Patent ID: 8876519

Claim:
An apparatus ( 1 ) for knotting, by a tying process, a dough strand ( 4 ) into a predetermined form including into a pretzel form, the dough strand having been stretched to an increased starting length compared to an original length, the apparatus comprising: (a) a transport installation ( 7 ) having a supporting surface for supporting the dough strand, the supporting surface extending in both a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the transport installation having intermediate spaces through the supporting surface; (b) a form element ( 2 ) having a base plate or table on which are disposed several form components including bolts or pins ( 3 ), the form element being movable toward the transport installation for moving the form components into penetration through intermediate spaces of the transport installation for implementing a form for the dough strand and retaining the dough strand in a predetermined position on the transport installation, the form element being adapted so that the dough strand ( 4 ) is configured to be tied around the form components of the form element ( 2 ) while the dough strand ( 2 ) is stretched in length, the form element also being movable away from the transport installation to remove the form components at least partially away from penetration through the transport installation after completion of the tying process so that the dough strand ( 4 ) that has been brought into the predetermined form, contracts to a final size, the form components configured to be individually independently movable in the longitudinal and lateral direction in a plurality of guidances at a surface of the base plate or table or from one respective guidance into another respective guidance through a passage or mounting aperture so that, for a purpose of changing the form for the dough strand established by the form components, a position of at least one form component of the form element is individually independently changeable.