IES20090715A2 - Dough forming apparatus and process - Google Patents

Abstract

A dough shaping device for shaping dough pieces into generally rounded pieces is described. The device receives generally rectangular pieces of dough and shapes these into generally rounded, flat-bottomed, domed-top pieces ready for baking. Dough pieces (A) are first transferred to an initial forming station (2) provided with an array of inverted, open-mouted, rotatable receptacles (20). Receptacles (20) are lowered onto the dough pieces and rotated, causing the dough to become somewhat rounded. At a next forming station (3), an array of generally circular, inverted, open-mouthed rotatable receptacles (30) are lowered on to the dough pieces and rotated to impart a rounded, domed shape to the dough pieces. At least one further forming station (4)with similar receptacles (40) completes the shaping of the dough. Receptacles (40) of the final station are of smaller diameter than the receptacles (30) of the previous stations. <Figure 1>

Description

DOUGH FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS The present invention relates to forming of edible products into a desired shape prior to baking. In particular, the invention relates to preparation of dough products, such as 5 bread dough, and to an apparatus for forming such products into a substantially rounded loaf shape for baking.

Traditionally, production of rounded dough pieces having flat bases has been done by hand, but this manual production method is unsuitable for automated production lines. 10 Semi-automation has been attempted by producing unformed dough pieces from a automated preparation area, conveying the unformed pieces to a rounding station and at that station, interrupting the production line to divert the pieces to rounder units next to the line. There, each piece is manually removed from the line and placed into a semi-conical rounding cup, which partially shaped the dough piece prior to discharging it. Next, each 15 partially rounded piece is placed back onto the production line either before or after the piece is finally hand-finished to the desired rounded shape. An adequate number of rounding stations needs to be provided next to the production line to enable the required throughput to continue on the production line and additionally, a proper number of skilled staff has to be provided at the rounding stations to conduct the manual parts of the 20 rounding tasks. The number of skilled individual staff members required at any time depends on the production line throughput.

Clearly, this prior art method of producing rounded dough pieces in a semi-automated manner is less desirable than a fully automated process. A fully automated process 25 would be more flexible in terms of throughput, in terms of facilitating switching of the production line between products of different types and in terms of the costs of staffing the manual components of the task.

The present invention seeks to address the drawbacks of the above-described $emi30 automated process and to provide an apparatus for a fully-automated production of rounded dough products.

As used hereMrr^^ce^o™romded“tlough-preducts refers to products having a generally rouncjed KOSl 090715 The present invention provides a dough shaping apparatus comprising at least a first forming station for receiving a substantially rectangular shaped dough piece and reshaping said piece into a generally rounded dough piece, said first forming station including a first inverted receptacle having a first depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a first area, the first receptacle being sized and shaped to fit about the substantially rectangular dough piece with a clearance about the dough piece and means for rotating the first receptacle about a generally central vertical axis. Rotation of the first receptacle when enclosing a dough piece causes at least a portion of a perimeter of the dough piece to assume a generally rounded shape.

Ideally, the dough shaping apparatus includes a second forming station for receiving a dough piece advanced from the first forming station, the second forming station having a second inverted receptacle with a second depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a second area, said second area being less than the first area of the first receptacle, the wall of the second receptacle being generally circular and the second receptacle being rotatable about a generally central vertical axis. Rotation of the second receptacle when enclosing a dough piece causes the dough to assume a generally rounded shape.

Preferably, the dough shaping apparatus includes a third forming station for receiving a dough piece advanced from the second forming station, the third forming station having a third inverted receptacle with a third depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a third area, said third area being less than the second area of the second receptacle, the wall of the third receptacle being generally circular and the third receptacle being rotatable about a generally central vertical axis. Rotation of the third receptacle when enclosing a dough piece causes the dough to assume a desired rounded shape.

Normally, the dough piece produced at each forming station has a generally domed top surface.

As used herein in relation to the second and third receptacles, the term “generally circular” is intended to include, in addition to circles, shapes which are not perfectly circular or which are elliptic or ovoid shapes. Usually the first receptacle will be rectangular, ideally square, In cross section, whilst the second and third receptacles will be “generally circular” in cross-section. By “receptacle” is meant any structure with a base, walls and an open mouth. The words “receptacle and “cup as used herein are to be considered as interchangeable.

