AU669306B2

AU669306B2 - Dividable food product production method

Info

Publication number: AU669306B2
Application number: AU75708/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Donald Douglas Cropp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-10-12
Filing date: 1994-10-10
Publication date: 1996-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-10
Also published as: GB9420458D0; GB2282986A; AU7570894A; NZ248932A

Description

S6 906

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant: Donald Douglas CROPP Invention Title: DIVIDABLE FOOD PRODUCT PRODUCTION

METHOD

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -n 1

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2 This invention relates to mechanisms for the manufacture of crumpets and other like food stuffs and particularly to an improved mould for use with machines for the production of baked foods.

At present in the food manufacturing business the most common type of machine for producing crumpets and the like foods are machines of the general type described in New Zealand patent specification No. 99425. Another type of machine is that which the present applicant developed for a piston mould or griddle for a food production machine as described in New Zealand patent specification No. 245803, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by way of reference.

Existing machines and methods of manufacture use a mould to produce a generally flat food product, such as a round or square crumpet of generally uniform thickness.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a S mould, such as a piston mould, of a shape and construction S which allows for the production of crumpets and similar baked foods having a grc ,ve or grooves therein which allows the food to be easily bro .n into parts along the lines of the groove(s), or to at least provide a useful alternative S choice.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

3 According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a two-part mould for a baked crumpet production machine, said mould comprising a mould body and a piston, the piston being slidable in a cavity in the mould body and forming a base for the cavity, the cavity corresponding to the shape of a baked crumpet to be produced therein, said piston having a ridge or ridges along its surface which form a groove or grooves in the baked crumpet produced in the mould, the groove or grooves facilitate division of the baked crumpet along the groove or grooves after the baked crumpet is removed from the mould.

It is to be appreciated a mould could also be formed by a plate and ring system, the plate having a ridge or ridges dividing the cavity defined by the placement of a ring on the plate, the height of the wall of the ring defining the depth of the cavity.

In use the mould is filled with an uncooked food product to cover the ridge or member, the food is cooked and the resulting food product has a complementary shape of the mould. The cooked food can be conveniently broken into parts along the line of the groove or grooves in the fiod product formed by the ridge or ridges of the mould.

Further aspects of the invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of oexample only.

staHieonalkeepspeci/75708.94_1 83

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f 4 An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of an example of a mould; Figure 2 shows a section on the lines A-A through the mould shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a section on the lines B-B through the mould shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a plan view of the top of a crumpet made in the mould; Figure 5 shows a plan view of the bottom of the crumpet made in the mould; Figure 6 shows a sectional view of the crumpet made in the mould.

The example of the invention described will be with reference to the production of crumpets. It is however to be appreciated that with minor modifications the invention can be used in a wide variety of other food production machines.

Similarly it is to be appreciated that while the example S shows a mould body and piston system it is also applicable to a plate and ring system.

Figures 1 to 3 show a mould according to the invention.

S The mould has a cavity generally indicated by arrow 1. The mould consists of a mould body 2 and a piston 3. The walls S of the mould body 4 and the top of the piston 3 define the cavity 1 in the mould. The top surface 5 of the piston 3 S defines the base of the mould. The base 5 of the mould is provided with a ridge 6. Ridge 6 will be of a height and be 5 dimensioned so as to facilitate division of a food product along a groove formed by the ridge. The ridge will preferably be of a height approximately half to one quarter the depth of the cavity 1.

It is to be appreciated that in an alternative construction (not shown) the base 5 of the mould may have mora than one ridge or a pattern of ridges depending on how the product is to be dividable.

In use an uncooked food product or food product mix is supplied to cavity 1 (see Figure The food product is cooked in the mould and after cooking the piston 3 is moved upwardly relative to mould body 2 to allow removal of the cooked food product. The food product so formed has a groove 8 formed therein which corresponds to the shape of the ridge 6.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 show a crumpet made in the mould.

Groove 8 corresponds to the shape of ridge 6. The general shape of the crumpet 7 corresponds to the shape of cavity 1.

By holding the crumpet at or near the edges 9 and 10 and bending the crumpet will weaken it along the line C-C allowing it to be parted into two generally finger shaped parts 11 and 12.

o Thus by this invention there is provided a mould of a S shape and construction which allows for the production of a food item which can be conveniently broken along predetermined line or lines.

Particular examples of the invention have been described and it is envisaged that improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A two-part mould for a baked crumpet production machine, said mould comprising a mould body and a piston, the piston being slidable in a cavity in the mould body and forming a base for the cavity, the cavity corresponding to the shape of a baked crumpet to be produced therein, said piston having a ridge or ridges along its surface which form a groove or grooves in the baked crumpet produced in the mould, the groove or grooves facilities division of the baked crumpet along the groove or grooves after the baked crumpet is removed from the mould.

2. A mould for a food production machine incorporating a cavity which is formed by a plate and ring system, the plate having a ridge or ridges dividing the cavity defined by the placement of a ring on the plate, the height of the wall of the ring defining the depth of the cavity.

3. A mould for a food production machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

4. A dividable crumpet manufactured from a mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is e conveniently broken into parts along the line of the groove or grooves in the crumpet formed by the ridge or the ridges 25 of the mould. e ,If8 8 A dividable food product as claim in claim 4 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 8TH DAY OF MIR.CH 1996 DONALD DOUGLAS CROPP By its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia 1 I I i stafUieonakeeplspecil7578.94_1 83 ABSTRACT A mould for a food production machine, said mould having a cavity therein corresponding to the shape of a food product to be produced. Said mould having a ridge or ridges along its base to form a groove or grooves in a food product produced by the mould to facilitate division of the food product along the groove or grooves. The cooked food can be conveniently broken into parts along the line of the groove or grooves in the food product formed by the ridge or ridges of the mould. III 4444o: