System and apparatus for removing trim from dough products
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorJames W. Finkowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for removing trim from sheet dough including a belt defined by an upper edge, lower edge, an interior surface, and an exterior surface, wherein a plurality of brushes extend from the lower edge of the belt at an orientation substantially perpendicular to the lower edge, an idler sprocket in communication with the interior surface of the belt, and a motor configured to rotate the belt about the idler sprocket.
Claims11
A method of removing a trim from a food product stream which travels along on a conveyor and has been cut to establish the food product stream trim, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a system including;
- a belt defined by an interior side having an interior surface, an exterior side having an exterior surface, an upper edge extending between the interior and exterior surfaces, and a lower edge extending between the interior and exterior surfaces, wherein a plurality of brushes extend from the lower edge of the belt at an orientation substantially perpendicular to the lower edge;
- rotating the belt about an idler sprocket defined by a radius of less than 4 inches (10.16 cm) wherein a motion of the belt causes the plurality of brushes to contact the food product stream trim to sweep the trim away from the food product stream while not damaging edges of the food product stream and avoiding formation of irregularities in the food product stream caused by an uneven edge of the trim.
A method for removing a trim from a sheet dough which travels along on a conveyor and has been cut to establish a food product stream and the trim comprising:
- operating a motor to cause a belt, defined by an interior side having an interior surface, an exterior side having an exterior surface, an upper edge extending between the interior and exterior surfaces, a lower edge extending between the interior and exterior surfaces, and a plurality of brushes extending substantially perpendicular from the lower edge of the belt, to rotate;
- and
- engaging the plurality of brushes with the trim to remove the trim from the sheet dough, wherein a motion of the belt causes the plurality of brushes to contact the trim to move the trim away from the food product stream while not damaging edges of the food product stream and avoiding formation of irregularities in the food product stream caused by an uneven edge of the trim.
In a food preparation system, a method of removing a trim from a sheet dough comprising:
- conveying the sheet dough over a conveyor which has been cut to establish a food product stream and the trim;
- and
- engaging the trim of the conveyed food product stream with a plurality of brushes extending at an orientation substantially perpendicular to a lower edge of a belt, between an interior surface and an exterior surface of the belt, wherein a motion of the belt causes the plurality of brushes to contact the trim to remove the trim from the sheet dough while not damaging edges of the food product stream and avoiding formation of irregularities in the food product stream caused by an uneven edge of the trim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.