Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Cake or Bread Product Comprising Multiple Doughs; Apparatus
and Method for Manufacturing Same
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of preparing and
shaping of doughs for cake and bread products.
Background of the Invention
Baked, boiled and fried cereal products, such as breads,
bagels, pretzels, doughnuts, doughnut holes, and crullers have
been enjoyed since before recorded history. With the advent
of automation, the tasks of preparing and shaping of dough
prior to cooking have been taken over by machines. A dough
hopper is commonly used for automatically dispensing portions
of dough, particularly doughnuts, either onto a tray or mould
for subsequent baking, or into hot oil or boiling water for
either frying or boiling. The dough hopper comprises a
container for dough, with a hole, connected to a dough guiding
tube for dispensing dough. Fitting into the hole, and the
dough guiding tube, are pistons, which, upon rising and
falling, pull dough into the dough guiding tube and
alternately extrude and shear off portions dough, which drop
from the hopper and may be cooked immediately or stored
uncooked. Different. piston-head shapes may be used, to vary
the look of the product. To dispense a simple toroid-shaped
doughnut, the piston heads are usually disc shaped. To
dispense what is commonly called a French Cruller, the piston-
heads have oblique flutes, and they are rotated with respect
to one another, as they rise and fall, with the result that
the portion of dough. that is sheared off and dispensed has a
fluted surface.
To satisfy consumer demand, it has been proposed, in U.S.
Patent No. 4,619,598 (to Abe et aI), to dispense a doughnut
comprising a plurality of doughs, by using a separator that
divides the dough container and the dough guiding tube.
The separator comprises a boss arranged between a
centrally located dough-dispensing piston rod and two
peripherally located dough-dispensing piston rods.
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Summary of the Invention
In one aspect the invention provides a method of making a
bread or cake product comprising two or more types of dough,
wherein the doughs are dispensed through a dispensing hole of
a dough hopper having a dough container, and dough dispensing
pistons, the method comprising substantially preventing the
two or more doughs :from commingling in the dough container
prior to dispensing; and dispensing the two or more doughs
from the dough hopper.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a doughnut
comprising two or more types of dough, the two or more types
of dough being confined to substantially distinct areas of the
doughnut.
In a third aspect, the invention provides an apparatus
for use with a dough hopper, the dough hopper comprising a
dough container, dough-dispensing pistons and a dough
dispensing hole, whereby a bread or cake product comprising
two or more types of dough may be dispensed, the apparatus
comprising a partition for dividing the dough container into
two or more chambers, each chamber being in communication with
the dough dispensing hole.
In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a method of
making doughnut or doughnut hole comprising two or more types
of dough, the doughs being plastic in their uncooked state,
the method comprising shaping each dough to a desired shape;
attaching the doughs one-to-another to form a cohesive mass;
and forming the cohesive mass into individual doughnuts or
doughnut holes.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments
The method of t:he invention provides a bread or cake
product having more than one kind of dough. An example would
be a doughnut having chocolate and vanilla dough. The multi-
dough product is produced by separating the different doughs
in the dough container of the dough hopper, to prevent them
from commingling, and then dispensing the doughs. The doughs
are separated from each other by one or more partitions placed
in the dough container. The partitions form different
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chambers in the dough container, each chamber being in
communication with the hale through which the doughs are
dispensed. The different. doughs are each placed in separate
chambers. With particularly viscous doughs, the partition may
be removed after the doughs are placed in the container.
In a preferred embodiment, the partitions may be attached
to a cylinder placed centrally in the dough container. The
cylinder passes around the dough-dispensing piston rods, so
that they operate a,s they would in the absence of the device
of the invention.
Conventional doughnut hoppers use a piston assembly
having two piston heads. The bottom piston head is connected
to a single central:Ly located piston rod which passes through
the top piston head. The top piston head is connected to two
peripherally located piston rods which pass on either side of
the single centrally located piston rod. The size of the
piston heads and the corresponding dough-guiding tube
substantially determine the size of the doughnut that is
dispensed. Conventional doughnuts are usually less than about
six inches in diameter, and in particular between about 4 and
1.5 inches in diameter. The clearance between the two
peripherally located piston rods and the single centrally
located piston rod is usually minimal. Therefore, it is
preferred that the partition of the apparatus of the invention
not pass between the single centrally located piston rod and a
peripherally located piston rod.
