WASHINGTON — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted a range of patents to inventors of equipment, ingredients and processes related to the baking industry from April 10, 2018, to April 17, 2018. 

Moisture evacuation for baking
The housing of this rapid baking device encloses a baking compartment and air handling compartment, which are separated by a pressure panel with an aperture. In conjunction with the aperture, a blower wheel moves air from the baking compartment to the air handling compartment. A second blower moves ambient air into the air handling compartment.

U.S. Patent No. 9,936,706 (April 10, 2018), M. Deming et al., assigned to Middleby Marshall Holding LLC, Memominee, Mich.

Segmented baking pan
This industrial pan for bread and other baked products has multiple subunits with two side and two end portions. These portions are surrounded by a strap, which is also connected to the exterior of the subunits. Additionally, joining members located between each segment adapt to the top edges of the side portions.

U.S. Patent No. 9,936,707 (April 10, 2018), J. Tingley, assigned to American Pan, a Bundy Baking Solution, Urbana, Ohio.

Pastry strand device
To produce a continuous strip of dough without additional exerted pressure and to save dough strands during production, a mass may be formed in a container that has an outlet at the bottom and rotates about its axis. The outlet is sided by a cutting disk, a part of the base made to rotate in the same direction as the container.

U.S. Patent No. 9,936,708 (April 10, 2018), E. Rauch and W. Martin, assigned to Koenig Maschinen Gesellschaft MBH, Graz, Austria.

Dough processing system
A system for U-shaped strands of dough, this machine has a processing head with two program-controlled gripping mechanisms to create loops such as braids. A holding element is integrated into the shaping table, and pins hold the dough as it’s stretched into a pretzel shape.

U.S. Patent No. 9,936,709 (April 10, 2018), U. Bernhardt, assigned to Fritsch GmbH, Markt Einersheim, Germany.

Fat composition method
Dough products such as biscuits, pizza crusts, cinnamon rolls or pot pie crusts can incorporate fat compositions that are low in trans fatty acids with moderate levels of saturated fatty acids. Shortening particles and compositions can comprise less than 2% weight of total trans fatty acids and less than about 70% weight of saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids.

U.S. Patent No. 9,943,084 (April 17, 2018), J. Seibold et al., assigned to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis.