WO2001005236A1

WO2001005236A1 - Device for shaping a continuous strip of dough from unshaped dough

Info

Publication number: WO2001005236A1
Application number: PCT/AT2000/000147
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rudolf Leitner; Eduard Rauch
Original assignee: König Maschinen Gesellschaft M.B.H.
Priority date: 1999-07-16
Filing date: 2000-05-24
Publication date: 2001-01-25
Also published as: EP1194040A1; AT409441B; WO2001005236A8; ATA123999A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for shaping a continuous strip of dough from unshaped dough comprising a holding receptacle (2) for said dough whose top is configured as a hopper (3). The strip of dough exits from the bottom of the holding receptacle (2) where at least one pair of shaping elements (5, 6) are located which act upon the dough, whereby both shaping elements (5, 6) are situated opposite one another with regard to the vertical axis (4) of the holding receptacle (2). Each shaping element (5, 6) can be downwardly driven in order to revolve in a direction in which the dough is conveyed. Both shaping elements (5, 6) of the pair can also be transversally moved with regard to the vertical axis (4) of the holding receptacle (2). Each shaping element (5, 6) is formed by a continuous belt (7) which is guided over at least two interspaced rollers (8, 9, 10, 11) having parallel axes, whereby the direction of this distance between said rollers is slanted downward with regard to the horizontals. The lowermost roller (10) is located next to the middle of the holding receptacle. At least one of the rollers (8) is driven in order to effect the revolution movement of the belt (7). At least the lowermost roller (10) can be moved in a to-and-from manner in the aforementioned direction. This results in the dough being gently converted into the shape of a strip.

Description

Device for forming a continuous dough sheet from an unshaped

dough

The invention relates to a device for forming a continuous dough sheet from an unshaped dough mass, with a receptacle for the unshaped dough mass, preferably formed as a funnel at the top, which leaves the receptacle in its lower region as a continuous dough sheet, and with at least one on the from the receptacle emerging dough mass acting molding pair, the two molding elements opposite each other with respect to the vertical axis of the receptacle, wherein each molding organ can be driven downwards for circulation in the direction of a dough transport and the two molding members of the pair can also be moved transversely to the vertical axis of the receptacle are.

There is often a need to form a dough sheet with a certain width from a mixed batch of dough, which can be of different sizes. For this purpose, a device of the type described at the outset is known from EP-A 744 126. In this known construction, the shaping members are each formed by a set of rollers, each of these sets of rollers forming an extension of the funnel wall downwards, so that the bottom rollers of the two sets of rollers determine the thickness of the dough strand flowing downward. The rollers of each set are mounted on a swivel lever and all are driven downwards in the direction of conveyance of the dough for circulation. The pivot lever is pivotally mounted on the frame at its upper end and can be pivoted about this articulation point by a drive. These drives for the pivoting movements of the two sets of rollers are coordinated with one another in such a way that the bottom rollers in each case are alternately approached or removed from one another. As an alternative to this, the individual rollers of each set can also be approached or separated from one another in pairs.

In another known construction (DE-A 197 39 058), the rotating form elements are replaced by walls of the receptacle which can be pivoted about horizontal axes, the pivoting of these two transverse walls taking place in opposite directions and symmetrically to the central plane of the container.

The purpose of all of these constructions is to protect the dough structure when forming the band.

The object of the invention is to further improve this protection of the dough structure. It has been shown that protecting the dough structure (physical or chemical properties of the dough) is of particular importance, particularly in the case of doughs which have undergone a long fermentation time. However, long fermentation times are desirable with regard to an increase in the quality of the baked product and there is therefore a need to also structure such doughs without additional effort (additives or the like) in terms of their structure Particularly gentle on dough banding. The invention solves this problem in that each form member is formed by an endless belt which is guided over at least two spaced-apart rollers with parallel axes, the direction of this distance from the horizontal being inclined downward, the bottom roller in each case The center of the receptacle is closest, and at least one of the rollers is driven to circulate the belt and at least the lowest roller can be moved back and forth in the direction mentioned. The two belts therefore carry out an orbital movement and a feed and withdrawal movement. Both movements help to transport the dough gently in the direction of its exit from the receptacle and at the same time to form the continuous dough band from the unshaped dough mass. If it is desired to obtain this dough sheet with continuous strength, this can easily be achieved in a known manner by means of a downstream pair of rollers.

