CA2130316C - Layering machine - Google Patents

Layering machine Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2130316C
CA2130316C CA002130316A CA2130316A CA2130316C CA 2130316 C CA2130316 C CA 2130316C CA 002130316 A CA002130316 A CA 002130316A CA 2130316 A CA2130316 A CA 2130316A CA 2130316 C CA2130316 C CA 2130316C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
strip
transported
strips
conveyor belt
guiding
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA002130316A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2130316A1 (en
Inventor
Lars Askman
Anders B. Ganrot
Werner Leonhardt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Frisco Findus AG
Original Assignee
Frisco Findus AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Frisco Findus AG filed Critical Frisco Findus AG
Publication of CA2130316A1 publication Critical patent/CA2130316A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2130316C publication Critical patent/CA2130316C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A21BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS
    • A21CMACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH
    • A21C9/00Other apparatus for handling dough or dough pieces
    • A21C9/04Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surfaces of, pieces or sheets of dough
    • A21C9/045Laminating dough sheets combined with applying a filling in between, e.g. lasagna-type products
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23LFOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L7/00Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L7/10Cereal-derived products
    • A23L7/109Types of pasta, e.g. macaroni or noodles
    • A23L7/11Filled, stuffed or multilayered pasta

Abstract

A machine for layering strips of food material comprising a) means for forming a plurality of parallel strips of flexible food material, b) one lower conveyor belt and at least one upper conveyor belt extending from its upstream end lateral to the lower conveyor belt to its downstream end overlying the lower conveyor belt, c) guiding means for guiding one strip of flexible food material to the upstream end of the lower conveyor belt and at least one other strip of flexible food material to the upstream end of an upper conveyor belt, d) power means adapted to advance the conveyor belts and the strips downstream, and e) guiding means for guiding a strip of flexible food material from the downstream end of an upper conveyor belt to lie above another strip advancing downstream thereby forming a food product comprising layered strips of food material.

Description

--~~J~~~
Layering Machine The present invention relates to a machine and method for the continuous layering of strips of food material, more particularly for the continuous production of lasagne by forming strips of pasta in layers, inserting a filling between the layers and cutting into portions automatically.
Normally, in the production of lasagne, the pasta is extruded, cut into strips of a suitable width, blanched, cut, and placed piece by piece into a tray by hand with a filling of sauce between the pieces. This process has the following disadvantages:
1) The pasta processing line is unduly long and occupies a great deal of space.
2) The process is labour intensive and requires at least five people on the line.
3) The pasta is eXtremely slippery and difficult to handle.
4) There are losses of pasta as a result of a lack of time for the operator to transport all the pieces of pasta to the tray.
5) There are several moving parts in the machine for transporting and layering the pasta strips, which are prone to break down or wear out.
We have developed a machine and method for the continuous layering of strips of food material which occupies less than than half the length of a conventional machine, is labour saving, has no moving parts except for the basic conveyor which reduces or eliminates the costs for .-. ~ ~~ 2 ~~ ~~.3~~~
exchange of machine parts or possible shut-downs, and substantially prevents any losses in pasta.
.According to the present invention there is provided a machine for layering strips of food material comprising a) means for forming a plurality of parallel strips of flexible food material, b) one lower conveyor belt and at least ane upper conveyor belt extending from its upstream end lateral to the lower conveyor belt to its downstream end overlying the lower conveyor belt, c) guiding means for guiding one strip of flexible food material to the upstream end of the lower conveyor belt and at least one other strip of flexible food material to the upstream end of an upper conveyor belt, d) power means adapted to advance the conveyar belts and the strips downstream, and e) guiding means for guiding a strip of flexible food material from the downstream end of an upper conveyor belt to lie above another strip advancing downstream thereby forming a food product comprising layered strips of food material.
The strips of flexible food material may be, for instance, strips of pasta which may be formed by any conventional means, e.g. where the pasta dough is extruded from a kneader/sheeter to give a strand which is passed onto a conveyor belt which transports the strand through a blanching tank containing hot water and then out of the blanching tank onto a conveyor.

