Field of the invention.

The present invention refers to an automatic forming machine that realize a new shape of pasta from a strip of puff pastry, of any width. It is to be considered that the puff pastry is manufactured, for the subsequent processing, with standards widths and the invented machine can work with puff pastry of different widths. This as the invented machine must have at least one cutting/folding unit and at least one forming/closing unit but it can have X number of units in relation to the production necessities not changing the operating system. In particular the present invention refers to a machine for industrial production of a pasta shape having a new design protected in its characteristics with the EUIPO designs 001401913-0001 and 001422893-0001. The production of this new pasta to be put on the market which fresh bulk pasta, packaged fresh pasta or dried pasta. The present invention, moreover, refers to the method for producing the above cited pasta by using the forming machine according the invention.

State of the art.

In the art are known machines that produce the pasta shapes currently on the market and also machine that carry out the filling of the pasta on the market known as filled pasta. One of this machine is described in the Italian Patent 102009901715208. This machine provides a system to realize the filling dosage inside the relative pasta and the pasta shape is carried out, after the filling, by rollers and by closing of the filled pasta on itself. In the art is then possible to produce the new shape pasta, according to the present invented machine, completely manually but of course this manual production is not suitable to satisfy the market demand. Moreover the pasta shape is produced by a forming device described in the patent document IT1020170006951 5. The forming device described in the above stated Italian document refers, however, a forming processing with working times very long and with always the presence of a worker who must act into the different processing phases and for checking the machine. Furthermore, critical issues arise in relation to the correct maintenance of the shape of the final product, shape not always realized in uniform way. In the end, the closing system that determines the shape does not always guarantee that this shape, essential characteristic of the final product, is maintained during the packaging and cooking phases. The above gives packaging with inside any pieces of product not fully compliant with the requested shape or that, after cooking, said shape was not properly maintained when the product is presented on the plate for later consumption. Following various tests, the present forming machine was found, machine that can be inserted into a conventional production line of the pasta running from the kneading machine to the packaging machine, that permits a production speed which varies in relation of the number of units for each phase provided in the same machine, that realizes a perfect forming and holding of each produced piece so that into the packaging all the produced pieces are exactly identical and conserve their shape in cooking phase and subsequent presentation on the plate. In the end the invented machine works fully automatic without the presence of worker except for the start-up phase and of the possible checking. The forming machine then provides working and/or movement apparatuses of the semi-finished product and of the different working units. Said apparatuses to drive the shaped product to the pasteurization, for the subsequent packaging also manual, or for pasteurization, packaging and final labeling arranged in working line. The shaped product can be subjected to further proceedings, such as drying, to be a final product classified as dry pasta.

Summary of the invention.

The invented forming machine provides automatic movements with realization of a set of phases that determine the final shape of the pasta and the machine consists of an outside metal box with opening protection parts to check the working units and with the inside parts in metallic and plastic materials suitable for contact for products for food use. Said machine supported onto four swivel wheels so to be used alone or inside a working in continuous cycle that, using conventional kneader, dough sheeter, pasteurization devices and packaging devices, permits a complete production line that starts from the flour to the final product to be eaten fresh or, after a further working phase, also dry. Further, the machine permits to create a final product resulting from egg puff pastry, of semolina and/or adding freeze-dried products based on vegetables, spices or similar so to create a final product which is part of the egg pasts or semolina pasta with different colors. For the realization of the above stated aims the invented forming machine provides a calibration group into which the strip of puff pastry A arrives or to a sheet pasta roll manually puts in position or by a dough sheeter that comes before the calibration group. Said calibration group of conventional type consists of rollers that move with movement system to be realized by a person skilled of the art. Under the calibration group a first slide is present into which the strip of puff pastry A comes in a gravitational way. The slide enters underlying entry guides. From said guides with V-shaped walls the strip of puff pastry is driven into at least a cutting/folding unit. Said cutting/folding unit consists of a cutting device made of a fixed part, with central hole, and a mobile part. By a cam the mobile part in shape of circular tube advances to come in contact with the fixed part and to determine, for the presence of the central hole, onto the strip of puff pastry A a circular cutting that generated a circular body A1. Said circular body is, in immediate sequence, pushed by the forming cone present inside the mobile part, in contact with the fixed part (molder) of the forming/closing unit, forming the semifinishing product A2, with said forming cone that moves in immediate sequence with respect to the mobile part. In a continuous cycle the mobile part comes back while the semifinishing product A2 is to be inserted by the forming cone in the forming/closing unit consists of rotations parts and opposing overhang parts that, coming into contact with each other, bring the semi-finishing product A2 to have the shape of the final product A3. Under the opposing overhang parts is present a second slide wherein the final product A3 falls to gravitationally go down in a suitable container for its containment. From this container the final product A3 is subsequently manually taken to an operator to be sent at the pasteurization, weighing and packaging phases. Alternatively the final product A3 is sent to further automatic working lines. The machine then provides, nearby the forming/closing unit, a blowing ejection device to detach the final body A3 that may have remained attached to the overhang parts, with this device acting with blow of expulsion.

