Patent ID: 8739696

Claim:
An automated machine for preparing individual loaves of dough for baking, the individual loaves of dough made from a plurality of ingredients, the machine comprising: a housing; a plurality of bins mounted on the housing, each of the plurality of bins holding one of the plurality of ingredients; a mixing device; a metering device mounted in the housing for delivering selected quantities of the ingredients from the plurality of bins to the mixing device; a compressing and dividing device receiving mixed ingredients from the mixing device, a controller controlling the operation of the metering device, the mixing device, the compressing and dividing device so as to make individual loaves of dough; the compressing and dividing device includes a plurality of blades and blocks, the plurality of blades and blocks mounted to the housing, each of the blocks evenly spaced apart from each other, and the blades are configured to fittingly slide between the spaces of each of the blocks, and the blocks and blades are in communication with the controller, and the controller is operable to drive the blocks and blades so as to compress the dough, and the controller is further operable to drive the blades past the blocks so as to divide the dough; a first conveyor mounted onto the housing, the first conveyor having a belt and a conveyor drive in communication with the controller, the conveyor drive operable to move the conveyor between a receiving position and a dividing position, and in the receiving position the conveyor is positioned to receive dough from the mixing device and in the dividing position the compressing and dividing device is operable to compress and divide the dough on the belt.