Arrangement and method for forming a ring body

Abstract

Arrangement (10) for forming a ring body, in particular a dough ring, such as sesame rings, comprising - a facility for the production of at least one strand of material (28), - a separating device (32) that divides at least one strand of material into strand sections (76, 82), - a first conveying device (30) that successively transports strand sections, - a forming device (34) downstream of the first conveying device with a rotatably designed support element with a bearing surface (84) for a strand section (82) and - a second conveying device (80) which forms a contact area for the strand section following a circular arc section and extending above the support surface, wherein the circular arc section has a radius of curvature that defines the outer radius of the ring body.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement for forming a ring body, in particular a dough ring, such as sesame rings.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method for producing a ring-shaped body from a dough-like material, in particular a dough ring intended for a baked good, such as sesame rings, nut or almond braid in ring shape.

[0003] German patent DE 10 2004 026 387 B4 discloses a method and a device for forming a ready-to-bake, seamless dough ring, as well as a method for producing a ring-shaped pastry from such a pre-formed dough ring. In this process, pressure is applied to a dough piece from two sides to form a round shape. After the pressure is released, an inner hole is punched out to create the dough ring.

[0004] A method for producing coffee pastries and a machine for carrying out the method are described in DE 2 333 444 A. In this process, strands of dough are formed, cut to length, and then placed in circular shapes in the form of dough rings.

[0005] The WO 2010 / 054773 A2 describes a system for the automatic production of baked goods using a dough strand. The system comprises a kneading unit, an extruder, a portioning unit, and a finishing unit in which dough strand sections are transferred to a transport form where they are proofed and baked.

[0006] Even though baking facilities are already partially automated, producing a ring-shaped baked good without a mold is not possible. Manual work is required, which has the disadvantage that the ends of the dough strand being formed into a ring do not meet so seamlessly that protrusion and thus dark, heat-affected spots are avoided.

[0007] The present invention is based on the objective of providing an arrangement and a method for producing a ring body, in particular a dough ring, which can be manufactured in an aesthetically pleasing shape and in which the joints merge flush into one another.

[0008] Another aspect is the ability to produce multi-stranded ring bodies, in which strands of dough are connected, braided or twisted together, in different sizes and ratios.

[0009] The throughput of the ring bodies to be produced should be increased compared to previously known plants.

[0010] To address one or more of the aforementioned issues, an arrangement for forming a ring-shaped body, in particular a dough ring such as a sesame ring, is proposed, comprising - a facility for the production of at least one strand of material, - a separating device that divides at least one strand of material into strand sections, - a first conveying device that successively transports strand sections, - a forming device downstream of the first conveying device with a rotatably designed support element with a bearing surface for a strand section and - a second conveying device which forms a contact area for the strand section following a circular arc segment and extending above the support surface, wherein the circular arc segment has a radius of curvature that defines the outer radius of the ring body.

[0011] According to the invention, an arrangement is provided with which ring bodies can be automatically produced in rapid succession. A strand can be produced from the dough mass at the desired speed without interruption and divided into sections, which are then formed into a ring without manual intervention. This is achieved by transferring each strand section onto a passively rotatable plate. In one section, the plate is peripherally surrounded by a conveying device that forms a boundary with a radius of curvature that defines the radius of the ring body. The conveying device shapes the strand section on the support surface of the carrier element in such a way that the ends of the strand section merge flush into one another, i.e., the ends butt together in such a way that no protrusion is present. This also applies to multi-strand, i.e., braid-like, strand sections.

[0012] The support surface is inclined to the horizontal, with the conveying device located in the area of ​​the support surface where the lowest point is situated. The angle of inclination, the transport speed, the inertia, and the friction between the dough section and the support surface enable a stabilized ring shape without centripetal mass deformation occurring.

[0013] In particular, it is provided that the device for producing the material strand is a kneading machine in the form of, for example, a twin-shaft extruder, which discharges material in the form of a strand through at least one outlet opening.

[0014] The dispensing device can be rotatably mounted about a first axis and have at least two outlet openings, so that interlinked, i.e., braided or twisted, strands are dispensed as a single strand of material, which is then divided into strand sections. Naturally, the dispensing device can also have more than two outlet openings. If only one outlet opening is present, rotatability of the dispensing device is not required.

