Dough processing system and method therefor

1. A dough processing system ( 100 ) for processing a U-shaped strand of dough ( 1 ), and comprising:

a processing head ( 2 ), which has two gripping means ( 4 , 5 ) adapted for looping the dough strand ( 1 ) into a first loop ( 64 ) and a second loop ( 65 )

and a shaping table ( 3 ), which is a processing table that is a unit separated from and arranged below said processing head ( 2 ) and is equipped with multiple positioning means that have multiple different processing functions, the multiple positioning means including conveyor belts ( 6 , 7 , 8 ) for positioning the dough strand ( 1 ), the shaping table further including

(a) a lifting means ( 28 ) that is a holding bar ( 29 ) extending between conveyer belts at an angle from vertical, retractable into the processing table, deployable outward from the processing table and adapted for raising said second loop ( 65 ) of dough to a raised position that is raised at least by the height of the dough strand, so that said second loop ( 65 ) of dough strand ( 1 ) is raised relative to the shaping table ( 3 ) allowing one end of the dough strand to be pulled through beneath said second dough loop,

(b) a table gripper ( 32 ) that is a gripping means ( 33 ), arranged between conveyer belts and displaceable in the direction of conveyance (X,K) of said conveyor belts, the table gripper having gripping fingers ( 32 ) and adapted for gripping and pulling on a dough strand end ( 61 ), so that sections of the dough strand ( 1 ) are pulled through beneath said second dough loop ( 65 ), and

(c) a pivoting means ( 40 ) for pivoting said second dough loop ( 65 ), shaped by the gripping means ( 4 , 5 ) of the processing head ( 2 ), around an axis of rotation that is arranged parallel to the plane of the shaping table ( 3 ).

2. A dough processing system according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the pivoting means ( 40 ) has two retaining arms ( 41 , 42 ) spaced from one another, which are aligned transversely to the direction of conveyance along the processing table ( 3 ), and which support at one of their ends a retaining tongue ( 51 , 52 ),

wherein the two retaining arms ( 41 , 42 ) are capable of rotating around an axis of rotation B, which is aligned transversely to the direction of conveyance of the processing table ( 3 ) and spaced from the retaining arms ( 41 , 42 ),

and wherein the retaining arms ( 41 , 42 ) are secured at the ends opposite the retaining tongues ( 51 , 52 ) to a mount ( 44 ), which is connected to a tilting element ( 45 ) fastened to the processing table ( 3 ) thereby said mount being tiltable around an axis (C) aligned in the direction of conveyance along the processing table ( 3 ), resulting in an upward and downward movement of the retaining arms ( 41 , 42 ) or the retaining tongues ( 51 , 52 ).