Patent Publication Number: US-7223429-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for making loaves crustless, sliced bread

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to methods and apparatus for making bread, and in particular to methods and apparatus for making loaves of crustless, sliced bread. 
     Many people do not like the appearance or flavor of the crust that forms on bread as it bakes. Thus, the crust is often trimmed from the individual slices of bread when making sandwiches, French toast, or canapés etc. While the production of bread in a modem bakery is highly efficient, the production of a loaf of crustless, sliced bread presents a number of technical difficulties. The crust is important to the integrity of the loaf, and after the crust is removed, the loaf is more difficult to handle and process. Similarly, once after the bread is sliced, it is difficult to handle and keep aligned for further handling and processing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method and apparatus for making loaves of crustless, sliced bread, overcoming the difficulties in handling loaves after the crust has been removed and/or after the bread has been sliced. 
     Generally the method of this invention comprises: baking a loaf of bread; cooling the loaf of bread, decrusting the loaf of bread, slicing the loaf of bread, and packaging the loaf of bread. 
     Generally, the apparatus of the invention comprising apparatus for making dough, apparatus for baking the dough into loaves, apparatus for cooling the loaves, apparatus for decrusting the loaves, apparatus for slicing the loaves, and apparatus for packaging the loaves. 
     According to one aspect of method and apparatus of this invention, the loaf is conveyed longitudinally as the crust is removed from its sides, then transversely as the loaf is sliced, and longitudinally as the loaf is packaged. 
     The method and system of this invention allow for the fast and efficient production of loaves of crustless, sliced bread, and in particular for the automation of the production of crustless, sliced bread. These and other features and advantages will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein after. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment of a method of making crustless, sliced bread in accordance with the principles of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of one embodiment of a first portion of an apparatus according to the principles of this invention, for carrying out the method of this invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged top plan view of a part of the first portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 2  indicated as  2 A in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is an enlarged top plan view of a part of the first portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 , indicated as  2 B in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of one embodiment of a second portion of an apparatus according to the principles of this invention, for carrying out the method of this invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged top plan view of a part of the second portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 , indicated as  3 A in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of one embodiment of a third portion of an apparatus according to the principles of this invention, for carrying out the method of this invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged top plan view of a part of the third portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 , indicated as  4 A n  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 4B  is an enlarged top plan view of a part of the third portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 , indicated as  4 B in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 4C  is an enlarged top plan view of a part of the third portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 4 , indicated as  4 C in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of the step of making dough in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of the step of baking dough in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a flow chart of the step of cooling the loaves in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart of the step of decrusting the loaves in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a flow chart of the step of slicing the loaves in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart of the step of packaging the loaves in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A preferred embodiment of the method of making crustless, sliced bread of this invention is shown schematically in the block diagram of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , in this preferred embodiment, the method comprises at step  20 , making dough; at step  22 , baking the dough; at step  24 , cooling the loaves of bread; at  26  decrusting the loaves of bread, at step  28 , slicing the loaves of bread; and at step  30 , packaging the loaves of bread. These steps are shown in greater detail in the flow charts of  FIGS. 5–10 . 
     One embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out the method of this invention is shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , and in particular  FIG. 2A , the apparatus includes equipment for making dough. In this first preferred embodiment the dough is preferably a sponge dough, although the dough can be made by some other process. Thus, the apparatus comprises a tilt bowl mixer  100  into which the main ingredients of the sponge are added through a mechanized bulk addition system, and the minor ingredients are added by hand. The tilt mixer  100  preferably has a refrigerated jacket to control batch temperature as needed, and a capacity of at least about 2000 pounds. An example of a suitable tilt bowl mixer  100  is the Model 20 tilt bowl mixer, available from Peerless Manufacturing Company 
     At the completion of the mix cycle, the sponge is dumped into a trough and moved to a special conditioning cabinet  102  for development. The sponge dough is allowed to development in the conditioner cabinet for a specified time (typically about 240 minutes), and then removed and added to a final mixer  104 . The sponge dough trough is lifted and dumped into the final mixer  104  by an elevator device  106 . The final mixer  104  is preferably a tilt bowl mixer with a refrigerated jacket to control batch temperature, and has a capacity of at least about 3000 pounds. An example of a suitable tilt bowl mixer  104  is the Model 30 tilt bowl mixer, available from Peerless Manufacturing Company. 
