Abstract: An apparatus and method for rolling croissant dough pieces are provided. Dough pieces are fed between a pair of rollers with the surface of at least one roller being adhesive to the dough piece and transferred to an endless belt device via a transfer roller of a small diameter and high speed rotation for peeling off the dough piece from the roller. Then the dough pieces are carried under a rolling up device to be rolled into croissant rolls. The dough pieces are transferred to the endless belt maintaining at least one surface of it adhesive, and so the dough rolls produced are wound tightly due to the dough surfaces adhering to each other.

Abstract: A method of continuously measuring a successively conveyed lengthy body. Light sensors are located above and laterally of the conveying path of a conveyor and measure the distances from the sensors to various points on the surface of the lengthy body while being conveyed. The sectional area of the body is then calculated by a computer, and further the weight of the body is calculated. Various kinds of light sensors are applicable to the method of this invention.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing dough for bread or pastry in which no excessive pressure is imparted to the dough. In this method kneaded dough is divided into dough portions, each portion is weighed, and the dough portions are placed to occupy a space proportional to the weight of each portion. By regulating the width and thickness of each portion, a dough strip having uniform dimensions is provided. Then shaped dough pieces are processed through cutting and shaping steps. The possibility of the gluten network being damaged by an excessive pressure is eliminated. Thus puffy and tasty bread or pastry made of such dough, and having an excellent quality, can be provided when the dough is baked.

Abstract: A method for continuously producing a dough strip of substantially uniform dimensions is disclosed. The method is carried out in an apparatus (2) comprising a hopper (4) having a divider (8) at its bottom, a conveyor (10) with a weighing device (12), a transfer conveyor (13), a thickness defining device (24) mounted on the transfer conveyor (13) and width defining members (26) between the transfer conveyor (13) and the thickness defining device (24). Dough portions supplied from the hopper (4) are weighed and supplied onto the transfer conveyor (13) one after another. By regulating the width and thickness of each dough portion, the length of the dough portion is made proportional to its weight. A new dough portion is supplied onto the transfer conveyor when the conveyor has conveyed the preceding dough portion a distance proportional to the weight thereof.

Abstract: A method for shaping a spherical body consiting of dough crust and a filling is provided. A continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, is constricted by at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide one each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body.The contact area of the members with the surface of the cylindrical body gradually decreases as the opening is closed, thereby constricting the cylindrical body and shaping the spherical body.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously producing a dough strip of substantially uniform dimensions is provided. The apparatus (2) comprises a hopper (4) having a divider (8) at its bottom, a conveyor (10) with a weighing device (12), a transfer conveyor (13), a thickness defining device (24) mounted on the transfer conveyor (13) and the width defining members (26) between the transfer conveyor (13) and the thickness defining device (24). In this apparatus, the dough portions supplied from the hopper (4) are weighed and supplied onto the transfer conveyor (13) one after another. By regulating the width and thickness of the dough, the length of the dough is made to be proportional to its weight. Thus the dough portion is supplied onto the transfer conveyor when it has conveyed the preceding dough portion a distance proportional to the weight thereof. The dough portions are connected to each other to make a dough strip when they pass through the thickness defining device (24) and the width defining members (26).

Abstract: An apparatus for stretching a plastic raw material such as bread dough. By providing a plurality of conveying assemblies which is adapted to be driven at respective different speeds and driven forwardly or backwardly, and a roller mechansim positioned above the conveying assemblies, an effective stretching of the plastic material fed between the rollers of the roller mechanism and the conveying path of the conveying assemblies is performed. The plastic material is fed from either direction of the conveying path to simply repeat the stretching operation.

