Meat patty forming machine

Claim 1

A MEAT PATTY FORMING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A DRIVE SHAFT CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, A HOPPER CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR THE RECEPTION OF A SUPPLY OF GROUND MEAT, FIRST MEMBERS IN SAID HOPPER FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORCING GROUND MEAT IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, DRIVING CONNECTIONS FROM SAID SHAFT TO SAID FIRST MEMBERS, A THROAT PLATE FIXEDLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR THE PASSAGE OF MEAT, SECOND MEMBERS IN SAID HOPPER FOR INTERMITTENTLY DELIVERING GROUND MEANT FROM SAID FORCING MEMBERS THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID THROAT PLATE, DRIVING CONNECTION FROM SAID SHAFT TO SAID SECOND MEMBERS, A FORMER PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR SELECTIVE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID THROAT OPENINGS AND FOR MOVEMENT FROM SUCH ALIGNMENT TO POSITIONS FOR REMOVAL OF PATTIES IN SAID FORMER PLATE OPENINGS, SAID PLATE BEING OF PREDETERMINED THICKNESS TO DETERMINE THE THICKNESS OF THE PATTIES TO BE FORMED, ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID FORMER PLATE, MEMBERS CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITIONING OF SAID FORMER PLATE WITH RESPECT TO SAID THROAT PLATE OPENINGS IN PREDETERMINED TIMED RELATION, AND A MOVABLE CUT OFF MEMBER BETWEEN SAID THROAT PLATE AND SAID FORMER PLATE MOVABLE IN PREDETERMINED TIMED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID THROAT PLATE OPENINGS FOR CUTTING OFF DELIVERY OF MEAT UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID THROAT PLATE OPENINGS TO SAID FRAME PLATE OPENINGS, AND DRIVING CONNECTIONS FROM SAID DRIVE SHAFT TO SAID CUT OFF MEMBER.