WO2007031866A1 - Apparatus and method for reducing the number of rows of rusks or the like in a treating plant - Google Patents

Abstract

Described herein is an apparatus (9) for reducing rows of products for use in a system for formation of prevalently homogeneous doses of rusks or the like. The apparatus is provided for being installed downstream of conveying means (8), which convey the rusks arranged in a number of rows, a plurality of rusks of one dose belonging to one and the same row. The apparatus (9) has at least two input paths (24a, 24b) that converge into one and the same output path (25). Each input path (24a, 24b) defines a respective surface of advance, prearranged for receiving from said conveying means (8) the rusks (4) of a respective row, the surfaces of advance of the two input paths (24a, 24b) extending at least in part in planes that are different from one another.

Description

"Apparatus and method for reducing the number of rows of rusks or the like in a treating plant"

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Field of the invention The present invention relates to systems for treating and/or conveying bakery products obtained from slicing of one and the same original product. State of the prior art

Certain bakery products, such as rusks, derive from slicing of loaves or lengths of bread previously baked in a primary oven. Following upon slicing, the individual slices are toasted in secondary-baking ovens, and are then packaged either "set on edge" or "stacked", i.e., ordered according to a horizontal axis or else a vertical axis, respectively.

The original lengths of bread typically have irregular shapes. By way of example, reference may be made to sandwich loaves, which have a non-uniform shape and are generally tapered at the ends. Consequently, the slices that are obtained by cutting a loaf of this sort have heights and dimensions that are slightly variable from one another, according to the section from which they are cut. In particular, the height of the slices will increase uniformly from one end of the original loaf towards the centre, and then decrease, once again uniformly, towards the other end of the loaf. hi the course of the slicing process, each individual loaf is cut into a certain number of slices, which remain arranged vertically. After slicing, the slices are spread out horizontally, to form rectilinear rows in order to enable them to be transferred into the toasting oven. For technological reasons, the toasting ovens are very wide. The consequence of this is that the number of rows necessary for occupying the width of an oven is high in order to be able to exploit the production capacity thereof fully (indicatively, a toasting oven for rusks can have a width in the order of 3 m and receive even more than 40 parallel rows of rusks), hi any case, in one and the same row there are always slices coming from one and the same original loaf, ordered according to their original position in the loaf itself (this is also the result of the system envisaged for laying out the slices horizontally and transferring them onto the grill of the toasting oven).

Downstream of the toasting oven the plant is prearranged for gathering the rusks, directing them, conveying them, and setting them on edge. The rusks are then treated in loading devices designed to form the effective desired doses, which are then conveyed to the packaging machines.

In the products of the type referred to, the dose that constitutes the contents of a package should not present a step-like profile given by the alternation of rusks coming from two different original loaves. For this reason the modes of construction and operation of the aforesaid loading devices and their feeding, by channels corresponding to the rows in which the rusks arrive from the toasting oven, must be such as to create doses that are substantially homogeneous, i.e., that comprise to a maximum extent rusks coming from one and the same original loaf (or, possibly, from two consecutive loaves). As has been explained above, an efficient use of the toasting oven presupposes that the slices will be arranged in a large number of rows. Consequently, in order to be able to form the aforesaid substantially homogeneous doses, the elements of the plant that define the channels of transit of said rows downstream of the oven, such as conveyor belts and loading devices, must present ample dimensions in width, thus being very costly and cumbersome.

Summary of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is principally to solve the above drawback. This purpose is achieved, according to the invention, by an apparatus and a method having the characteristics indicated in the annexed claims, which form an integral part of the descriptive content of the present patent application.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed plate of drawings, which is provided purely by of way of non-limiting example and in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a plant for production of rusks, which integrates an apparatus according to the invention;

- Figures 2 and 3 are two perspective views of a possible embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention; and

- Figure 4 is a perspective view of a possible intercepting system used in the apparatus according to the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

Figure 1 represents, in a simplified form, a plant for the production of rusks, which integrates an apparatus according to the invention. The plant comprises an oven 1 for baking lengths of bread, for example sandwich loaves. The loaves leaving the aforesaid oven, designated by 2, feed in parallel rows a slicing unit, designated by 3. Said unit 3 is prearranged for cutting each loaf 2 into a plurality of slices, designated by 4. Said slices 4, which maintain either an edge- on arrangement or a stacked arrangement following upon slicing, feed a subsequent orientation unit, designated by 5, prearranged for laying the slices down flat, i.e., for spreading them out horizontally on a conveyor 6, which directs the rectilinear rows of slices to a toasting oven, designated by 7.

