Method and device for aligning and bending individual round elongated dough pieces

A device for aligning with a feeding line of a transfer conveyor and bending a round elongated dough piece randomly placed on the transfer conveyor for the transfer, comprising:

• an aligning device disposed above the conveyor so as to block and release the dough piece, the aligning device including a pair of stoppers movable between blocking and releasing positions, the stoppers at the blocking position being symmetrically inclined with respect to the feeding line in the shape of a funnel;
• a bender disposed downstream of the aligning device, the bender including a pair of stoppers extending transversely of the feeding line, the stoppers being inwardly movable so as to bend the round elongated dough piece received from the aligning device;
• and
• a holding member disposed at a central position between the stoppers of the bender, the holding member being movable to and away from the elongated dough piece at the central position in order to hold a central portion of the elongated dough piece.
• wherein the stoppers of the bender are rotatable to bend the elongated dough piece in association with the holding action of the holding member and to release the bent dough piece.