[0015] To cut the strand of material, the cutting device is designed to be movable back and forth transversely, preferably vertically or approximately perpendicularly, to the strand of material emerging from the at least one outlet opening.

[0016] In the particularly noteworthy further development, the invention provides that a first driver is operatively connected to the separating device, which acts on a guide device that divides the first conveying device into two longitudinal sections in such a way that successive strand sections are transported on different longitudinal sections without the conveying becoming jammed or the separated end being deformed.

[0017] These measures enable a high throughput, as a strand section can be alternately placed on one of the longitudinal sections, thus allowing for continuous ejection of the material strand from the material strand production facility.

[0018] In particular, it is provided that each longitudinal section of the first conveying device is assigned a support element with a bearing surface and a second conveying device.

[0019] In order to enable the guide device to pivot smoothly, i.e., to allow successive strand sections to be fed to one of the longitudinal sections of the first conveying device, it is particularly provided that the guide device is pivotably mounted about a second axis in its first end area closest to the support element, that the first driver acts directly or indirectly on the opposite second end area, and that a damping element is preferably provided between the first driver and the guide device.

[0020] To form the strand section into a ring, the support element, which has a bearing surface, and the second conveying device, which surrounds it in one section, are used. The support element is designed to have a circular disk, with the contact area of ​​the second conveying device extending along a section of its circumference, following the arc of the circle.

[0021] In particular, and also to be emphasized, the invention provides that when forming the ring body, the support element with the bearing surface runs inclined to the horizontal, with the second conveying device running in the area of ​​the lowest point of the bearing surface and on both sides of it.

[0022] This constructive design ensures that the strand section is formed into a ring and that the ends lying on top of each other in the butt joint are joined without offset.

[0023] In order to enable easy removal of the ring from the support surface after its formation, the carrier element is provided to have gas passage openings whose opening shapes counteract the adhesion of the goods.

[0024] In order to remove the ring body from the support surface due to gravity, the support element is designed to be tiltable with the second conveying device for alignment with a third conveying device.

[0025] To further ensure that the desired ring geometry can be achieved and that the ends of the strand section merge flush into one another, a proposal with inventive content provides that an eccentrically mounted pressure element with a circumferential surface for applying pressure to the strand section following a circular arc is rotatably mounted above the bearing surface.

[0026] The second conveying device may include a conveyor belt or roller elements to form the arc segment along which the strand segment is conveyed.

[0027] The invention also relates to a method for producing a ring-shaped body from a dough-like material, in particular a dough ring intended for a baked good, such as sesame rings, or similar baked goods, comprising the process steps - Production of a material strand, - Separating the material strand into strand sections, - Conveying a strand section to a support surface of a rotatably mounted support element by means of a first conveying device, - Conveying the strand section along a circular arc section by means of a second conveying device with the strand section located on the support surface, while simultaneously rotating the support element by means of adhesion of the strand section to the support surface, - Rotating the strand section by more than 360° relative to the strand section start to join the ends of the strand section and - Removing the closed strand section from the support surface.

[0028] In particular, it is provided that the mass of the strand section, the radius of the circular arc section and the conveying speed of the second conveying device are coordinated in such a way that a displacement of the strand section towards the axis of rotation of the support surface is prevented.

[0029] In order to butt the ends of the strand section together, it is particularly provided that the strand section is rotated by more than 360°, preferably at least 400°, particularly preferably at least 420°, with respect to the strand section start with the bearing surface.

[0030] To avoid the formed strand section having a shape deviating from a circular geometry, the invention is characterized in that the material strand is cut into strand sections of a respective length L with L = (2π × R) + X where R = radius of circular arc section in millimeters and X in mm where X = 0, in particular X > 0, especially preferably 1 ≤ X ≤ 5.

[0031] In particular, it is possible – possibly as a supplement – ​​for an eccentrically mounted, rotating pressure element to act on the inner area of ​​the strand section rotating with the support surface, the contact surface of which is curved in such a way that, in principle, deformation of the strand section to be formed or already formed into the ring is prevented. The geometry of the contact surface is thus convex or convex-shaped. The pressure element is rotationally symmetrical, at least in the contact area with the strand section, and preferably requires no drive mechanism.

