Method for producing croissants

Claim 1

A method for the continuous production of croissants from an advancing sheet of croissant dough having generally parallel side edges and a predetermined thickness comprising the steps of advancing continuously said dough sheet in a first direction, selectively forming the continuously advancing dough sheet to define an elongated continuous ribbon of dough having one relatively straight, elongated edge portion and an opposite, elongated continuous edge portion having a sawtooth configuration, continuously advancing the ribbon in said first direction while curling the dough ribbon upon itself to form an elongated cylindrical configuration with the ribbon sawtooth edge portion defining the outermost portion of the cylindrical configuration, continuously advancing the elongated cylindrical configuration in generally said first direction, selectively severing the cylindrical configuration at predetermined, spaced intervals to define discrete croissant articles, and forming each article into a crescent configuration.

Claim 2

A method for the continuous production of croissants from an advancing sheet of croissant dough having generally parallel side edges and a predetermined thickness comprising the steps of advancing continuously said dough sheet in a first direction, selectively forming the continuously advancing dough sheet to define an elongated continuous ribbon of dough having one relatively straight, elongated edge portion and an opposite, elongated continuous edge portion having a sawtooth configuration, continuously advancing the ribbon in said first direction while curling the dough ribbon upon itself to form an elongated cylindrical configuration with the ribbon sawtooth edge portion defining the outermost portion of the cylindrical configuration, continuously advancing the elongated cylindrical configuration in generally said first direction, selectively severing the cylindrical configuration at predetermined, spaced intervals to define discrete croissant articles, and forming each article into a crescent configuration.

Claim 7

The method of producing a filled food product comprising the steps of advancing a dough sheet along a predetermined path, longitudinally severing the continuously advancing dough sheet to define two dough ribbons, each ribbon having an elongated relatively straight edge and an elongated generally serrated edge continuously extruding a ribbon of filler material upon selected areas of each continuously advancing dough ribbon, individually curling the advancing dough ribbons upon themselves to define elongated, spaced, generally parallel, longitudinally extending generally cylindrical dough configurations having filler material therein, applying pressure to selected, spaced areas of the continuously advancing cylindrical dough configurations to push the filling material away from the selected, spaced areas, severing transversly the continuously advancing cylindrical dough configurations at selected spaced areas corresponding to the areas where pressure was applied to form discrete articles.

Claim 8

The method of producing a filled food product comprising the steps of advancing a dough sheet along a predetermined path, longitudinally severing the continuously advancing dough sheet to define two dough ribbons, each ribbon having an elongated relatively straight edge and an elongated generally serrated edge continuously extruding a ribbon of filler material upon selected areas of each continuously advancing dough ribbon, individually curling the advancing dough ribbons upon themselves to define elongated, spaced, generally parallel, longitudinally extending generally cylindrical dough configurations having filler material therein, applying pressure to selected, spaced areas of the continuously advancing cylindrical dough configurations to push the filling material away from the selected, spaced areas, severing transversly the continuously advancing cylindrical dough configurations at selected spaced areas corresponding to the areas where pressure was applied to form discrete articles.

Claim 9

The method of producing filled croissants comprising the steps of continuously feeding an elongated croissant dough sheet having a predetermined width and thickness along a predetermined path, separating the dough sheet into at least two dough ribbons, each ribbon having an elongated, relatively straight edge and an elongated edge having alternately angled portions defining a sawtooth effect, continuously depositing a ribbon of filling on each dough ribbon adjacent to and parallel with the ribbon straight edge portion, initially folding the straight edge portion of the dough ribbon over the filling ribbon and continuing to curl the dough ribbon and filling into a cylindrical configuration with the alternately angled edge portions being on the outer periphery thereof, continuously advancing and sequentially subjecting the cylindrical dough and filling configuration to pressure at equally spaced intervals to substantially remove filling from selected areas where pressure is applied, and in immediate following relation to transversely cut the advancing cylindrical dough and filling configuration at intervals where pressure was applied to result in a series of discrete filled croissant articles, and forming each discrete article into a crescent-shaped configuration.

Claim 10

The method of producing filled croissants comprising the steps of continuously feeding an elongated croissant dough sheet having a predetermined width and thickness along a predetermined path, separating the dough sheet into at least two dough ribbons, each ribbon having an elongated, relatively straight edge and an elongated edge having alternately angled portions defining a sawtooth effect, continuously depositing a ribbon of filling on each dough ribbon adjacent to and parallel with the ribbon straight edge portion, initially folding the straight edge portion of the dough ribbon over the filling ribbon and continuing to curl the dough ribbon and filling into a cylindrical configuration with the alternately angled edge portions being on the outer periphery thereof, continuously advancing and sequentially subjecting the cylindrical dough and filling configuration to pressure at equally spaced intervals to substantially remove filling from selected areas where pressure is applied, and in immediate following relation to transversely cut the advancing cylindrical dough and filling configuration at intervals where pressure was applied to result in a series of discrete filled croissant articles, and forming each discrete article into a crescent-shaped configuration.