FR2780244A1 - Handling method of pieces of frozen bread dough - Google Patents

Abstract

Pieces of frozen bread dough (1) are positioned, in alveoli, on trays in a chariot. Freezing sticks them to the trays, so they are dislodged by a number of sliding rods (6a), with pointed ends (8). The loose pieces of dough are then tipped off their trays by tipping the whole chariot on its curved frame (5b). Stops (5c) prevent the chariot getting out of control.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for transferring frozen dough pieces,

  arranged on the nets of a trolley, towards intermediate storage means prior to their packaging for transport, fermentation, cooking. It also relates to the devices implementing the method. Usually the dough pieces are shaped and then placed in cells of nets constituting sliding shelves of carriages. These dough pieces are then

  frozen especially by placing said trolleys in freezing tunnels.

  They are then packaged to be transported and delivered to sales depots or bakeries. On these places they go out then, on request,

fermented and cooked.

  These apparently simple operations involve a major difficulty. Indeed, after freezing, the dough pieces adhere very strongly to the cells of the metal net constituting the sliding shelves of the carriage on which they are arranged. The peeling of the dough pieces is generally carried out manually. It consists in seizing in turn each of the nets constituting the sliding shelves, and in making them undergo a shock such as to take off the dough pieces from their cells. The dough pieces thus peeled off are then packaged and stored

  in cold rooms before transport.

  This operation is long, tedious and tiring. Indeed, each fillet has about ten pieces of dough, so a mass of several kilograms that must be handled successively. The impact is effected by hitting the frame of the net on an inert mass, for example a work table, so that the dough pieces weakened by freezing may break. The cart used generally has around twenty nets. The detachment is therefore operated twenty times by trolley. The dough pieces thus peeled off, about two hundred per cart, are then extracted from the alveoli, handled,

  packaged and stored before transport.

  To avoid taking off the dough pieces by operating by shocking each of the nets, a rake-type instrument is sometimes used, each of the teeth of the rake corresponding to each of the cells of the net. By shaking the rake, it is possible to remove the dough pieces from their sockets. This operation, necessarily carried out net by net, requires significant manual effort very quickly causing fatigue on the handler. In addition, the dough pieces which are not always well centered in the alveoli may be damaged by the teeth.

rake.

  The WINKLER GMBH FR.A. 2.730.906 relates to a device for moving and transferring dough pieces constituted by a conveyor provided with nacelles

  and rollers and by movable loading and unloading belts.

  This device does not apply to frozen dough pieces adhering to the cells of the fillets. The CAVANNA SPA patent FR.A.2.548.153 describes a conveyor belt device for feeding a packaging machine with pastry articles to be wrapped one by one. Item transfers are made

  using pushers. Items are not frozen.

  The Sté PAVAILLER FR.A.2.345.929 patent relates to a load distributor allowing the transfer of dough pieces between a balling machine and a

  rest room. The dough pieces are not frozen.

  The HAYASHI patent FR.A.2.152.965 relates to an automatic transfer device between two carriers. It implements a push device used to place rolls on a conveyor. The rolls are not

not frozen.

  The TRAMA RUNE LOHMAN AB FR.A.2.531.047 patent describes a

  demolding using a turning arm and a receiving arm.

  The contents of the molds fall onto a conveyor belt. This unit does

  does not apply to frozen dough pieces.

  None of the devices cited in the prior art relates to frozen dough pieces.

  The problem of the adhesion of the dough pieces to their support is therefore not treated.

  Other known devices require the use of energy sources of

  significant mechanical or hydraulic type allowing the dough to be expelled.

  One of the aims of the invention is to avoid the use of these types of energy and to

  be satisfied with the muscular energy implemented by a single manipulator.

  The present invention proposes to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above. The process must be simple, it must preserve the integrity of the frozen dough pieces. The different steps should be neither tedious nor

3 2780244

  tiresome, operated by a single manipulator acting simultaneously on

  several nets. The process must also be economically profitable.

  These goals are achieved thanks to the process of transferring frozen dough pieces, adhering to the alveoli of fillets distributed on sliding shelves of a trolley, to intermediate storage means prior to their

  packaging for transport, fermentation, cooking.

  This process includes the following stages: A- Positioning of the trolley in the treatment room,

  B- Installation of sliding baskets for detaching the dough pieces.

C- Detachment of the dough pieces.

D- Removal of the baskets.

E- Recovery of dough pieces.

  Preferably, step A of positioning the carriage comprises the following phases: A1. Fixing on the ground of the room for the treatment of support rails of the intermediate storage means A2. Positioning of intermediate storage means on these rails A3. Placement of the inserted trolley next to the storage means

  intermediaries, securing of these elements by latches.