Thus, each of the first, second and third receptacles includes a base opposed to a mouth with the mouth defining an area within which a dough piece can be received. The receptacle is suspended from a receptacle support member connected to an outer surface of the base, the receptacle being adapted to be lowered, mouth first, toward a surface on which the dough piece lies in use. Ideally, biasing means are provided for urging the base vertically downwardly in use so that an inner surface of the base located within the receptacle presses against a dough piece in use as the receptacle is rotatable about its generally central, vertical axis.

An array of first, second and third receptacles may be provided at each of the first, second and third forming stations respectively. Most preferably, the same number of receptacles set out in corresponding arrays are provided at each forming station. This provides the advantage that the system can readily be automated by providing an indexing conveying system capable of sequentially handling a plurality of dough pieces at the same time and of transferring these from the first, to the second and thence to the third station for forming without interrupting or interfering with the throughput through the baked-product production line of which the rounding device of the invention is an optional element.

By providing rotatable receptacles of sequentially diminishing sizes, a dough piece which begins as a generally rectangular shape can first be introduced to a first rectangular receptacle, spun with the receptacle and released by lifting the receptacle clear of the dough piece. The first receptacle is larger than the dough piece so that following rotation, it has generally lost the corners of the rectangular shape and has begun to be “rounded”. The second receptacle is smaller than the first and it is generally circular, but it is still larger than the dough piece. Spinning this receptacle causes the dough piece within it to become even more rounded. Finally, the third receptacle is smaller than the second and is sized and shaped so that the dough piece released from it following rotation of the receptacle has the desired diameter and height so that the following proving and baking, the final product has the desired shape and size characteristics.

IE Ο 9 Ο 7 15 The invention also provides a method for forming a rounded dough piece, comprising: a) providing a substantially rectangular dough piece; b) providing a first forming station having a first inverted receptacle with a first depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a first area; c) placing said first receptacle over said dough piece; and d) rotating said first receptacle about a generally central vertical axis to cause the dough piece to assume a generally rounded shape.

Ideally, the method includes advancing the dough piece from the first forming station to a second forming station and conducting the steps of: e) providing an inverted second receptacle at the second forming station, the second receptacle having a depending generally circular wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a second area less than the first area of the first receptacle; and f) places said second receptacle over said dough piece and rotating said second receptacle about a generally central vertical axis to cause the dough piece to assume a generally rounded shape.

In a preferred arrangement, the method further comprises advancing the dough piece from the second forming station to a third forming station and conducting the steps of: g) providing an inverted third receptacle at the third forming station, the third receptacle having a depending generally circular wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a third area less than the second area of the second receptacle; and h) placing said third receptacle over said dough piece and rotating said third receptacle about a generally central vertical axis to cause the dough piece to assume a desired rounded shape.

Normally, the dough piece produced at each forming station has a generally domed top surface.

IE 0 9 07 15 Preferably, the method includes lowering the first, second and third receptacles downward in a horizontal plane toward a horizontal surface on which the dough piece is lying. Ideally, the receptacle includes a base, the interior surface of which bears against the dough 5 piece as the receptacle rotates. Most preferably, the receptacle includes biasing means for urging the base against the dough piece during rotation.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example only, a rounding device in accordance with the 10 present invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a rounding device; Figure 2 is a view of pre-formed dough pieces entering the rounding device; Figure 3 is a view of an indexing conveyor at an infeed end of the rounding device; Figure 4 is a view of the first forming section of the rounding device; Figure 5 is a view of a second forming section of the rounding device; Figure 6 is a view of a second forming cup; and Figure 7 is a view of formed dough pieces exiting the rounding device.

According to the present invention, a rounding device is provided for reshaping dough pieces into a generally rounded form. The rounding device is adapted to be selectively 30 inserted into or removed from a production line for baked products running in a substantially automated plant producing baked products. Ideally, the rounding device is permanently in place on the production line. When non-rounded product is being produced on the line, the dough pieces are conveyed straight through the line with no work being done on the dough pieces at the rounding device. When it is desired to 35 produce one or more batches of rounded products on the production line, the line is IE 09 07 15 β switched so as to divert dough pieces produced at an upstream location into the rounding device. Dough pieces formed into a rounded shape at the rounding device are then returned back to the main production line. Throughput of product through the rounding device is indexed to match with the throughput of the main production line so that diversion via the rounding device does not alter, interfere with or disrupt the overall throughput of the automated line which is running continuously.

