Method for continuously producing at a substantially constant flow rate a strip of dough of substantially uniform dimensions

Abstract

A method for continuously producing a dough strip of substantially uniform dimensions is disclosed. The method is carried out in an apparatus (2) comprising a hopper (4) having a divider (8) at its bottom, a conveyor (10) with a weighing device (12), a transfer conveyor (13), a thickness defining device (24) mounted on the transfer conveyor (13) and width defining members (26) between the transfer conveyor (13) and the thickness defining device (24). Dough portions supplied from the hopper (4) are weighed and supplied onto the transfer conveyor (13) one after another. By regulating the width and thickness of each dough portion, the length of the dough portion is made proportional to its weight. A new dough portion is supplied onto the transfer conveyor when the conveyor has conveyed the preceding dough portion a distance proportional to the weight thereof. Successive dough portions are connected to each other to make a continuous dough strip when they pass through the thickness defining device (24) and the width defining members (26).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.