Blunt Edge Dough Cutter

Abstract

A dough cutting apparatus is suitable for cutting a sheet of dough. The dough cutting apparatus includes a structure defining a blunt dough engaging portion. The present invention can be embodied in a number of different ways, including a wheel cutter, a rotary drum cutter, a reciprocating head cutter, or another cutter.

1 . A method of shaping and cutting a dough sheet comprising:
 conveying the dough sheet in a dough travel direction upon a conveyor with a lower surface of the dough sheet resting upon the conveyor; and   reciprocating a head to cause a cutter, having a blunt dough engaging portion disposed on the head, to intermittently engage, shape and cut the dough sheet into individual products.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling a first motor for driving the conveyor; and   controlling a second motor to reciprocate the head, wherein the conveyor is indexed while the head is reciprocated.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the head moved both vertically and horizontally relative to the dough sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: causing the head to walk, so as to move with the dough sheet, as the head reciprocates. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein reciprocating the head includes:
 moving the head substantially vertically such that the cutter presses downwardly into the dough sheet as the dough sheet moves in a substantially horizontal direction;   shifting the head substantially horizontally with the dough sheet for a predetermined distance; and   withdrawing the cutter from the dough sheet both vertically and horizontally.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, upon reciprocating the head, the blunt dough engaging portion contacts an upper surface of the dough sheet and draws the upper surface to the lower surface so as to pinch the first and second skins together in shaping the individual products. 
     
     
         7 . A method of shaping and cutting a dough sheet comprising:
 conveying a dough sheet in a dough travel direction upon a conveyor, the dough sheet having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface being in contact with the conveyor, and the upper surface being defined by a skin of the dough sheet, with the skin being spaced from the conveyor based on a thickness of the dough sheet;   making depressions in the dough sheet in the dough traveling direction by engaging the dough sheet with a first set of wheels mounted for rotation about a first axis which is transverse to the dough travel direction, each of the first set of wheels being spaced above the conveyor by a distance less than the thickness of the dough sheet wherein the first set of wheels depress or locally stretch, but not break, the skin of the dough sheet toward the conveyor; and   subsequently severing the dough sheet into a plurality of spaced, adjacent dough strips with a second set of wheels mounted for rotation about a second axis which is transverse to the dough travel direction and downstream of the first set of wheels, wherein the second set of wheels extend into the depressions and contact with the conveyor to sever the dough sheet.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: expanding the depressions in the dough sheet by contacting the dough sheet with a third set of wheels which are arranged downstream of the first set of wheels, upstream of the second set of wheels and aligned with the first and second sets of wheels in the dough traveling direction. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the skin of the dough sheet is not broken during either making the depressions or expanding the depressions. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first set of wheels locally stretches the dough sheet toward the conveyor without breaking the skin, while the second set of wheels completely severs the dough sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: shaping the dough sheet with tapered, blunt portions of at least the first set of wheels. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: rotating, without positively driving, each of the first and second sets of wheels by driving the first and second sets of wheels solely through engagement with the sheet of dough or the conveyor. 
     
     
         13 . A method of shaping and cutting a dough sheet comprising:
 conveying a dough sheet in a dough travel direction upon a conveyor;   making depressions in the dough sheet in the dough traveling direction at an upstream location;   downstream of the upstream location, expanding the depressions; and   further downstream, severing the dough sheet along the depressions into a plurality of spaced, adjacent dough strips.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the dough sheet has an upper surface, defined by a skin of the dough sheet, and a lower surface, said dough being conveyed with the lower surface being in contact with the conveyor, with the skin being spaced from the conveyor based on a thickness of the dough sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein making depressions in the dough at the upstream location is performed by engaging the dough sheet with a first set of wheels mounted for rotation about a first axis which is transverse to the dough travel direction, each of the first set of wheels being spaced above the conveyor by a distance less than the thickness of the dough sheet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein expanding the depressions constitutes increasing a depth of the depressions with a second set of wheels mounted for rotation about a second axis which is transverse to the dough travel direction and downstream of the first set of wheels, wherein the second set of wheels extend into the depressions. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein severing of the dough is performed by contacting the dough sheet with a third set of wheels which are arranged downstream of both the first and second sets of wheels, aligned with the first and second sets of wheels in the dough traveling direction, and contact with the conveyor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the skin of the dough sheet is not broken during either making the depressions or expanding the depressions, but rather only in severing the dough sheet.