GB1597980A

GB1597980A - Manufacture of bread

Info

Publication number: GB1597980A
Application number: GB52917/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PANIFICATION SOC PL SL
Current assignee: PANIFICATION SOC PL SL
Priority date: 1977-10-04
Filing date: 1977-12-20
Publication date: 1981-09-16
Also published as: FR2405019A1; BE861674A; IT7820589A0; ES465371A1; IT1092833B; FR2405019B1; CH617321A5

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD (71) We, SOCIETE FRANCAISE DE PANI FICATION ET DE PATISSERIE LYON-SOFRA PAIN LYON, a French Body Corporate of Chemin de Catupolan 69120 Vaulx-en-Velin, France, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to industrial breadmaking techniques and has as its subject matter a breadmaking process wherein cuts or notches are made in the surface of the bread before the baking thereof. The invention also relates to a plant for carrying the process into effect.

Basically, the invention resides in automating the cutting or notching steps for making surface cuts in the bread before baking - i.e., in dough which has already been shaped and which has risen.

According to one aspect, the invention provides a breadmaking process which comprises an automatic cut-making or notching step wherein a row of dough loaves for baking in side-by-side relationship and carried by a conveyor belt are moved below a number of respective cut-making tools and each such tool in an operative position is moved relatively to a corresponding loaf along a linear path extending parallel to the conveyor belt to make a cut or notches in the loaf surface and thereafter each tool is moved along a linear path separate from but extending parallel to said first linear path to an inoperative position. The relative movement can take the form either of the cutmaking tool moving or of the loaves moving or of the tools and loaves both moving simultaneously but in opposite directions.Preferably, however, the loaves move continuously and the moving cutters are moved rapidly (in relation to the rate of loaf advance) above the loaves along the skew paths relatively to loaf length. The cutting tools can be arranged to move along this path a number of times with pauses in which the loaves can advance by an amount corresponding substantially to the length of bread covered in each cutting-tool path. This step provides automatic cut-making or notching with the same patterns with which the customer has become familiar in tradition craft productions.

To carry the process into effect, the invention provides according to a further aspect, a breadmaking plant having a cut-making or notching station and comprising a conveyor belt adapted to receive a row of loaves disposed one beside another; a number of cutmaking tools arranged above the belt and means for moving a cut-making tool in an operative position, along a linear path extending parallel to the conveyor belt to make a cut or notch in the surface of a corresponding loaf and thereafter to return said cutting tool along a linear path separate from but extending parallel to said first linear path to an inoperative position.

Preferably, endless drive means are provided for moving each tool between the operative position and the inoperative position and means for wetting the tool when the same is in its inoperative position. In a preferred embodiment of the plant according to the invention, each cutting tool is disposed on an endless chain which moves the tool in the operative position along said first mentioned linear path above the conveyor and preferably askew of the loaves and/or of the direction of belt movement; and thereafter moves the tool in the reverse direction along said second mentioned linear path to the inoperative position in which the tool contacts a wetting felt partly immersed in a bath of liquid. To simplify construction, the various endless chains corresponding to the various cutting tools or blades can be arranged perpendicularly to a common drive shaft.

Advantageously too, the cut-making or notching station is combined with a loaf-rolling station which, as considered in the direction of conveyor belt movement, is disposed before the cut-making station. A rolling station of this kind, which comprises with advantage a roller arranged for vertical movement above the conveyor belt transversely of the direction of belt movement and means for rotating the roller on itself, helps to bring the loaves to a predetermined height after the dough has risen, thus facilitating the automatic notching operation.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to an embodiment of a breadmaking plant according to the invention.

With the help of the accompanying drawings to which it refers, the description will disclose various constructional features which are often advantageous but which do not for that reason limit the scope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an overall diagram of the plant; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the cut-making or notching station; Figure 3 is a partial view showing more particularly the circuit of one of the cut-making or notching tools, and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the system for securing the cutting tool to its drive chain.

