two supporting and folding assemblies  50  comprising moving belts  5  kept under tension by belt tensioner rollers  9 , and containment walls  52  for the edible kneading  2 . 
     Every pusher  4  comprises a contact element  40  with the kneading  2  which lays substantially horizontal being supported by a piston  41  vertically sliding inside a box  42  integral with an arm  43  horizontally movable by means of a driving motor  44 . The contact element  40  can thus move vertically and horizontally, and includes a non flat, lower surface, e.g. with two portions  46  inclined downwards which meet at a vertical median plane; said shape of the lower surface allows improved stretching of the kneading  2 , thus avoiding sideways contact of the edge of contact element  40  with the kneading  2 . 
     Instead of said pusher  4 , a stretching roller with horizontal rotation axis can be provided, being idly mounted on said arm  43 . 
     A supporting frame  6  includes horizontal guides  7  adapted to allow hopper  3  to horizontally translate from a loading position to an unloading position in which swinging portions  8  open in order to allow the fermented kneading  2  to fall onto the supporting belts  5 . 
     Said supporting and folding means  50  are horizontally movable between a resting position within lateral areas  10  of machine  1 , and one or more working positions in the central area  11  of machine  1 . The geometry of machine  1  can be clearly seen observing  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , in which the two lateral areas  10  can be recognized, where driving motors  44 ,  32  for the various movable members are also accommodated, as well as the central area  11 , in which the stretching and folding operation object of the present invention takes place. 
     In the resting position, the stretching pushers  4  as well as the supporting and folding assemblies  50  are substantially accommodated in the lateral areas  10 , while they are movable in the central area  11  when working, as will be made clearer below. 
     A lower conveyor belt  15  allows the folded kneading  2  to be conveyed towards a joining station  16  of folded kneadings  2  ( FIGS. 12-14 ). 
     The novel folding process takes place as follows. 
     The edible kneading, after about 8 hours of fermentation and with a weight/volume ratio of 0.4-0.5 kg/l, is poured into hopper  3  in the loading position in  FIG. 1 . Hopper  3  then translates along guide  7  up to the unloading position above the supporting and stretching assemblies  50 , which in the meantime have moved into the configuration of maximum travel in the central area  11  from their accommodation in the lateral areas  10  of machine  1 , as can be seen in  FIG. 7  where the swinging elements  8  are in an open position. Once the kneading  2  has been unloaded, it is thus supported by belts  5 , the ends  51  of which are adjacent without touching one another. 
     Pushers  4  ( FIG. 8 ) begin to stretch the kneading  2 , which first is in the form of a compact block ( FIG. 7 ). Having reached satisfactory stretching signalled by suitable sensors (not shown), the assemblies  50  with belts  5  partially retract ( FIG. 10 ), thus widening the space between the ends  51  thereof, so that a central portion  21  of the stretched kneading  2  can fall by force of gravity onto the conveyor belt  15 . In this step, pushers  4  are sealed above the lateral portions  22  of kneading  2 . 
     Subsequently,  FIG. 11 , pushers  4  release the ends  22  of kneading  2  which, upon the approach of the assemblies  50  with belts  5 , fold onto the central portion  21  of kneading  2  already supported on belt  5 . Subsequent passages of the assemblies  50  with belts  5  above the kneading  2  promote the flattening of the folded kneading  2 . 
     When kneading  2  falls onto belt  15 , it partially overlaps a kneading  2  previously folded according to a shape which is clearly shown in  FIG. 12 . Further pushers or rollers  30 , in the joining station  16 , contribute to flattening the overlapping portions  23  in order to form a single ribbon of edible kneading subject to subsequent lamination or calibration for further improving the leavening. 
     At the end of the folding process, the specific weight of the edible kneading is about 0.6 kg/l, higher than the initial 0.4-0.5 kg/l but definitely lower than the 0.8-0.9 kg/l at the end of an extrusion procedure. 
     The folding machine  1  according to the present invention thus allows the leavening of the kneading to be considerably improved and can be inserted in a common industrial bread-making line, limiting fermenting/leavening times.