According to a development of the invention, each molding member has two rollers which are rotatably mounted on sliders or a carriage and which can be moved back and forth by a drive in the direction mentioned. In this way, the reciprocating movement of the movable rollers can be achieved with a simple design effort. According to the invention, the sliders or the carriage are expediently guided into side shields which laterally delimit the receptacle. The displaceable rollers of the molding member can also include the drive roller for the belt circulation, but it is more favorable to guide the belt from the rollers of the sliders or the carriage via a length compensation roller and a drive roller, since in this way the drive roller can be stored in a stationary manner. The side shields of the receptacle are also recommended for this storage of the layer compensation roller and the drive roller. The belts can be continuously driven to rotate. However, it has been found that it is cheaper to gradually drive the belts, preferably via a ratchet drive. In order to avoid that when the ratchet drive returns, the belts circulate in the undesired direction, according to the invention the ratchet drive can be assigned a backstop. In the context of the invention, the two bands of a pair can alternate with

Orbital movement to be driven, so that the thrust movement exerted by the belts on the dough alternately results from one side and from the other. Hiebei it is advantageous according to a development of the invention if the feed movement of the displaceable roller of the one molding element and the return movement of the movable roller of the other molding element overlap each other in time, so that the gap delimited by these two rollers is displaced transversely to the vertical axis of the receiving container becomes. Surprisingly, it has been shown that the resulting transverse movement of the dough, based on the Vertical axis of the receptacle, in cooperation with the circulating movement of the belts, results in a particularly gentle, but nevertheless effective shaping of the dough into the belt shape.

However, the arrangement can also be such that a drive is provided for the simultaneous advancement or the simultaneous retraction of the rollers of the belts of the two shaping members which can be moved in the mentioned direction. In this case there is therefore a synchronous feed movement of the two belt ends facing the center of the receptacle, whereas in the aforementioned case there is an asynchronous movement of the belts. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention result from the description of exemplary embodiments which are shown schematically in the drawing.

1 shows a vertical section through an embodiment of the device according to the invention. 2 is a section along the line II to II of FIG. 1, the housing parts being omitted for the sake of clarity. 3 shows an embodiment with a ratchet drive. 4 shows an embodiment variant with a motor drive. FIGS. 5 and 6 show two operating positions of an embodiment in which the belt movements take place simultaneously. Figures 7 and 8 show two operating positions of an embodiment in which the belt movements follow alternately.

The device according to FIGS. 1 and 2 has a frame 1 for a receptacle 2 for the dough to be processed, which receptacle 2 is designed as a funnel 3 at the top. The volume of this receptacle 2 is dimensioned so that a larger batch of dough can be easily taken up, usually the kneading capacity. At the lower end of the receptacle 2, opposite one another with respect to the vertical axis 4 of the receptacle, two shaping elements 5, 6 are arranged, which serve to produce a continuous dough sheet from the unshaped dough mass located in the receptacle 2. Each shaping element 5, 6 is formed by an endless belt 7, which can be designed in the manner of a conventional conveyor belt for dough. In the illustrated embodiment, this belt 7 runs over four rollers 8, 9, 10, 11, of which the roller 8 forms the drive roller for the circulation of the belt 7. This roller 8 is rotatably mounted in the side plates 12 laterally delimiting the receptacle 2 and carries on the outside a drive pinion 13 which is driven by a motor 15 for rotary movement via a chain 14.

The rollers 9 and 10, on the other hand, are rotatably mounted on a carriage 16 which is displaceably guided on the side plates 12 by means of wheels 17 or bearings in guides 18. These guides 18 are expediently formed by longitudinal grooves arranged on the inside of the side plates 12 and the impellers 17 or the bearings are seated on stubs 19 which form extensions of those stubs which serve to support the rollers 9, 10 on the carriage 16. Each carriage 16 is driven by a drive 20 along the guide 18 and moved here. For this purpose, the drive 20 has a common motor 21 for both shaping elements 5, 6, which drives drive pinions 23 via chains 22 which are rotatably mounted on the side plates 12. These drive pinions 23 carry connecting rods 24 which are eccentrically articulated to them and which are articulated at their other ends to the side walls 25 of the carriage 16. The pivot pins 26 pass through slots 27 in the side plates 12. The left carriage 16 is shown in the most advanced position, the right carriage 16 in the most retracted position. The other extreme position of the carriage 16 is shown in dashed lines in FIG.