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Advantageously, the blanched, pasta strand is transported on the conveyor belt, which may conveniently be a cooling conveyor belt, above which is positioned one or more cutting devices, e.g. rotating circular knives, adapted to cut the pasta strand longitudinally into a plurality of strips lying side by side. The usual number of strips is from three to six for a lasagne but a larger number of sheets may be used for soma products, e.g. up to 11.
The number of upper conveyor belts is conveniently the same as the number of strips which it is intended to form in layers over the strip lying on the lower conveyor, i.e. one less than the total number of strips forming the layers of the food product. When there are a plurality of upper conveyors, they are advantageously positioned parallel to one another and have different lengths, the shortest one depositing a strip onto the strip lying on the lower conveyor belt, the next shortest depositing a strip onto the strip which has been deposited from the shortest upper conveyor belt, and so on, until the longest upper conveyor belt deposits the strip which forms the top layer of the food product.
The guiding means to guide the strips of flexible food material onto the upstream ends of the lower and upper conveyor belts respectively may convenient:Ly be rollers around which the strips are trained.
The power means adapted to advance the conveyor belts and the strips downstream may any conventional means, e.g. an electric motor. Although one motor may be used to drive all the belts, it is preferable that separate motors are used to drive the cooling conveyor, the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor belts because it is desirable that the speed of each conveyor is individually adjustable.
Although the conveyors travel at approximately the same -.
speed there is normally a slight speed increase from the cooling conveyor to the upper conveyor and from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor.
The guiding means to guide a strip of~flexible food material from the downstream end of an upper conveyor belt to lie above another strip advancing downstream may suitably be a roller around which the strip is trained.
Advantageously, means are provided for depositing a filling between the layers of the food product. Such means may be provided by a filling nozzle positioned upstream of the guiding means for guiding a strip from the downstream end of an upper conveyor belt to lie above another sheet advancing downstream. For a product having more than one two layers of strips with a filling between each layer, there are conveniently a plurality of filling nozzles arranged successively the number of nozzles corresponding to the number of layers of filling. The guiding means to guide a strip of flexible food material from the downstream end of an upper conveyor belt to lie above another strip advancing downstream may suitably be a calibrating roller around which the strap is trained and which can be adjusted to control the thickness of the filling.
The filling may be, for instance, a sauce or other conventional filling for a lasagne, e.g.using a meat, fish, vegetable or meat base.
Preferably a cutting means is provided for cutting the food product transversely to its direction of travel and is advantageously situated above the lower conveyor downstream of the position where the top layer. has been deposited onto the food product.

..
~~~~r~~ ~i The present invention also provides a process for layering strips of food material comprising a) forming a plurality of parallel strips of flexible food material, b) guiding one strip of flexible food material to the upstream end of a lower conveyor belt and at least one other strip of flexible food material to the upstream end of an upper conveyor belt, the upper conveyor belt extending from its upstream end lateral to the lower conveyor belt to its downstream end overlying the lower conveyor belt, c) advancing the conveyor belts and the strips downstream, and d) guiding a strip of flexible food material from the downstream end of an upper conveyor belt to lie above another strip advancing downstream to form layered sheets of food material.
The present invention may be fully automated and controlled by a computer.
The present invention will now be further illustrated by way of example with reference to the accoanpanying drawings in which gigure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a lasagne producing machine according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a top plan 'view of the machine shown in Figure 1, ~~.3~~~.~~
Figure 3 is a side view of a guiding roller for a pasta strip and a filling nozzle, Figure 4 is a section along the line A-A of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows, and Figure 5 is a section along the line B-B of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.
Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a cooling conveyor 10 transporting a pasta strand 11. At the downstream end of the conveyor 10 are five rotary cutting knives 12 and a guide roller 13. Below the guide roller 13 are three upper cross conveyors 14, 15 and 16, and a lower conveyor 17. A guide roller 18 is provided for guiding pasta strip 19 onto the lower conveyor 17 and three guide rollers 20 (one for each upper cross conveyor 14, 15 and 16) supported on a single shaft are provided for guiding pasta strips 21 onto the upper cross l0 conveyors 14,'15 and 16. A waste bin 22 is provided for receiving scrap pasta cuttings 23. Filling pumps 24, 25 and 26 provided with filling nozzles 27, 28 and 29 respectively supply a sauce 30. Above the lower conveyor are provided calibrating guide rollers 31, 32, 33 and 34 each mounted on a support 35 vertically adjustable by means of a knob 36. Downstream of the calibrating rollers is a guillotine cutter 37 for cutting the layered pasta strip into lasagnes 38 followed by an acceleration conveyor belt 39. Three electric motors 40, 41 arid 42 are provided to drive the cooling conveyor 10, the upper conveyor (comprising cross conveyors 14, 15 and 16), and the lower conveyor 17 respectively.
Tn operation, a blanched pasta strand 11 is transported on a cooling conveyor 10 beneath the rotary cutting knives 12 which cut the strand into four parallel strips " ~ , ~~.~~3~.~~
one of which 19 is trained around and guided by the guiding roller 18 to the lower conveyor 17 where it is trained around the calibrating roller 31 at its upstream end and the other three strips 21 are trained around and guided by the guiding roller 20 to the upstream ends of the upper cross conveyors 14, 15 and 16 respectively. The upper and lower conveyors are driven in synchronisation with the cooling conveyor by a motor (not shown) and a portion of sauce 30 is fed from the nozzle 27 onto the upper surface of the pasta strip 19 travelling downstream on the lower conveyor :L7. When the pasta ;trip 19 with the sauce on top is conveyed to a position below the downstream end of the upper cross conveyor 14, one of the pasta strips 21 travelling downstream on the upper cross conveyor 14 is transported off the downstream end and is trained around the calibrating roller 32 so that it comes to lie upon the layer of sauce which has been fed onto the strip 19 to give a two-layered pasta strip. The calibrating roller 32 adjusts the thickness of the layers with the sauce filling between. A portion of sauce 30 is then fed from nozzle 28 onto the upper surface of the two-layered pasta strip and when the two-layered pasta strip is conveyed to a position beneath the downstream end of the upper cross conveyor 15, another of the pasta strips 21 travelling on the upper conveyor 15 is transported off the downstream end and is trained around the calibrating roller 33 so that it comes to lie upon the layer of sauce which has been fed onto the the upper surface of the two-layered pasta strip to give a three-layered pasta strip. The calibrating roller 33 adjusts the thickness of 'the layers with the sauce filling between. A portion of sauce 30 is then fed from nozzle 29 onto 'the upper surface of the three-layered pasta strip and when the three-layered pasta strip is conveyed to a position beneath the downstream end of the upper cross conveyor 16, another of vthe pasta strips 21 travelling on the upper conveyor 16 is transported off the downstream end and is trained around the calibrating roller 34 so that it comes to lie upon the layer of sauce which has been fed onto the the upper surface of the three-layered pasta strip to give a four-layered pasta strip. The calibrating roller 34 adjusts the thickness of the layers with the sauce filling between and the four-layered pasta strip is then transported downstream so that it passes beneneath the guillotine cutter 37 which reciprocates and cuts the four-layered pasta strip transversely into individual lasagnes 38 which are then transferred to an acceleration belt 39 which spaces them from one another for further processing.
The whole process may be synchronised and electronically controlled by a computer.

Claims (14)

1. A process for layering strips of food material comprising:
forming a plurality of parallel strips of flexible food material;
advancing a first conveyor belt, guiding one of the plurality of strips onto the advancing first conveyor belt to obtain a first strip on the first advancing conveyor belt and transporting the first strip on the first advancing conveyor belt;
advancing a second conveyor belt at a position above the first advancing conveyor belt, guiding a second strip of the plurality of strips onto the second advancing conveyor belt and transporting the second strip on and then off of the second advancing conveyor belt and guiding the off-transported second strip so that the off-transported second strip is guided to lie over and advance with the first strip transported on the first advancing conveyor belt to form a layered product transported on the first advancing conveyor belt.