Referring to Figure 1, the plant described comprises a prover 1 in which dough shaped into loaves rises; the prover is followed by a rolling station 2, then an automatic cut-making or notching station 3, and then a baking oven (not shown).

The loaves are placed side-by-side on conventional racks 4 in the prover 1, the racks 4 being disposed one above another. The loafcarrying racks leave the prover 1 consecutively through a bottom aperture. After leaving the prover 1 the loaves alone - i.e., without their rack - are transferred to a conveyor belt 5 on which they travel to the baking oven, which is a continuous device, by way of the rolling station 2 and the notching station 3.

Figure 1 shows in diagrammatic form how the racks are moved when they are outside the prover 1. On each side of prover 1 there is an endless chain 6 running over two sprockets 7, 8 disposed one each on a shaft, the shaft 8 being coupled with a driving motor. There is a finger or the like 9 on one of the links of the chain 6.

In operation the finger 6 engages behind the bottom rack in the prover 1 and urges the rack into lateral slideways (not shown) which guide the rack 11, the same possibly being driven by toothed belts received in slideways, as far as a roller 12 associated with one end of the conveyor belt and serving to guide and drive the same, the belt being so arranged that the loaves 10 are picked up by the belt 5 whereas the rack 11 goes therebelow. The rack 11 is then received on a plate 19 adapted to pivot around a transverse pivot or pin or the like 20. The plate pivots so that the rack 11 drops by gravity into slideways on which it returns to the prover 1.

After the rack has left it the plate 19 is returned to its top horizontal position by a counterweight. The racks placed one above another in the prover 1 therefore move consecutively one after another, the plant being devised for continuous automatic operation.

The rolling station 2 mainly comprises a horizontal roller 13 vertically adjustable above the belt 5 to suit the thickness of the loaves being produced. Accordingly, the roller 13 is disposed in two bearings each rigidly secured to two toothed racks movable vertically on either side of the belt 5. Figure 1 shows the system just at one end of the roller. The toothed rack 14 is movable in a stationary column 15 and meshes at the top thereof with a pinion 16.

The two pinions 16 are rigidly secured to a spindle terminating in a handwheel 18 which can be turned manually to move the two racks simultaneously. The racks can be located at the adjusted height by any known kind of locking system. At one of the ends of the shaft of roller 13 is a gearwheel for coupling the roller with a driving motor. This drive is synchronized with the drive of the belt 5. When the loaves pass below the roller 13, the same flattens them to an above-belt height which is adjusted in association with the height of the notching system.

The construction of the notching station 3 is shown in diagrammatic form in Figures 1 and 2. Station 3 comprises a moving frame 21 suspended on a stationary frame 22 by means of cables 23 having counterweights 24 secured to their free ends. The cables 23 actually take the form of chains meshing with sprockets 25 rigidly secured to a common shaft which is adapted ro rotate relatively to the stationary frame 22. The latter shaft terminates in a handwheel 26 which can be used to rotate the shaft manually to raise or lower the moving frame 21 relatively to the stationary frame 22. The moving frame 21 can then be maintained at the selected height by a locking system. Any conventional system can be used, such as a screw or a bolt screwed into the stationary frame 22 and engaging an upright of the moving frame 21 with an upright of the stationary frame 22.

The cross-members of both frames are askew of the transverse direction perpendicular to the direction of belt movement.

The moving frame 21 carries the notching or cut-making tools, their drive system and their wetting system. The cutting tools and the endless chains carrying the same are protected by a cover 28 at the bottom of the moving frame 21; as Figure 2 shows, a pivoted wall 29 of cover 28 can be raised.

In the particular case described, each cutting tool takes the form of an ordinary commercial razor blade 31 which is fitted to a chain 32 with some resilience.