A constant tension of the belt 7 guided over the rollers during the reciprocating movement of the carriage 16 is maintained by the fourth roller 11, which forms a compensating roller. It is rotatably mounted in the side plates 12.

The two shaping elements 5, 6 are inclined with their longitudinal direction against the horizontal in such a way that the bottom rollers 10 of the axis 4 of the receptacle 2 are closest. These two rollers 10 thus delimit the gap 28 through which the dough located in the receptacle 2 emerges downwards from the receptacle 2 in the form of a continuous strand of dough, the width of which is determined by the distance a (FIG. 2) between the two side plates 12 and is determined by the initial diameter of the receptacle 2 and its thickness by the respective distance between the two rollers 10. A uniform thickness of the dough strand can be achieved in that the downward flowing dough is fed by means of guide plates 29 to the gap 30 between two rollers 31 which are rotatably mounted in the side plates 12 and which can be driven in the direction of the arrows 32 for the counter-rotating movement. The dough strand of continuous thickness emerging from the gap 30 passes onto a conveyor belt 33 which rotates in the direction of arrow 34 and the dough strand for further processing, e.g. Subdivision into dough pieces, shaping, etc.

The described back and forth movement of the two carriages 16 and the rollers 9, 10 they carry causes a stroke of the rollers 10 determining the strand length of the dough. This stroke does not have to be generated in the manner shown in FIG. 1, rather pneumatic or hydraulic drives for the movement of the rollers 10 are also conceivable, for example by means of toothed racks, spindles etc. However, there is always a movement of the roller 10 on the axis 4 to or away from her. In cooperation with the circulating movement of the belt 7, there is such an effect on the dough that it is pushed towards the center of the receptacle 2 and is forced to flow out through the gap 28. The belts 7 can circulate continuously or stepwise. The drive of the two carriages 16 and the belts 7 can, however, be different

Way. 3 shows an embodiment with a ratchet drive, the belt being driven in steps and being matched to the feed of the carriage 16. For this purpose, the drive movement is initiated via the two drive pinions 23 can be driven by a common drive, not shown here, as shown in FIG. 1. Each of the drive pinions 23, on the one hand, causes the described lifting movement of the respective carriage 16 via the connecting rod 24, in an analogous manner, as was described with reference to FIG. 1. In addition, however, a further connecting rod 35 is articulated on the drive pinion 13, which is articulated to a swivel arm 36 which is pivotally mounted about the axis 37 of the roller 8. The swivel arm 36 carries a pawl 38, which cooperates with a sprocket 39 which is connected to the roller 8 in a rotationally locking manner such that when the left swivel arm 36 is pivoted to the right, the sprocket 39 is carried along and thus the belt 7 runs in the direction of the arrow 40 he follows. If the eccentric drive of the drive pinion 23, on the other hand, pivots the left swivel arm 36 to the left, the pawl 38 slides over the sprocket 39 and the belt 7 does not run. The belt 7 therefore always rotates gradually in the direction of the arrow 40. An unwanted return of the band 7 is prevented by a pawl 41 which interacts with the ring gear 39. The situation is analogous for the swivel arm 36 shown on the right.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, there is an alternate advance of the two carriages 16 and thus also an alternate advance of the two belts 7. This causes the gap 28 between the two lowermost rollers 10 of each shaping element 5, 6 transversely to the axis 4 of the receptacle 2 (Fig.1) is moved back and forth. Surprisingly, it has been shown that this transverse displacement of the gap 28 is not detrimental to the gentle shaping and conveying of the dough sheet, but on the contrary is useful.

In the embodiment variant according to Figure 4, the drive is not by means of ratchet drives, but by means of motors. The drive mode is similar to that shown in Fig.1.

