Automatic breadmaker with plural kneading members
AssigneeThe West Bend Company
InventorsDavid C. Belongia, Annette T. Klein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an automatic breadmaker having a pan which is longer than it is wide. Such pan has a pair of pivot-mounted collapsible kneading members spaced horizontally along the bottom of the pan. Each kneading member is coupled to a separate drive shaft extending up through the pan bottom and both shafts are powered by a motor and drive linkage. For easy attachment to and removal from its drive shaft for washing, each kneading member has a hub which forms a grip member. The new breadmaker facilitates automatic preparation of a loaf of normal configuration, having a curved or "crown-like" risen topside extending along its length.
Claims22
In an automatic single-loaf breadmaker having a drive mechanism, an oven chamber, a bread pan in the chamber, a kneading member in the pan and linked to the drive mechanism for mixing bread dough, and an automatic controller for energizing the drive mechanism and regulating the temperature in the chamber, the improvement wherein the pan has a single-loaf interior free of partitions and a spaced plurality of kneading members therein, thereby facilitating automatic preparation of a single loaf of bread having a risen topside extending along its length.
In an automatic breadmaker of the type having a motor, an oven chamber, a bread pan with a drive shaft through it, drive linkage extending from the motor to terminate at the chamber in a drive member, a kneading member engaged to the drive shaft in the pan for mixing bread dough, and an automatic controller for energizing the motor and regulating the temperature in the chamber, the improvement comprising:
- the pan having a spaced pair of drive shafts through it;
- a pair of the drive members to which the drive shafts are linked;
- and
- a spaced pair of the kneading members in the pan each engaged to one of the drive shafts;
- thereby facilitating automatic preparation of a loaf of bread having a risen topside extending along its length.
In an automatic breadmaker of the type having a base, a motor secured with respect thereto, an oven chamber, a bread pan in the chamber and having a drive shaft therethrough, drive linkage extending from the motor to terminate at the chamber in a drive member to which the drive shaft is detachably linked, a kneading member engaged to the drive shaft in the pan for mixing bread dough, and an automatic controller for energizing the motor and for regulating the temperature in the chamber, the improvement comprising:
- the pan having a spaced pair of the drive shafts extending therethrough;
- a pair of the drive members to which the drive shafts are linked;
- and
- a spaced pair of the kneading members in the pan each engaged to one of the drive shafts;
- thereby facilitating automatic preparation of a bread loaf having a risen topside extending along its length.
In a breadmaker pan of the type having substantially flat side panels extending along the length thereof, a bottom extending between the side panels, a drive shaft through the bottom for engagement by a dough kneading member driven by a motor coupled to an automatic controller for powering the drive shaft and regulating temperature, the improvement wherein the pan includes a spaced pair of drive shafts through the bottom for engagement by a pair of dough kneading members in the pan, thereby facilitating automatic preparation of a single loaf of bread having a risen topside extending along its length.
In an automatic breadmaker having a drive mechanism, an oven chamber, a bread pan in the chamber, a kneading member in the pan and linked to the drive mechanism for mixing bread dough, and an automatic controller for energizing the drive mechanism and for regulating the temperature in the chamber, the improvement wherein:
- the pan has a spaced plurality of kneading members therein;
- each kneading member has a hub with a grip member thereon to facilitate removal of the kneading member;
- each hub has a lower end and a blade pivotably secured along the lower end, said blade pivotable between an upright kneading position and a collapsed non-kneading position along the pan bottom;
- and
- the pan base has recessed portions each receiving one of the kneading members, such recessed portions being of sufficient depth to substantially fully receive the collapsed blades,
- whereby the breadmaker facilitates automatic preparation of a single loaf of bread having a risen topside extending along its length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.