Typically, upstream sections of the production line operate as follows. Dough is mixed to a desired recipe in batches, depending on the variety of product required, in an automated mixing system. Batches of any desired weight may be mixed. For example, typical batches mixed would range between about 318 kg to 550 kg (700 lbs to 1,200 lbs). The production line is adjustable as to the rate of production of batches and this will depend on production requirement and product type. Typical batch rates vary from 4 to 6.25 batched per hour. Once a dough batch has been mixed, it is discharged onto a conveyor of a shaping line, of which the rounding device of the present invention is a selectable part. In a first area of the shaping line, dough discharged from a mixer is pre-shaped into a continuous sheet. The sheet is gently cross-rolled and stretched to shape the sheet into a desired width and thickness appropriate to the product to be made from that dough sheet.

Next, the sheet is cut into strips which are longitudinal to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The strips are separated from one another and conveyed to a guillotine and weigh section, where the strips are cut to separate them into dough pieces of usually generally rectangular shape and weight. As they exit the guillotine/weigh section, the dough pieces will have a generally rectangular shape.

At this point, if rounded product is to be produced, the generally rectangular shaped dough pieces are conveyed through the rounding device according to the invention as shown in the figures, which is activated to produce rounded product. As shown schematically in Figure 1, the rounding device includes several stations. The direction of travel of the process is left to right as shown by the arrow in Figure 1. At the infeed side on the left, an indexing conveyor 1 receives the dough pieces from the main production line and conveys these to the forming stations. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the device includes first, second and third forming stations 2, 3 and 4 respectively. After product has emerged from the last of the forming stations, it is conveyed via a discharge IE 0907 15 conveyor 5 away from the rounding device and, optionally, back to the main production line for downstream steps such as proving, baking, freezing, packaging and the like.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, the indexing conveyor 1 receives the dough pieces A and aligns them into suitably sized and arrayed groups for entry into the first forming station 2. Typically, the pieces A are arrayed into groups of 8 or 12 pieces, but other suitable numbers will be selectable within the scope of the invention. Indexing conveyor 1 is controlled by an electronic system controller (not shown) which is an element of the overall system controller for the production line. In addition to aligning the dough pieces A into a desired array to match the forming stations 2, 3, 4, the indexing conveyor 1 is controlled to time or index the movement of the dough pieces arrays into the forming stations so that a smooth processing of the dough pieces through the rounding device is achieved.

Each group of dough pieces is then transferred into the first forming station 2 shown in Figures 1 and 4. The first forming station 2 includes a number of rectangular-shaped open-mouthed inverted receptacles or cups 20 sized to match the length, width and depth of the dough pieces A. An array of a suitable number of cups 20 is provided. The cups 20 are suspended from a carriage 21 and are rotatably mounted to the carriage, which is 20 driven by a motor which lowers and raises the carriage 21. The cups 20 are connected to a driver means for rotating the cups. Once the cups are suspended in register above the dough pieces, the carriage descends so that the open mouth of each cup 20 lowers onto a dough piece A. Cups 20 are sized to be somewhat larger than the dough pieces so that they fit loosely about the dough. Drive means (not shown) are provided for rotating the 25 cups about a generally central vertical axis of the cup for a pre-selected number of rotations. In one embodiment of the invention the bases of the cups include biasing means for urging the base of the cups into contact with the top surface of the dough pieces. For example, cups 20 may be mounted on a spring loaded spindle which causes the bases of the cups to press down on the dough pieces during rotation. Other ways of 30 causing the bases of the cups to bear down on the dough pieces during the rotation will be known to the skilled person. Once the cups 20 are placed over the dough pieces, the drive means causes them to rotate with the dough pieces within them also being rotated. This rotary action changes the shape of the dough pieces with the perimeter becoming rounded off. After the rotational movement is completed, the array of cups 20 is raised clear of the dough pieces, which remain on the conveyor. Next, the conveyor is indexed along bringing the dough pieces from forming station 2 to forming station 3.

Forming station 3 is the same as forming station 2, and operated in the same way, with the exception that the forming cups 30 at forming station 3 are round in shape (Figures 1, 5 and 6). The centrifugal force generated by rotations of the cups 30 about their generally central, vertical axis causes the dough piece covered by the cup 30 to assume a generally rounded, domed shape as the cup 30 spins. Cups 30 are somewhat smaller than cups 20.

