FR2483745A1 - Bakery conveyors installed to re:orientate dough sticks leaving prover - longitudinally so as to enter in line moulding machine sideways - Google Patents

Abstract

Bread bakery conveying installation for oblong dough pieces or sticks comprises a first conveyor which accepts the dough sticks longitudinally aligned with its direction of adjustment and a final conveyor which delivers the sticks arranged transversely of its direction of advancement. The first conveyor is spaced above part of the final conveyor and the two conveyors are longitudinally aligned. An intermediate conveyor is inserted between the first two and conveys in a direction transversal to the other two. A dough stick is delivered from the first conveyor so that the leading end of the stick contacts the surface of the intermediate conveyor band before the trailing end of the stick leaves the first conveyor. In this way the stick is rotated through about 90 deg. between the first and intermediate conveyor bands. The vertical clearance between the intermediate and final bands is sufficient to allow the longitudinally advancing stick to be dropped transversely across the final conveyor band and to be delivered in this position. The installation offers a convenient transfer installation between a bakery intermediate prover, which generally delivers the dough sticks longitudinally, and the moulding machine, which centrally requires to have the sticks fed in sideways. The transfer installation takes up a min. of floor space in allowing the prover and moulder to be longitudinally in line.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for changing the orientation of dough pieces, in a bread-making installation.

We know that in bread manufacturing facilities, we have to scroll the doughs one behind the other, either inside a machine, or to transfer them from one machine to another.

Sometimes, especially when said dough pieces have an oblong shape, the orientation of these is important.

Indeed, for example, the dough shapers generally have to be fed by dough pieces which are transversely present. However, most of the time, the dough pieces brought to a shaping machine come from a pre-fermentation chamber, which delivers the dough pieces aligned one behind the other and advancing parallel to their longitudinal axis. Thus, if the shaping machine is at right angles to the direction of advance of the dough pieces leaving the pre-fermentation chamber, it is easy to introduce them one behind the other transversely in the shaping machine, by providing an endless conveyor, placed under the orthogonal conveyor and orthogonal to it.

On the other hand, if the shaping machine is in extension of the conveyor leaving the pre-fermentation chamber, it becomes impossible to introduce the dough pieces transversely to the shaping machine, since then the feed conveyor of the shaping machine is in extension of that from the pre-fermentation chamber.

The object of the present invention is to remedy this drawback.

It relates to a device making it possible to feed, with dough pieces arranged transversely, a shaping machine located in extension of the outlet of a pre-fermentation chamber.

To this end, according to the invention, the device for changing the orientation of oblong dough pieces, in a bread-making installation, comprising first and second endless conveyors of the same general direction, but offset vertically, is remarkable in that it comprises a third endless conveyor arranged transversely with respect to said first and second conveyors and in a vertically intermediate position with respect to them, so that, on the one hand, each dough piece disposed longitudinally on the first conveyor without end is transferred to said third conveyor by undergoing a rotation due to the fact that the front part of said pad is already driven by said third conveyor while its rear part is still on said first conveyor and that, on the other hand, the transfer of dough pieces from the third carrier to the second is carried out by dumping, without change of direction of said dough pieces.

Thus, by adjusting the relative speeds of the first and third conveyors, it is possible to adjust the change in orientation of the dough pieces. Also, advantageously, the device according to the invention comprises means allowing the adjustment of the running speed of at least one of the first and third endless conveyors.

In addition, according to an advantageous embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises means for adjusting the height separating the third from the first endless conveyor.

It can be seen that the device according to the invention allows the transfer of dough pieces of elongated shape from a first endless belt onto a second conveyor belt of the same general direction, the arrangement of said dough pieces on the second endless belt being in accordance with the conditions for the introduction of dough in a shaper.

The appended figures will make it clear how the invention can be implemented.

FIG. 1 represents a device of the known type in perspective.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention also in perspective.

