Device for Rolling Dough on a Surface

Abstract

Device for rolling dough on a surface, such as a plate, roller or conveyor belt, comprising: a carousel comprising a number of rollers, each of which is rotatable around mutually parallel roller rotation axes, all of said axes intersecting an imaginary circle and are jointly rotatable around a carousel rotation axis through the centre of said circle, which carousel rotation axis is parallel to at least that part of the surface intended for rolling the dough;
wherein the dough rollers are cylindrical and each has at least one same end with a slot in their jacket, configured for at least partially accommodating a barrier during rotation of the carousel around the carousel rotation axis.

Claims

1. Device for rolling dough on a surface, such as a plate, roller or conveyor belt, comprising: a carousel comprising a number of rollers, each of which is rotatable around mutually parallel roller rotation axes, all of said axes intersecting an imaginary circle and are jointly rotatable around a carousel rotation axis through the centre of said circle, which carousel rotation axis is parallel to at least that part of the surface intended for rolling the dough; wherein the dough rollers are cylindrical and each has at least one same end with a slot in their jacket, configured for at least partially accommodating a barrier during rotation of the carousel around the carousel rotation axis.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier is located at a fixed position relative to the carousel rotation axis and/or the surface and wherein the carousel is rotatable relative to the barrier.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein a circle-segment-shaped friction plate is provided, that touches a part of the dough rollers located between the slot and the end of the roller during rotation of the carousel, in order to bring the dough rollers into rotation around their respective roller rotation axis when the carousel rotates.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the jacket of the dough rollers has an equal diameter on either side of the slot.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the dough rollers are provided with a slot in their jacket at both ends, configured for accommodating a barrier such as a barrier positioned relative to the surface during rotation of the carousel around the carousel rotation axis, and wherein the device comprises two such barriers.

6. Device according to claim 1, comprising two circle segment-shaped friction plates, arranged in such a way that each contacts a part of the dough rollers located between the slot and the end of the roller at opposite sides during rotation of the carousel, so as to bring the rollers into rotation about their respective roller rotation axis.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axes of the dough rollers cross a disc-, ring- or star-shaped carrier on which the dough roller is fixed, at one or both sides.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the carrier or carriers, viewed from the centre of a roller, are located beyond or outside the at least one barrier or beyond or outside the barriers.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one barrier can be removed separately for cleaning the device.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one barrier forms a boundary of the surface.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axes are accommodated on the carrier by means of a bearing, and wherein there is a locking plate on the outside of the bearing that retains the bearings.

Description

[0014] The invention will be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures. Herein:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a first perspective view of a device according to the invention; and

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a second perspective view of a device according to the invention.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for rolling dough 2 on a surface 3, in this case formed by a roller 3 but this may according to the invention also be a plate or conveyor belt, the device comprising a carousel 4 comprising a number of rollers 5, each of which is rotatable around mutually parallel roller rotation axes 6, all of said axes intersecting an imaginary circle 6A and are jointly rotatable around a carousel rotation axis 7 through the centre of said circle 6A, which carousel rotation axis 7 is parallel to at least that part of the surface 3 intended for rolling the dough 2 wherein the dough rollers 5 are cylindrical and each has at least one same end with a slot 8 in their jacket 9, configured for at least partially accommodating a barrier 10 during rotation of the carousel 4 around the carousel rotation axis.

[0018] The barrier 10 is located at a fixed position relative to the carousel 4 rotation axis 7 and/or the surface 3 and the carousel 4 is rotatable relative to the barrier 10. A second barrier 11 is shown as well, but in this embodiment it is not received in a slot. It still limits the flow of dough 2.

[0019] The device further comprises a a circle-segment-shaped friction plate 12 that touches a part of the dough rollers 5, in particular their jacket 9, located between the slot 8 and the end of the roller 5A during rotation of the carousel 4, in order to bring the dough rollers 5 into rotation r around their respective roller rotation axis 6 when the carousel 7 rotates R around its rotation axis 7.

[0020] The jacket 9 of the dough rollers 5 has an equal diameter on either side of the slot 8 in the embodiment shown. Depending on the turning direction of the carousel with respect to the support, a larger diameter may be applied in order to let them rotate less turns per turn of the carousel 4 or a smaller diameter to let them rotate more turns per turn of the carousel when the surface 3 is moved in the direction S. The same may be applied when the surface is a conveyor belt moving the dough 2.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment 20, wherein the dough rollers are provided with a slot 8 in their jacket 9 at both ends 5A, 5B, configured for accommodating a second barrier 12 as well. The embodiment 20 comprises two circle segment-shaped friction plates 12, 13 arranged in such a way that each contacts a part 5A, 5B of the dough rollers located between the slot and the end of the roller at opposite sides during rotation of the carousel 4, so as to bring the rollers 5 into rotation about their respective roller rotation axis 6. The rotation axes 6 of the dough rollers 5 cross a disc shaped carrier 14 on which the dough roller is fixed. The carriers 14, viewed from the centre of a roller, are located at a distance D beyond the at least one barriers 10, 11. The rotation axes 6 are accommodated on the carrier 14 by means of a bearing 15, and there is a locking plate 16 on the outside of the bearing 15 that retains the bearings 15, as visible in detail A in FIG. 1. They may be provided with a flange 17, so that for removal of a roller, only locking plate 17 needs to be removed.