[0032] To change the diameter of the eccentrically mounted pressure element, the axis of rotation can be fixed in various positions, for example, in an elongated hole in the pressure body. This ensures a smooth adjustment to the inner diameter of the ring body and, furthermore, guarantees a smooth transition between the connected ends of the strand section when the ring is formed.

[0033] To achieve high throughput, the strand sections are fed onto the first conveyor, which is divided into two or more longitudinal sections by means of a guide device, with successive strand sections being transferred to different longitudinal sections. This allows the cycle time to be maintained even with larger baked goods that may require more processing time.

[0034] Different radii of the workpiece can be achieved by changing the radius of the contact area of ​​the second conveying device. If the second conveying device consists of a conveyor belt guided along roller elements, or if the second conveying device itself is formed by roller elements, the roller elements can be adjusted relative to the axis of rotation of the rotating element. For this purpose, elongated holes can be provided in which the roller elements can be moved and then fixed.

[0035] To easily remove the ring-shaped body from the support surface, the carrier element is tilted after the ring shape has formed, and the ring-shaped body is then removed from the support surface by gravity, preferably assisted by air flowing through it, and in particular transferred to a third conveying device. Thus, only extremely minor deformation forces act on the body, if any at all.

[0036] When forming the strand section into the ring body, the support surface is inclined to the horizontal. The strand section contacts the second conveying device at and around the lowest point of the support surface and is conveyed by it. The contact between the strand section and the support surface causes the surface to rotate synchronously. The contact surface, or the support element comprising the contact surface, is passively rotatable; that is, it is not self-driven but rotates with the strand section due to static friction.

[0037] Further details, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent not only from the claims and the features to be derived therefrom - individually and / or in combination - but also from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

[0038] They show: Fig. 1. A side view of an arrangement for forming a ring body, Fig. 2 the order according to Fig. 1 in top view, Fig. 3 a support element in two positions, Fig. 4 the support element according to Fig. 3 in top view, Fig. 5 a separating device with guide device and in top view, Fig. 6 a, b the separating device according to Fig. 5 in front view in two positions and Fig. 7 the guide device with separating device according to the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6.

[0039] The figure illustrates, in principle, an arrangement for forming a ring-shaped body, in particular a dough ring such as sesame rings. While the invention is explained using a dough ring as an example, it is also applicable to other dough-like products, such as plastics, without the need for further explanation.

[0040] The arrangement 10 comprises a conveying device 12 designed as a double extruder in the exemplary embodiment, to which the dough is fed via a feed hopper 14.

[0041] The conveying device 12 is connected to a nozzle head 16 serving as a dispensing device, which is rotatable about a first axis by means of a motor. The nozzle head 16 has two openings 20, 22 on the outlet side, so that, due to the rotation of the nozzle head 16 or an attachment having the outlet openings 20, 22, intertwined partial strands can be produced, i.e., braided or twisted, as is the case in principle with the Fig. 5 can be seen. The partial strands 24, 26 form a dough strand to be designated as material strand 28.

[0042] Naturally, the invention is not limited to processing multiple strands. Rather, the invention also relates to an embodiment in which only one strand or more than two strands are processed in such a way as to produce a ring body.

[0043] A first conveying device in the form of a conveyor belt 30 is arranged downstream of the dispensing device or nozzle head 16, via which strand sections 76 separated from the material strand 28 by means of a separating device 32 are conveyed to a forming device 34, in which the strand sections 76 are formed into a closed ring 36 in order to then be transferred, for example, to a further conveying device 38.

[0044] As can be seen from the top view according to Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the arrangement 10 has a total of two forming devices 34, each marked with the reference numeral 34. In order to alternately feed a strand section to one of the forming devices 34, the conveyor belt 30 is divided into two longitudinal sections 42, 44 by means of a guide device 40, wherein, depending on the position of the guide device 40, a strand section is fed onto one of the longitudinal sections 42, 44 from the nozzle device 16 after a strand section has been cut off by means of the cutting device 32.

[0045] Between the nozzle device 16 and the feed area, i.e. the proximal area of ​​the conveyor belt 30, a further device can be provided to, for example, coat the material strand 28 with a desired material, such as dusting it with flour, nut shavings, cereal seeds and / or sugar.

