Machine and method for making pies

Claim 1

A PIE MAKING MACHINE COMPRISING: A FRAME HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT UPPER SURFACE, A CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR MEANS ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN FROM REAR TO FRONT OF THE FRAME ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID FLAT UPPER SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF PIE MOLDS ATTACHED TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS AND UNIFORMLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, EACH OF SAID PIE MOLDS INCLUDING FRONT AND REAR MOLD PORTIONS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER AT AN AXIS OF PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH THE AXIS OF PIVOTAL CONNECTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, EACH OF SAID MOLDS ALSO HAVING A PIE FORMING AREA DEFINED BY BOTH SAID MOLD PORTIONS, A PIE MIX DISPENSING STATION POSITIONED ABOVE SAID UPPER SURFACE FOR DEPOSITING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF PIE MIX UPON DOUGH SHEETS CARRIED BY THE MOLDS IN THE PIE FORMING AREA THEREOF WITH THE CENTER OF SAID QUANTITY OF PIE MIX POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY FORWARDLY FROM THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF THE MOLD PORTIONS OF SAID MOLD, FOLDING MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO SAID CONVEYOR, MEANS FORWARDLY FROM SAID DISPENSING STATION FOR FOLDING SAID MOLD PORTIONS TOGETHER ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL AXIS WITH MATERIALS DEPOSITED ON SAID MOLD POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FOLDED MOLD PORTIONS, PRESSURE MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FORWARDLY FROM SAID FOLDING MEANS FOR PRESSING SAID FOLDED MOLD PORTIONS TOGETHER, AND MOLD UNFOLDING MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FORWARDLY FROM SAID PRESSURE MEANS FOR UNFOLDING SAID MOLD PORTIONS ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL AXIS.