Apparatus for forming food portions of uniform weight by volumetric measurement

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FORMING FOOD PORTIONS OF UNIFORM WEIGHT BY VOLUMETRIC MEASUREMENT INCLUDING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED HOPPER RECEIVING PIECES OF FOOD AND A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED EXTRUSION CYLINDER RECEIVING FOOD FROM THE HOPPER THROUGH A DISCHARGE OPENING THEREIN, AN EXTRUSION PISTON IN SAID CYLINDER, A HOLLOW SLEEVE RECEIVING SAID PISTON FOR CLOSING THE DISCHARGE OPENING FROM SAID HOPPER AFTER PIECES OF FOOD ARE DEPOSITED IN SAID EXTRUSION CYLINDER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PISTON INTERMITTENTLY IN EXTRUSION DIRECTION IN SAID CYLINDER TO COLLECT SAID FOOD PIECES TOGETHER AXIALLY THEREOF AND CAUSE THEM TO MOVE AS A UNIT MASS THEREIN OF GREATER VOLUME THAN THE FOOD PORTION TO BE FORMED, A STOP PLATE OPPOSITE AND SPACED FROM THE EXTRUSION END OF SAID CYLINDER, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PISTON ACTUATED BY MOVEMENT OF SAID STOP PLATE OPERATIVE TO TERMINATE EXTRUSION MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON MOVING MEANS AND CUT-OFF MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID STOP PLATE FOR SEVERING THE EXTRUDED FOOD MASS WHEN EXTRUSION MOVEMENT IS INTERMITTENTLY TERMINATED WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF FOOD PORTIONS ARE FORMED FROM THE UNIT MASS THEREOF IN SAID CYLINDER.