Method and apparatus for forming and packaging biscuit patties

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING AND PACKAGING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SHAPED BISCUIT PATTIES COMPRISING: CONVEYOR MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING A SHEET OF DOUGH FORWARDLY, A SLITTING STATION HAVING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SLITTING THE ADVANCING DOUGH SHEET INTO A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED STRIPS; MEANS TRANSVERSELY SEPARATING SAID STRIPS AND MEANS CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING THE SEPARATED DOUGH STRIPS FORWARDLY; A CUTTING STATION INCLUDING CUTTING KNIFE MEANS MOUNTED FOR CUTTING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID STRIPS, MEANS INTERMITTENTLY INDEXING SAID KNIFE MEANS INTO AND FROM A CUTTING POSITION WHEREIN A PILLOW-LIKE SLUG OF DOUGH IS SEVERED FROM EACH OF SAID STRIPS; A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL TABLE POSITIONED FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID CUTTING STATION; A PLURALITY OF GENEALLY HORIZONTAL, LATERALLY EXTENDING CUP BARS HAVING MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED, UPWARDLY OPENING CUPS IN EACH CUP BAR AND EXTENDING THROUGH EACH CUP BAR; MEANS SECURING EACH OF SAID BARS TO ENDLESS CONVEYOR MEANS SAID CONVEYOR MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO INTERMITTENTLY INDEX SAID BARS FORWARDLY ALONG THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TABLE, AND RETURN THE BARS; MEANS COORDINATING THE CUP BAR INDEXING AND THE CUTTER KNIFE INDEXING WHEREBY THE PILLOW-LIKE DOUGH SLUGS SERVED FROM SAID DOUGH STRIPS UPON EACH MOVEMENT OF THE KNIFE MEANS TO ITS CUTTING PORTION EACH FALL INTO THE DIE CUPS OF A CUP BAR AND ARE THEREAFTER INDEXED FORWARDLY WITHIN THE DIE CUPS; MEANS DEFINING A BISCUIT PATTY FORMING STATION COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE LATERALLY EXTENDING ROW OF PATTING PLUNGERS STRIPS UPON EACH MOVEMENT OF THE KNIFE MEANS TO ITS CUTOF THE DOUGH SLUGS IN THE CUPS OF AT LEAST ONE CUP BAR INDEXED TO SAID STATION TO THEREBY FORM SAID SLUGS INTO