GB2232336A

GB2232336A - Manufacture of pastry en croutes

Info

Publication number: GB2232336A
Application number: GB9009873A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Vaughan Griffiths
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-05-09
Filing date: 1990-05-02
Publication date: 1990-12-12
Also published as: NL9001111A; GB8910638D0; GB9009873D0

Abstract

A method for manufacturing pastry products of the en croute type comprises forming a depression in a first piece of puff pastry which in the finished product comprises the top, placing a filling in the depression, covering the filling with a second piece of puff pastry which forms the base in the finished product, and urging the second piece towards the first to join the two pieces together by the seam of which at least the face in the first piece of pastry remote from the second is of crimped configuration. Apparatus for use in the above method is also disclosed.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PASTRY FOOD PRODUCTS This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of pastry food products of the en croute type in which the product comprises a filling contained within a casing of puff pastry defined by a base and a superimposed top which are joined together with a crimped seam.

Known en croute products of the kind set forth are normally manufactured by hand by taking a first piece of puff pastry to form a base, placing a filling on it, for example a sauce and a piece of meat, suitably frozen cod, placing the base with the filling on it in a former having a cutting and crimping edge, placing a second piece of puff pastry over the filling, and operating the former by hand to draw the top down over the filling and join the top of the base by crimping the edge of the top to the base and cutting off the surplus puff pastry. In the final product the top is joined to the base by a peripheral seam of crimped configuration.

According to our invention a method of manufacture of a food product of the kind set forth comprises the steps of forming a depression in a first piece of puff pastry which in the finished product comprises the top, placing a filling in the depression, covering the filling with a second piece of puff pastry which forms the base in the finished product, and urging the second piece towards the first to join the two pieces together by the seam of which at least the face in the first piece of pastry remote from the second is of crimped configuration.

Utilising the top in an inverted attitude to receive the filling enables us to manufacture the product in a machine which may be partially or fully automatic.

In one form the first piece of puff pastry is placed over an aperture in a movable platen of which a margin surrounding the aperture is of crimped configuration, the platen is then moved intermittently in sequence to a forming station at which the depression is formed in the portion of the first piece of pastry which spans the opening, to a filling station at which the filling is deposited in the depression, to a topping station at which the second piece of puff pastry is laid over the filled depression, and to a crimping and trimming station at which the second piece is urged towards the first, in turn to urge the first towards the platen, whereby to form the crimped pattern in the seam by the co-operation with the margin of the aperture, and to trim off surplus pastry.

The product may continue to an ejecting station at which it is ejected from the platen and assumes a relatively inverted attitude from which it can be transferred into either a freezing or baking area.

At both the forming station and the crimping and topping station, care is taken to ensure that the puff pastry is not stretched or compacted since this might affect the cooking characteristics of the pastry.

The process described above and the machine for carrying out the process are fully automatic apart from the positioning of cod pieces by hand. However this may also be adapted, if desired, as an automatic step.

A preferred embodiment of a machine for use in the manufacture of pastry products of the en cronte type will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a section through a forming station of the machine; Figure 2 is a section through a crimping and trimming station of the machine; and Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the general arrangement of the take off end of the machine.

In the machine illustrated in the drawings a conveyor 1 comprises a continuous belt having a plurality of platens 2 of which adjacent platens are hingedly connected at adjacent ends, and each platen 2 is of stainless steel duplex construction formed with at least one suitably two apertures 3, each having a crimped margin. The crimped margin may be provided by a crimp ring 4 attached to the platen 2.

The platen 2 is indexed to a forming station 5 in which a forming head 6 comprising a forming nose 7 co-operates with each aperture 3. Thereafter the platen 2 is indexed to a topping and filling area, and finally to a crimping and trimming station.

In operation a first prepared continuous strip of puft pastry is discharged from a prepared pin to lie upon the conveyor 1 which is flour disted. When the platen 2 reaches the forming station 5 each nose 7 moulds a depression in the portion of each piece of pastry which spans the respective apertures 3, suitably to a depth of 45mm.

The operation of forming station 5 will be understood by reference to Figure 1. As a cam shaft 8 rotates, the associated cams 9 act to raise a platform 10 connected to the cams 9 by platform stalks 11. The platform 10 is raised to meet the underside of platen 2. The forming nose 7 is then lowered to form a depression in the pastry. As the cam shaft 8 rotates further it causes the platform 10 to recede, at the same time the forming nose is raised.

The platform conveyor 1, together with platen 2, is then indexed to the next position towards the filling and topping area.

At a first station in the filling and topping area sauce can be deposited in a respective depression from a mobile depositor, following which, at a second station in the filling and topping area, individual portions of meat, for example pieces of frozen cod, may be hand placed on top of the sauce. This stage may be adapted, if desired, as an automatic step.

