Apparatus and methods for the production of three-dimensional food products
US5304055A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 27, 1991 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 27, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T83/494
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Three-dimensional food products such as crackers, cookies, puffed snacks, puffable glassy half-products, pet foods, pasta, confections such as chewing gum, and ready-to-eat cereals are produced on a mass production basis by feeding a dough or other food composition to a plurality of dies which shape it into ropes. The shaped extrudate ropes obtained from each die are cut by a cutting device which passes across only a portion of each of the orifices of the dies to partially cut each of the shaped extrudate ropes. The cutting device passes across the entire orifice of each of the dies to completely cut each of the partially cut extrudate ropes into individual pieces. The use of a multi-port extrusion die permits higher mass flow rates and thus greater dough piece production rates at lower cutter speeds. The use of multi-port extrusion and lower cutter speeds increases shape, definition, and accuracy of cutting and reduces scattering and deformation of the individual pieces. The plurality of extrudate ropes are preferably cut simultaneously. The plurality of dies may be fed by a calendar press or preferably an extruder. In embodiments of the present invention, the cutting means may be…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.