GB2477129A

GB2477129A - Dough die with finger hole

Info

Publication number: GB2477129A
Application number: GB1001046A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Robert Hiles
Original assignee: Baker Perkins Ltd
Current assignee: Baker Perkins Ltd
Priority date: 2010-01-22
Filing date: 2010-01-22
Publication date: 2011-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2030-01-22
Also published as: GB201001046D0; GB2477129B

Abstract

A die 10 for metering of dough comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion wider than the second end portion, the first end portion comprising a dough engaging surface 13, wherein the second end portion is provided with an aperture or hole 16 to allow a user's finger to pass therethrough.

Description

DIE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to dies, and in particular to dies for metering of dough.

Background

Dough dividers are used in the production of bread loaves and other baked products. Dough dividers generally comprise dies to meter individual dough pieces from bulk dough, the dough pieces once formed are then baked.

We have devised various improvements in relation to dies for dough dividers.

Summary

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a die for metering of dough, the die substantially comprising a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion wider than the second end portion, the first end portion comprising a dough-engaging surface, wherein the second end portion is provided with an aperture to allow at least one user's finger to pass therethrough.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a die for metering of dough comprising a dough-engaging end surface, wherein side surfaces and an upper surface provided with open-ended recessed regions.

Preferably the recessed regions are open at least one distal end thereof.

Preferably the recessed regions provided at the side and base surfaces are open at an end thereof which is away from the dough-engaging surface.

Each recessed region of the side surfaces may be defined (in part) by a laterally inset side surface. The laterally inset side surface is inset with respect to a shoulder comprising a basal shoulder portion and an upright shoulder portion. Preferably the upright shoulder portion is located adjacent to that end of the recessed region located towards the dough-engaging surface.

Preferably, the recessed region on the upper surface extends generally longitudinally of the die and is open at distal ends thereof. Preferably, at each distal end of the recessed region there is provided a laterally extending recess at each distal end of the recessed region. Preferably the recessed region forms a longitudinal channel.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a die substantially comprising a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion comprising a dough-engaging surface at distal end of the die, and the first end portion wider than second end portion, wherein the second end portion constitutes at least forty percent of the length of the die.

Brief Description of the drawings

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a dough divider, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a die for a dough divider, Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the die of Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a plan view of the die of Figure 2, and Figure 5 shows a rear elevation of the die of Figure 2.

Detailed description

With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a dough divider 1. Bulk dough 3 stored in a hopper 2, is transferred from the hopper 2 into a top box chamber 6 by gravity and suction when knife 4 and ram 5 are retracted (to the right of Figure 1). The knife 4 is then caused to move forwards so as to cut off a portion of the dough and seal the top box chamber 6. Meanwhile, dies 10 are conveyed from a discharge position 7a towards a metering position 7b.

Once the top box chamber 6 has been sealed by the knife, and the dies 10 are in the metering position 7b, the ram 5 is urged towards the left, compressing the dough and forcing the dies 10 to the left until the dies are restrained from further translation by way of a die stop (not illustrated). The position of the die stop is adjustable such that the volume of dough in a division box chamber 8, hence weight, of a dough piece, can be determined in relation to the selected position of the stop.

A division box part 9 then moves down forming the dough piece and sealing the division box chamber. The division box chamber 8 and the dies 10 are then together caused to move towards the discharge position 7a, at which the dies 10 are urged into the division box chamber so as to eject the dough piece 3a.

Reference is now made to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, which show the die 10 in more detail. The die 10 comprises a front end portion 12a and a rear end portion 12b, with the front end portion 12a wider than the rear end portion 12b (as is best seen from Figure 4).

The front end portion 12a comprises a foremost dough-engaging surface 13. Rearwardly from the surface 13, there are provided two side portions 14. Each side portion 14 is laterally inset from a wall (or shoulder) 15 which is adjacent to lower and front margins of the portion 14, and so the portions 14 defining in part an open-end recess.

At the uppermost margin of the portions 14 there is provided a sloping surface 23 which connects said uppermost margin to an uppermost part of the die 10.

The rear end portion 12b, which extends rearwardly of the front end portion 12a, is provided with a circular aperture 16 which is located substantially midway between distal ends of the rear end portion. The aperture 16 extends through the entire thickness of the rear end portion 12b. The rearmost end of the rear end portion 12b comprises a spigot 17. The rear end portion 12b is of substantially constant width.

An uppermost portion of the die 10 is provided with an open-ended longitudinal channel 18, having a curved base, defined between two ribs 19, which extend substantially between the spigot 17 and the front surface 12a. At the distal end of the channel 18 closest to the spigot 1? there is provided a laterally extending channel 20, and at the opposite distal end of the channel 18 there is provided a laterally extending channel 21. Both channels 20 and 21 are open at each (lateral) end and include a centrally located opening to communicate with the longitudinal channel 18.

Various important advantages result from the die 10, which are now discussed.

In order to clean the die, it first needs to be manually removed from the dough divider 1. The inclusion of the aperture 16 allows a user to easily perform this operation by inserting a finger through the aperture and pulling the die out from the dough divider and then to hold the die during cleaning. The aperture 16 is sized to allow a user's thumb or other finger to pass therethrough and so the die can easily be gripped during cleaning. Prior art dies can be difficult to both remove and handle, and can be easily dropped and damaged. Because the die 10 is less prone to being dropped (and thereby damaged) the die 10 therefore has an extended life as compared to prior art dies. Because the aperture 16 is located in the (narrower/relieved) portion 12b, the die is easy and

comfortable to grip.

