A roller assembly for producing a compressed sheet material, such as a food product, having a roller support frame holding a fixed and a slidable roller; an actuator to apply force to the slidable roller, and a variable width spacer located between the shaft bearings of the rollers to limit the minimum separation between them. Variable width spacers comprising sliding wedges or a cam are described.

A roller assembly for producing a compressed sheet material, such as a food product, having a roller support frame holding a fixed and a slidable roller; an actuator to apply force to the slidable roller, and a variable width spacer located between the shaft bearings of the rollers to limit the minimum separation between them. Variable width spacers comprising sliding wedges or a cam are described.

In a food dough forming device according to the present invention, a dough forming flow path is formed to be enclosed between at least two rotatable rollers and between two wall plates. At least one of the at least two rotatable rollers is at least one long rotatable roller (31A, 32A). At least one remaining rotatable roller is at least one short rotatable roller (33A, 31B, 32B, 33B). A far-side wall plate (53) of the two wall plates has a fitting recess (53A, 53B) into which an arc portion of a periphery of the long rotatable roller is fitted, and a recessed cutout (53C, 53D, 53E, 53F) at the rotational shaft for the short rotatable roller. The short rotatable roller is fitted onto the rotational shaft for the short rotatable roller to abut the far-side wall plate. The nearside wall plate is disposed to abut the short rotatable roller. An axial movement of the short rotatable roller is limited by the two wall plates.

In a food dough forming device according to the present invention, a dough forming flow path is formed to be enclosed between at least two rotatable rollers and between two wall plates. At least one of the at least two rotatable rollers is at least one long rotatable roller (31A, 32A). At least one remaining rotatable roller is at least one short rotatable roller (33A, 31B, 32B, 33B). A far-side wall plate (53) of the two wall plates has a fitting recess (53A, 53B) into which an arc portion of a periphery of the long rotatable roller is fitted, and a recessed cutout (53C, 53D, 53E, 53F) at the rotational shaft for the short rotatable roller. The short rotatable roller is fitted onto the rotational shaft for the short rotatable roller to abut the far-side wall plate. The nearside wall plate is disposed to abut the short rotatable roller. An axial movement of the short rotatable roller is limited by the two wall plates.

A device for twisting pieces of dough comprises a conveyor configured to convey pieces of dough in a production direction. The device further comprises at least one holding belt arranged above the conveyor and configured to engage with a first portion of a piece of dough arranged on the conveyor. Further, the device comprises a turning device configured to turn a turning portion of the piece of dough relative to the first portion and upwardly while the holding belt engages with the first portion of the piece of dough.

A device for twisting pieces of dough comprises a conveyor configured to convey pieces of dough in a production direction. The device further comprises at least one holding belt arranged above the conveyor and configured to engage with a first portion of a piece of dough arranged on the conveyor. Further, the device comprises a turning device configured to turn a turning portion of the piece of dough relative to the first portion and upwardly while the holding belt engages with the first portion of the piece of dough.

A dough processing device having a conveyor configured to convey dough in a production direction, and a rolling station. The rolling station includes a satellite roller having a drum and at least two rollers configured to engage the dough, wherein the drum is rotatable about a drum axis, and the rollers are revolvable about the drum axis by rotation of the drum. The rolling station further includes a counter roller disposed opposite the satellite roller, wherein the rolling station is configured to roll the dough between the satellite roller and the counter roller. The rolling station includes a first guiding element configured to confine an evasion of the dough in a first confinement direction oriented transversely with respect to the production direction, wherein the first guiding element is further configured to support the conveying of the dough.

The present invention relates to a dough handling device, comprising a dough sheeting stage, for delivering a dough sheet with a predetermined thickness and a controllable dough stretching or condensing stage, for locally stretching or condensing the dough sheet, comprising a first stretching or condensing conveyor belt with a controllable speed, configured for receiving the dough sheet from the dough sheeting stage and transporting said dough sheet in a direction of conveyance, from upstream to downstream and a second stretching or condensing conveyor belt with a controllable speed for transporting the dough sheet in said direction of conveyance, and a controller, for controlling the speed of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt and/or the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt and/or the relative speed of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt and the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt and therewith to locally alter the density and/or thickness of the dough sheet.

The present invention relates to a dough handling device, comprising a dough sheeting stage, for delivering a dough sheet with a predetermined thickness and a controllable dough stretching or condensing stage, for locally stretching or condensing the dough sheet, comprising a first stretching or condensing conveyor belt with a controllable speed, configured for receiving the dough sheet from the dough sheeting stage and transporting said dough sheet in a direction of conveyance, from upstream to downstream and a second stretching or condensing conveyor belt with a controllable speed for transporting the dough sheet in said direction of conveyance, and a controller, for controlling the speed of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt and/or the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt and/or the relative speed of the first stretching or condensing conveyor belt and the second stretching or condensing conveyor belt and therewith to locally alter the density and/or thickness of the dough sheet.

A method for manufacturing a food product includes depositing a first foodstuff; transporting the first foodstuff in a first driven direction; depositing a second foodstuff upon a portion of an upper surface of the first foodstuff; transporting the first foodstuff with the second foodstuff deposited thereupon in the first driven direction; separating the first foodstuff with the second foodstuff metered thereupon into a plurality of sheet segments; serially transporting each sheet segment of the plurality of sheet segments from the first driven direction to a second driven direction that is transverse to the first driven direction; compressing the serially transported sheet segments for forming a plurality of thickness segments including the first foodstuff and the second foodstuff that define an elongated, food product body; separating the elongated, food product body into a plurality of food product body units; and finishing the plurality of food product body units.