Machine for forming croissants or other elongated products
OwnerDouglas R. Hansoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A forming machine forms elongated rolls of croissant dough into a curved form, and in particular the apparatus shown pinches the ends of the elongated dough together after it has been folded around a forming mandrel. The sequence is done as the dough is moved along a conveyor automatically and at a high rate of speed.
Claims15
An apparatus for forming an elongated piece of material about an axis extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the material piece comprising
- means for conveying said material piece with its longitudinal axis oriented to be substantially perpendicular to the direction of moving of the material;
- forming means movable in a path generally such that the forming means overlies the material piece during a portion of a path of movement of the material piece on said means for conveying;
- means to sense location of a material piece;
- and
- a core forming member positioned to intercept a material piece as it is moved and be positioned immediately ahead of such material piece;
- said forming means having wall portions movable from a first position wherein the wall portions are separated toward a position wherein the wall portions move to a second position with at least sections of the wall portions moving toward each other, and to position the wall portions so that they move the ends of a material piece moving on the means for conveying a least partially around the core forming member when in the second position in response to said means to sense location of said piece.
The apparatus of claim said 2 wherein said material is an elongated dough piece, and said core forming member comprises a mandrel mounted in a desired location relative to said wall portions, said wall portions forming cup portions being movable toward said mandrel as the forming means moves in an arcurate path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.