In a machine for preparing precooked lasagna. A mixer for combining ingredients necessary for the preparation of pasta and an extruder for forming at least two uncooked strips of pasta. After passing the strips through the cooker, they are deposited into a cooling tank where they are allowed to accumulate. A separator and guide means aligns the noodles on top of one another as they pass out of the cooling tank. The noodles are then passed above and below the nozzle where a filler material is deposited between the strips. The strips are then cut for packaging.
An improved lasagna product wherein the edges are scalloped and a noodle is corrugated for improved sauce migration.
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1. A machine for the production of precooked lasagna comprising:
means for mixing flour and eggs to a predetermined consistency; an extruder for receiving said flour and egg mixture and extruding at least two continuous strips of broad lasagna type noodles; means for transporting the strips being extruded through a cooker; a cooling tank in close proximity to the cooker for reception of the noodles as they exit from the cooker, said tank being of sufficient size to contain a predetermined amount of noodles so as to provide slack and prevent breaking of the noodle strips; means for suspending the noodle strips above the tank as said strips are drawn from the tank thereby allowing said strips to unwind; means for aligning one of the strips on top of the other; means for filling the space between the noodle strips with a previously chose filler; and means for cutting the now precooked lasagna into pieces of predetermined size.
2. The invention of
3. The invention of
4. The invention of
5. The invention of
6. The invention of
7. The invention of
a nozzle secured above said conveying means a sufficient distance to allow one of the noodle strips to pass beneath the nozzle; and inclined means for lifting the top noodle strip off of the lower strip and directing it over said nozzle.
8. The invention of
9. The invention of
10. The invention of
means for mixing flour and eggs to a predetermined consistency; an extruder for receiving said flour and egg mixture and extruding at least two continuous strips of broad lasagna type noodles; means for transporting the strips being extruded through a cooker; a cooling tank in close proximity to the cooker for reception of the noodles as they exit from the cooker, said tank being of sufficient size to contain a predetermined amount of noodles so as to provide slack and prevent breaking of the noodle strips; means for suspending the noodle strips above the tank as said strips are drawn from the tank thereby allowing said strips to unwind; means for aligning the strips in registry with one another; means for applying a filling on one of the noodle strips with a previously chosen filler; means for aligning the other strip on top of the filling; and means for cutting the now precooked lasagna into pieces of predetermined size. 12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said suspending means also serves as means for separating the noodle strips. 13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the suspending and separating means also acts as a means for aligning the noodles in registry with one another. 14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said separation and aligning means consists of two parallel bars separated a predetermined distance from each other and suspended above the tank whereby one of the noodle strips is passed over both the first and second bar in the pair and the other noodle is passed over only second bar. 15. The invention of claim 15 wherein said filling means further comprises a means for conveying the two strips from the tank and along a predetermined path; a nozzle secured above said conveying means a sufficient distance to allow one of the noodle strips to pass beneath the nozzle; and means for directing the other noodle strip on top of the strip that passed beneath the nozzle such that the noodle strips are aligned on top of one another after they have passed the nozzle and the predetermined substance has been inserted between the strips.
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FIG. 1 is a top view of the production assembly.
FIGS. 2 and 2a are elevational view of the extruder and one of the conveyor transfer mechanisms.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the noodle strips alignment and filling mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the product of this invention.
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the product of this invention.
FIG. 6 is a front view of the filler (extruder) nozzle for multiple noodle trains.
FIG. 7 is a perspective, functioning view of filler (extruder) nozzle.
FIG. 1 discloses a holding bin 10 which contains semolina or another flour type substance. The semolina is drawn through a tubing 12 into a measuring device 14.
This measuring device may be varied in order to adjust the amount of flour being delivered through pipe 16 into the mixer 18.
Simultaneously, a second holding bin 20 which is generally filled with eggs is delivering the egg product through a second pipe 22 into the mixer 18.
The delivery rates of the semolina and the egg are varied by means which are well known in the art in order to achieve the desired consistency.
Once the desired consistency is achieved, the mixture is directed through an extruder 24 which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The product being extruded is an uncooked continuous noodle strip.
As shown in FIG. 2a, the die of the extruder is fashioned so as to produce a first noodle strip 26 and second noodle strip 28. More particularly, the die is designed so as to form noodle strips having longitudinal corrugations 30 and scalloped edges, which for the purpose of this application will be used to mean a wavy or sinusoidal edge, having projections both above and below the longitudinal corrugations (see FIG. 4).
The longitudinal corrugations 30 form channels 34 and crests 36. The depth of the channels measured from the crests varies from 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch. This depth enables most of the channels 34 to stay open even after a filler 38 is placed thereon. Thus, sauce migration along the noodle is aided despite the filler material. As also shown in FIG. 4, the scalloped edges 32 serve to direct the sauce applied along the edges of the noodle in toward the channels.
FIG. 5 discloses the end product wherein the lasagna is folded in a "e" shape. In this configuration, the scalloped edges serve to hold the noodle strips apart from each other for better sauce migration. The resiliency of the noodles at turns 40 and 42 also aid to hold the strips apart from each other. Thus, when the product is packaged and frozen in this manner, the ultimate user can take the frozen precooked lasagna and simply pour sauce over it and still get sufficient migration of the sauce to have the sauce channel throughout a substantial amount of the product.
As shown in FIG. 2, the noodles are extruded onto a first conveyor belt 44. This first conveyor 44 transports the two continuous noodle strips to a cooker 46. As known by those familiar with the art, the cooker 46 also has a conveyor belt which carries the noodles through the cooker at a predetermined rate in order to assure complete cooking of the noodles. After exiting the cooker, the noodles are deposited into a cooling tank 48. In my preferred embodiment, the cooling tank is simply filled with water and is of a sufficient size to hold a large amount of noodles. By having a large amount of noodles within the cooling tank, not only is the cooling and congealing process better established, but the system becomes asynchronous since there is a great deal of latitude in the amount of excess noodles that are stored within the tank. This excess of noodles in the tank also serves to allow the machinery to be articulated at this point which can save substantially in the amount of room required to perform this process.
