TORTILLA PRESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

A method and apparatus for pressing tortilla dough into a tortilla product in a continuous operation including: an extruder (22) for compressing tortilla dough through a nozzle (38); a knife (40) for slicing the extruded dough into a series of dough pucks (30); a conveyor press assembly (24) which sandwiches the dough puck (30) between a pair of belts (54,56) to carry the puck between a pairs of platens (70,75) to gradually press the puck into its final tortilla form; and a conveyor oven (26) which sandwiches the tortilla between a pair of belts (114,116) to carry the tortilla between pairs of heated platens (126,130) to cook the tortilla. The system is particularly well suited to automation and, in one embodiment, includes measuring equipment which provides feedback to produce tortillas of consistent size, shape, and quality.