Incising dough

The invention relates to a method and device for incising dough, particularly pieces of proofed dough, such as pieces of dough intended for baguettes, incised loaves, etcetera.

An incision in the tough-viscous, sticky dough is made for instance by a blade. The dough however often sticks to the blade. The blade therefore has to be regularly dipped in water or oil, which is laborious. Oil and water affect the dough and wet and/or soil the surroundings.

An alternative is making an incision in the dough by means of water jets. The released water however then forms a problem to the surroundings and to the quality of the dough.

Cutting by means of a laser is not an option, because the dough is adversely affected by the released heat.

It is an object of the invention to improve on this.

It is a further object to provide a device and method of the type mentioned in the preamble, with which the incision can be made in a controlled manner.

It is a further object to provide a device and method of the type mentioned in the preamble, with which the incision can be made in a way that affects the surroundings as little as possible.

It is a further object to provide a device and method of the type mentioned in the preamble that is simple and low budget.

At least one of said objects according to one aspect is achieved by means of the method suggested by the invention for making an incision in a body of dough, particularly a body of proofed dough, wherein the body of dough is being placed on a support surface, at least one elongated element is made to revolve about a centre line, wherein the elongated element is at an angle to the centre line, wherein the elongated element made to revolve is consecutively brought into contact with a sub area of the surface of the body of dough for making an incision therein.

When revolving, the elongated element contacts along the sub area and then repeatedly cuts into the surface thereof. Water or oil will not be necessary.

When the elongated element is flexible it partially strokes as it were along the surface of the said sub area, as a result of which the incising action is boosted and making a straight incision is enhanced.

In one embodiment the elongated element is revolved in a plane that is perpendicular to the centre line, wherein the effectiveness of the revolution of the elongated element can be optimally utilised.

Making a line-shaped incision is facilitated when the centre line is moved along the sub area during making the incision. This may be effected by moving the piece of dough along the incision maker, or by moving the incision maker along the sub area.

The incision making action can be enhanced when the revolution frequency exceeds approximately 10 ³ revolutions per minute. Dough that might adhere to the elongated element is then slung from the element as a result of the centrifugal force.

Preferably the elongated element is bent during contact with the dough.

From a further aspect the invention provides a device for making an incision in a body of dough, particularly a body of proofed dough, comprising a support surface for the body of dough and an incision

maker, which incision maker comprises a rotatable holder and a drive for it, wherein the holder comprises at least one elongated element or something similar.

The elongated element that may be flexible, may be thinner than 1 mm, as a result of which the width of the dough contacting surface thereof is kept as small as possible.

Preferably the holder comprises a detachable clamp for clamping the elongated element, so that it can easily be replaced, if necessary, by a new one in case of fracture or by a different one (different material, width or length) for treating other types of dough pieces.

In order to prevent that the elongated element breaks off unnoticed and the broken off part has possibly ended up in the piece of dough and/or the pieces of dough could remain untreated (when using a machine), the device may furthermore comprise a detector for the elongated element as well as means for controlling the drive in response to the signal of the detector. The body of dough that is incised - or should be incised -at that moment and possibly contains a part of the elongated element, can be removed, for instance by means of a detector- controlled ejector for said body of dough. The elongated by can subsequently be replaced.

In one embodiment thereof the elongated element is metal-containing and the detector comprises an inductive sensor.

In one embodiment the elongated element is wire-shaped.

In one embodiment the elongated element is formed like a thin blade.

From a further aspect a device is provided for making an incision in a body of dough, particularly a body of proofed dough, comprising a support surface for the body of dough and a cutter, which cutter comprises a rotatable holder and a drive for it, wherein the holder holds a cutting element, furthermore comprising a detector for the cutting element, as well as means for controlling the drive in response to the signal of the detector.

The cutting element may be metal-containing and the detector may comprise an inductive sensor.

The cutting element may be designed for incising the dough. It may be designed like the dough-incising elongated element mentioned above.

The aspects and measures described in this description and claims of the application and/or shown in the drawings of this application may where possible also be used individually. Said individual aspects, and other aspects, may be the subject of divisional patent applications relating thereto. This particularly applies to the measures and aspects that have been described per se in the sub claims.

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 A shows a side view in partial cross-section of a holder of a wire-shaped elongated element for an exemplary embodiment of an incision maker according to the invention;

Figure 1 B shows a view according to arrow I B in figure 1 A; and

Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the holder of the figures 1 A and 1 B with drive and support, during a process of incising a piece of dough.

In figures 1 A and 1 B the holder 1 is shown, provided with a rotary pin 2, onto which a circular disk 3 has been fixedly attached. A plate 4 is resting on the circular disk 3, which plate has been slid onto the pin 2. By means of bolts 6 extending in apertures 5 in disk 4 the disks 3 and 4 can be clamped against each other with great force. Between the disks 3 and 4 an elongated element in the form of a wire 7 has been placed, having a diameter of for instance less than 1 mm and made of flexible material. The material of the wire 7 may be nylon, but alternatively a metal. The wire 7 is clamped such between the disks 3 and 4, that the clamped section thereof during use is retained between the disks 3 and 4 so as to be immobile. The section that extends

beyond the disks 3 and 4 is able to bend. The wire 7 extends with an angle of 90° onto the centre line S and extends purely radial.

In figure 2 the holder 1 with the pin 2 is attached horizontally to the output shaft of the electromotor 9 (a pneumatic drive is also possible), which output shaft is rotatable about centre line S in direction A and is not further shown. The electromotor 9 is attached to a carrier 10, that is relatively movable with respect to a basis 21 on which is piece of dough 20 is supported. The basis 21 may for instance be a driven conveyor belt or tray/plate carrier. Optionally the carrier 10 may be positioned for a reciprocal motion in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, direction B and optionally oppositely.

An inductive sensor has also been accommodated on the carrier 10, which sensor by means of a wire 12 is in connection with a control device for the electromotor 9, which control device is not further shown.

In case of an inductive sensor use will be made of a wire of metal- containing material. When using a synthetic wire, such as nylon, using an optical detector may be considered.

During use the holder 1 (including motor 9 and holder 10), is moved relatively with respect to the piece of dough 20. The motor 9 rotates the holder 1 about the -in this example horizontal- centre line S in the direction A, with a high number of revolutions, for instance more than approximately 10 ³ revolutions per minute. The wire 7 rotating at high speed is brought into contact with the top surface of the piece of dough 20, such that when the wire (7') moves along it an incision 22 is made therein. As the end of the wire 7' abuts the piece of dough 20 the wire 7' if the cutting force is large will bend flexibly rearward, and be dragged partially along the surface of the piece of dough 20. Under the influence of the centrifugal forces the cutting wire 7' will keep cutting properly.

It has turned out that dough will not stick to the wire 7. It is assumed that this is among others caused by the high circumferential speed of the wire 7 (high centrifugal forces).

If a section of the wire 7, for instance the section t that fully extends beyond the disks 3 and 4, breaks off, this will be noticed by the inductive sensor 1 1 , when the wire 7 contains metal. For safety reasons, using means that are not further shown, the piece of dough 20 treated at that moment, is ejected. After detaching the disk 3 a little, a new wire 7 can be placed, and a next piece of dough can be treated.

In an alternative embodiment, wherein the wire 7 does not contain metal, for establishing that the end of the wire has broken off, use can be made of an optically active detector, such as for instance schematically shown with position numbers 30 (photocell) and 31 (light emitter).