[0046] The separating device 32 has a plate-shaped base element 46, which has a keyhole-shaped cutout, which is composed of an elongated first section 50 and a section 52 having a circular geometry, the clear width of which is dimensioned to the diameter of the nozzle head 16 or the rotatable component having the outlet openings 20, 22 such that the nozzle head 16 or the component can be removed via the section 52.

[0047] In the elongated section 50, a cutting element 54 is provided, which has two cutting edges 56, 58, in order to cut off a strand section from the strand of material 28 exiting the nozzle head 16 either with the cutting edge 56 or with the cutting edge 58 during the back-and-forth movement of the cutting device 32.

[0048] The reciprocating separating device 32 is moved by means of an actuator perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the main conveying direction of the material strand 28 exiting the nozzle or dispensing device, for example via a motor or cylinder 60, as shown purely by way of example in the Fig. 5 is indicated.

[0049] From the plate-shaped separating device 32, which has cutting edges 56, 58, a first driver 62 with legs 64, 66 extends, which in turn acts on a bracket 68 for a second driver 70. The guide device 40 extends from this second driver and is gimbal-mounted. The legs 64, 66 of the first driver 62 act on the bracket 68 via damping elements 72, 74, so that the reciprocating movement of the separating device 32 is dampened on the bracket 68 for the second driver 70. This prevents impacts on the guide device 40, which can be described as a switch. Naturally, the sequence of movements can also be carried out by electric drives.

[0050] As the Fig. 5a and Fig. As illustrated in Figure 5b, the guide device 40 is adjusted depending on the position of the separating device 32. Fig. 5b, the cutting device 32 has reached its left end position and is then moved to the right. During this movement, a strand section 76 is cut from the material strand 28 by means of the cutting blade 56. Since the material strand 28 is located on the right longitudinal section 42 of the conveyor belt 30 before cutting, the cut strand section 76 is placed in the Fig. The material is fed to the lower forming device 34 shown in Figure 2. Simultaneously, the guide device 40 is moved to the right so that the material strand 28, which continues to be conveyed, can be fed onto the left longitudinal section 44 of the conveyor belt 30. Then, when the cutting device 32 is moved to the left again, the cutting blade 58 cuts off a strand section and conveys it along the conveyor belt 30 along the longitudinal section 44 of the... Fig. 2 upper forming device 34 to be fed.

[0051] In order to shape the dough section supplied to the forming device 34 in such a way that the desired ring geometry can be achieved, the forming device 34 has a second conveying device 80 surrounding a passively rotating carrier disk 78 via an arc B < π peripherally, the boundary of which on the strand section side has a circular geometry with an arc whose radius corresponds to the outer radius of the ring body to be produced.

[0052] As can be seen from the top view of Fig. As a result of step 4, a strand section 82 is transferred by means of the conveyor belt 30 onto the support element (carrier disc 78) having a contact surface 84, such that the strand section 82 contacts the second conveying device 80 and is thus transported by means of the second conveying device 80, thereby adapting to the geometry of the contact surface of the conveying device 80. Due to the contact with the contact surface 78, the carrier element rotates.

[0053] The strand section is rotated by more than 360°, preferably more than 420° with respect to its front end 86 with the support element, whereby the ends 86, 88 of the strand section 82 come into contact with each other, so that the closed ring 36 is formed.

[0054] The transport speed of the strand section 82, the mass of the strand section 82 and, if applicable, the inclination angle of the support surface 84 are coordinated in such a way that centripetal mass deformation does not occur.

[0055] The strand section 82 also has a length that is slightly longer than the mean radius of the ring shape 36, preferably 1–5 mm longer, preferably about 3 mm longer, to achieve an ideal circular shape. This compresses the ends 86 and 88 to a certain extent, and the rotation by more than 360° ensures that the desired ring geometry is achieved.

[0056] In its design, the bearing surface 84 should form an angle α with the horizontal, preferably 10° ≤ α ≤ 30°, and in particular α approximately 20°. The lowest point of the bearing surface 84 is therefore located far from the distal area of ​​the conveyor belt 30, as illustrated in the drawing.

[0057] After the closed ring body has been formed, the forming device 34 is tilted ( Fig. 3) in order to then transfer the ring body to the further transport or conveying device 38 by force of gravity. Since the support element, i.e. the circular or support disc 78, has air passage openings 90, the support surface 84 can be permeated by air, which facilitates the release of the ring body from the support surface 84.

[0058] To compensate for any deviations from the ring shape, a cylindrical pressure element 92 with a concave contact surface 94 extends in the central region of the support surface 84, acting on the inside of the ring body 36. The pressure element is mounted eccentrically, so that there is essentially only line contact between the pressure element 92 and the ring body 36 parallel to the axis of rotation. The rotational speed of the pressure body or pressure element 92 is matched to the conveying speed of the second conveying device 80 such that the pressure element 92 eventually acts on the joint between the ends 86, 88 of the strand section 82, thereby correcting any misalignment between the ends 86, 88.

[0059] The second conveying device 80 can be a conveyor belt or, for example, a rigid cassette belt, a multi-roller belt, or a guided chain conveyor belt. Regardless of the design, the second conveying device 80 provides a contact area for the strand section 82, which forms a circular arc whose radius corresponds to or defines the outer radius of the body to be formed into a ring 36.

[0060] Based on the teaching according to the invention, baked goods, in particular those consisting of twisted strands, can be produced continuously and automatically in perfect form and at a rapid pace. Production times of 1.5 to 3 seconds per ring are readily achievable, with the cycle time depending on the strand and ring diameter.

[0061] The assemblies forming the arrangement according to the invention can be configured as an interchangeable system, wherein one unit is the kneading device (conveyor device 12) with the dispensing device (nozzle head 16), a second unit is the first conveying device 30 with the guide device 40 and the third unit is the forming device 34.

[0062] The dough mass can be produced continuously at the desired speed. The conveying speed of the material strand 28 and the speed of the reciprocating movement of the separating device 32 are coordinated in such a way that the strand sections can be seamlessly formed into a closed ring.

[0063] To achieve this coordination, controlled pneumatic cylinders or highly dynamic electric drives can be used.

[0064] The separated strand section can be aligned with the material strand in such a way that a gap is created which prevents re-adherence and nevertheless allows the strand section to be moved laterally to be transported onto one of the longitudinal sections 42, 44 of the conveyor belt 30, without requiring the speed of the conveyor belt 30 to be higher than the withdrawal speed of the material strand from the discharge device 16.

[0065] The shape of the strand is determined by the delivery rate and the rotational frequency of the dispensing device for two or more individual strands. These then form the strand section.

[0066] Due to the modular system, it is possible to space the kneading unit (conveyor 12) with material discharge via the dispensing unit (nozzle head 16) and the first conveying unit (conveyor belt 30), which feeds strand sections to the forming unit 34, as needed to accommodate devices by which, for example, the outer surfaces of the material strand 28 can be dusted. This can be advantageous, for example, to avoid undesirable adhesion problems of the strand sections in the forming unit 34.

[0067] Furthermore, the first conveying device (conveyor belt 30) should be inclined, i.e., the output area is higher than the delivery area to the forming device 34.

[0068] By dividing the conveyor belt 30 in the exemplary embodiment into two transport areas, i.e. the longitudinal areas 42, 44, a high throughput is ensured.

[0069] In advance, the strand section length must be coordinated with the diameter of the ring body to avoid bulges or offset overlaps in the closing area or a geometry deviating from a circle.

[0070] The invention also includes the possibility of making more than 2 subdivisions.

[0071] In order to achieve the desired ring geometry, the bearing surface 84 on the support element (carrier disc 78) is inclined to the horizontal, with the conveying device 80 peripherally surrounding the carrier surface being provided in the area of ​​the bearing surface 84, which extends from this at its lowest point.

[0072] The strand section is moved in a circular motion due to contact with the conveying device 80, the rotation being supported by the support element (carrying disk 78) which can be described as a circular disk, the bearing surface 84 of which can be ventilated.

[0073] By adjusting the inclination angle of the support surface 84, the transport speed via the conveying device 80 depending on the mass of the strand section, taking into account the friction quotient between strand section 82 and support surface 84, it can be ensured that the desired circular geometry can be achieved and that centripetal mass deformation is avoided.

[0074] A smooth transfer of the ring body after its forming to another means of transport or other processing station is easily possible, since the ring body virtually floats on an air cushion on the support surface 84 through the openings 90 in the support surface 84 and the air passing through them.

