Patent ID: 8746133

Claim:
A dough forming apparatus comprising: a lower support frame; a lower pressing platen coupled to the lower support frame; an upper pressing platen assembly comprising: a backing structure; an upper backing platen coupled to the backing structure, the upper backing platen having a pressing plate side; one or more heater channels formed throughout the upper backing platen; and a pressing plate having a platen side, the platen side removably coupled to the pressing plate side of the upper backing platen by vacuum or electromagnetism; a heater in thermal communication with the one or more heater channels in order to heat the upper backing platen; a conveyor supported by the lower support frame and positioned to pass between the lower pressing platen and the upper pressing platen assembly and below the pressing plate; and two or more shims located between the platen side of the pressing plate and the pressing plate side of the platen and held in place between the platen side of the pressing plate and the pressing plate side of the platen when the pressing plate is coupled to the platen, each of the two or more shims being circular and positioned between the platen side of the pressing plate and the pressing plate side of the platen such that each of the two or more shims substantially aligns with a corresponding dough product located on the conveyor when the pressing plate applies pressure to the dough product.