Rolled food item fabricating methods

• US 5,284,667 A
• Filed: 02/16/1993
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Original Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Craig E., Merle, Rene K.
• Primary Examiner(s): YEUNG, GEORGE CHAN PUI
• Application Number:
  US08/017,881
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 426/297, 426/410, 426/414, 426/420, 426/501, 426/515, 426/517, 426/518, 426/383, 53/118, 53/122, 53/136.3, 53/202, 53/514, 425/362, 425/363
• US Class Current: 426/420
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 3/06 Machines for coiling sheets of dough, e.g. for producing rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 9/063 Applying a folding, wrapping, rolling action A21C9/045, A21C9/061 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/0236 Shaping of liquid, paste, powder; Manufacture of moulded articles, e.g. modelling, moulding, calendering
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/48 containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts containing gums A23G3/42
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/09 Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, purée, sauce, or products made therefrom, e.g. snacks A23L19/01, A23L19/10, A23L27/63 and A23L21/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/20 Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 63/04 for folding or winding articles, e.g. gloves or stockings

Abstract

A rolled food item is fabricated by advancing food (14) and a sheet of support material (16) between the rollers (18, 20) of a strip sheeter (12) where the food (14) fills grooves (24) of the first roller (18) to deposit the food (14) in continuous strips on the support material (16). After passing through a cooling tunnel (58), the support material (16) is also cut into strips between the strips of food (14) in a first cutting section (62). The multiplicity of strips are then cut to lengths in a second cutting section (64). Labels (68) are secured to the trailing ends of the strips and the trailing ends of the strips are pressed by a label presser (70) to adhere the labels (68) to the strips. The strips are simultaneously rolled in a roll-up section (74) including a rotatable fork (76). Specifically, after the leading ends of the strips are inserted between the legs (78, 80) of the fork (76), the fork (76) is rotated to roll the strips on the fork (76). A pressure plate (90) is moved to abut with the rolls located on the fork (76) to adhere the trailing end portions of the labels (68) to the rolls. The fork (76) is moved transversely to axially slide the rolls from the fork (76). Guide fingers (96) are insertable between the strips to insure that the strips remain in their individual lanes while being rolled on the fork (76).

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a rolled food item comprising the steps of:

supplying a continuous sheet of support material;

depositing continuous, multiple strips of food onto the continuous sheet of support material;

cutting the continuous sheet of support material between the strips of food to form continuous, multiple strips of support material and food supported thereon;

cutting the continuous, multiple strips of support material and food into lengths having leading ends and trailing ends; and

simultaneously rolling the lengths of multiple strips of support material and food into multiple, independent coils.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the rolling step comprises the step of simultaneously rolling the lengths of multiple strips of support material and food around the leading ends into the multiple, independent coils;

and wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

attaching a label to each of the trailing ends of the support material of the lengths of multiple strips of support material and food prior to the rolling step, with each label including a trailing portion extending beyond the trailing end of the support material; and

adhering the trailing portion of the label to the support material after the rolling step.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the rolling step comprises the sub-steps of:

simultaneously extending the leading ends of the lengths of the strips of support material and food between a first leg and a second leg of a fork;

rotating the fork about an axis parallel to the first and second legs until the lengths of the strips of support material and food are wound on the fork into a plurality of rolls; and

axially sliding the fork relative to the plurality of rolls.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

attaching a label to each of the trailing ends of the support material of the lengths of multiple strips of support material and food prior to the rolling step, with each label including a trailing portion extending beyond the trailing end of the support material; and

placing pressure on the rolls prior to the axially sliding step to adhere the trailing portions of the labels to the support material, with the fork acting as an anvil for sandwiching the rolls.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of pressing the food and support material adjacent to the trailing ends of the lengths of the multiple strips of support material and food to adhere the labels to the support material.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of inserting a plurality of fingers between the lengths of the strips of support material and food as the leading ends are extended between the legs of the fork to keep the lengths of the strips of support material and food in their individual lanes.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of embossing figures in the strips of food prior to the rolling step.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the depositing step comprises the steps of:

