Dough product rolling apparatus and method for rolling dough products

Abstract

A dough product made by a process whereby a dough having an engagement surface and a leading feature is positioned onto the conveyor, transferred towards a process direction by a driving engagement and impacted to create a region of low pressure.

1 - 54 . (canceled)  
     
     
         55 . A dough product made according to a process, said process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a dough product, the dough product having an engagement surface and a leading feature;    positioning the engagement surface of the dough product onto a movable surface of a conveyor;    transferring the dough product in a process direction by a driving engagement between the dough product engagement surface and the movable surface of the conveyor; and    impacting the leading feature of the dough product with an impact device operatively positioned along the process direction by movement of the movable surface of the conveyor; wherein the step of impacting the leading feature with the impact device further comprises temporarily increasing and thus enhancing the driving engagement between the engagement surface of the dough product and the movable surface by creating a region of low pressure as compared to the ambient environment at a position below the movable surface, the region of low pressure extending at least across a portion of a width of the movable surface and extending a predetermined distance in the process direction.    
     
     
         56 . The dough product of  claim 55 , wherein the process step of impacting the leading feature further comprises moving the impacting device to a position permitting the dough product to move between the impacting device on the conveyor, and latching the impact device in a raised position by a latching mechanism.  
     
     
         57 . The dough product of  claim 55 , wherein the process further comprises a vacuum chamber provided for creating the region of low pressure and wherein the moveable surface is perforated to permit enhancement of the driving engagement between the moveable surface and the engagement surface of the sheet of dough product.  
     
     
         58 . The dough product of  claim 55 , wherein the process further comprises a step of rolling the dough product by a rolling device operatively provided downstream in the process direction from the impacting device that creates a drag force on a roll initiated portion of the dough product as it is driven by the movable surface.  
     
     
         59 . The dough product of  claim 55 , wherein the process further comprises processing a plurality of dough products at substantially the same time by an apparatus comprising a plurality of processing lanes wherein each lane includes an impacting station comprising an impacting device and an engagement enhancement means for enhancing a driving engagement between the moveable surface of the conveyor and the engagement surface of the dough product when the impacting device impacts the dough product.  
     
     
         60 . A dough product made according to a process, said process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a dough product, the dough product having an engagement surface and a leading feature;    positioning the engagement surface of the dough product onto a movable surface of a conveyor;    transferring the dough product in a process direction by a driving engagement between the engagement surface of the dough product and the movable surface of the conveyor; and    impacting the leading feature of the dough product with an impact device operatively positioned along the process direction by movement of the movable surface of the conveyor, and thereby initiating a partial roll of the sheet of dough product, wherein the impacting step further comprises moving the impacting device to a position permitting the dough product to move between the impacting device on the conveyor, and latching the impact device in a raised position by a latching mechanism followed by the step of triggering release of the latching mechanism comprises conveying the dough product downstream of the impacting device in the process direction and hitting a trigger device of the trigger mechanism.    
     
     
         61 . The dough product of  claim 60 , wherein the process further comprises step of enhancing the driving engagement, comprising creating a force of differential pressure obtained by creating a region of high pressure positioned above the movable surface, the region of high pressure extending at least across a portion of a width of the movable surface and extending a predetermined distance in the process direction.  
     
     
         62 . The dough product of  claim 60 , wherein the process further comprises processing a plurality of dough products at the same time by an apparatus comprising a plurality of processing lanes wherein each lane includes an impacting station comprising an impacting device and an engagement enhancement means for enhancing a driving engagement between the moveable surface of the conveyor and the engagement surface of the dough product when the impacting device impacts the dough product.  
     
     
         63 . A dough product made using an apparatus for processing a dough product, the apparatus comprising: 
 a support frame;    a conveyor operatively supported by the frame and having a movable surface upon which the engagement surface of the dough product can be carried in a process direction by a driving engagement between the movable surface and the engagement surface of the dough product;    an impacting station comprising an impacting device operatively supported by the frame and movably disposed relative to the movable surface of the conveyor, the impacting device movable between an impact position wherein at least a portion of the impacting device is positioned to impact the leading feature of the dough product as it is conveyed to the impacting station and a position wherein the dough product can pass between it and the conveyor; and    an engagement enhancement means for enhancing a driving engagement between the movable surface of the conveyor and the engagement surface of the dough product when the impacting device will impact the leading feature of the dough product.