Brief description of the drawings. Figure 1 is schematic lateral view in section of the forming machine so to point out the complete working cycle from the entering of the strip of puff pastry A to the final product A3 with the particular shape, aim of the present invented machine. Figure 2 is lateral view in section of the cutting/folding unit 5 and the forming/closing unit 6. Figure 3 is top view of a preferred embodiment but not exclusive of a machine providing three cutting/folding units 5 and three forming/closing units 6. Figure 4 is particular view of the cutting/folding unit 5. Figure 5 is particular view of the forming/closing unit 6. In sheet 6 figure 6 is section view of the strip of puff pastry A before being worked. Figure 7 is section view of the action arranged to the cutting/folding unit 5 forming the circular body A1. Figure 8 is section view of the action of the forming cone that, together with the fixed part of the forming/closing, forms the semi-finishing product A2. In sheet 7 figure 9 is lateral and perspective view of the forming/closing unit 6 with the different parts in opening with in position the semi-finishing product A2. In sheet 8 figure 10 is lateral and perspective view of the forming/closing unit 6 with the parts in closing to form the shape of the final product A3.

Detailed description.

Further characteristics and advantages of the forming invented machine are better understood from a preferred embodiment but not exclusive that provides the use of a strip of puff pastry of 15 centimeters and in relation the use of three cutting/folding units and three forming/closing units. This version given with reference to the above stated figures, they too having aim only exemplary and so not exclusive. The forming machine provides the housing of all its inside parts into a metal box 1 having underlying swivel wheels 11 and with access to the inside parts by protection parts 12 to be opened and controlled by safety micro. In the top part is provided an calibration group 2 into which the strip of puff pastry A arrives or to a sheet pasta roller manually puts in position or by a dough sheeter that comes before the calibration group 2. Preferably said calibration group 2 is of conventional type consists of rollers 21 moved by and electric group 22. Under the calibration group 2 is present a first slide 3 into which the strip of puff pastry A enters gravitationally. The first slide 3 enters in under entry guides 4. Said entry guides have V-shaped walls 41 that drive in correct way the strip of puff pastry A during the subsequent working phases. The entry guides 4 enter in the cutting/folding unit 5. The cutting/folding unit 5 consists of cutting devices 51 having three forming cones 52. The cutting devices 51 comprise a fixed part 511 with three central holes 512 and three mobile parts 513. By a cam the mobile parts 513 in shape of circular tube advance to come in contact with the fixed part 511 and to determine, for the presence of the central holes 512, the cutting of three circular bodies A1 that, in immediate sequence, are pushed by the forming cones 52, housing inside the mobile parts 513, toward the female matrices 611 of the forming/closing unit 6 generating the cone shape of the semi-finished product A2. In the working phase the forming cones 52 retreat and advance in a continuous cycle. In sequence the semi-finished products A2 come to the forming/closing units 6 consists of rotation parts 61 and opposing overhang parts 62 that, coming in contact each other, bring the semifinished products A2 to have the shape of the final product A3. Preferably these overhang parts 62 are moved by a cam. At the end of this phase, the mobile parts 513 of the cutting devices 51 and the forming cones 52 come back, the opposing overhang parts 62 distance themselves from each other and the rotation parts 61 of the forming/closing units 6 rotate bringing the formed final product A3 to fall into the under second slide 8. From this second slide the final products A3, gravitationally, fall in a container suitable for food product and from which the final product A3 is in sequence manually worked to be sent to the pasteurization, weighing