The apparatus of the invention can be used with the
pistons that are normally used with the dough hopper. If
desired, the pistons may be changed to make, for example,
toroid-shaped doughnuts or French crullers. The same
apparatus can dispense doughnuts or crullers comprising more
than one kind of dough, merely by changing the pistons, just
as would be done in the absence of the apparatus of the
invention.
The method and apparatus of the invention are
particularly suited for conventional toroid-shaped doughnuts.
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For best performance and an aesthetically pleasing
product, the different doughs should have similar
consistencies. If necessary, the consistency of each dough
can be altered, for examp:Le, by adding water, or by adding
flour. -
The apparatus of the invention allows the dough hopper
and pistons to be disassembled easily permitting access to all
parts so that the pistons and the apparatus of the invention
may be cleaned.
It is preferred that the partition be secured in place in
the dough container, for example by screws or bolts.
Butterfly screws or bolts permit easy installation and removal
of the apparatus.
The partition can be provided by any member or partition
that will split the dough container into chambers. The
partition need not be straight, but can have, for example, a
serpentine or round form, thereby splitting the dough
container into wavy-sided or round-sided chambers,
respectively. The chambers need not be equal in size. The
chambers need not be sealed one from another, provided that
one type of dough can not seep around unsealed edges and
commingle with a dough of another type. The more liquid the
dough, the tighter the seal at the sides of the chamber should
be. The partition should not interfere with the conventional
operation of the pistons. It does not pass through the piston
head.
In a preferred embodiment, used to make two-coloured or
two-flavoured doughnuts, the partition is provided by a sheet
which is placed across the middle of the dough container
attached to a cylinder located centrally in the dough
container. The cylinder passes around the pistons, permitting
them to operate as in the absence of the apparatus of the
invention. The partition divides the dough container into two
equal chambers, each chamber being in communication with the
dispensing hole.
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For particular:Ly stiff or viscous doughs, the top of the
hopper can be closed, and, compressed air may be pumped into
the hopper, in order to push the dough into the pistons.
Brief Description of the Drawings
5 The invention will be further described with reference to
the figures.
Figure 1 shows an example of apparatus according to the
invention.
Figure 2 shows an example of a doughnut produced by the
method of the invention.
Figure 3 shows an example of a doughnut produced by the
method of the invention.
Figure 4 shows an example of a doughnut produced by the
method of the invention.
Figure 5 shows an example of an apparatus according to
the invention.
In Figure 1 can be seen a device according to the
invention, partially inserted into a conventional doughnut
hopper. The device depicted is particularly suited for
dispensing cake doughnuts. The device has a blade-shaped or
sheet-like partition (3), which is placed in the hopper dough
container (1), and when in place is secured to the sides of
the dough container (1) by attachment rods (4) which are
secured by butterfly screws (5). The partition does not pass
substantially into the dough-guiding tube. When the dough
hopper is in operation, the device (3) divides the dough
container (1) into two equal chambers. The blade-shaped
partition (3), is attached to a cylindrical central portion,
through which dough dispensing piston rods (2) pass. This
permits the dough-dispensing piston rods (2) to operate
normally, as in the absence of the apparatus of the invention.
One dough, for example chacolate, is placed in the chamber on
one side of the device (3), and another dough, for example
vanilla, is placed in the chamber on the opposite side of the
device.
The pistons of conventional hoppers usually require
"priming", whereby several irregular pieces of dough are
dispensed, at the start of dispensing, before aesthetically
pleasing doughnuts are dispensed.
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When the device of the invention is used with runny
Boughs in particular, the hole at the bottom end of the
cylindrical central portion, joining the two chambers, can be
blocked,_while the Boughs are being placed in the container,
for example, with a plastic scraper or spatula. This prevents
the first dough placed in a first chamber from seeping into
the other chamber, before the second dough has been placed in
the other chamber. Once the Boughs are in place, the scraper
or spatula may be removed, and the pistons actuated.
