Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough – batter – or...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-01-06
2001-01-09
Bui, Phuong T. (Department: 1638)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Treatment or preparation of farinaceous dough, batter, or...
C426S231000, C426S517000, C426S496000, C425S141000, C425S230000, C425S145000, C425S239000, C425S367000, C425S371000, C425S517000, C425S140000, C425S363000, C425S372000, C100S047000, C100S16300R, C100S161000, C100S168000, C100S169000, C100S170000, C100S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171629
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for joining separated blocks of dough, and for supplying a continuous sheet of dough formed from the joined dough blocks. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining a first kneaded dough block to a subsequently-provided kneaded dough block such that the gel structures of the dough blocks are integrally joined to form a continuous dough sheet on a production line.
2. Prior Art
In a conventional apparatus, a plurality of dough sheets are formed by pressing individual kneaded dough blocks, and then portions of each dough sheet are cut away to produce, for example, bread products. Each dough sheet has a volume corresponding to the volume of the kneaded dough block from which it was formed. The entire dough sheet is used in one production lot, or each part of the dough sheet is used in a production lot. When one dough sheet is used in a production lot, production time is lost between the adjacent dough sheets when they are fed by a conveyor. Also, fragments which remain after portions of the dough sheet are cut away are not used during production.
In a conventional apparatus, if necessary, adjacent dough sheets are joined to each other by a manual operation. That is, a rear end of a dough sheet is piled on a front end of a subsequently-formed dough sheet, and then the piled ends are manually pressed such that they adhere to each other. There is no apparatus to perform this sheet joining operation. Thus, the operation must be manually performed whenever a gap appears between sequentially-formed dough sheets, so that a significant amount of manual labor is needed to perform the joining operation. In bread production lines, unmanned production is usually performed to make bread from dough sheets that have the same conditions in their degree of composition and kneading, because technology to make a thin dough sheet has been improved and is now broadly used. However, when many kinds of breads that have several shapes and additional ingredients, such as fillings, are made on the same production line, much manual work is needed to join sequentially-formed dough sheets.
A gel structure is formed in a dough mass during a mixing operation. When the dough mass is cut to form individual dough blocks, the gel structure of each dough block is separated from the dough mass and from all previously-formed dough blocks. Thus, in order to join two separated dough blocks, it is necessary to join their gel structures. Currently, there is no apparatus for automatically joining the gel structures of two dough blocks.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided for automatically joining a first dough block to a subsequently-formed dough block, so that a very long and continuous dough sheet is automatically made, and so that unmanned production over a 24 hour period is achieved.
The present invention allows gel structures of dough blocks to be automatically joined to each other. This invention also allows several kinds of breads to be produced during a non-stop production process. In a conventional apparatus there are many production lots corresponding to the mixing operations of the dough. This invention allows a continuous dough sheet corresponding to one production lot to be made. Thus, this invention allows segmentation of douch sheets to be minimized. Also, this invention minimizes the time between the processing of subsequently-formed dough sheets.
One object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for joining dough blocks to each other. The apparatus comprises horizontally and oppositely-positioned pairs of rollers provided in a plurality of tiers. The rollers are arranged such that the distances between the roller pairs in the upper tiers are sequentially greater than the distances between the roller pairs in the lower tiers, thereby forming a “V” shaped space for receiving the dough blocks. Each pair of rollers is rotated in an opposite direction such that a surface of each roller facing the “V” shaped space pushes the dough blocks downward. In addition, the distances between the roller pairs are alternately increased and decreased, thereby causing a pressure applied to the dough blocks by the rollers to alternately increase and decrease to produce a vibrations in the dough blocks as the dough blocks are impelled downward. The resulting thixotropic effect in the dough produced by these vibrations accelerates the growth of gluten and the joining of gel structures of the dough blocks, and a continuous belt-like dough sheet is thereby formed.
The method uses horizontally and oppositely positioned pairs of rollers provided in a plurality of tiers. The rollers are arranged such that the distances between the roller pairs of the upper tiers are sequentially greater than the distances between the roller pairs of the lower tiers, thereby forming a “V” shaped space for receiving the dough blocks. The method includes rotating the rollers of each pair in opposite directions while alternately increasing and decreasing the distances between the rollers of each pair such that a pressure applied by the rollers to the dough blocks is alternately increased and decreased, thereby impelling the dough blocks downward. The resulting vibrations in the dough produced by this pressing and releasing action accelerates the growth of gluten and the joining of gel structures of the dough blocks, and a continuous belt-like dough sheet is thereby formed from the dough blocks.
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Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Bui Phuong T.
Rheon Automatic Machinery Co. Ltd.
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