Multi-stage automatic dough-producing system

A multi-stage system for automatically and continuously producing dough from a source of flour and a source of dough-forming solution that includes yeast, said system comprising:

• A. a mixing stage coupled to said sources and including a first screw provided with a nozzle and operating within a cylindrical chamber having an outlet at an adjustable rate to intermix said flour and said solution to form a paste which is discharged from its outlet, said first screw having an axial bore therein into which said solution is fed, said bore communicating with said nozzle in the first screw whereby the solution is projected therefrom against a film of flour formed on the inner surface of the chamber by the first screw;
• B. a development stage including a second screw independent of a first screw, said second screw having an input end and an output end, said second screw being driven at said input end at an adjustable rate by a variable speed motor, said second screw rotating within a tube having an inlet gap therein surrounded by a housing which communicates with the outlet of the mixing stage, whereby the paste therefrom is supplied to the development stage laterally through the inlet gap, and means to displace the longitudinal position of the gap relative to the second screw, so that it moves toward or away from said input end, whereby the portion of the second screw between the inlet gap and the output end of the second screw represents the operative portion thereof which acts to knead and develop the incoming paste to retain the gases generated by the yeast to produce dough, the length of the operative portion being adjustable to effect the desired degree of development appropriate to the paste derived from said sources.