The rusks 4, which come out in parallel rows from the oven 7, are routed onto a conveyor 8, at output from which are two apparatuses for reducing the number of rows according to the invention, each designated as a whole by 9. As they leave each apparatus 9, the rusks 4, arranged according to a respective single row, reach the same conveyor 10, which is at a lower height than the conveyor 8. The two rows that are made to advance by the conveyor 10 feed a loading unit 11, prearranged for setting the rusks 4 on edge and forming doses of desired dimensions. The doses thus formed, two of which are designated by 12, next reach a packaging unit 13, at outlet from which the final packaged products 14 are obtained. As has been explained in the introductory part of the present description, the packaged products 14 must be constituted by prevalently homogeneous doses, i.e., ideally made up prevalently of slices coming from one and the same original loaf 2. In the purely schematic example referred to in Figure 1, the conveying channels for the rusks 4 are only four upstream of the row-reducing apparatus 9 and two downstream thereof. In actual fact, as has been seen, said channels and apparatuses may be different in number, even decidedly more numerous than the case exemplified (even more than forty rows, leaving the oven 7). Broadly speaking, the number of row-reducing apparatuses 9 could be at least equal to half the number of rows of rusks 4 leaving the oven 7.

Partially visible in Figure 2 is the conveyor 8, of a conception in itself known, which comprises an endless-loop conveyor belt, designated by 8a, and suspended partition walls 8b, which delimit at the sides a plurality of longitudinal channels, which are set parallel to one another to cause respective flows or rows of rusks (here not represented) to advance. For reasons of simplicity, the conveyor 8 of Figure 2 has been represented with just two channels, designated by 15a and 15b.

Provided at the output end of the conveyor 8 is a row-reducing apparatus 9 according to the invention. In the case exemplified, said apparatus 9 comprises a slide member or chute, designated as a whole by 20, the base body of which can be made of metal material, for example stainless steel. Said base body identifies a bottom 21, two side walls 22 and an intermediate wall 23, the latter having a smaller length than the side walls 22. As may be seen also in Figure 3, the chute 20 has an entry end, where the walls 22 and 23 delimit laterally two inclined channels, designated by 24a and 24b. The two channels 24a and 24b have respective initial stretches, which are substantially parallel to one another and are axially aligned to the channels 15a and 15b of the conveyor 8. The walls 22 and 23 are shaped in such a way that the inclined channels 24a, 24b then converge into a single output channel of the chute 20, designated by 25. Set downstream of the chute 20, i.e., of its output channel 25, is the conveyor 10 of Figure 1, which is preferably of the belt type.

The apparatus 9 comprises stop members, arranged for stopping alternately the two flows of rusks in the channels 15a, 15b, upstream of the inclined channels 24a, 24b. Preferably, said members are positioned, one for each channel 15a, 15b or else 24a, 24b, between the output end of the conveyor 8 and the input end of the chute 20. hi the example represented, the aforesaid arrest members are constituted by barriers 26a and 26b, which are selectively movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of advance defined by the belt 8a. Figure 4 represents a possible embodiment of one of the aforesaid barriers.

The barrier 26a, which may be seen in Figure 4, is as a whole L-shaped, with a vertical part 26a' that is able to move vertically in the space lying between the output end of the conveyor 8 and the entrance of the chute 20. A horizontal part 26a" of the barrier is connected to an actuator, which can be controlled for causing passage of the barrier 26a between an operative, or raised, position and an inoperative, or lowered, position, in which the aforesaid vertical part 26a', respectively, prevents and enables passage of the rusks from the channel 15a of the conveyor 8 to the channel 24a of the chute 20. The aforesaid actuator, which may be seen in Figure 3 where it is designated by 27a, is carried by the structure for supporting the chute 20 or else by that of the conveyor 8, and can be constituted by a pneumatic cylinder, to the piston 27a' of which (see Figure 4) is associated the horizontal part 26a" of the barrier 26a. The barrier 26b is made in a way similar to the barrier 26a and is provided with a respective actuator, designated by 27b in Figure 3, which can be controlled for preventing or enabling passage of the rusks from the channel 15b of the conveyor 8 to the channel 24b of the chute 20.

Above a terminal region of each channel 15a, 15b of the conveyor 8, sensor means are provided, preferably of an optical type, constituted for example by a photoelectric cell. The two sensors, designated by 28a and 28b in Figure 2, are supported by a structure 29 carried by the frame of the conveyor 8 and are interfaced to the control system of the plant or of the row-reducing apparatus according to the invention.

The channels 24a and 24b each define a respective inclined path of advance of the rusks within the chute 20. According to a preferential aspect of the invention, the chute 20 is designed such that the surfaces for carrying the rusks or for enabling sliding thereof along the two inclined paths lie at least in part in planes different from one another. Preferably, the sliding surface of one path terminates at a greater height than the sliding surface of the other path. In this way, and as may be clearly seen from Figure 3, a step is defined between the carrying and advance surfaces of the two channels 24a and 24b. Preferably, the height of said step is greater than the maximum thickness of the rusks treated by the plant.

In the specific case exemplified in Figures 2 and 3, the channel 24a has a sliding surface for the rusks that is defined directly by the bottom 21 of the chute 20, said bottom defining also the sliding surface of the output channel 25. The surface for sliding of the rusks along the channel 24b is, instead, defined by an additional element 28, which overlies a homologous region of the bttom 21 and comprises a substantially vertical side wall, designated by 24c, in a position corresponding to the aforesaid step. The aforesaid additional element 28 can be made of the same material constituting the rest of the chute 20, for example stainless steel.

The row-reducing apparatus illustrated in Figures 2-4 operates in the way described in what follows.

The control system of the plant of Figure 1 is designed for controlling the actuators 27a, 27b selectively, in such a way that the stop barriers 26a, 26b will stop alternately either the flow of the channel 15a or that of the channel 15b, during a time chosen for the passage of a certain number of rusks onto the chute 20. In this connection, it is to be pointed out that the plant is preferably prearranged in order for the density of rusks in the two channels 15a, 15b to be substantially the same so that, in the aforesaid pre-set time, on average the same number of rusks, for example substantially corresponding to one dose of product, will pass into each of said two channels.

We shall now assume that the barrier 26a is in an inoperative position and the barrier 26b in an operative position. Upon expiry of the aforesaid pre-set time, the sensor 28a of the open channel 15a detects the first empty space between two consecutive rusks. The control system consequently issues a command for closing of the barrier 26a and simultaneously, or with a slight delay, a command for opening of the barrier 26b, which has in the meantime caused accumulation of a certain number of rusks in the channel 15b on the conveyor 8. Once the barrier 26b - which is now open - has been exceeded, the rusks pass into the channel 24b. Upon closing of the barrier 26a, the last rusk of a respective train of rusks will be descending along the channel 24a. On the other hand, after complete opening of the barrier 26b, the first rusk of a different train of rusks will start descending along the channel 24b.

As has been seen, one of the constructional peculiarities of the chute 20 described above is represented by the fact that the sliding surface of the channel 24b extends and/or terminates at a greater height than the sliding surface of the channel 24a. Said characteristic prevents, after opening of the barrier 26b, said last rusk and first rusk of the two different trains of rusks from descending in a condition where they are set alongside one another, each along a respective channel 24a, 24b, and then get jammed against one another in the area in which the channels converge into one another. Of course, at the end of the channel 24b, the corresponding rusks pass onto the bottom 21 of the chute 20, dropping from the step made in a position corresponding to the wall 24c.