     Main ingredients are added to the sponge dough in the final mixer  104  through a bulk weigh system, and the minor ingredients are added by hand. After the proper mix cycle is completed, the dough is dumped into a stainless steel trough and held for a specified time (typically about 5 to 15 minutes) for development before further processing. 
     The properly developed final dough is dumped into the hopper of an extrusion bread divider  108  by a trough elevator  110 . An example of a suitable extrusion bread divider  108  is the single knife extrusion bread divider, available from AMF Companyor a double knife extrusion divider, available from ADD. The extruded dough is cut into balls of a precise weight and dropped onto take-away conveyor  112 . The take-away conveyor  112  is equipped with flour sifters (not shown) to give the dough balls a sprinkling of flour. The dough balls are conveyed to a conical three-quarter rounder  114 , where they are further shaped and floured. An example of a suitable conical three-quarter rounder  114  is the Model BP60 conical three-quarter rounder, available from APV. The shaped and floured dough balls exit the rounder  114  and are conveyed by conveyor  116  to a cup style intermediate proofer  118 . An example of a suitable intermediate proofer  118  is a seven pocket intermediate proofer, available from AMF. 
     The dough balls are held in the intermediate proofer  118  for a specified time (typically about 7 minutes) while further development takes place. At the discharge of the intermediate proofer  118 , the dough balls are deposited upon a double-eliminator device  120  that rejects any balls that may be sticking together or piled on top of one another. An example of a suitable double-eliminator device  120  is the Do-Spacer double-eliminator device, available from Peerless Manufacturing Company. Then the dough balls are conveyed to a special spacing conveyor  122  to make the exact spacing required as they are deposited into a dual roll sheeter  124 . An example of a suitable spacing conveyor  122  is the Do-Spacer spacing conveyor, available from Peerless Manufacturing Company. An example of a suitable dual roll sheeter  124  is the Model SP3 SC SuperKurl dual roll sheeter, available from from Peerless Manufacturing Company. 
     The dough is sheeted to a specified depth (for example 0.25 inches) and diameter (for example 14 inches) and transferred to a cross grain molding table  126 . The dough is rolled into a log of specific diameter (for example 1.75 inches) and length (for example 23 inches) and then turned approximately 45 degrees and deposited on another molding table where it is rolled in a counter direction and then deposited into a baking pan. An example of a cross grain molding table  126  is the TenderKurl cross grain molding table, available from Peerless Manufacturing Company. A device  128  loads the dough into baking pans supplied by a baking pan recirculating system  130 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , and in particular  FIG. 2B , a conveyor  132  coveys the baking pans to an area  134  where they are manually loaded onto racks that are manually pushed on rails into a proof box  136 . The proof box  136  holds twenty-three racks, and each rack holds forty baking pans. The racks are maintained in the proof box  136  for a very specific time (for example 50–60 minutes) and at a specific temperature (for example 120° F.) and humidity (for example 85%). After the proof time, the rack is removed from the proof box  136  and unloaded onto a conveyor  138  that transports the baking pans to a lidder device  140  that automatically places a lid on the pan. 
     The lids used in this process are preferably specially weighted to insure that they stay tight to the baking pan during baking. This insures that the loaf will bake squarely, which is important for the subsequent crust removing process. The pans and lids are shaped to bake the bread into rectangular prismatic loaves, with four sides (left, right, top and bottom) and two ends. After the lids are placed on the baking pans, the pans are grouped and transferred via conveyor  142  to baking oven  144 . 
