General Mills, Inc.

General Mills Marketing, Inc.

James N. Weinstein

Peter A. Huberg

Scott A. Tolson

Peter A Huberg

James N Weinstein

Frank Konkle

Geoff Suski

Scott A Tolson

Ed Francis

Gregory A Clanton

Bernhard H Van Lengerich

Philip K Zietlow

James R Borek

Kara M Hobart

Thomas M Jarl

Laurie Burgess

Julie L Holmstrom

Joana Montenegro

Paul Henderson

James M Olive

Ryan D Gifford

Christopher Crosby

Lisa Jo Ryan

Gary O Bendickson

James M O'Donnell

Gerald J Rudolph

Jennifer M Mcaab

Thomas Leuhrs

Douglas J Novak

Thomas Luehrs

Wendy M Offenberger

Jenny Maack Mcaab

A plurality of dough pieces are produced using a rotary dough cutter including a shaft, a plurality of walls extending radially outward from the shaft and a plurality of interior blades extending radially outward from the shaft. The plurality of walls define a plurality of dough cutter molds. The plurality of dough cutter molds include a first dough cutter mold and a second dough cutter mold. A first wall of the plurality of walls defines part of both the first dough cutter mold and the second dough cutter mold. Each of the plurality of interior blades is located in one of the plurality of dough cutter molds. The plurality of dough pieces are cut from a dough sheet with the plurality of walls. The plurality of dough pieces are scored with the plurality of interior blades. After scoring, the plurality of dough pieces are proofed and then frozen.

Rotary dough cutter and method of operation

An apparatus is provided for forming, cutting and stamping a dough sheet into a plurality of uniformly stamped, imprinted dough pieces. The apparatus engages a leading portion of a dough sheet as it travels along a conveyor. The apparatus includes a drum rotatably disposed relative to the conveyor, a plurality of cutter molds disposed on the rotatable drum and a plurality of pattern imprinters formed within internal cavities defined by the plurality of cutter molds. Each of the cutter molds simultaneously cuts a dough piece received in the internal cavity and imprints on the dough piece to form a rounded edge roll. The pattern imprinter preferably has a star configuration for stamping the dough to form Kaiser-type rolls.

Dough cutting and stamping apparatus and method

An apparatus and method is provided for forming and cutting a dough sheet into a plurality of generally spherically shaped, boule-type dough products in a continuous process. The apparatus includes a rotatable drum and a plurality of cutter molds disposed on the rotatable drum for engaging, shaping and severing dough from the sheet as the dough sheet moves along the dough travel path. Each of the cutter molds including a peripheral edge portion, a base portion and a curved, annular side wall defining a concave, generally bowl-shaped internal cavity, with the peripheral edge portion establishing a cutting edge for the cutter mold.

Dough forming and cutting apparatus and method

Dough cutter

Apparatus and methods for fabricating food items include extruding a first hot plastic food mass through multiple passages and co-extruding a second hot plastic food mass through a feed stem received in each of the multiple passages and through nozzles. Each nozzle includes a first portion in communication with the feed stem but not the passage and a second portion in communication with the passage but not the feed stem. The nozzles are rotatable in gearing relation with the drive gear of a servomotor. The co-extruded ropes are conveyed at a linear speed rate less than or equal to the discharge speed from the nozzles, cooled, and cut into individual pieces in the form of peelably separable strands.

Apparatus and methods for fabricating food items

Apparatus and methods for fabricating food items include extruding a first hot plastic food mass through multiple passages () and co-extruding a second hot plastic food mass through a feed stem () received in each of the multiple passages () and through nozzles (). Each nozzle () includes a first portion () in communication with the feed stem () but not the passage () and a second portion () in communication with the passage () but not the feed stem (). The nozzles () are rotatable in gearing relation with the drive gear () of a servomotor (). The co-extruded ropes are conveyed at a linear speed rate less than or equal to the discharge speed from the nozzles (), cooled, and cut into individual pieces in the form of peelably separable strands.

Kaiser roll cutter mold

Methods and apparatus for accurately and repeatably depositing edible particulates on edible products. A dual-drum rotary feed system accurately meters an amount of edible particle for each edible product with a first rotary drum while a second rotary drum deposits the edible particulates onto or within the edible product. The dual-drum rotary feeder can comprise replaceable drums wherein drums can be quickly removed and replaced for cleaning, sanitization and to adjust processing conditions such as, for example, changes in production rates and/or product size.

Rotary feeding system

A complexly patterned extrudate is constituted by a confectionery food piece having a main body which is formed from a compressible material, such as foam. More specifically, the body has a first color and is provided with at least one fine line or plane of a second color or hue. The fine line or plane preferably extends through the body and has a thickness of less than 1 mm.

Confectionery food piece having colored fine line

An extrudable food product is provided by a food cooker extruder ( ) and is mixed with an additive to form a patterned food product, using a pattern forming die ( ). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end ( ) to an outlet end ( ) by a factor of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of &lE;45&deg; while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned dough, and then is extruded through a die port ( ) having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate. The food product comprising, multiple extrudates are simultaneously formed with the flow rates for each extrudate being adjustable by an adjuster plug ( ) including a smooth cylindrical portion ( ) extendable into a passageway ( ) having a circular cross section of a larger diameter than the cylindrical portion ( ). A color additive is injected to provide a topical coating to the periphery of the flowing dough to lubricate and reduce friction of the periphery of the flowing dough with the passageway ( ) and to produce a surface coloration on the periphery of the flowing dough.

Apparatus and methods for making multiple, patterned extrudates

Apparatus (,) and methods are disclosed where plastic extrudable food product is provided such as by an extruder or pump and is combined with another food product without intermixing to form a complexly patterned food product, such as by a pattern forming die (,). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end (,) to an outlet end (,) by a factor of 4:1 to as much as 50:1 at an average convergence angle of 5 to 65&deg; while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned food product, and then is extruded through a die port having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate.

Apparatus and methods for making multiple, complexly patterned extrudates

Growing community of inventors

Shoreview, MN, United States of America

Peter A Huberg