and packaging phases. The forming machine carries out a working in continuous cycle and so the calibration, cutting/folding, forming/closing and unloading phases are in continuity. Alternatively, the final product A3, unload by the second slide 8, is sent to the subsequent automatic working lines. The machine further has, near the forming/closing unit 6, a blowing ejection device 9 to detach the final product A3 that may have remained attached to the female matrices 611. Preferably in the device 9 the expulsion blows are generated by a valve acted by a cam. In working phase the forming machine, after having arranged the strip of puff pastry A, in the present example version of width of 15 centimeters, is started in the method under described that permits to have the final product A3 by the different units that act in continuous cycle inside the invention machine. At beginning of the cycle the operator inserts the border of the strip of puff pastry A in the calibration group 2, the group by rollers 21 bring the strip of puff pastry A having the suitable thickness and drive it to the first slide 3. By this first slide 3 the strip of puff pastry A gravitationally arrives in under entry guides 4. The entry guides 4 enter the strip of puff pastry A to the cutting/folding unit 5 beyond which is ended the initial loading of the strip of puff pastry A and the forming machine can begin the automatic production phases. In the present embodiment are present three cutting/folding units 5 but their number is related to the width of the strip of puff pastry used. The strip of puff pastry A, following to the circular cuttings arranged by the cutting/folding units 5, determines three circular bodies A1 while the residual strip of puff pastry is collected in suitable container and puts again in the working cycle by putting it again into the kneader. The three circular bodies A1 are, in immediate sequence, subjected to the folding forming the semi-finished product A2 realized by the combined action of the forming cones 52 and the female matrices 611. In continuous the semi-finished products A2 arrive to the working of the forming/closing unit 6 that form the shape of the final product A3. Also the forming/closing unit 6 is in present version in number of three but also their number can change in relation to the width of the strip of puff pastry A and be always equal to the number of the cutting/folding units 5. The shape of the final product A3 is actuated by the forming machine above described with a method having working according the stated steps: a - manual insertion of the strip of puff pastry A coming from a roll of sheet pasta into the calibration group; b - forming of a circular body A1 generated by the cutting of the cutting/folding unit; c - folding, in immediate sequence in relation to the cutting, of the circular body A1 determined by the forming cone that, in combination with the female matrix, forms a semi-finished product A2; d - pressing and closing arranged by the forming/closing unit that realizes the shape of the final product A3; e - unloading of the finale product A3 into a dedicated container. With the above stated method is reached the aim object of the present invention, i.e. the production of a new shape of pasta. With the above stated method is created a new product of pasta to be manually taken from the under container into which is fallen to be started to the further pasteurization weighing and packaging phases. In other version the final product is started in mechanical way and in continuous to further working phases to have the packaging to be put on the market. In the present version the cutting/folding unit and the forming/closing unit are in number of three but their number can change in relation to the width of the street pasta A. The forming machine has the same activity in the case of greater or less number of the stated units so long as at least one of said unit was present and that the number of the cutting/folding units is equal to the number of the forming/closing units. All the devices parts of the invented machine can change and be in relation of particular necessities and dimension and of insertion in an operative cycle.