rotating a first roller in a first direction, with the first roller including a plurality of spaced, parallel, circumferential lands defining depressions on the periphery of the first roller;

rotating a second roller in a direction opposite to the first direction and abutting with the plurality of lands of the first roller;

passing the continuous sheet of support material over the first roller and between the first and second rollers; and

providing food intermediate the continuous sheet of support material and the second roller, with the food filling the depressions of the first roller as the food and the support material advance between the first and second rollers by the rotation of the first and second rollers.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of scraping the second roller at a position after the food and support material have advanced between the first and second rollers, with the periphery of the second roller being smooth.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the food providing step comprises the step of providing food heated to a temperature to become flowable;

wherein the second roller rotating step comprises the step of rotating the second roller heated to the temperature of the food; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of cooling the food and support material after the food and support material have been advanced between the first and second rollers.

11. A method for fabricating a rolled food item comprising the steps of:

providing a strip of support material and food, with the strip of support material and food having a leading end and a trailing end;

extending the leading end of the strip of support material and food between a first leg and a second leg of a fork;

rotating the fork about an axis parallel to the first and second legs until the strip of support material and food is wound on the fork into a roll; and

axially sliding the fork relative to the roll.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

attaching a label to the support material of the trailing end of the strip prior to the rotating step, with the label including a trailing portion extending beyond the trailing end of the strip; and

placing pressure on the roll to adhere the trailing portion of the label to the support material, with the fork acting as an anvil for sandwiching the roll.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of pressing the strip of support material and food adjacent to the trailing end to adhere the label to the support material prior to the rotating step.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the strip-providing step comprises the step of providing a multiplicity of strips of support material and food, with the length of the first and second legs of the fork being equal to the axial width of the multiplicity of strips of support material and food.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of guiding the multiplicity of strips of support material and food to maintain the strips of support material and food in their individual lanes.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the guiding step comprises the steps of providing a series of fingers upstanding from an attachment bar, with the fingers corresponding to the number and positioning of spaces between the strips of support material and food;

and moving the attachment bar between a first position wherein the fingers extend between the strips of support material and food and a second position wherein the fingers do not engage the strips of support material and food.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the axially sliding step comprises the steps of:

providing a slide with the fork being rotatably mounted to the slide; and

reciprocating the slide between a first position with the legs of the fork extending in line with the path of the strip of support material and food and a second position with the legs of the fork at a position transversely spaced from the first position.

18. A method for depositing continuous, multiple, spaced strips of food for support on and separable from a continuous sheet of support material comprising the steps of:

rotating a first roller about a horizontal axis in a first direction, with the first roller including a plurality of spaced, continuous, parallel, circumferential, annular lands defining annular depressions on the periphery of the first roller;

rotating a second roller about a horizontal axis in a direction opposite to the first direction and abutting with the plurality of lands of the first roller to define an upper, mating side and a lower, exit side;

passing the continuous sheet of support material over the first roller and between the first and second rollers; and

providing food to the upper, mating side of the first and second rollers intermediate the continuous sheet of support material and the second roller, with the food filling the depressions of the first roller as the food and the support material advance vertically downward between the first and second rollers by the rotation of the first and second rollers and being deposited on the continuous sheet of support material as the continuous, multiple, spaced strips by the spaced, continuous, parallel, circumferential, annular lands after exiting from between the first and second rollers.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of scraping the second roller at a position after the food and support material have been advanced between the first and second rollers, with the periphery of the second roller being smooth.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the food providing step comprises the step of providing food heated to a temperature to become flowable;

wherein the second roller rotating step comprises the step of rotating the second roller heated to the temperature of the food; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of cooling and food and support material after the food and support material have been advanced between the first and second rollers.