Abstract: A food production system creating folded par-baked units (e.g. mini tacos) for frying, including a sheeter for continuously creating a succession of substantially flat raw dough units and an oven having a plurality of hanging conveyors (e.g. chains). The hanging conveyors are narrow so that the raw dough units raw fold down on either side thereof to form folded dough units. The oven includes a first plurality of cross-burners to pre-heat the hanging conveyor for transferring shape-setting heat directly from the hanging conveyor to the folded dough units. The oven further includes a second plurality of substantially longitudinal shape-setting burners that are substantially in parallel with and adjacent to the top dough carrying side of the hanging conveyor for providing further shape-setting heat to the folded dough units. The oven discharges par-baked units ready for frying.

Abstract: A food production system creating folded par-baked units (e.g. mini tacos) for frying, including a sheeter for continuously creating a succession of substantially flat raw dough units and an oven having a plurality of hanging conveyors (e.g. chains). The hanging conveyors are narrow so that the raw dough units raw fold down on either side thereof to form folded dough units. The oven includes a first plurality of cross-burners to pre-heat the hanging conveyor for transferring shape-setting heat directly from the hanging conveyor to the folded dough units. The oven further includes a second plurality of substantially longitudinal shape-setting burners that are substantially in parallel with and adjacent to the top dough carrying side of the hanging conveyor for providing further shape-setting heat to the folded dough units. The oven discharges par-baked units ready for frying.

Abstract: A sheeter includes an internally grooveless front roller, a rear roller configured to rotate counter to the front roller, a partially spiraled stripper wire coupled across the front roller, and a conveyer belt connected to a proximal conveyer roller and a distal conveyer roller. The conveyer belt includes a landing zone configured to prevent damage to a received product. The conveyer belt includes a raised portion adjacent to the proximal end and flat portion towards the distal end.

Abstract: A sheeter includes an internally grooveless front roller, a rear roller configured to rotate counter to the front roller, a partially spiraled stripper wire coupled across the front roller, and a conveyer belt connected to a proximal conveyer roller and a distal conveyer roller. The conveyer belt includes a landing zone configured to prevent damage to a received product. The conveyer belt includes a raised portion adjacent to the proximal end and flat portion towards the distal end.

Abstract: An improved dough sheeter having a pair of counterrotating sheeter rollers and a cutter roller rotating against a front one of the sheeter rollers to cut a pattern into a sheet of dough therebetween. The improvement is the cutter roller being formed from an oil-impregnated wear resistant plastic that results in a much longer cutter life. The dough sheeter's cutter roller may have axial shaft, a pair of cutter lift arms including a U-shaped end, and a pair of needle bearing assemblies, each needle bearing assembly located on a corresponding end of the axial shaft. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a cutter roller for a dough sheeter where the crown is formed before the cutting pattern is cut into the cutter roller.

Abstract: An improved dough sheeter having a pair of counterrotating sheeter rollers and a cutter roller rotating against a front one of the sheeter rollers to cut a pattern into a sheet of dough therebetween. The improvement is the cutter roller being formed from an oil-impregnated wear resistant plastic that results in a much longer cutter life. The dough sheeter's cutter roller may have axial shaft, a pair of cutter lift arms including a U-shaped end, and a pair of needle bearing assemblies, each needle bearing assembly located on a corresponding end of the axial shaft. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a cutter roller for a dough sheeter where the crown is formed before the cutting pattern is cut into the cutter roller.

Abstract: An improved dough sheeter having a pair of counterrotating sheeter rollers and a cutter roller rotating against a front one of the sheeter rollers to cut a pattern into a sheet of dough therebetween. The improvement is the cutter roller being formed from an oil-impregnated wear resistant plastic that results in a much longer cutter life. The dough sheeter's cutter roller may have axial shaft, a pair of cutter lift arms including a U-shaped end, and a pair of needle bearing assemblies, each needle bearing assembly located on a corresponding end of the axial shaft. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a cutter roller for a dough sheeter where the crown is formed before the cutting pattern is cut into the cutter roller.

Abstract: A sheeter head having a pair of counterrotating internally-driven sheeter rollers is disclosed. The sheeting rollers each include an independent internal drive motor and gear box affixed to a nonrotating shaft, along with a nonrotating idle shaft on an opposite end of the roller. The speeds of the drive motors are controlled by an external device such as an inverter speed control. The nonrotating shafts, in conjunction with the absence of any external drive mechanism, allow for sanitary operation, easy clean-up, and a simple and efficient adjustment mechanism for varying a pinch point between the rollers. The preferred adjustment mechanism includes a fixed front roller and horizontal slide plates connected to the axles of a back roller, the slide plate having pegs which slide in associated grooves. One of the grooves is preferably wider than the other to help prevent binding during an adjustment operation.

Abstract: A rework assist belt system for use on a sheeting head used to form masa dough into thin sheets improves the final product by preventing contamination with fragments of rework dough. The rework assist belt system prevents rework from prematurely detaching from the front roller by moving in synchrony with the front roller so that the rework is held between the belt and the front roller. The rework is carried to the top of the front roller where it is disgorged into a dough hopper and mixed with other dough therein.

Abstract: An improved hopper structure is described for sheeting heads which use rollers to process dough into thin sheets. Inserts which are attached to the hopper endwalls are equipped with a tongue-in-groove structure to prevent dough from escaping. The edges of the hopper inserts are contoured to mate with the roller surfaces and bear a tongue seated in a circumferential groove in the roller. This arrangement ensures that the hopper endwall does not change position and does not deform.

Abstract: A measuring device for allowing a user to rapidly determine that an article such as a tortilla is properly sized and shaped. The measuring device consists of a transparent disc that is supported by a handle. The transparent disc includes a minimum size line and a maximum size line such that the user may place the transparent disc over the tortilla and then rapidly verify whether or not the edge of the tortilla falls between the minimum and maximum lines. The device may further include an optimum size line. The central portion of the disc is preferably transparent so that the user can inspect the surface of the tortilla. However, the central portion of the disc may also be opaque so that the user may focus his attention on whether or not the edge of the tortilla lies between the minimum and maximum lines.