Method and apparatus for sizing and forming dough bodies
AssigneeThompson Bagel Machine Mfg. Corporation
InventorDaniel T. Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for converting an unformed quantity of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped dough bodies has dough divider means for converting an unformed quantity of dough into at least one uniform ribbon of dough, moving the ribbon of dough through an outlet and severing the ribbon of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized pieces at an outlet of the dough divider; and dough forming means communicating with the dough divider means for engaging the ribbon of dough at the outlet of the dough divider means and drawing portions of the ribbon of dough away from the outlet in an initial drawing operation prior to severing the portion of dough from the ribbon of dough.
Claims14
Apparatus for converting an unformed quantity of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped dough bodies, comprising:
- (a) dough divider means for converting an unformed quantity of dough into at least one uniform ribbon of dough, moving said ribbon of dough through an outlet, and severing said ribbon of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized pieces at said outlet;
- (b) dough forming means communicating with said dough divider means for drawing said ribbon of dough away from said outlet and rolling said uniformly sized pieces into a shaped dough body;
- and,
- (c) means for driving said dough divider means and dough-forming means in synchronization such that a portion of said ribbon of dough is drawn away from said outlet by said dough-forming means in an initial drawing operation prior to the severing of said portion of dough from said ribbon by said dough divider means.
A method for converting an unformed quantity of dough into a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped dough bodies comprising the steps of:
- (a) converting an unformed quantity of dough into at least one uniform ribbon of dough;
- (b) engaging an end of said ribbon of dough in a forming zone moving relative to said ribbon;
- (c) drawing said end of said ribbon of dough into said forming zone in an initial drawing operation;
- (d) severing said end of said ribbon of dough into a dough piece within said forming zone after said initial drawing operation;
- (e) moving said drawn severed dough piece completely into said forming zone;
- (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) to form a plurality of dough pieces within said forming zone;
- and,
- (g) manipulating said dough pieces in said forming zone to form a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped dough bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.