Patty-forming apparatus with top feed and rotary pump

摘要

The food product machine with a food supply, a rotary food pump connected to the food supply, a molding mechanism having a mold plate and a knockout drive, and a mold plate reciprocating between a fill and a discharge position. The knockout drive reciprocates a knockout plunger to discharge molded food products from the mold plate, the mold plate being reciprocated between a cavity fill position and a cavity discharge position. The machine includes a manifold connected an outlet of the food pump and having an outlet passageway connected to an inlet of the molding mechanism for filling the cavity of the mold plate. The machine can further include a fill plunger system for increasing the fill pressure of the food mass prior to filling the mold cavities. Plungers extend into the manifold to displace food mass volume and increase the pressure in the manifold.

主权项

1. A food product forming machine, comprising:
a food supply; a rotary food pump connected to the food supply; a molding mechanism having a mold plate, the mold plate being reciprocated by a mold plate drive between a cavity fill position and a cavity discharge position; a knockout drive for reciprocating a knockout plunger to discharge molded food products from a cavity in the mold plate; a manifold connected to an outlet of the food pump and having an outlet passageway connected to an inlet of the molding mechanism for filling the cavity of the mold plate; a hopper for holding a supply of food product; and an auger system configured to deliver food product from the hopper toward the molding mechanism, wherein the auger system has at least one feed screw located in the hopper and a feed screw drive configured to rotate the feed screw; wherein the hopper has an opening at a lower rear of the hopper configured to remove the feed screw therethrough, and a cap for removably covering the opening, wherein the feed screw is journaled to rotate in an opening of the cap.