The conveyor 1 then passes below a second prepared pin of puff pastry from which a second strip of pastry is discharged to lie on top of the first pre-formed and filled pastry strip, following which both strips pass into the crimping and trimming station 12.

At the crimping and trimming station 12 the machine operates in a similar manner to its operation at the forming station 5, in that a rotating cam shaft 13 raises a platform 14 connected to cams 15 by platform stalks 16. The platform 14 then acts to raise the conveyor 1 towards a crimping and trimming head 17 comprising a sealing die 18 and a die locator 19. The two layers of puff pastry are urged together to be joined by the sealing die 18. The die locator 19 acts to urge the first piece of pastry towards the platen 2, whereby to form the crimped pattern by co-operation with the crimp ring 4 at the margin of the aperture 3.

The conveyor 1 is lowered as the cam shaft 13 rotates further, and is indexed to a new position.

At both the forming station 5 and the crimping and trimming station 12, care is taken to ensure that the puff pastry is not stretched or compacted since this might affect the cooking characteristics of the pastry.

The platen 2 containing the product then passes beneath a second conveyor 20 which is arranged to remove the pastry lattice and transfer it to a suitably located tote bin.

The second conveyor 20 comprises a flexible belt 21 which is retained by a plurality of sprockets 22-28. The second conveyor 20 is connected to the eight-station index 29 by a drive belt 30 such that the displacement of the second conveyor belt 21 is equal to that of the first. The forming station 5 and the crimping and trimming station 12 may also be coupled to or controlled in conjunction with the indexing of the conveyor 1.

The second conveyor 20 retains the product in the platen 2 as it continues to the underside of the machine in preparation for automatic ejection of the product onto an underslung mesh conveyor 32, for example by a cam operated slide and eject mechanism 31. The underslung mesh conveyor 32 may be adapted to bring the products up to a working height to enable the process to continue into either a freezing or a baking area. At this stage each product is disposed in a normal upright position with the piece of pastry from the first strip comprising the top and the piece from the second strip comprising the base.

The machine described above is designed to operate in a twin line format as illustrated but it will be understood that other line formats are within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of manufacture of a food product of the kind set forth comprising the steps of forming a depression in a first piece of puff pastry which in the finished product comprises the top, placing a filling in the depression, covering the filling with a second piece of puff pastry which forms the base in the finished product, and urging the second piece towards the first to join the two pieces together by the seam of which at least the face in the first piece of pastry remote from the second is of crimped configuration.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising placing the first piece of puff pastry over a movable platen of which a margin surrounding the aperture is of crimped configuration, conveying the platen intermittently in sequence to a forming station, forming at the forming station the depression in the portion of the first piece of pastry which spans the aperture, conveying the platen to a filling station, depositing the filling in the depression at the filling station, and conveying the platen to a crimping and trimming station, urging the second piece towards the first piece at the filling station, in turn to urge the first piece towards the platen, whereby to form the crimped pattern in the seam by the co-operation with the margin of the aperture, and to trim off the surplus pastry.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, including ejecting the product from the conveyor after the two pieces of pastry have been joined together.

4. A method according to any previous claim, in which successive operations are controlled in conjunction with an indexing of the conveyor band.

5. A machine for carrying out the method of any preceding claim comprising a conveyor, a first prepared pin for discharging a first continuous strip of puff pastry onto the conveyor, a forming station, a filling station, a second prepared pin for discharging a second continuous strip of puff pastry to lie on top of the first and a crimping and trimming station.

6. A machine according to claim 5, in which the conveyor comprises a continuous belt comprising a plurality of platens of which adjacent plates are hingedly connected at adjacent ends, and each platen is formed with at least one aperture having a crimped margin.

7. A machine according to claim 6, in which the crimped margin comprises a crimp ring attached to the platen.

8. A machine according to any of claims 5 to 7 in which the forming station houses a forming head.

9. A machine according to any of claims 5 to 8, in which the crimping and trimming station comprises a die locator and a sealing die, and to which the sealing die is adapted to join the two layers of pastry together, and the die locator urges the first piece of pastry towards the crimped margin of the aperture to form a crimped pattern on the first piece of pastry.

10. A machine according to any of claims 5 to 9, in which the forming station and the crimping and trimming station are coupled to or controlled in conjunction with the indexing of the conveyor.

11. A machine according to any of claims 5 to 10, in which the machine also comprises a second conveyor adapted to remove the pastry lattice and convey it to suitable tote bin, with the food product being carried to the underside of the machine for ejection to an underslung conveyor.

12. A machine according to claim 11, in which the second conveyor is coupled to or controlled in conjunction with the indexing of the first conveyor.

13. A method of manufacture of a food product of the kind set forth substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. A machine for manufacturing a product of the kind set forth substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.