Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Preparation of product which is dry in final form
Patent
1989-09-05
1992-04-07
Yeung, George
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Preparation of product which is dry in final form
99349, 99372, 99439, 993234, 425261, 426523, A23L 100, A47J 3700
Patent
active
051026775
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to the production of food products from granular raw materials such as the cereals rice, corn, wheat, barley, oats, soybean or the like and mixtures thereof, optionally mixed with crushed grain material, which are formed into crackers, cakes or the like forms.
More in particular the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out a method of producing a cracker from cereals which are pressure-baked in a heated mold and afterwards expanded.
In the known method for producing this type of food a granular raw material, for instance rice, is fed into a heated and airtight chamber defined in upper and lower baking molds, compressed and heated therein by vertical movement of one or both of said baking molds which slidably enter into each other, thereby closing the mold and exerting a pressure on the grain material in the mold chamber for a predetermined lapse of time. Thereafter the upper or lower baking mold is vertically moved to remove the compression whereby the mold cavity is still closed. As a result, the compressed raw material is caused to expand instantaneously to form a cracker of a desired form in a self-sustaining structure, subsequently the cracker is removed from the mold cavity by opening the baking molds and actuating suitable discharge means, whereupon the production cycle starts again.
In the hitherto known apparatuses for the production of pressure-baked and expanded crackers according to a method set forth above, the upper mold is usually designed as a fixed, hollow die adapted to be heated by an electrical heater whereby the mold cavity is open ended at the bottom side of the die, i.e. directed downwardly. Disposed below and in opposition to the upper mold is a lower baking mold cooperating with said upper mold, designed as a punch adapted to be moved upwardly and downwardly relative to the fixed die and slidably received within the mold cavity of the die in an air-tight manner at a time when the punch is moved upwardly.
The vertical reciprocal sliding movement of the punch into and out of the mold cavity is performed by actuation of suitable driving means connected to the punch, for example an air cylinder, a driven rotary cam plate, a jack and the like. The apparatus is further equipped with a feeding device for introducing granular material between the upper and lower baking molds, and is usually in the form of a slidable dosimeter or feeding plate with a quantative hole or holes for transporting a predetermined quantity of cereals (contained in a charging hopper positioned above said feeding plate) onto the surface of the punch which is then in its lower (drawn back) feeding position below the die cavity.
Known apparatuses of the type with fixed upper die and cooperating lower movable punch, when compared to other mold configurations, are advantageous in that only one mole plate needs a drive and control system and that the obtained product is easily discharged since it is removed out of the mold cavity simply by gravity when the punch is moved back to its lower feeding position.
Notwithstanding this, a number of important drawbacks are still observed in the practise of using such apparatuses for the production of crackers. These are associated inter alia with certain insufficiences of the drive system and the baking mold and with inconsistences in the expansion control, which generally lead to a limited productivity level, inconsistent product quality and cause frequent mechanical troubles. Furthermore the high noise level and elevated energy consumption of existing pressure-baking units is a serious disadvantage in mass production.
Employment of pneumatic drives is energy consuming and has the disadvantage that even a slight change of air quantity fed from an installed compressor (which requires high-power supply) to an air-cylinder delicately changes the movement of the driven punch, and as a result the thickness of the expanded crackers cannot be made uniformly. An apparatus of the kind with pneumatically driven baking molds is known from BE-A-902360 (
REFERENCES:
patent: 3949660 (1976-04-01), Kuhlman
patent: 4281593 (1981-08-01), Jevaert
patent: 4328741 (1982-05-01), Yoshikazu
patent: 4365547 (1982-12-01), McClure
patent: 4909719 (1990-03-01), Bielfeldt
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for producing crackers of granular material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for producing crackers of granular material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for producing crackers of granular material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1894018