Abstract: A method for producing composite food having a controlled composition is provided wherein raw materials are supplied onto a conveyor and combined and formed into composite food, and the thus formed composite food is cut into separate products. The quantity of each material in each portion of the composite food conveyed per unit time is calculated by the quantity data in a time chart. The quantities of the materials in each composite food portion are then used to calculate the ratios of the combined materials of each portion. The ratios are compared with control ratios to determine whether the portion satisfies a required condition. Since the composition of the materials of each portion is checked against the control data, portions which do not satisfy the condition can be eliminated when the composite food mass is cut into produces consisting of such portions. As a result, composite food having a controlled composition of materials can be obtained.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. At least one introducing means such as a driven roller having a vane adapted to protrude from it propels the food material into a cylindrical food forming device, which comprises a longitudinal groove and a cylinder having a rectangular opening on a side thereof and encloses the food material for a piston to extrude it from the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a uniform volume and weight of food material, and continuously delivering it, is provided. The apparatus comprises screws disposed at the bottom of a hopper and a delivering means having a rotating cylinder and vanes freely slidable in respective pairs of slots formed in the periphery of the cylinder. The delivering means is disposed in a housing, and both ends of the vanes slidably contact the inner surface of the side wall of the housing to form compartments between each adjacent pair of vanes. In the apparatus, the material is fed by screws and introduced into the compartment for measuring. Since the rotational speeds of the screw and cylinder are respectively controlled to introduce a sufficient amount of the material into the compartment, the density of the material in the compartment becomes uniform. The material is then continuously discharged from the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quantitatively providing food material, in particular, a low fluid food material is provided. In the apparatus, the material is propelled by propelling means into a space at the bottom of the hopper. In this space, the density of the material is made uniform. The material is then introduced into a chamber. A piston with a receding underside reciprocates in the chamber, and presses the material in the passage of the chamber into a mold opening, and shapes it into a desired form. By ejecting the material from the opening, the same amount of the shaped material is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying a uniform amount of a loose food material comprising a hopper, a rotating drum and a pushing mechanism. In the apparatus, the material is introduced in pockets on the periphery of the drum and then compressed by a piston mechanism into a solid or cohesive form by pushing it, together with an additional amount of the material, against the piston provided in each of the pockets. Then the material, as shaped into a form, is discharged from the pocket onto a dough sheet. The material is compressed to a high density and a uniform shape.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing composite food having a controlled composition is provided. In this apparatus, a plurality of supply means (3, 11) for supplying materials, a conveyor (7) for conveying the materials, a plurality of measuring devices (5, 13) at each of the supply means (3, 11) and a selecting device (17) for eliminating poor products are provided, and the materials are put together on the conveyor (7) resulting in a composite food mass.The quantity of each material per unit time is measured by the measuring means (5, 13), and ratios of the materials of the composite food mass are computed based on the quantity data. When the portions are cut into separate products, poor products are removed by the selecting means (17) based on the data from the comparison of the ratios of the materials of each portion with the reference ratios.

Abstract: An apparatus for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. In this apparatus the material is introduced into the space formed between the periphery of a drum and the side wall of a housing. The drum has an inner chamber between its inner wall and the periphery of a cam. A pair of blades is inserted into slits formed on the drum form a compartment in the outside of the drum and a compartment in the inner chamber.Since the dimensions of the space in the compartment outside of the drum decrease towards the exit port, while the space of the inner chamber increases, the pressure in the space becomes much higher than that of the inner chamber. Thus the air in the material is drawn out of the outer compartment into the inner chamber via a path formed between the recess on the trailing surface of the blade and the wall of the slit. As a result material of a uniform quantity and density, and that has no air entrainment, is extruded from the exit port.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quantitatively extruding food material is provided. The apparatus comprises a hopper, a frame supporting the hopper and having a chamber therein with first and second ports, to which a nozzle and a piston and cylinder assembly are connected, and a cylindrical food forming device. The food material which flows from the hopper into the chamber is confined by the cylindrical food forming device and forms a cylindrical body, which is then extruded by the piston from the nozzle, whereby even food material including large solids can be quantitatively extruded.

Abstract: A method of producing filling-containing baked bread is provided. A dough sheet having layers of fats and oils therein is formed, cut in desired dimensions, wound, and baked to form the bread having flexible layers therein into which a filling is introduced through a pipe.The introduction of filling is done by inserting the pipe along the axis of the baked bread, so that the tip of the pipe can be easily entered into thin cavities formed by expanded gaseous material when baking the wound dough sheet, without damaging the whole shape of bread and without clogging the tip of the pipe with crumbs, whereby the filling material containing the solid, or the filling material consisting only of a solid, is introduced into the baked bread.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a cylindrical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling into a spherical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling, comprising at least three slidable members adapted to slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. Each of the members has tapered portions (2 and 2'), with slopes (7) comprising a steep gradient portion (4) and a gentle gradient portion (6), to minimize the area of contact between the cylindrical body and the members to bring the dough to the portion at which the body is to be cut and to minimize the likelihood of the dough adhering to the members.

Abstract: This invention provides an apparatus for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling from a continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, and comprising at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. Each of the members has a tapered portion adjacent to an edge formed at the corner where two adjoining side surfaces meet. The edge has a preselected length so that the spherical body with a highly elastic dough crust is shaped without exposing the filling.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the quality of bread dough is provided. Instruments such as a strain gauge, a thermometer, a weighing device, and a pH meter are disposed, and values measured with these instruments are indicated on a display for monitoring.By comparing the temperature, weight, and pH values of the dough and strain caused on an agitator with control values stored in a computer, undesirable products can be eliminated and dough temperature can be adjusted during the kneading operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling is provided. A continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, is constricted by at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. The contact area of the members with the surface of the cylindrical body gradually decreases as the opening is closed, thereby constricting the cylindrical body and shaping the spherical body.