Claims

[1] Arrangement (10) for forming a ring body, in particular a dough ring, such as sesame rings, comprising - a facility for the production of at least one strand of material (28), - a separating device (32) that divides at least one strand of material into strand sections (76, 82), - a first conveying device (30) that successively transports strand sections, - a forming device (34) downstream of the first conveying device with a rotatably designed support element with a bearing surface (84) for a strand section (82) and - a second conveying device (80) which forms a contact area for the strand section following a circular arc section and extending above the support surface, wherein the circular arc section has a radius of curvature that defines the outer radius of the ring body. [2] Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by, that the device is a kneading machine with a dispensing device that discharges the kneaded material in the form of the material strand (28) via at least one outlet opening (20, 22). [3] Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the dispensing device is rotatable about a first axis and has at least two outlet openings (20, 22). [4] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the separating device (32) is designed to be movable back and forth transversely, preferably vertically or approximately perpendicularly, to the strand of material (28) exiting from the at least one outlet opening (20, 22). [5] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that a first carrier (62) is operatively connected to the separating device (32), which acts on a guide device (40) that divides the first conveying device into two longitudinal sections (42, 44) in such a way that successive strand sections (76) are transported on different longitudinal sections. [6] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide device (40) is pivotably mounted about a second axis in its first end region adjacent to the support element (78), that the first driver (62) acts directly or indirectly on the opposite second end region, wherein a damping element (72, 74) is preferably provided between the first driver and the guide device. [7] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that each longitudinal section (42, 44) of the first conveying device is assigned a support element with a bearing surface (84) and a second conveying device (80). [8] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the support element has a circular disk, wherein along a section of its circumference the contact area of ​​the second conveying device (80) follows the arc section of the circular arc. [9] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that when forming the ring body the support element with the bearing surface (84) runs inclined to the horizontal, wherein in the area of ​​the lowest point of the bearing surface and on both sides of this the second conveying device (80) runs. [10] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the bearing surface (84) of the support element has gas passage openings whose opening shapes counteract the adhesion requirement of the goods. [11] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the support element with the second conveying device (80) is designed to be tiltable for alignment with a third conveying device (38). [12] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that above the support surface (84) an eccentrically mounted pressure element (92) with a circumferential surface for applying pressure to the strand section (82) following a circular arc is rotatably mounted. [13] Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the second conveying device (80) has a conveyor belt or roller elements for forming the circular arc section. [14] Method for producing a ring-shaped body from a dough-like material, in particular a dough ring intended for a baked good, such as sesame rings, comprising the process steps - Production of a material strand (28), - Separating the material strand into strand sections (76, 82), - Conveying a strand section to a support surface (84) of a rotatably mounted support element by means of a first conveying device, - Conveying the strand section along a circular arc section by means of a second conveying device (80) with the strand section (82) located on the support surface, while simultaneously rotating the support element by means of adhesion of the strand section to the support surface, - Rotating the strand section by more than 360° with respect to the strand section start to join the ends (86, 88) of the strand section and - Removing the closed strand section from the support surface. [15] Method according to claim 14, characterized by , that an eccentrically mounted and rotating pressure element (92) acts on the inner area of ​​the strand section (82) rotating with the support surface (84). [16] Method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized by , that the mass of the strand section (76, 82), radius of the circular arc section and conveying speed of the second conveying device (80) are coordinated in such a way that a displacement of the strand section towards the axis of rotation of the support surface is prevented. [17] Method according to at least one of claims 14 to 16, characterized by , that the strand of material (28) is cut into strand sections (76, 82) of a respective length L with L = (2π × R) + X with R = radius of circular arc section in millimeters and X in mm with X = 0, in particular X > 0, especially preferably 1 ≤ X ≤ 5. [18] Method according to at least one of claims 14 to 17, characterized by , that the strand section (82) is rotated by more than 360°, preferably at least 400°, particularly preferably at least 420°, with respect to the strand section start with the support surface (84). [19] Method according to at least one of claims 14 to 18, characterized by , that the strand sections (76, 82) are fed onto the first conveying device, which is subdivided into at least two longitudinal sections (42, 44) by means of a guide device (40), whereby successive strand sections are transferred to different longitudinal sections. [20] Method according to at least one of claims 14 to 19, characterized by, that after the ring shape is formed the support element is tilted and the body having the ring shape is moved away from the support surface (84) by gravity and preferably by air flowing through the support surface (84), in particular to a third conveying device (38).

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