US 12,082,588 B1
Heated platen expansion compensator for a dough press
Andrew D Voyatzakis, Carlisle, MA (US); and George Athanasiadis, Lexington, MA (US)
Assigned to Somerset Industries, Inc., Lowell, MA (US)
Filed by Somerset Industries, Inc., Lowell, MA (US)
Filed on Mar. 13, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/603,394.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/489,947, filed on Mar. 13, 2023.
Int. Cl. A21C 11/00 (2006.01); B29C 43/52 (2006.01)
CPC A21C 11/006 (2013.01) [A21C 11/004 (2013.01); B29C 43/52 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An expansion compensating coupler for attaching a platen to a dough press, the coupler comprising:
(a) a center plate sandwiched between an inner plate and an outer plate, all being secured together;
(b) the center plate having a plurality of voids spaced equidistantly around the center plate, each void having a distal end and opposed sides;
(c) a lattice within each void, the lattice including at least one bar extending laterally between the sides of the void and a center plate expansion hole attached to the at least one bar and located at the lateral center of the lattice, the center plate expansion hole adapted to receive a shaft of an expansion bolt having the same size;
(d) the inner plate having inner plate expansion holes aligned with the center plate expansion holes, the inner plate expansion holes adapted to receive a head of the expansion bolt and to allow motion of the expansion bolt head radially to the inner plate; and
(e) the outer plate having outer plate expansion holes aligned with the center plate expansion holes, the outer plate expansion holes adapted to allow motion of the shaft of the expansion bolt radially to the outer plate.