In initially setting up the process, the end of each noodle is directed out of the cooling tank and over a set of bars in the manner shown in FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 3, this set of bars extends outwardly from a second conveyor bolt 50 such that the bars are suspended over the cooling tank 48. The set of bars has a first bar 52 and a second bar 54 which are parallel to each other and are at least one foot above the cooling tank. In my preferred embodiment, these bars are actually 18 inches above the cooling tank. This allows the noodles to unwind as they are drawn out of the cooling tank and over the bars, thereby aligning the noodle strips axially in order to accomplish this, the strips must be separate. Therefore, the first noodle strip 26 passes over the first bar 52 and then proceeds over the second bar 54, whereas the second noodle strip rises out of the tank and only passes over the bar 54.
A guide 56 is attached to the second bar 54 and serves to align the first noodle strip 26 on top of the second noodle strip 28.
The noodle strips travel along the second conveyor belt 50 in this fashion until they come to an inclined separator 58 which is suspended a sufficient distance above the second conveyor belt 50 to allow the second noodle strip 28 to pass under the inclined separator while the first noodle strip 26 passes over the inclined separator. Immediately after the inclined separator and prior to the noodles' joining together, there is a nozzle 60 which is attached by means of a tube 62 to a hopper 64.
The hopper is filled with a predetermined filler such as cheese and serves to deposit a continuous strip of cheese onto the second noodle strip 28. The second noodle strip passes under the nozzle 60 which is suspended by means of a bracket 66 slightly above the second conveyor belt 50. After filling, the noodle strips pass through a second guide 68 which serves to assure alignment of the first noodle strip on top of the second noodle strip.
Another embodiment is envisioned which anticipates a side-by-side noodle train arrangement. The previously described apparatus is employed up until the separation of top noodle strip 26 from bottom noodle strip 28, preparatory to filling. The alternate embodiment dispenses with incline separator 58 and singular nozzle 60, as well as bracket 66 and second guide 68. In place of tube 62, there are; a pipe 65 running from the hopper 64, suspended a sufficient distance above the second conveyor belt 50 so as to allow the extensions 59 of T-fitting 57 to act as incline separators 59', and thus separate noodle strips 26 from noodle strips 28, which continue to lie on the second conveyor belt 50. Thereafter the separated noodle strips 26 are guided by the T-fitting 57 close-ended extension flanges 63 so as to remain superposed above the lower noodle strip 28. After passing the incline (T-fitting extension 59'), the filling 38 is injected or extruded onto the lower noodles 28 through apertures 61. Immediately thereafter, top noodles 26 decline off of the T-fitting extensions 59, 59' properly aligned by flanges 63, to rest on lower noodle strips 28.
The precooked lasagna product then passes to a cutter 70 where the noodles are cut into strips of predetermined length. In my preferred embodiment, the noodle is folded in a "e" shape as shown in FIG. 5. After folding, the noodle is packaged and frozen so that the ultimate consumer need only add sauce and bake the product.
In operation, the consistency of the semolina and egg mixture is set and the mixture is then passed through an extruder 24. The die assembly of the extruder is waved so as to produce noodle strips having longitudinal corrugations 30 and scalloped edges 32. A first conveyor belt 44 directs the first noodle strip 26 and the second noodle strip 28 to a cooker 46 wherein the cooker conveyor belt passes these strips through the cooker at a predetermined rate in order to properly cool the noodles. After passing through the cooker, the noodle strips are deposited into a cooling tank. When the process is being initially instituted, the individual running the process will allow a significant amount of noodles to accumulate in the tank. Generally, somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty feet of noodle strips is a sufficient amount to be deposited in the tank. The individual then takes one of the noodle strips, which for the sake of description will be called the second noodle strip and passes it up from the tank over a second bar 54 and onto a second conveyor belt 50. Almost simultaneously, the first noodle strip 26 is directed up from the cooling tank 48 and over both a first bar 52 and the second bar 54. The strips are aligned so as to pass through a guide 56 which is secured to the second bar 54 and assures that the first noodle strip is positioned on top of the second noodle strip. The first noodle strip is then directed above an inclined separator 58 while the second noodle strip passes below the separator. Similarly, the first noodle strip is passed over the nozzle 60 while the second noodle strip is passed under the nozzle. The pump, (not shown) from the hopper 64 then directs a filling substance such as cheese through tube 62 and out of nozzle 60. The cheese is deposited onto the second noodle strip after which the first strips descends over the nozzle 60, thereby creating a lasagna type sandwich. A second guide 68 assures that the first noodle strip 26 is aligned directly over the second noodle strip 28. The noodles with filler then move to a cutter where they are cut into predetermined lengths. These lengths can vary significantly, but generally, I found that lengths of 6 to 10 inches are preferable.
After cutting, the product is folded into an "e" shape and packaged and frozen. The shape of the broad, lasagna type noodles is important in assisting the ultimate consumer in preparing the lasagna. The scalloped edges of the noodles as well as the use of the "E" shape provides openings between the noodle strips that are in contact with each other. Also, because the noodle is longitudinally corrugated with channels from 1/16 to 1/4 inch in depth, sauce applied over the frozen product will be directed into the channels and will generally spread out substantially evenly during baking. In addition, the choose filler will generally not fill the corrugations, and therefore, sauce applied to the product will migrate along the channels and below the cheese. As soon as the product is baked, it is ready to be consumed.
While the above describes the preferred embodiment of this invention, it should be appreciated that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
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