US 11,723,373 B2
Food dough-stretching machine
Enrico Dalla Fontana, Arsiero (IT); and Luca Smiderle, Schio (IT)
Assigned to ECOR International SPA, Schio (IT)
Appl. No. 17/259,833
Filed by ECOR International SPA, Schio (IT)
PCT Filed Jul. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/056391
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 12, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/021502, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. IT102018000007562 (IT), filed on Jul. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0235707 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. A21C 11/00 (2006.01); A21D 13/41 (2017.01); A21D 8/02 (2006.01)
CPC A21C 11/006 (2013.01) [A21D 8/02 (2013.01); A21D 13/41 (2017.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dough-stretching machine for stretching a mass of dough, comprising:
a frame having a vertical axis extending therethrough;
a support plane for the mass of dough to be stretched upon during operation, said support plane being disposed within said frame and having said vertical axis pass therethrough;
a dough-stretching unit disposed above said support plane along said vertical axis of said frame;
movement means for moving said support plane towards or away from said dough-stretching unit;
said dough-stretching unit comprising:
a modelling body configured to come into contact with said mass of dough during operation;
a plate having a plurality of radial grooves, each of said plurality of radial grooves slidably housing a modelling element;
kinematic means adapted to move said modelling elements along said radial grooves towards or away from said vertical axis;
said kinematic means comprising:
a threaded shaft having one end operatively connected to a motor and an opposite end rotatably associated with said plate, said motor being configured to rotate said threaded shaft;
a central core provided with a nut fixed on said threaded shaft;
a plurality of rods each having one end hinged to one of said modelling elements and an opposite end hinged to said central core;
wherein said modelling elements are displaced towards or away from said vertical axis when said threaded shaft is rotated by said motor, said threaded shaft causing a downward or upward displacement of said central core depending on a direction of rotation of said threaded shaft.