It is to be noted that, in normal conditions, the last rusk of a train that descends the channel 24a - which is now closed - reaches the channel 25 before the first rusk of a train that descends the channel 24b, which is now open, owing to the fact that said first rusk normally starts descending the channel 24b with a slight delay, determined by the time necessary for complete opening of the barrier 26b. Next, the rusks of each train reach the output channel 25 of the chute 20, and then pass onto the conveyor 10. Upon expiry of the aforesaid pre-set time, the sensor 28b of the open channel 15b will detect the first empty space between two consecutive rusks, and the control system will issue accordingly a command for closing of the barrier 26b and opening of the barrier 26a. The cycle is repeated in this way in the course of normal production. As has been seen, the barriers 26a, 26b act from beneath (channel closed = barrier raised; channel open = barrier lowered). In this way, there is prevented the risk of jamming of a rusk between a movable barrier 26a, 26b and the fixed walls that delimit the corresponding channel 15 a, 15b or 24a, 24b, with the consequent risk of breaking of the rusk itself. At most, occasionally, a rusk may remain balancing precariously on the barrier that is closed, from where it is subsequently freed when the barrier opens the next time.

In the case just mentioned, it is possible that, after opening of the barrier, the rusk that was previously in a precarious position will be able to reach the last rusk of the train that descends the other channel of the chute 20. However, as has been said, thanks to the presence of the aforesaid step - i.e., to the fact that the sliding surfaces of the two channels 24a, 24b lie at least in part on planes at different heights — there is in any case no risk of two rusks jamming against one another. At worst, the first rusk that leaves the channel 24b may overlap the last rusk still present in the channel 24a, but this is not a source of any particular problems, thanks to the presence, downstream of the chute 20, of the unit 11 that arranges the rusks on edge. The fact that the rusk that has descended one channel can thus be set between two rusks that have descended the other channel is considered acceptable.

Practical tests conducted by the Applicant have shown that the system for reduction of the number of rows of rusks forming the subject of the invention enables the pre-set purposes to be met effectively, in a simple and economically advantageous way. The system described enables reduction in the dimensions of width of the conveyor belts and of the loading devices downstream of the toasting oven, ensuring at the same time formation of prevalently homogeneous doses of the products.

Of course, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what is described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the ensuing claims. According to a possible variant, each apparatus 9 can be provided with a single actuator means, for producing the alternating actuation of the barriers 26a, 26b, for example via a system with a rocker element or other mechanism of known conception.

Control of opening and closing of the barriers 26a, 26b could be performed on the basis of a count of the number of rusks as they are passing along the line, which can be obtained via the use of a plurality of optical sensors, instead of on a time basis, as in the case exemplified previously.

In the currently preferred embodiment, the apparatus for reducing the number of rows of products according to the invention comprises, for reasons of economic advantage, a chute, in which the rusks advance on respective sliding surfaces. However, in principle, the planes of advance of the converging paths could also be defined by respective conveyor belts, which are not necessarily inclined, their arrangement still remaining in planes that are at different heights.

Another possible variant is that of prearranging the apparatus for reducing the number of rows of products according to the invention, or else its chute, in such a way that it will define three different channels of advance for the rusks of three flows coming from a corresponding conveyor set upstream (for example, one central channel and two side channels set at different heights). In this case, three different stop members will be associated to the apparatus for reducing the number of rows of products, said members being for example of the type designated above by 26 and being controlled according to the most appropriate sequence.

Finally, it is pointed out that devices 9 or a number of chutes 20 can be installed in cascaded fashion or in series, with evident advantages in terms of further reduction of the number of rows of products in a plant. For example, four apparatuses 9 of the type previously described can feed two successive apparatuses 9 or chutes 20 so as to pass from four initial rows to just two rows. Likewise, eight apparatuses 9 can feed four successive apparatuses 9 or chutes 20, and the latter can in turn feed two further successive apparatuses 9 or chutes 20, with a consequent reduction of the rows from eight to two. Of course, the possible combinations are extremely varied.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing rows of products (9) in a system for the formation of doses of rusks or the like, in which each dose (12) comprises a plurality of consecutive slices (4) coming from a same original loaf or length of bread (2) and in which the system comprises conveying means (8) arranged for conveying the slices (4) according to a number of rows, said plurality of slices (4) of one dose (12) coming from a same row, the apparatus (9) being prearranged to be installed downstream of said conveying means (8) and having at least two respective input paths (24a, 24b) that converge into a same output path (25), each input path (24a, 24b) defining a respective surface of advance, prearranged for receiving from said conveying means (8) the slice (4) of a respective row, the surfaces of advance of the two input paths (24a, 24b) extending at least in part according to planes that are different from one another.