  According to another characteristic, the sliding baskets for detaching the dough pieces from step B have a plurality of corners which are arranged

  next to the cells containing the dough pieces.

  Advantageously, each of the corners inserted between the net cell and the dough creates a localized break in adhesion which, propagating by displacement

  sliding baskets, frees the dough from the cell.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the step E of recovery of the dough pieces comprises the following phases: E1) Ejection of the dough pieces towards the intermediate storage means by tilting of the trolley assembly - storage means around the latter, which comprise a rounded part winding on the rails E2) Returning to the initial position of the trolley-storage means assembly,

  unhooking of these elements using locks.

  E3) Removal of the empty carriage E4) Packaging of the dough pieces recovered in the intermediate storage means According to an alternative embodiment, the sliding baskets for detaching the dough pieces from step B comprise a plurality of tubes which are arranged opposite the cells containing the dough pieces, each of the distal ends of the tubes constitutes a wedge inserted between the cell of the net and the dough piece so as to create a localized break in adhesion which, propagated by displacement of the

  sliding baskets, frees the dough from the cell.

  In the context of this variant, the recovery of the -pâtons is carried out during step E directly from the tubes in which they are inserted for

then be conditioned.

  According to the invention, the sliding baskets of the device, implementing the method, provided with a plurality of corners or tubes, include stops facilitating their manual operation so as to be able to adjust the insertion of the corners or tubes between the dough pieces and the alveoli depending on the

  geometry of the dough pieces and their positioning in the cells.

  Thus the process described above makes it possible to take off the different dough pieces placed on several fillets at the same time, it does not require great efforts, its implementation by a single manipulator is neither tedious nor tiring,

  economically profitable it responds well to the objectives set.

  The present invention will be better understood on reading the description which will

  follow with reference to the appended figures given as an illustrative example of

  certain steps of the method according to the invention.

  Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of the entire device according

the invention.

  Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the device according to step E. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a corner serving

when the dough pieces come off.

  FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a tube serving

when the dough pieces come off.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of the device implementing the method according to the invention. The different elements of the device are made of mechanically welded food-grade stainless steel tubes. From left to right there are the intermediate storage means consisting of a frame 5 comprising an operating arm 5d. The frame has 5th shelves made of ventilated synthetic fabric. This frame 5 has a rounded part 5b on which protrusions 5c are fixed opposite the holes 5c 'made on the rail 5a fixed on the ground so as to form a rack. The rolling carriage 4 is inserted between the rails 5a and the longitudinal members 5f and 5g of the frame 5. The frozen dough pieces 1 are arranged on: the cells 2 of a metal net 3 constituting the shelves of the carriage. Usually twenty fillets

  sliding doors are installed in the trolleys. Each net has eleven cells.

  The carriage 4 and the frame 5 are linked together by latches 7 allowing their

stowage and unhooking.

  A rolling carriage 6 is placed against the carriage 4. It comprises sliding baskets 6a provided with corners 8 fixed to the ends of the arms 6c. By shelf there are

  as many arms 6c provided with corners 8 as cells 2.

  To facilitate the maneuvers, four rows of arms provided with corners 8 are linked together to form each sliding basket 6a. In this example, there are therefore forty-four corners per basket intended for removing the dough pieces. The baskets are maneuvered using a handle 6b, stops 6d not shown, serve as guides for detaching the dough pieces, allowing freedom of movement along three axes. Manual detachment is therefore carried out simultaneously on forty four dough pieces, without the latter

are deteriorated.

  After detachment the baskets 6a are removed and the carriage 6 spread so as to

  allow the dough pieces to be ejected from the carriage 4.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the device in the course of step E. The carriage 4 being secured to the frame 5, this integral assembly 4-5 is tilted by pulling down the operating arm 5d. The protrusions 5c of the frame mesh with the holes 5c 'made on the rails 5a in the manner of a rack. By simple gravity, the dough pieces 1 are ejected from their cells and fall onto the shelves 5e of the frame 5. After this operation, the frame trolley assembly 4-5 is returned to the initial position. The empty carriage 4 is then unhooked from the frame and removed from its location to serve as storage for new

  dough pieces ready to be frozen in a freezing tunnel.

  The dough pieces stored on the different 5th shelves of the frame are then available. It can be accessed from both sides. A door not shown in the drawing prevents the dough pieces from falling to the ground when they are ejected during tilting. These dough pieces are packaged in packaging to ensure their conservation during transport without interrupting the

cold chain.

  Figure 3 shows a corner 8 at the end of an arm 6c forrriant one of the elements of the sliding basket 6a. This corner has a cylindrical-conical portion 8b terminated by a sharp edge 8a. The rear part of this wedge forms a stop 8c allowing

  push the dough after detachment from the cell.

  Although less effective, the bevelled part could end with an edge

straight.

  FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the corner made up of a metal tube 9. The tube itself plays the role of the arm 6c in the previous version to constitute one of the elements of the sliding basket. A beveled recess 9b facilitates insertion between the dough piece and the cell. According to this variant, the wedge introduced between the dough piece and the cell is obtained by slightly tilting the sliding basket so that the end of the tube has an angle of incidence relative to the cell. The value of this angle is consequently variable according to necessity, low at the beginning to create the localized rupture of adhesion, higher then to make penetrate into the tube the unstuck dough. This variant would require having on the carriage 4 a rear door forming a stop so that the dough pieces

  can be introduced into the tubes 9.

  In this variant, using tubes instead of corners, the intermediate storage means no longer require the installation of a frame 5 provided with shelves 5e. The rolling cart 6 comprising sliding baskets 6a provided with the tubes 9 constitutes the intermediate storage means prior to transport. However, it would not be economical to immobilize a carriage comprising all of the tubes. Consequently, other solutions can then be envisaged, either for example using the frame 5 provided with its shelves loaded manually, or packaging the dough pieces removed from the tubes one after the other and storing them on a trolley, arranged for this purpose, introduced into

  a cold room while waiting for transport.

  So whatever the device described above implementing the method

  according to the invention the latter responds well to the objectives set.

  It only uses the muscular strength of a manipulator operating each time

  on about forty dough pieces. It is therefore neither tedious nor very tiring.

  It is thus economically profitable.

  The modifications likely to be made, by the hqmme of the art to the process and to the devices described above which, without altering the original provisions thereof, would only be simple technical equivalents also fall within the scope of the

part of the present invention.

Claims (9)

  1) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces (1), adhering to the cells (2) of fillets (3) distributed according to sliding shelves of a carriage (4), to intermediate storage means (5) prior to their packaging for transport, fermentation, cooking, said process is characterized in that it comprises the following stages:   A- Positioning of the carriage (4) in the treatment room.   B- Installation of sliding baskets (6a) intended for detaching the dough pieces (1). C- Detachment of the dough pieces. D- Removal of the baskets. E- Recovery of dough pieces.   2) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to claim 1 characterized in that step A of positioning the carriage comprises the following phases: A1. Attachment to the floor of the rail treatment room (5a) supporting the intermediate storage means (5) A2. Positioning of intermediate storage means on these rails A3. Positioning of the carriage (4) inserted opposite the storage means   intermediate, securing of these elements (4-5) using latches (7).   3) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to one of claims 1   or 2 characterized in that the sliding baskets (6a) for detaching the dough pieces from step B comprise a plurality of corners (8) which are arranged   opposite the cells (2) containing the dough pieces (1).   4) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to claim 1 characterized in that the sliding baskets (6a) for detaching the dough pieces from step B comprise a plurality of tubes (9) which are arranged opposite   cells containing the dough pieces.   5) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to claim 3 characterized in that each of the corners (8) inserted between the cell (2) of the net (3) and the dough piece (1) creates a localized break in adhesion which, spreading by   displacement of the sliding baskets, releases the dough from the cell.   6) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to claim 4 characterized in that each of the distal ends of the tubes (9) constitutes a wedge (9a) inserted between the cell of the fillet and the dough so as to create a localized rupture of the adhesion which, propagated by displacement of the sliding baskets, releases the dough from the cell. 7) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to claim 1 characterized in that step E of recovery of the dough pieces comprises the following phases E1) Ejection of the dough pieces (1) to the intermediate storage means (5) by tilting the 'set (4- 5) trolley - storage mryens around them, which have a rounded part (5b)   winding on the rails (5a) forming a rack.   E2) Returning the trolley-storage means assembly to its initial position,   release of these elements (4-5) using the latches (7).   E3) Removal of the empty carriage (4) E4) Packaging of the dough pieces recovered in the intermediate storage means 8) Method for transferring frozen dough pieces, according to claim 6 characterized in that the recovery of the dough pieces is carried out during step E directly from the tubes (9) in which they are inserted to be then conditioned.   9) Device implementing the method defined by claims 1, 2, 3,   , 7 characterized in that the sliding baskets (6a) provided with a plurality of corners (8) comprise stops (6d) facilitating their manual operation so as to be able to adjust the insertion of the corners (8) between the dough pieces and the alveoli in   depending on the geometry of the dough pieces and their positioning in the cells.   ) Device implementing the method defined by claims 1, 4,   6, 8, characterized in that the sliding baskets (6a) provided with a plurality of tubes (9) have stops (6d) facilitating their manual operation so as to be able to adjust the insertion of the tubes (9) between the dough pieces and the alveoli as a function of the geometry of the dough pieces and of their positioning in the alveoli.