2. A process according to claim 1 further comprising, prior to guiding the off-transported second strip to lie over the first strip for forming the layered product, depositing a filling onto the first strip transported on the first advancing conveyor belt and transporting and guiding the off-transported second strip so that the guided off-transported second strip lies over the filling and the first strip.
3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the off-transported second strip is guided for contacting the filling and for adjusting and controlling a thickness of the filling.
4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the off-transported second strip is guided by a calibrating roller.
5. A process according to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of further strips formed and there are a plurality of further conveyor belts and further comprising guiding each of the further strips onto the further conveyor belts in a one-to-one relation, and transporting the further strips on and then off of the further conveyor belts and guiding the off-transported further strips so that the further strips are guided sequentially to lie one over another over the transported layered product.
6. A process according to claim 5 further comprising, prior to guiding the off-transported second strip to lie over the first transported strip for forming the layered product, depositing a filling onto the first transported strip and guiding the off-transported second strip so that the guided off-transported second strip lies over the filling and the first strip and prior to guiding each off-transported further strip sequentially to lie over the transported layered product, depositing a filling upon the transported layered product to obtain a further layered product so that filling lies between each strip of the further layered product.
7. A process according to claim 6 wherein the off-transported second and further strips are guided for contacting the filling and for adjusting and controlling a thickness of the filling.
8. A process according to claim 7 wherein the off-transported second and further strips are guided by a calibrating roller.
9. A process according to claims 5 or 6 wherein there are from 1 to 4 further strips and further conveyors.
10. A process according to claims 1 or 2 further comprising cutting the layered product into individual layered articles.
11. A process according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the food material is a pasta.
12. A process according to claims 1 or 2 further comprising forming a pasta dough strand and cutting the strand for forming the plurality of parallel strips.
13. A process according to claim 12 further comprising, prior to cutting the strand, blanching the strand and then cutting the blanched strand.
14. A process according to claim 13 further comprising, prior to cutting the blanched strand, cooling the blanched strand.
CA002130316A 1993-09-03 1994-08-17 Layering machine Expired - Lifetime CA2130316C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP93114125.3 1993-09-03
EP93114125A EP0643915B1 (en) 1993-09-03 1993-09-03 Layering machine

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2130316A1 CA2130316A1 (en) 1995-03-04
CA2130316C true CA2130316C (en) 2004-11-23

Family

ID=8213231

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002130316A Expired - Lifetime CA2130316C (en) 1993-09-03 1994-08-17 Layering machine

Country Status (13)

Country Link
US (2) US5509350A (en)
EP (1) EP0643915B1 (en)
JP (1) JP3126882B2 (en)
AT (1) ATE146038T1 (en)
AU (1) AU674765B2 (en)
BR (1) BR9403398A (en)
CA (1) CA2130316C (en)
DE (1) DE69306572T2 (en)
DK (1) DK0643915T3 (en)
ES (1) ES2096162T3 (en)
FI (1) FI102582B1 (en)
GR (1) GR3022665T3 (en)
NO (1) NO309632B1 (en)

Families Citing this family (14)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ATE199815T1 (en) 1997-06-06 2001-04-15 Nestle Sa METHOD FOR HEATING MULTI-LAYER PASTA
US6263789B1 (en) 2000-03-09 2001-07-24 Ora Corporation Machine for automatically sizing and positioning filling material upon randomly spaced tortillas advancing upon conveyor
IT1318306B1 (en) 2000-08-01 2003-07-28 Mondini G Spa MACHINE FOR THE PACKAGING OF FOOD PRODUCTS.