Final forming station 4 is generally as described above in respect of forming station 3, with the differences that the round cups 40 have a diameter which is slightly smaller than that of cups 30. Forming station 4 thus serves as the finishing area and the product dough pieces B exiting therefrom (Figure 6) have the final desired diameter, height, shape and finish, generated without need for any manual intervention.

Thus, the progression of the dough pieced through the rounding device in a typical arrangement advances a dough piece first to a first forming station with a rectangular cup, which is the biggest cup of the sequence. The next two forming stations to which the dough piece is transferred in sequence have rounded cups, with the diameter of the round cup at the third forming station being smaller than the diameter of the round cup at the second forming station. Other forming stations may be included in the sequence in addition to those described above. The last forming station of the sequence will have the smallest diameter cups. Normally, the internal volume of the cups also reduces in sequence with the diameter and volume of the cups also reduces in sequence with the diameter and volume of the cup at the last station being selected to provide a finished dough piece of a desired diameter and height. In some instances, it may only be the cup diameter which decreases in sequence, with the volume remaining constant or even increasing. This may be desirable where a final product with a height greater than the height of the dough piece entering the device is required. The actual cup dimensions will be selected to match the weight, size and desired final shape required for the finished dough pieces emerging from the rounding device.

Usually the dough piece emerging from each forming station will have a domed or curved top surface. The degree of curvature of this surface can be controlled by the cup size and by the optional provision of the biasing means for bearing against the top surface of the dough piece at one or more of the forming stations. Where such a biasing means is provided, it may be provided with means which aliow the degree to which it presses against the top surface of the dough piece to be selectively adjusted so that a dough piece with a desired degree of curvature or doming of the top surface is achieved.

At the discharge conveyor 5 end of the rounding device, a supplementary finishing device may optionally be provided. For example and as shown in Figure 1, flour dusters 51 may be provided for sieving a thin dusting of flour onto the top of the round dough pieces B. Other finishes may be provided here or at a downstream location.

The rounding device of the invention described above enables the production of rounded dough pieces to be fully automated, producing consistent dough shapes which can be proofed and baked in the normal way. Product loss caused by inconsistency in manual finishing is eliminated, resulting in reduction in product loss along the production line.

While the dough shaping apparatus of the invention is described above as having three forming stations, in some cases more forming stations or less forming stations may be provided, depending on the precise nature of the product desired. The cups may have other shapes adapted to produce other dough piece shapes, such as elliptical or ovoid shapes.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific details herein described which are given by way of example only, and that various alternations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. A dough shaping apparatus comprising at least a first forming station for receiving a substantially rectangular shaped dough piece and reshaping said piece into a generally rounded dough piece, said first forming station including a first inverted receptacle having a first depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a first area, the first receptacle being sized and shaped to fit about the substantially rectangular dough piece with a clearance about the dough piece and means for rotating the first receptacle about a generally central vertical axis.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, including a second forming station for receiving a dough piece advanced from the first forming station, the second forming station having a second inverted receptacle with a second depending wail with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a second area, said second area being less than the first area of the first receptacle, the wall of the second receptacle being generally circular and the second receptacle being rotatable about a generally central vertical axis; and further including a third forming station for receiving a dough piece advanced from the second forming station, the third forming station having a third inverted receptacle with a third depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a third area, said third area being less than the second area of the second receptacle, the wall of the third receptacle being generally circular and the third receptacle being rotatable about a generally central vertical axis.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, in which each of the first, second and third receptacles includes a base opposed to a mouth with the mouth defining an area within which a dough piece can be received, in which each receptacle is suspended from a receptacle support member connected to an outer surface of the base, the receptacle being adapted to be lowerable vertically, mouth first, toward a surface on which the dough piece lies in use, in which biasing means are provided for urging the base vertically downwardly, and in which the first, second and third receptacles have sequentially diminishing mouth area sizes.

4. A method for shaping a rounded dough piece, comprising: a) providing a substantially rectangular dough piece; b) providing a first forming station having a first inverted receptacle with a first depending wall with a free end region which defines an open mouth of the receptacle and which encompasses a first area; c) placing said first receptacle over said dough piece; and d) rotating said first receptacle about a generally central vertical axis to cause the dough piece to assume a generally rounded shape.

5. A dough shaping apparatus, substantially as herein described, with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.