A rotating nozzle assembly for a die machine connectable to a dough extruder has a stationary sleeve with a first end having internal and external annular recesses and an annular stepped seating surface and a second end mountable in the die machine mounting plate. A nozzle has a first end rotatably disposed in the stationary-sleeve first-end internal annular recess, a second end and a radially outwardly-protruding annular ring between the first and second nozzle ends. A ring seal is disposed between the stationary-sleeve first-end annular stepped seating surface and the radially outwardly-protruding annular nozzle ring. A nozzle cap is fixedly attached to the stationary-sleeve first end. The nozzle is rotatably disposed in the nozzle cap. The nozzle second end extends beyond the nozzle cap. An annular stepped axial thrust bearing surface in the nozzle cap prevents relative axial movement of the nozzle while allowing rotation of the nozzle.

The invention relates to a method for machine production of pretzels, comprising the following features: providing a pretzel shaping and looping device (1), which receives strands of dough by means of a feed mechanism; gripping the central area of the strands of dough with a shaping unit of the device (1), wherein the central area of the strand of dough (8) is wrapped around a plurality of bolt-type shaping elements (2) of the shaping unit that are adjustable in height; gripping the ends (5) of the dough by means of at least one gripping unit (3) which is equipped with grippers (4) and stretching the strand of dough (8) by pulling on the ends (5) of the strand of dough, while at the same time securing the central area of the strand of dough (8) by the shaping unit, and shaping a pretzel knot by means of a mutual rotation of the grippers (4), wherein the shaping of the pretzel knot is initiated by rotation of the grippers (4) already during the stretching of the strand of dough (8).

The invention relates to a method for machine production of pretzels, comprising the following features: providing a pretzel shaping and looping device (1), which receives strands of dough by means of a feed mechanism; gripping the central area of the strands of dough with a shaping unit of the device (1), wherein the central area of the strand of dough (8) is wrapped around a plurality of bolt-type shaping elements (2) of the shaping unit that are adjustable in height; gripping the ends (5) of the dough by means of at least one gripping unit (3) which is equipped with grippers (4) and stretching the strand of dough (8) by pulling on the ends (5) of the strand of dough, while at the same time securing the central area of the strand of dough (8) by the shaping unit, and shaping a pretzel knot by means of a mutual rotation of the grippers (4), wherein the shaping of the pretzel knot is initiated by rotation of the grippers (4) already during the stretching of the strand of dough (8).

A shaping assembly for producing a discrete spiral shaped food product includes a die that defines at least one aperture that is centered on an aperture axis. The at least one aperture extends to an aperture exit and allows for the movement of a stream of food mass through the aperture and out the aperture exit. A shaping tool includes at least one slicing blade that is disposed over at least a portion of the aperture exit to slice the stream of food mass into a plurality of food mass portions. A coupling arrangement engages the shaping tool to facilitate rotation of the slicing blade to spin the plurality of food mass portions into a spiral shaped stream of food mass. The slicing blade simultaneously slices and spins the stream of food mass to create the spiral shaped stream of food mass. A crimper is used to cut the spiral shaped stream of food mass into the discrete spiral shaped food products.

A dough processing system for processing a U-shaped strand of dough comprising a processing head, which has two gripping means for looping the dough strand, and a shaping table, which is provided with positioning means for positioning the dough strand, wherein the shaping table is embodied as a processing table, in which various positioning means of the processing table have multiple different processing functions.

A dough processing system for processing a U-shaped strand of dough comprising a processing head, which has two gripping means for looping the dough strand, and a shaping table, which is provided with positioning means for positioning the dough strand, wherein the shaping table is embodied as a processing table, in which various positioning means of the processing table have multiple different processing functions.

A food product rolling machine which comprises a combination of lower, upper and reciprocating functions with a vertical adjustment between upper and lower conveyers for the manufacture of a more precise food product.

A method for processing a U-shaped dough strand (100) having a first dough strand end, which can be used as a securing dough strand end (111), and a second dough strand end, which can be used as a looping dough strand end (121), in which the dough strand (100) is looped by means of a processing head (200) having at least two gripping means (201, 202) to form at least one dough strand loop (161, 162, 163) and is positioned by means of a processing table (300) having positioning means (304, 305, 306, 307), and at least one positioning means embodied as a lifting means (307) raises sections of the dough strand (100) to a raised position relative to the processing table (300), and/or at least one positioning means embodied as a table gripper (306) stretches and/or pulls sections of one of the dough strand ends (121). At least one positioning means (308) embodied as a knotting means (308) spreads and/or expands an opening of a dough strand loop (161) and/or guides a dough strand end (121) through the dough strand loop (161), and said dough strand end (121) is secured in place by means of the dough strand loop (161).

A method for processing a U-shaped dough strand (100) having a first dough strand end, which can be used as a securing dough strand end (111), and a second dough strand end, which can be used as a looping dough strand end (121), in which the dough strand (100) is looped by means of a processing head (200) having at least two gripping means (201, 202) to form at least one dough strand loop (161, 162, 163) and is positioned by means of a processing table (300) having positioning means (304, 305, 306, 307), and at least one positioning means embodied as a lifting means (307) raises sections of the dough strand (100) to a raised position relative to the processing table (300), and/or at least one positioning means embodied as a table gripper (306) stretches and/or pulls sections of one of the dough strand ends (121). At least one positioning means (308) embodied as a knotting means (308) spreads and/or expands an opening of a dough strand loop (161) and/or guides a dough strand end (121) through the dough strand loop (161), and said dough strand end (121) is secured in place by means of the dough strand loop (161).

Device for twisting dough pieces, comprising a pair of conveyor belts, comprising a first and a second conveyor belt, with mutually facing conveying surfaces for clamping a dough piece between them, and for transporting the dough piece in the conveying direction of the mutually facing conveying surfaces of the first and a second conveyor belt, which transport direction is the longitudinal direction of said dough piece, a third conveyor belt, positioned downstream of the pair of conveyor belts in the conveying direction, for taking over a dough piece from the pair of conveyor belts and transporting it further in the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the pair of conveyor belts is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the longitudinal direction, for twisting the dough piece around the longitudinal axis during the transfer of the dough piece from the pair of conveyor belts to the third conveyor belt.