     In this preferred embodiment the oven  144  is a 160 foot baking single-pass chamber, having 25 tube-type natural gas burners that are grouped into 14 zones. An equal number of zones are above the pans as below. Each zone can be set to achieve the desired baking profile. In addition, each burner has lateral heat control. An example of a suitable oven  140  is the Model 235 modified tunnel oven, available from APV, but of course any other suitable oven could be used. The oven preferably also includes a Colorator system as part of the tunnel oven, available from APV, to provide precise circulation inside the oven to assist in achieving the desired baking profile. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , and in particular  FIG. 3A , the exhaust from oven  144  is conducted through an exhaust stream oxidizer  146  to remove by-products of the baking process. At the discharge end of the baking oven  144 , an oven unloader  148  moves each row of baking pans to a discharge conveyor  150 . 
     Immediately out of the oven, the baking pans are conveyed to a device  152  that removes the lids with a magnetized conveyor, and removes the loaves from the baking pans with a vacuum device that gently lifts the bread from the pans and deposits it onto an exit conveyor  154 . 
     The lids, the hot bread and the pans separate on different conveyors. The lids, because of their weight, hold heat. Air from the discharge of the vacuum depanner exhaust blower is ducted to the lid discharge conveyor  156  and used to cool the lids to an acceptable temperature for conveying. The lids are conveyed to a manual load-on/load-off station  158  and on to the automatic lidder  140  ( FIGS. 2 and 2B ). 
     The empty baking pans are conveyed to a manual load-on/load-off station  160  ( FIGS. 2 and 2B ) then on to the molder after passing through a device  162  ( FIG. 2 and 2B ) that squirts a precise amount of release aid oil into each cavity of the pan. At the discharge of the oven, the bread has an internal temperature of between about 200° F. and about 205° F., and typically about 204° F. The loaves of bread are conveyed to an overhead cooling conveyor  164  for ambient cooling where the internal temperature is reduced from approximately 204° F. degrees to less than about 115° F. degrees, and preferably to an internal temperature of between about 95° F. and about 110 ° F. This ambient cooling is typically between about 45 and about 55 minutes. The loaves of bread have a moisture content of between about 43% and about 45%. 
     The loaves of bread are conveyed from the process area to the packing area  166  by a conveyor  168 . The packing area  166  is atmospherically controlled and specially filtered to reduce the risk of contamination by mold, wild yeast and other undesirable air-borne contaminants. As shown in  FIG. 4 , and in particular  FIG. 4A , the bread enters the packing area via an organizing system  170 . The organizing system  170  includes a metering conveyor  172 , powered loaf centering guides  174 , a bread alignment dead plate  176 , and loaf position photo sensors  178 . Once inside the packing room, the loaves are further organized with a horizontal slat  1 -to- 2  diverter  180 , where the single lane flow of loaves is split into a dual lane flow. Thereafter, the two lanes of flow of loaves pass through accumulator  182 . 