2. The apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said input paths (24a, 24b) are at least in part inclined.

3. The apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the surfaces of advance of said input paths (24a, 24b) provide sliding surfaces for the slices (4).

4. The apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising stop means (26a, 26b), which can be controlled for stopping alternately, upstream of said input paths (24a, 24b), advance of said rows.

5. The apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the surface of advance of one input path (24b) terminates at a greater height than the surface of advance of another input path (24a).

6. The apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein formed between an end of one of said input paths (24b) and another of said input paths (24a) is a step (24c), i.e., there extends a substantially vertical wall (24c).

7. The apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the stop means comprise members (26a, 26b) capable to assume a raised operative position and a lowered inoperative position with respect to a plane of advance of the slices (4), each member (26a, 26b) being preferably operative in the proximity of an inlet mouth of a respective input path (24a, 24b).

8. The apparatus according to Claim 4, further comprising control means, which are provided for controlling the stop means (26a, 26b) in order to stop advance of each row for a substantially pre-set time interval.

9. The apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the control means comprise sensor means (29a, 29b).

10. The apparatus Claim 9, wherein the sensor means comprise at least one optical sensor (29a, 29b) for each row.

11. The apparatus according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said inclined input paths (24a, 24b) are defined in a same chute (20).

12. The apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein the chute (20) has a bottom wall (21) that constitutes at least the surface of advance of one input path (24a), the surface of advance of another of said input paths (24b) being obtained by a body (28) that partially overlies said bottom wall (21).

13. A method for conveying, from a first treatment area (7) to a second treatment area (11), rusks or the like (4), designed to constitute doses (12) comprising each a plurality of consecutive slices (4) coming from one and the same original loaf or length of bread (2), in which, downstream of the first treatment area (7), the slices (4) are at least temporarily conveyed arranged in a number of flows having one and the same rate of advance, said plurality of slices of one dose (21) coming from one and the same flow, and in which, upstream of the second treatment area (11), at least one first flow is directed into a first path (24a) and at least one second flow is directed into a second path (24b), each path defining a surface of advance for the slices (4), the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) causing the first and second paths (24a, 24b) to converge into one and the same path (25) in the direction of the second treatment area (11); and b) prearranging the first and second paths (24a, 24b) in such a way that the respective surfaces of advance extend at least in part according to planes that are different from one another.

14. The method according to Claim 13, wherein the slices (4) slide on the surfaces of advance, the latter being at least in part inclined.

15. The method according to Claim 13, wherein, at the end of the first path (24b), the slices (4) drop into the second path (24b), the surface of advance of the first path (24b) terminating at a greater height than the surface of advance of the second path (24a).

16. The method according to Claim 13, wherein the two flows are stopped alternately upstream of the first and second paths (24a, 24b), each flow being preferably stopped by raising, with respect to a plane of advance of the slices (4), a respective stop member (26a, 26b), it being possible for the flow to be subsequently restored by lowering said stop member (26a, 26b).

17. The method according to Claim 13 or Claim 16, wherein the density of slices (4) in the two flows is substantially the same.

18. The method according to Claim 13 or Claim 16, wherein a first belt conveyor (8) directs towards the first and second paths (24a, 24b) the respective flows of slices (4).

19. The method according to Claim 16, wherein the two flows are stopped alternately for a substantially pre-set time interval, where, preferably, upon expiry of the substantially pre-set time, detection of an empty space between two slices (4) of a flow is provided, in order to stop said flow and restore the other flow.

20. A system or plant for production and/or packaging of foodstuff bakery products having a substantially irregular shape, such as rusks and the like, comprising one or more apparatuses according to at least one of Claims 1 to 12 and/or that implements the method according to at least one of Claims 13 to 19.

21. A system or plant according to Claim 20, wherein installed downstream of at least one first and one second of said apparatuses for reducing the number of rows of product, is at least one third apparatus for reducing the number of rows of products, said first and second apparatuses being both used for supplying said third apparatus.