Dough press machine

Abstract

A dough press machine for flattening a quantity of dough usable as a crust for a food product such as a pizza pie. The machine has a vertically movable upper platen having a bottom surface and a lower platen having a top surface. The lower platen is movable from and to a position whereby the bottom surface of the upper platen and the top surface of the lower platen are substantially aligned with each other for vertical downward movement of the upper platen against the lower platen. The machine includes a sensor for detecting alignment of the lower platen with the upper platen such that the upper platen is vertically immovable when the lower platen is not in substantial alignment with the upper platen. Vertical movement of the upper platen is accomplished electromechanically with an electric thrust actuator in communication with the upper platen. Operation of the dough press machine provides for efficient product manufacture because of the pressing capacity of the upper platen, and for operator safety because of inoperability of the upper platen unless the lower platen is properly aligned with the upper platen for normal press operation. In this manner both product volume and worker protection are improved.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.