     The loaves are preferably first subjected to a refrigerated cooling, followed by freezer cooling, as will be discussed in more detail below. The refrigerated cooling preferably takes place at about 40° F., and after refrigerated cooling the loaves have an internal temperature of between about 80° F. and about 90° F., and a moisture content of about 43%. The refrigerated cooling step preferably takes about 40 minutes. The freezer cooling preferably takes place at about 20° F. to about 25° F. (although in the described embodiment for space considerations some of the freezer takes place at a temperature close to, but above, freezing), and after the freezer cooling, the loaves have an internal temperature of between about 35° F. and about 42° F., and more preferably between about 375° F. and about 42° F., and a moisture content of about 43–45%. The freezer cooling step preferably takes about 140 minutes. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , and in particular  FIG. 4B , the cooling of the loaves can be implemented as follows: the loaves are transferred to a tempered spiral cooler  184  in a separate atmospherically controlled room  186  for further cooling. The loaves of bread rise on the spiral conveyor of cooler  184  to the top of the room  186 . The temperature and humidity in the room  186  is controlled (for example a temperature of about 40° F. and humidity of about 83%) to cool the bread to the desired condition (for example an internal temperature of between about 80° F. and about 90° F. (e.g., about 86° F.) and a moisture content of between about 44.1% to about 44.3%). Following the time in the tempered spiral cooler  184  the loaves of bread are transferred to a second spiral cooler  188  in a room  190 . The loaves of bread ascend on the spiral conveyor of the spiral cooler  188  to the top of the room  190 . The temperature and humidity in the room  190  is controlled (for example a temperature of about 23° F. and humidity of about 84%) to cool the bread to the desired condition (for example a temperature of about 67° F. and a moisture content of about 44.0% to about 44.3%). Following the time in the tempered spiral cooler  188  the loaves of bread are transferred to a third spiral cooler  192  in a room  194 . The loaves of bread descend on the spiral conveyor of the spiral cooler  192  to about the bottom of the room  194 . The temperature and humidity in the room  194  is controlled (for example a temperature of about 34° F. and humidity of about 73%) to cool the bread to the desired condition (for example a temperature of about 43° F. and a moisture content of about 44.0% to about 44.3%). Following the time in the tempered spiral cooler  192  the loaves of bread are transferred to a fourth spiral cooler  195  in room  190 . The fourth spiral  195  shares the same cage as spiral  188 . The loaves of bread rise on the spiral conveyor to about the middle of the room  190 . The temperature and humidity in the room  190  is controlled as to cool the bread to the desired condition (for example a temperature of about between about 35° F. and about 42° F. (e.g., about 38° F.) and a moisture content of about 40.0% to about 44.3%). 
     The precise arrangement of the cooling and the cooling equipment can be varied, based upon the space and equipment available. 
     A shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4C , the loaves of bread, having achieved the proper temperature and condition, are conveyed on conveyor  196  from the spiral coolers  184 ,  188 , and  192  to a metal detector  198  and then the dual lane flow is split going to two identical packing systems  200  and  202 , via conveyors  204 , and  206 , respectively. 
     In each of the packing systems  202  and  204 , the loaves of bread are transferred from conveyors on which they are being conveyed transversely, to conveyors  208 , on which they are fed longitudinally into a decruster  210 . Before decrusting, a typical loaf might weigh 37.5 ounces and after decrusting might weigh about 16.0 ounces and about 18.5 ounces. An example of a suitable decruster  210  is the Model 3100 decruster, available from United Bakery Equipment. In the decruster  210 , the crust on the left and right sides of the loaf is cut off simultaneously with band-type saw blades. The crust on the top side is then cut off and finally the crust on the bottom side is removed. At the discharge of the decruster  210  the loaves of bread are conveyed by right-angle transfer  212  to the slicer  214 . 
     The loaves of bread with the heels intact are conveyed transversely through a typical band slicer  214 . An example of a suitable slicer  214  is the Model 90-75 band slicer, available from United Bakery Equipment. At the discharge of the slicing blades, the heels of the loaf, which still have crust, are split off. The sliced, decrusted loaf is conveyed to the infeed of an inter-wrap machine  216  using a conveyor  218  with a special arrangement of side guides which use forced air and special moving bands to keep the loaf intact. An example of a suitable inter-wrap machine  216  is the Model Carrera 2000 PC inter-wrap machine, available from Ilapak USA. At the discharge of the slicer  214 , before the right angle transfer the loaf is run through two special rollers that give the loaf integrity to make the 90 degree roll about the longitudinal axis over onto the wrapper infeed conveyor  218 . 
     The wrapper infeed conveyor  218  conveys the loaves longitudinally to the wrapper  216 . The wrapper infeed conveyor  218  has a fixed pusher flight and a retractable keeper flight that opens up a specified distance to accept the tread as it transfers from the discharge of the slicer  214 , then snaps back to hold the bread during conveyance. 
     The wrapper  216  has a specially designed forming head to reduce the possibility of the loaf from contacting any fixed metal or plastic machine component. The loaf conveying speed is matched to the film tracking speed. The loaf is sealed in a polypropylene wrapper to preserve freshness. The ends of the bag are sealed and gusseted. 
