The Pillsbury Company

Burger King Corporation

Glenn O Rasmussen

James W Finkowski

Robert F Meyer

Chad M Kubat

Daniel B Migliori

Jimmy A Demars

Jack J Rejsa

Kenneth J Valentas

Thomas P Kempf

James S Thorson

Israel A Saguy

Joseph G Anton

Shahed Zaman

Dale W Frederickson

Robert E Meyer

Jack Reisa

James K Finkowski

Enrique Rotstein

Ronald N Phillips

Richard L Keller

An apparatus utilizes an object holding technique for holding a tray or discrete object while supplying a dough product onto the tray or discrete object. Preferably, a conveyor transports the tray or discrete object for receiving dough products. A subframe preferably moves the tray or object, by way of deflecting the conveyor, to a position with respect to a dough supplying device such that dough products may be placed on the tray or object. In an embodiment, a cutoff blade may be utilized to portion the dough products. Preferably, the operation of the conveyor, subframe, supply device, and cutoff blade are controlled by a control system. The present invention is also directed to methods of portioning and placing dough products on a tray or discrete object by way of such an apparatus.

Apparatus and method for depositing cookie dough into a tray

An apparatus utilizes an object holding technique for holding a tray or discrete object while depositing an extruded dough product onto the tray or discrete object. Preferably, a conveyor transports the tray or discrete object for receiving extruded dough products. A subframe preferably moves the tray or object, by way of deflecting the conveyor, to a position with respect to a dough extruder such that dough products may be placed on the tray or object. In an embodiment, a cutoff blade may be utilized to portion the dough products. Preferably, the operation of the conveyor, subframe, extruder, and cutoff blade are controlled by a control system.

An apparatus for cutting dough products fed by a conveyor assembly into a cutting section comprises a segmented, generally spiral-shaped straight cutting blade or three-dimensional or helical-shaped cutting blade having an angled blade edge, the blade attached to a shaft coupled to a motor operable to turn the blade to effect a cut of the dough products within the cutting section, with a feedback controller coordinating the blade turning rate with the dough feed rate.

Apparatus for cutting dough products

A dough cutting and packing apparatus capable of processing and packaging dough products of differing dimensions includes a plurality of cutting plates supported adjacent one another to form an endless cutting unit. A container positioning mechanism positions a plurality of containers relative to the openings to receive the dough pieces after they are removed by the reciprocating packing mechanism. A servo motor drive actuation of both the cutter bar indexing drive system and the container advancement system allows for accurate positioning by reprogramming the servo drive for a particular product dimension rather than mechanically changing over to alternate equipment. A self-contained container advancement module can be removed and replaced with another container module suitable for delivering containers of different dimensions. A removable sprocket and chain system are dedicated to cutter bars of a particular size such that significant retooling is not required to change cutter bars and support chains in order to process dough products of different dimensions.

Universal dough cutting and packing apparatus

A dough extrusion die has a die set with an inner die and an outer die. The inner die is formed in a desired shape that represents an item of interest, such as an animal, toy, or other identifiable object, and the outer die has an opening surrounding the inner die. Dough is extruded through each of the dies simultaneously. The dough for the inner die has a different indicia, such as color or other visually identifiable characteristic from the dough extruded through the outer die. A sizing housing is positioned downstream from the dies and smoothly changes in cross sectional size in direction away from the dies to permit the dough to flow such that streamlines remain parallel as the sizing housing changes in size, to accurately retain the center cross sectional shape of the extruded dough as formed by the inner die. Preferably, as disclosed, the sizing housing is cone shaped to reduce the extruded dough cross sectional area.

Extrusion die for dough

A slicing guide marker for marking impressionable food products with an elongated cantilever arm rotatably attached to a support shaft. The cantilever arm having a marking roller adjacent one end and a counterweight slidably carried by the arm. The marking roller having a wheel with a plurality of teeth extending generally radially outwardly of the wheel for marking the food product.

Slicing guide marker

A french fry cooking apparatus for deep-frying french fries includes a cooking unit having a plurality of frying baskets. Mounted above the cooking unit is a refrigeration unit which includes a first conveyor upon which a supply of frozen french fries is stored. The first conveyor discharges the fries onto a second conveyor which dispenses a metered quantity of fries to a delivery mechanism. The delivery mechanism includes a shaft and a rotatable directional chute for directing the frozen fries from the second conveyor into any one of the plurality of frying baskets. The frying baskets are pivotally attached to the cooking unit and are each movable by way of a drive unit between a loading/draining position for receiving fries from the chute and for draining oil from deep fried fries, a cooking position for deep frying the fries, and a dump position for discharging the deep fried fries from the frying basket. Deep fried fries are discharged onto a further conveyor which takes the fries to a holding bin. The fries are then distributed from the holding bin to customers as per their orders. Frozen french fries are loaded onto the first conveyor by way of a loading mechanism having a loading bin.

Automated french fry cooking apparatus

A process is provided for improving the reliability of sterilization of canned viscous food products by ensuring the proper amount and rate of rotation of cans during heat processing. Improvement in controlling the lethality of microorganisms can be accomplished. The method involves intervallically monitoring the rotation of the canned food in the processing equipment and utilizing the obtained rotation information to correct processing conditions to ensure commercial sterility.

Growing community of inventors

Champlin, MN, United States of America

Glenn O Rasmussen