The dough dispensing pistons (2) alternately rise and
fall, pulling in both Boughs and causing portions of dough of
each type to be dispensed simultaneously. In the course of
dispensing the chocolate "half doughnut" and the vanilla "half
doughnut" join as they pass through the dough-guiding tube at
the bottom of the hopper by flowing together at the ends. The
result is a doughnut: as depicted in Figure 2.
A cake or bread product produced by the method of the
invention can be cooked immediately after being dispensed, or
it may be stored, for example, by freezing.
The different Boughs can be in various geometrical
relationships to each other. For example, the embodiment
depicted in Figure 7. results in doughnuts having one half that
comprises one dough,. and the other half that comprises another
dough, as shown in Figure 2. The partition could also define,
for example, four equal chambers, resulting in a doughnut
having four quarters, each of which could comprise a different
dough, or two types of dough could be alternated in the
quarters, for a "checkerboard" pattern. This is shown in
Figure 3. Essentially any number of chambers can be formed in
a "pie-wedge" arrangement (i.e. where the chambers each define
a sector of the ellipse defined by the rim of the dough
container). The maximum number of sector chambers would be
limited in that each. added chamber further divides the
dispensing hole, and. eventually each chamber would have a
portion of the dispensing hole that was too small to permit
dough to flow through. This would depend on the flowability
of the Boughs. In a preferred embodiment less than 10
chambers are formed. Performance is enhanced with 6 or fewer
chambers.
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The partition need not pass through the centre of the
dough container, but may define a chord. The result would be
a doughnut having uneven divisions of different coloured or
flavoured doughs.
This is illustrated in Figure 5, in which two partitions
(3) are present, each attached tangentially to the centrally
located cylinder which surrounds the dough-dispensing pistons
(2). The dough container is thus divided into three
compartments, resulting in a doughnut divided into three
colour or flavour regions.
The partition ~~an also take the form of a hollow cylinder
open at both ends. The hollow cylinder is passed over the
centrally located cylinder which surrounds the dough
dispensing rods (2), thereby defining a smaller chamber in the
centre of the dough container, and a concentric larger chamber
surrounding the smaller chamber. The result is a doughnut
having a central section of one dough type (i.e. around the
doughnut hole), and a surrounding peripheral section of a
second dough type.
The partition can be a plurality of partitions.
The method of the invention is particularly suited for
making doughnuts, dnughnut holes and crullers. A doughnut
hole being a doughnut having a shape other than toroid, for
example a spheroid:
A doughnut according to the invention comprises two or
more types of dough, the two or more types of dough being
confined to substantially distinct areas of the doughnut. The
interface between two dough types may by somewhat blurred, as
some commingling wiJ.l occur, however the doughnuts of the
invention are distinct from traditional "marbled" products, in
which the distribution of the doughs is random. In a
preferred embodiment:, the different doughs form a distinct
geometric design or pattern, as described above in the
examples of partition that may be used.
In a conventiorxal toroid-shaped doughnut, the diameter of
the hole typically represents from less than about 30% of the
diameter of the doughnut. Preferred doughnuts are those
having a substantially non-lumpy surface and an even thickness
around the toroid. A preferred thickness is between about 1"
to about 2".
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Because the Boughs coalesce prior to dispensing, if the
consistencies of Boughs are properly chosen the resulting
doughnut will be a substantially smooth toroid, or in the case
of a cruller, a substantially even fluted toroid.
In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided
for making a doughnut or doughnut hole comprising two or more
Boughs, wherein the Boughs are plastic prior to cooking. A
preferred example o:E this method will be illustrated with a
two-coloured doughnut (and doughnut hole): one dough, for
example chocolate, :is rolled to a desired thickness. A second
dough, for example, vanilla, is rolled out, preferably to the
same thickness as the chocolate dough. The chocolate dough is
then placed on top of the vanilla dough, to form two layers.
If necessary, the two Boughs are again rolled out, to achieve
the desired thickness for cutting. Doughnuts and doughnut
holes may then be cut with a doughnut cutter. The result is a
doughnut or doughnut hole having a chocolate layer and a
vanilla layer, as depicted in Figure 4. This same method can
be used with three or more Boughs as well, resulting in
multilayer doughnuts or doughnut holes.
