Lanham Machinery Company, Inc.

Other

Baking Technology Systems, Inc.

Stephen R Smith

William E Lanham

Geri G Walker

A system and method for applying steam to baked products in a conveyorized oven. A steam tunnel sub-enclosure includes exhaust ducts collecting steam at the conveyor's entrance and exit thereof to prevent steam from being released into the rest of the oven where it might interfere with ignition control equipment.

Conveyorized baking oven with steam tunnel

A conveyor system for use in a continuous proofing and baking apparatus to convey ferromagnetic dough receptacles comprising an elongate track with a conveyor chain mounted in the track and a plurality of product supporting grid assemblies on the chain where each grid assembly includes a support frame mounted on the chain and a plurality of magnet units mounted on the support frame for selected movement between two positions to magnetically mount different types of the ferromagnetic dough receptacles.

Magnetic grid

A bakery oven, of the type employing a continuous spiral conveyor for carrying goods to be baked through an oven enclosure, employs an air distribution system to direct heated air from near the top wall of the oven enclosure to a plenum chamber, and from there through an air distribution network to at least certain ones of the tiers of the spiral conveyor. Preferably, heater elements are disposed beneath alternate ones of the tiers of the conveyor system within the oven enclosure, while the air distribution pipes are disposed beneath the remaining tiers. This arrangement serves to decrease fuel consumption for the burners, thereby increasing productivity, and further serves to decrease the stratification of heat layers within the oven enclosure, thereby providing uniform baking conditions throughout the oven enclosure.

Baking oven with heated air distribution-II

A damper control is employed in the exhaust duct of a bakery oven to maintain constant air mass flow through the duct during a baking cycle to ensure even baking conditions. The damper control can include a pitot tube from which velocity pressure can be derived, and a pneumatic or electronic control loop to move an exhaust damper in the exhaust duct as necessary to keep the velocity pressure constant.

Exhaust damper control

A bakery oven, of the type employing a continuous spiral conveyor for carrying the goods to be baked through the oven enclosure, employs an air distribution system to direct heated air from near the top wall of the oven enclosure to a plenum chamber, and from there through a pipe distribution network to at least certain ones of the tiers of the spiral conveyor. Preferably, heater elements are disposed beneath alternate ones of the tiers of the conveyor system within the oven enclosure, while the air distribution pipes are disposed parallel to and beneath the remaining tiers. This arrangement serves to decrease fuel consumption for the burners, thereby increasing productivity, and further serves to decrease the stratification of heat layers within the oven enclosure, thereby providing uniform baking conditions throughout the oven enclosure.

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Tucker, GA, United States of America

Stephen R Smith