A press for flattening dough pieces is provided having a floor supported
frame, an endless conveyor belt movably carried on the frame and
presenting an upper horizontal surface, and at least one movable platen
carried on the frame for pressing the dough pieces against the belt. In
an embodiment, a sub frame is adjustably supported by the frame to permit
leveling and adjustment of said sub frame relative to the frame.
Attachment mechanisms are provided for securing the sub frame to the main
frame following adjustment between the two. In an embodiment, at least
two movable platens are carried on at least one of said frames, both of
the platens being movable in a longitudinal horizontal direction and at
least one of the platens is movable in a vertical direction. A linear
actuator is drivingly connected to the two movable platens. In an
embodiment, a loading system for loading dough balls onto the belt is
provided. The loading system includes a transport mechanism to receive
dough balls in a sequential stream and to deliver the dough balls to the
belt at a speed equal to a speed of the belt. In an embodiment, a belt
splicing hot press is carried on the frame operatively engageable with
the belt to splice together severed ends of the belt to form a continuous
endless belt.