Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough – batter – or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2001-06-19
Yeung, George C. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough, batter, or...
C426S503000, C426S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248384
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for rounding a viscous and elastic dough piece such as a bread dough piece to form a substantially spherical dough body while feeding it.
2. Prior Art
In bread production, there is a process of forming a bread dough body by rounding a bread dough piece after cutting a continuous sheet of bread dough with a predetermined thickness into bread dough pieces. By this process, the orientation of the gluten tissue can be improved, the shape of the bread dough piece can be made uniform, and a thin crust can be formed on the surface of the bread dough piece to reduce its viscosity.
In a conventional apparatus, to form a bread dough body, a bread dough piece is pressed and rolled on the slanted surface of a device shaped like a cone (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 55-4966(4), or a bread dough piece is rounded by a frictional engagement between a conveyor and a slanted plate mounted above the conveyor (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 58-33901), or a bread dough piece is rounded l)v swinging a pair of plates (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-125879).
As stated above, various devices are used in prior-art apparatuses. However, they cannot sufficiently round a bread dough piece. Also, in the prior-art apparatuses a bread dough piece needs to be moved for a long distance to be rounded. Thus, they cannot be made smaller. Thus, also, the inner tissue of the bread dough piece is damaged.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
To overcome the disadvantages of the prior-art apparatuses, this invention is provided.
One object of this invention is to provide a method of forming a spherical dough body comprising feeding a dough piece in one direction, applying pressure horizontally to the dough piece to squeeze it, rotating the dough piece around substantially the vertical axis thereof, and repeatedly applying a force to the lower part of the dough piece in at least one direction that is almost at right angles with the feeding direction of the dough piece so as to bring a part of the lower part of the dough piece to the center thereof.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of forming spherical dough bodies comprising feeding dough pieces in one direction, applying pressure horizontally to the dough pieces to squeeze them, rotating the dough pieces substantially around their vertical axes, and repeatedly applying force to the lower part of the dough pieces in at least one direction that is almost at right angles with the feeding direction of the dough pieces so as to bring a part of the lower part of each of the dough pieces to the center thereof.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of forming a spherical dough body comprising feeding a dough piece in one direction, applying pressure horizontally to the dough piece to squeeze it, rotating the dough piece around substantially the vertical axis thereof, repeatedly applying a force to the lower part of the dough piece in at least one direction that is almost at right angles to the feeding direction of the dough piece so as to bring a part of the lower part of the dough piece to the center thereof, and repeatedly applying a pressure on the higher part of the dough piece from above it while applying pressure horizontally to the dough piece.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of forming spherical dough bodies comprising cutting a sheet of dough that has a predetermined thickness and that is being fed on a conveyor into dough pieces, feeding each dough piece to one of a plurality of pressing and feeding means, each of which has a pair of opposed pressing and feeding members disposed above a support member, while the dough pieces are spaced apart from each other both in the width direction and in the feeding direction of the conveyor, applying pressure horizontally to the dough pieces to squeeze them, rotating the dough pieces around substantially the vertical axes thereof, repeatedly applying a force to the lower part of the dough pieces in at least one direction that, is almost. at right angles with the feeding direction of the dough pieces so as to bring a part of the lower part of the dough pieces to the center thereof, and repeatedly applying a pressure to the higher part of the dough pieces from above them while applying pressure horizontally to the dough pieces.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a spherical dough body comprising a support member on which a dough piece is placed, pressing and feeding means having a pair of opposed pressing and feeding members disposed above the support member, a means for applying a force to the lower part of the dough piece in a direction that is substantially at right angles to the feeding direction of the dough piece, while pressure is applied to the dough piece by the pair of pressing and feeding members, so as to squeeze the dough piece, and actuating means for reciprocating the means for applying a force to the lower part of the dough piece.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for forming spherical dough bodies comprising a support member on which dough pieces are placed, a plurality of pressing and feeding means disposed parallel to each other, each pressing and feeding means having a pair of opposed pressing and feeding members disposed above the support member, means for applying a force to the lower part of the dough pieces in the direction that is substantially at right angles to the feeding direction of the dough pieces, while pressure is applied to the dough pieces by the pair of pressing and feeding members, so as to squeeze the dough pieces, and actuating means for reciprocating the means for applying a force to the lower part of the dough pieces.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a spherical dough body comprising a support member on which a dough piece is placed, pressing and feeding means having a pair of opposed pressing and feeding members disposed above the support member, a means for applying a force to the lower part of the dough piece in a direction that is substantially at right angles to the feeding direction of the dough piece, while pressure is applied to the dough piece by the pair of pressing and feeding members, so as to squeeze the dough piece, actuating means for reciprocating the means for applying a force to the lower part of the dough piece, a pressing means having at least one pressing member for applying a pressure to the higher part of the dough piece from above it, the pressing member being disposed above the gap between the two opposed pressing and feeding members, and actuating means for reciprocating the pressing member.
The effectiveness of this invention in forming a spherical dough body is high, so that the dough piece can be rounded without being fed for a long distance. Thus, the apparatus can be made smaller. Also, the inner tissue of the dough is prevented from being damaged while it is rounded. Therefore, the disadvantages of the prior-art apparatuses have been overcome.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2631549 (1953-03-01), Rhodes
patent: 4025273 (1977-05-01), Mauer et al.
patent: 4124305 (1978-11-01), Benier
patent: 4435144 (1984-03-01), Kemper
patent: 5270070 (1993-12-01), Campbell
patent: 5356652 (1994-10-01), Campbell
patent: 581723C (1933-08-01), None
patent: 651 535 (1937-10-01), None
patent: 1290902B (1969-03-01), None
patent: 2557752B (1977-06-01), None
patent: 3021354A (1981-12-01), None
patent: 2077180A (1981-12-01), None
patent: 55-49664 (1980-11-01), None
patent: 58-33901 (1983-07-01), None
patent: 60-125879 (1986-08-01), None
patent: 09182554 (1997-07-01), None
patent: WO 93/13667 (1993-07-01), None
EP 98 30 9114 European Search Report.
Kuribayashi Eiji
Morikawa Michio
Ohashi Toshinori
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Rheon Automatic Machinery Co. Ltd.
Yeung George C.
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