The method of fitting can be seen in Figure 4. A member 33 secured to the chain instead of a chain link is rigidly secured to a spindle 34 on which a tool or cutter holder 35 is disposed in freely rotatable manner between two nuts 36 and 37. The cutter holder 35 is biassed by a spring 38 bearing at one end on the back of the holder 35 (in relation to the plane of Figure 4) and at the other end on the back of a locking member 39, the same being rigidly secured to the spindle 34 and therefore stationary relatively to the chain. The member 39 is bent to form an abutment 40 which limits the movements of the holder 35 by the spring 38 when the holder 35 is moved against the force of the spring 38 upon the cutter entering the dough.

As can be seen in Figure 3, each of the chains 32 is an endless chain extending between and guided by two sprockets 41, 42. The various sprockets for the various cutters are disposed on two shafts 43, 44 which are parallel to one another and disposed at the same level as one another above the belt 5. One of the shafts 44 also carries outside the cover 28 a gear for coupling with a driving motor 46 on one of the uprights of the moving frame 21 (Figure 1).

In operation the motor 46 drives the various chains in the direction indicated by an arrow in Figures 1 and 3. When the cutter of a chain 32 is in its bottom position it moves along a path parallel to the belt in the opposite direction to the direction of belt movement. Such cutter therefore makes a superficial cut or notch in the dough below it on the belt. Elongated loaves are arranged with their length extending in the direction of belt movement, the blades moving askew of such direction, the chains 32 being perpendicular to the shafts 43, 44 and to the cross-members of the moving frame 21.

During each revolution of its carrying chain each cutter is wetted before contacting the bread. The notching station 3 accordingly comprises a water tank or container 48 which extends over the whole width of the moving frame 21 downstream of the chains. An absorbent felt 49 is partly immersed in the water. The water rises by capillary action in its immersed part 51, the same being disposed horizontally and opposite the set of cutter chains. Once per revolution the cutters go through matching apertures in the immersed part of the felt.

In operation the various chains are driven through the agency of conventional delay means to ensure that the chains make complete rapid revolutions separated from one another by predetermined pauses during which the loaves still advance. The joint value of the pauses can be adjustable. The pause occurs in the position in which the cutters are immobilized in contact with the wetting felt. In Figure 3 the chain-dotted lines represent a cutter in the latter posilion while the broken lines indicate the position of a cutter when in contact with the loaf. The pressure applied by the cutter to the loaf can be varies by vertical adjustment of the moving frame 21. Consequently, the invention, in co-operation with the resilient mounting provided by the spring 38, is adaptable to all kinds of loaf differing welter alia in shape, size and extent of proving.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A breadmaking process which comprises an automatic cut-making or notching step wherein a row of dough loaves for baking in side-by-side relationship and carried by a conveyor belt are moved below a number of respective cut-making tools and each such tool in an operative position is moved relatively to a corresponding loaf along a linear path extending parallel to the conveyor belt to make a cut or notches in the loaf surface and thereafter each said tool is moved along a linear path separate from but extending parallel to said first linear path to an inoperative position.

2. A breadmaking plant, having a cut-making or notching station and comprising; a conveyor belt adapted to receive a row of loaves disposed one beside another; a number of cut-making tools arranged above the belt and means for moving a cut-making tool in an operative position, along a linear path extending parallel to the conveyor belt to make a cut or notch in the surface of a corresponding loaf and thereafter to return said cutting tool along a linear path separate from but extending parallel to said first linear path to an inoperative position.

3. A breadmaking plant according to Claim 2, characterised in that it further comprises a prover having means for automatically transferring said loaves from said prover to said conveyor belt.

4. A plant according to Claim 2 or 3, comprising endless drive means for moving each tool between the operative position and an inoperative position; and means for wetting the tool when the same is in its inoperative position.

5. A plant according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein each tool is disposed on an endless chain which moves the tool in the operative position along said first mentioned linear path above the conveyor and preferably askew of the loaves and/or of the direction of belt movement; and thereafter moves the tool in the reverse direction along said second mentioned linear path to the inoperative position in which the tool contacts a wetting felt partly immersed in a bath of liquid.