     After the interwrapping is complete the product is inspected for any remaining crust and is rejected if found. The wrapped loaves are transferred to a paddle type bread bagger  220  where each is inserted into a bread bag. An example of a suitable bagger  220  is the Model 2000 bagger, available from United Bakery Equipment. The bag passes through a tyer  222  where it is closed with a wire-type tie and then past an ink-jet printer  224  where the bag is date coded. A suitable tyer  222  from Burford Corporation. A suitable inkjet printer is available from Markem Corporation. The product is then conveyed on conveyor  226  to a packing area  228  where it is loaded into the proper delivery container (basket, tray or carton), for distribution. 
     The preferred embodiment of the method of making crustless, sliced bread of the present invention is illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 5 through 10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the first step of the method comprises making dough, which in the preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 5 , comprises at step  302  mixing a sponge, such as in tilt bowl mixer  100  into which the main ingredients of the sponge are added through a mechanized bulk addition system, and the minor ingredients are added by hand. At step  304 , the sponge is dumped into a trough and moved to a special conditioning cabinet  102  for development. At step  306 , the sponge dough is allowed to development in the conditioning cabinet. At step  308 , the conditioned sponge is removed to a final mixer  104 , and the remainder of the dough ingredients are added, with a bulk weigh system and by hand. At step  310 , after the dough is dumped into a stainless steel trough and held for a specified time (typically about 5 to 15 minutes) for development before further processing. At step  312 , the dough is dumped into the hopper of an extrusion bread divider  108  by a trough elevator  110  and extruded. At step  314 , the extruded dough is cut into balls of a precise weight. 
     At step  316  the dough is shaped and floured in conical three-quarter rounder  114 . At step  318  the shaped and floured dough balls are proofed in cup style intermediate proofer  118 . At step  320  the dough balls are sorted with a double-eliminator device  120  that rejects any balls that may be sticking together or piled on top of one another. At step  320 , the dough is spaced with spacing convey  122 . At step  322 , the dough balls are sheeted with dual roll sheeter  124 . At step  324 , the dough is rolled into a log, turned, and re-rolled in cross grain molding table  126 . At step  326 , the dough is loaded into baking pans. At step  328  the dough pans are proofed in proof box  132 . At step  330 , lids are placed on the pans. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the second step of the method is baking the bread, which in the preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 6 , comprises at step  332  the dough is baked into rectangular prismatic loaves in baking oven  140 . At step  334 , the bread is removed from the lidded pans with a device  150  that that removes the lids with a magnetized conveyor, and removes the bread from the baking pans by a vacuum device that gently lifts the bread from the pans. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the third step of the method is cooling the bread, which in the preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 7 , comprises at step  336 , cooling the loaves of bread on overhead cooling conveyor  164 . At step  338 , the loaves are positioned by organizing system  166 . At step  340  the loaves are split into two lanes with horizontal slat  1 -to- 2  diverter  176 . At step  342  the loaves pass successively through three tempered spiral coolers  178 ,  182 , and  186 . At step  344  the loaves are scanned for metal with metal detector  198 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the fourth step of the method is decrusting the loaves, which in the preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 8 , comprises at step  346 , reorienting the loaves from a transverse to longitudinal direction, and at  348  the loaves fed longitudinally into a decruster  210 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the fifth step of the method is slicing the loaves, which in the preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 9 , comprises at  350 , reorienting the loaves of bread from a longitudinal to a transverse direction, and at  352 , the loaves with the heals intact are conveyed transversely through a band slicer  214 . At step  354 , the heals of the loaves are split off. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the sixth step of the method is packaging the loaves, which in the preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 10 , comprises at step  354 , rotating the loaves about their longitudinal axis, and at  356  fed longitudinally to an inter-wrap machine  216 . At step  358 , the wrapped loaf are fed longitudinally to a bagger  220  where each is inserted into a bread bag. At step  360 , the bag is tied at tyer  222 .