During normal operation it is necessary for the dies to slide past the stationary parts of the division box. To allow free movement and prevent excessive wear a clearance gap is created and oil is introduced as a lubricant. Dough inevitably seeps through this clearance gap but steps are taken to minimise this by ensuring that the engineering tolerances of both the moving and static parts are such that the minimum allowable clearance is such that free movement of the dies is still possible while the maximum possible clearance is such that only a small amount of dough is able to seep into the recessed regions of the dies, such as the recessed regions formed at the sides of the front portion 12a, in the channels 19, 20 and 21 and onto the sloping surfaces 23. However, because these recesses are not closed (or enclosed) recesses, and because the sloping surfaces 23 lead into these open recesses dough build up in those regions is significantly reduced. Known dies suffer from the disadvantage that dough seeps into closed recesses where it becomes hard and difficult to remove during cleaning. Soaking the die in oil or water to soften the dough causes the material of the die to swell by absorption, which eventually prevents the die from running freely in the dough divider. Abrasive cleaning procedures can lead to chipping or bruising of the die which can also affect the free sunning of the die in the divider.

The open-ended recessed regions on the top and to the sides of the die are lubricated by oil which keeps any dough seeping into this area soft until it is expelled via the open rear of the recess. This makes the die effectively self-cleaning and avoids the problem of removal of hard dough build-up (and so the need for frequent and prolonged cleaning stoppages is eliminated). Cleaning of the die can be performed within the vicinity of the divider, instead of at a remote wash area.

As compared to known dies, the side sliding contact surfaces 25 and upper sliding contact surface 26 (which contact with inner surfaces of the division box 8) provide a reduced contact surface area. By reducing the surface area of the die which is contact with the inner surface of the division box, the detrimental effect of any swelling on free running of the die is reduced. The die 10 has a sliding contact surface area of around only 50% of some known dies.

The longitudinal channel 18, and the channels 20 and 21, allow for improved flow of oil on the uppermost surface of the die. The die 10 improves the flow of oil to the sliding surfaces with more, larger and better positioned oil channels to the sliding contact surfaces to keep the dough soft and prevent it building up. When dough under pressure is pushed against the surface 13 of the dies, a clearance fit between the division box 8 and the sliding contact surfaces of the dies allow the dies to slide inside the chamber of the division box. However, a small amount of dough can seep through the clearances. Seepage tends to increase as the dies wear and the improved lubrication described above reduces this. Also, machining tolerances on the die 10 have been optimised to reduce the seepage when the die is new. Reduction in seepage reduces dough waste.

The divider is a volumetric metering device relying on precise positioning of the dies within the machine to achieve a desired volume (and hence weight). The dies are urged into their (final) metering positions by the dough, but because dough is an elastic material, an increase in friction between the dies and the machine can prevent them being pushed fully home and lead to variations in weight of individual pieces. The die 10 decreases damage, swelling and hard dough build-up, as a result of improved oil distribution, reduced contact area, improved manual handling and open recesses, which in turn reduces friction. This is turn ensures improved weight control of the dough pieces. Weights and measures legislation requires that within certain tolerance all loaves produced are above a required minimum weight. In prior art systems, reduced weight control means that average weight has to be increased in order to ensure that no more than a permitted percentage of loaves fall below the minimum weight. However, increasing the average weight (per loaf) reduces yield and increases costs.

It is also to be noted that the life of the die 10 is extended by virtue of reducing its susceptibility to the problems caused by swelling, and less prone to damage. The avoidance of dough build-up, reduced sliding contact area and improved lubrication reduce the frequency of re-machining required.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A die for metering of dough, the die substantially comprising a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion wider than the second end portion, the first end portion comprising a dough-engaging surface, wherein the second end portion is provided with an aperture to allow at least one user's finger to pass therethrough.
2. A die as claimed in claim 1 comprising a dough-engaging end surface, wherein side surfaces and an upper surface of the die provided with open-ended recessed regions.

Q 10
3. A die as claimed in claim 2 in which the recessed regions are open at at least one distal end thereof. (0
4. A die as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which the recessed regions Q provided at the side and base surfaces are open at an end thereof which is C) away from the dough-engaging surface.
5. A die as claimed in any of claims 2, 3 or 4 in which each recessed region of the side surfaces is defined in part by a laterally inset side surface.
6. A die as claimed in claim 5 in which the laterally inset side surface is inset with respect to a shoulder comprising a basal shoulder portion and an upright shoulder portion.
7. A die as claimed in claim 6 in which the upright shoulder portion located adjacent to that end of the recessed region located towards the dough-engaging surface.
8. A die as claimed in any of claims 2 to 7 in which the recessed region on the upper surface extends generally longitudinally of the die and is open at distal ends thereof.
9. A die as claimed in claim 8 in which at each distal end of the recessed region there is provided a laterally extending recess at each distal end of the recessed region.
10. A die as claimed in claim 9 in which the recessed region forms a longitudinal channel.
Ii. A die as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second end Q 10 portion constitutes at least forty percent of the length of the die.(Q
12. A die substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings. C)