Apparatus for continuously rolling up sheets of baked cookies

Abstract

A device for forming rolled sheet articles, such as cookies, which are rolled after heating, comprises an endless conveyor which has a surface on which the article is placed and which is continuously advanced at a predetermined speed. The article is moved substantially tangent to a periphery of a roll-up roller which is rotatably mounted alongside a portion of the conveyor and is spaced less than the width of the sheet article thickness from the conveyor. The roll-up roller is rotated at a slower speed than the movement advance of the surface and it engages the sheet article or cookie and causes the bending thereof around its surface. A roller board is arranged adjacent the roll-up roller and it includes a stopper which prevents complete rolling of the article around the roll-up roller and instead deflects it forwardly in the feed advance direction of the conveyor. A friction surface is arranged above the conveyor and it is either stationary so that it provides a drag on the periphery of the partially rolled up article so as to complete its rolling during the advancing movement of the conveyor or it is moved in a direction and in an amount to cause a frictional drag on the periphery of the cookie and to continue its rolling and winding movement. For rolling cookies, it is desirable sometimes to feed the cookie either with its heated surface outermost or with its heated surface innermost and the apparatus includes means for directing the desired surface into the inside rolling arc or the outside rolling arc such as by a reversing device for reversing the location of the surface or by a roll-up roller which is arranged below the conveyor feed rather than above it so as to roll it inwardly rather than outwardly.