The movements of the two carriages 16 can take place in the same direction or in opposite directions. A movement in the same direction is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, FIG. 5 showing the two carriages 16 in the advanced position, FIG. 6, however, in the retracted position. This movement of the carriage, which deviates from FIGS. 1 to 4, can be easily achieved by correspondingly arranging the connecting rods 24 on the drive pinions 23. As can be seen, the width of the gap 28 changes between the two lowermost rollers 10 of each shaping element, but a dough strand emerging continuously downwards is retained. An optionally desired uniform thickness of the strand of dough can - as already mentioned - be achieved by the pair of rollers 31 (FIG. 1).

According to FIGS. 7 and 8, the movement of the two carriages 16 takes place alternately, approximately as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. As can be seen, the width of the gap 28 remains approximately constant, but the gap 28 becomes transverse to Axis 4 of the receptacle 2 shifted. This can also be interpreted in such a way that in the position according to FIG. 7 the right side of the receptacle 2 is too open downwards, in the position according to FIG. 8, however, the left side.

An unchangeable width of the gap 28 causes the dough to flow out only, supported by the feed movement of the two belts 7. On the other hand, if the width of the gap 28 is uneven, this also results in the feed movement

Bands 7 a forced squeezing of the dough, which is extremely gentle on the dough.

It would theoretically be possible to guide each belt 7 over only two rollers, namely over the two rollers arranged on the carriage 16. However, this would have been

Prerequisite that one of these rollers would have to be driven to circulate the belt 7, which would entail increased effort. The illustrated

Embodiment with four roles is therefore structurally cheaper.

Instead of a carriage 16, sliders can also be used for the mounting of the displaceable rollers (9, 10), which sliders are displaceable in the guides 18 of the side plates 12.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Device for forming a continuous dough sheet from an unshaped dough mass, with a, preferably designed above as a funnel (3), receiving container (2) for the unshaped dough mass, which is the receiving container

(2) leaves in its lower region as a continuous dough band, and with at least one molding element pair (5, 6) acting on the dough mass emerging from the receptacle (2), the two molding elements (5, 6) of each other with respect to the vertical axis ( 4) of the receptacle (2) opposite each other, each molding member (5, 6) on the one hand for circulation in the direction of a

Dough transport can be driven downwards and the two shaping elements (5, 6) can also be moved transversely to the vertical axis (4) of the receptacle (2), characterized in that each shaping element (5, 6) is formed by an endless belt (7) , which is guided over at least two rollers (8, 9, 10, 11) with parallel axes which are at a distance from one another, the direction of this distance from the

Horizontal is inclined downwards, the bottom roller (10) being closest to the center of the receptacle (2) and at least one (8) of the rollers being driven to circulate the belt (7) and at least the bottom roller ( 10) can be moved back and forth in the distance direction mentioned.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each molding member (5, 6) has two rollers (9, 10) which are rotatably mounted in sliders or a carriage (16) which or by a drive (20) are or can be moved back and forth in the distance direction mentioned.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the sliders or the carriage (16) in the receptacle (2) laterally delimiting side plates (12) are or is.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the band (7) of the rollers (9, 10) of the sliders or the carriage (16) via a length compensation roller (11) and a drive roller (8) is guided.

5. Device according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the length compensation roller (11) and the drive roller (8) in the side plates (12) are rotatably mounted.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bands (7), preferably via a ratchet drive, are driven step by step.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the pawl drive is assigned a pawl (41).

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the two belts (7) of a pair of form members are driven alternately to the orbital movement.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the feed movement of the displaceable rollers (9, 10) of the one molding element (5) and the retraction of the movable rollers (9, 10) of the respective other molding element (6) overlap each other in time, so that that of the

Bands (7) of the two rollers limited gap (28) is moved transversely to the vertical axis (4) of the receptacle (2).

10. The device according to claim (9), characterized in that one revolution of the belt (7) during the withdrawal movement of the lowermost roller (10) of this belt

(7) is done.

11. The device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the movable rollers (9, 10) of the two molding members (5, 6) are advanced or withdrawn simultaneously.

12. Device according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the drives (20) are formed by crank drives, the connecting rods (24) are preferably articulated on the carriage carrying the rollers (16).