GB1383580A - Prover for proving dough pieces - Google Patents

Abstract

1383580 Dough proving apparatus D FRINGAND 10 Oct 1972 [27 July 1972] 46592/72 Heading A4D Apparatus for proving dough prior to baking comprises a charging station 4, Fig. 1, whereat dough pieces are manually loaded on to frames 1, on actuating cylinder 11 for pushing stacks 7 of loaded frames 1 towards a discharge station 5, means for presenting the frames 1 one at a time at the station 5, and each frame 1 comprising a plurality of operable cradles, the station 5 being provided with means 50 for simultaneously opening all the cradles of a frame 1 thereat so that the proved dough pieces fall vertically on to a charging belt 6 of a baking furnace without turning over. As each loaded frame 1 is pushed into the apparatus it is raised by bladed conveyers until a complete stack 7 is formed which is thereupon moved by actuator 11. Similar bladed conveyers adjacent the discharge station raise the frames carrying proved dough to a horizontal conveyor 16 which passes then to a vertical conveyer presenting the frames successively to an operative in a cabin 14, who incises the dough pieces, and through discharge station 5 on to a conveyer 20 which passes the empty frames through an ultraviolet drying and sterilizing tunnel 18 to the charging station. Inlets 22 for cold air from a feed duct 23, fan grids 25 and air outlet grids 26 are provided. EACH FRAME 1, Fig. 3 and Figs. 4-6, (not shown), comprises two cross-members (34), (35) inter-connected by members 49 having rollers 49a and to which ends of the cradles (30) are pivoted. Each cradle (30) comprises two half-shells 31 urged to a closed position by a spring (48) and each rigid with a respective yoke 36 carrying a roller 37. A bar 38 having protruberances 40 each engaging a respective pair of rollers 37 is normally locked alongside member (35) by hooks 41 pivoted on the frame and inter-connected by a rod 47 and having biasing springs (46). At the discharge station 5 a piston and cylinder of the means 50 acts on a pivoted hammer member to cause a flat head of the hammer member to first engage the rod 47 and move it against the action of springs (46) to release the locking of bar 38 and then to push bar 38 down to force the two rollers 37 of each cradle (30) simultaneously apart and thereby to simultaneously force the half shells of each cradle to pivot away from one another to open the cradles and discharge the proved dough pieces vertically on to the conveyor 6.