Figure 3 is a view along arrow F of Figure 3
The device, of known type, represented in FIG. 1, comprises a first conveyor belt 1 and a second conveyor belt 2 penetrating through the opening 3 in a shaping machine 4, the conveyor belts 1 and 2 conveying dough pieces 5 of elongated shape. The first conveyor belt 1, located above the second conveyor belt 2, is spaced a height
of the second belt 2 so that the dough pieces 5, elongated in the direction of travel on the belt 1, are poured onto the belt 2 while keeping the same direction in elongation. Said dough pieces 5 are therefore elongated transversely with respect to the direction of definition of said belt 2 (the two belts 1 and 2 being orthogonal) and are therefore ready to be introduced into the shaping machine 4.

 a device according to the invention shown in Figure 2, eo.lporte A first rolling mat 1, a second treadmill 2, parallel, located in vertically offset planes and carrying the dough pieces 5, and a third treadmill 6 orthogonal and in the intermediate position between the first and second conveyor belts 1 and 2. The conveyor belt 6 is separated from the second conveyor belt 2 by a distance "h", homologous to the distance "h" shown on the device known in FIG. 1.

The dough pieces 5, elongated in the direction of travel on the carpet 1, are poured onto the carpet 6 so that the elongation axis of said dough pieces 5 undergoes a rotation of about a quarter of a turn. These dough pieces are at this time relatively soft.

To this end, the first conveyor belt 1 is placed above the conveyor belt 6 and separated by a distance "e" from the latter, as shown in FIG. 3.

When a dough piece 5 reaches the end of the first treadmill 1, its end rocks and touches the treadmill 6 which only drives said end, while the other end of the dough piece 5 is still at this instant on the carpet 1. The dough piece 5 is thus deformed, its ends being directed in the respective running directions of the belts 1 and 6 on which they rest at this given instant. Then the carpet 1 continuing to run, the rest of the dough 5 is continuously poured onto the carpet 6 in an elongated shape in the direction of travel of said carpet 6. The axis of elongation of the dough has therefore rotated, for example about a quarter of a turn during the transfer.

The dough piece 5 is then transferred to the second conveyor belt 2, as indicated in the description of the operation of the device of the known type in FIG. 1.

The arrangement of the dough pieces 5 on the conveyor belt 2 thus complies with the conditions for introducing the dough pieces into the shaping machine 4. The step that the dough pieces 5 must cross, constituted by the distance which separates the upper faces of the conveyor belts 1 and 6, is such that at the moment of transfer of the dough pieces, the end of the dough piece resting on the conveyor belt 6, the other end of said dough piece is still on the first conveyor belt 1.

The transfer of dough pieces in an appropriate manner from the first to the third conveyor belt is a function of three parameters, namely: the relative speed of said first and third conveyor belts, the height of said step and the viscosity of the dough pieces.

The viscosity being fixed by the working conditions of the place of manufacture, advantageously means will be provided, not shown, allowing the adjustment of the running speed of at least one of the first and third treadmills.

Said step is constituted by the height "e" and by the proper height of the treadmill 1. This last specific height of the treadmill 1 being fixed by construction, we can only act on the height "e". To this end, the device according to the invention is provided with means, not shown, allowing the height "e" separating the first from the third endless belt to be adjusted. Said means for adjusting the speed and the height "read" can be provided either one or the other, or both.

The running directions of the endless conveyor belts 1 and 6 are shown orthogonal in the figures, but may also form a more acute or more obtuse angle between them; similarly, the treadmills 1, 2 and 6 may be more or less inclined relative to the horizontal, without affecting the operation of the device according to the invention.

Claims (3)

1.- Device for changing the orientation of oblong dough pieces (5) in a bread manufacturing installation, comprising first and second endless conveyors (1 and 2) of the same general direction, but vertically offset, characterized in that that it comprises a third endless conveyor $) arranged transversely with respect to said first and second conveyors (1 and 2) and in a vertically intermediate position with respect to them, so that, on the one hand, each pad ( 5) arranged longitudinally on the first endless conveyor (1) is transferred to said third conveyor (6) by undergoing a rotation due to the fact that the front part of said dough piece (5) is already driven by said third conveyor (6) while its part rear is still on said first conveyor (1) and that, on the other hand, the transfer of the dough pieces (5) from the third conveyor (6) to the second (2) is effected by dumping, without change of direction of said dough pieces ons (5). 2.- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means allowing the adjustment of the running speed of at least one of the first and third conveyors. 3.- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting the height separating the third from the first endless conveyor.