FR2840159B1 (en) * 2002-05-29 2004-07-23 Nijal PROCESS AND DEVICES FOR MANUFACTURING GROUND STEAKS FILLED WITH A TRIM
US20040146616A1 (en) * 2003-01-29 2004-07-29 Thorson James S. Method and system for ultrasonic surface modification of food products
US7537793B1 (en) 2003-06-10 2009-05-26 Karner James E System for depositing food products on other food products
EP1576889B1 (en) * 2004-02-16 2009-10-14 Unilever PLC Frozen layered food product
US7628106B2 (en) * 2004-08-27 2009-12-08 Conagra Foods Lamb Weston, Inc. Apparatus and method for making filled-dough products
JP2010200725A (en) * 2009-03-06 2010-09-16 Rheon Automatic Machinerty Co Ltd Food dough-extending device
JP5421619B2 (en) * 2009-03-06 2014-02-19 レオン自動機株式会社 Method and apparatus for folding and loading food dough
IT1396039B1 (en) 2009-03-23 2012-11-09 Storci S P A MODULAR UNIT OF AUTOMATIC PACKAGING FOR FOOD PRODUCTS TO BE PACKED IN TRAYS
WO2011099032A2 (en) * 2010-02-10 2011-08-18 Prakash Tambe Method and system for producing dough products
IT1399874B1 (en) * 2010-05-18 2013-05-09 Pulsar Industry S R L METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE PREPARATION OF PRE-PACKAGED FOODS
CN110150349B (en) * 2019-06-13 2021-04-09 武义宝昌电器有限公司 Flour food extrusion forming equipment

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US3670665A (en) * 1971-01-18 1972-06-20 Baker Perkins Inc Layering device for cake
US4091721A (en) * 1976-12-14 1978-05-30 Geraldine Z. DeStafeno Pasta-filata cheese mixing and stretching machine
FR2512645B1 (en) * 1981-09-17 1985-06-21 Caudry Produits Alimentaires PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS COMPRISING A SUPERIMPOSITION OF LAYERS OF PASTA AND SAUCES AND DERIVATIVES
US4569849A (en) * 1984-12-19 1986-02-11 Leno Codino Process for making lasagna
USRE33433E (en) * 1984-12-19 1990-11-13 Leno Codino Lasagna product
US4711165A (en) * 1984-12-19 1987-12-08 Leno Codino Lasagna product
US5129315A (en) * 1987-10-02 1992-07-14 Nestec S.A. Apparatus for forming an array of extruded filaments
EP0323538B1 (en) * 1988-01-08 1992-12-02 Frisco-Findus Ag Machine and method for layering sheets of food material
US5077072A (en) * 1989-09-19 1991-12-31 Sieradzki Stephan A Method and apparatus for cooking food on a belt
US5219315A (en) * 1991-06-28 1993-06-15 Mark Fuller Water effects enhanced motion base simulator ride
US5129949A (en) * 1991-07-22 1992-07-14 American Cyanamid Company Herbicidal composition and method for safening herbicides in cereal crops using 1-carbethoxyethyl-3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoate
IT1252404B (en) * 1991-11-14 1995-06-12 Barilla Flli G & R LASAGNE CONVEYOR AND SIMILAR EDIBLE PASTA FORMATS THROUGH A DRYER
USPP33433P2 (en) * 2020-12-13 2021-08-31 Emerald Coast Growers, Llc Schizachyrium plant named ‘ECGSS’

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU674765B2 (en) 1997-01-09
FI943747A0 (en) 1994-08-15
DE69306572D1 (en) 1997-01-23
DK0643915T3 (en) 1997-05-12
EP0643915A1 (en) 1995-03-22
NO942981L (en) 1995-03-06
BR9403398A (en) 1995-05-09
ES2096162T3 (en) 1997-03-01
FI102582B (en) 1999-01-15
NO309632B1 (en) 2001-03-05
US5509350A (en) 1996-04-23
JP3126882B2 (en) 2001-01-22
JPH07177839A (en) 1995-07-18
GR3022665T3 (en) 1997-05-31
ATE146038T1 (en) 1996-12-15
NO942981D0 (en) 1994-08-12
EP0643915B1 (en) 1996-12-11
DE69306572T2 (en) 1997-04-17
FI102582B1 (en) 1999-01-15
FI943747A (en) 1995-03-04
CA2130316A1 (en) 1995-03-04
AU7023494A (en) 1995-03-16
US5601862A (en) 1997-02-11

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Effective date: 20140818