6. A plant according to Claim 4 or 5 which comprises means for simultaneous fast drive of the cutting tools relatively to the conveyor belt, such that the chains make complete revolutions separated from one another by a pause in the inoperative position.

7. A plant according to any of Claims 4 to 6 wherein the chains are carried on common guide and drive shafts disposed on a vertically adjustable frame above the conveyor belt.

8. A plant according toany of Claims 4 to 7 wherein each cutting tool is secured to the corresponding chain by way of resilient means permitting the tool to tilt when in contact with the loaves.

9. A plant according to any of Claims 2 to 8 wherein before reaching the cut-making station the conveyor belt passes through a rolling station comprising a vertically adjustable roller disposed above the belt and transversely of the direction of belt movement.

10. A plant according to any of Claims 2 to 9, further comprising a continuous baking oven to which the belt brings the loaves automatically 11. A plant according to any of Claims 2 to 10, which comprises means for automatically transferring the loaves from the prover to the cut-making station, such means comprising; means in the form of a finger or the like on an endless belt, for driving a rack or frame or tray or the like on which the row of loaves are carried out of the prover; means for guiding

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. sprockets for the various cutters are disposed on two shafts 43, 44 which are parallel to one another and disposed at the same level as one another above the belt 5. One of the shafts 44 also carries outside the cover 28 a gear for coupling with a driving motor 46 on one of the uprights of the moving frame 21 (Figure 1). In operation the motor 46 drives the various chains in the direction indicated by an arrow in Figures 1 and 3. When the cutter of a chain 32 is in its bottom position it moves along a path parallel to the belt in the opposite direction to the direction of belt movement. Such cutter therefore makes a superficial cut or notch in the dough below it on the belt. Elongated loaves are arranged with their length extending in the direction of belt movement, the blades moving askew of such direction, the chains 32 being perpendicular to the shafts 43, 44 and to the cross-members of the moving frame 21. During each revolution of its carrying chain each cutter is wetted before contacting the bread. The notching station 3 accordingly comprises a water tank or container 48 which extends over the whole width of the moving frame 21 downstream of the chains. An absorbent felt 49 is partly immersed in the water. The water rises by capillary action in its immersed part 51, the same being disposed horizontally and opposite the set of cutter chains. Once per revolution the cutters go through matching apertures in the immersed part of the felt. In operation the various chains are driven through the agency of conventional delay means to ensure that the chains make complete rapid revolutions separated from one another by predetermined pauses during which the loaves still advance. The joint value of the pauses can be adjustable. The pause occurs in the position in which the cutters are immobilized in contact with the wetting felt. In Figure 3 the chain-dotted lines represent a cutter in the latter posilion while the broken lines indicate the position of a cutter when in contact with the loaf. The pressure applied by the cutter to the loaf can be varies by vertical adjustment of the moving frame 21. Consequently, the invention, in co-operation with the resilient mounting provided by the spring 38, is adaptable to all kinds of loaf differing welter alia in shape, size and extent of proving. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A breadmaking process which comprises an automatic cut-making or notching step wherein a row of dough loaves for baking in side-by-side relationship and carried by a conveyor belt are moved below a number of respective cut-making tools and each such tool in an operative position is moved relatively to a corresponding loaf along a linear path extending parallel to the conveyor belt to make a cut or notches in the loaf surface and thereafter each said tool is moved along a linear path separate from but extending parallel to said first linear path to an inoperative position.

10. A plant according to any of Claims 2 to 9, further comprising a continuous baking oven to which the belt brings the loaves automatically

11. A plant according to any of Claims 2 to 10, which comprises means for automatically transferring the loaves from the prover to the cut-making station, such means comprising; means in the form of a finger or the like on an endless belt, for driving a rack or frame or tray or the like on which the row of loaves are carried out of the prover; means for guiding

the rack to the end of a conveyor belt so that the loaves are transferred thereto for conveyance thereby to the cut-making station while the rack moves below the conveyor belt; and a turning plate which turns the rack round and returns it to the prover.

12. A breadmaking process substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A breadmaking plant as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.