Hamburger patty forming machine

Claim 3

The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the step of exhausting fluid from a zone between said diaphragm and walls bounding said mold cavity to establish a differential fluid pressure across the diaphragm during the filling of the mold, thereby to urge the diaphragm inwardly into the mold to facilitate the filling thereof with ground meat.

Claim 4

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the displacing of said diaphragm to eject the patty from the mold cavity is accomplished by the step of applying fluid pressure to the diaphragm at a face thereof opposed to the patty to urge said diaphragm against the patty and to force the patty outwardly from the mold.

Claim 5

The method as set forth in claim 3 and further comprising the step of applying pressure inwardly at a center region of said patty through said diaphragm to form a central depression in said patty, thereby to define a cavity for a filling of food material to be introduced therein.

Claim 6

The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the step of depositing the formed patty on a conveyor for delivery to a cooking apparatus.

Claim 7

The method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising the step of shifting the meat-filled mold between a mold filling station and a patty discharge station after filling of said mold and prior to ejection of said patty therefrom.

Claim 8

A HAMBURGER PATTY FORMING MACHINE COMPRISING: A HOPPER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND TO HOLD GROUND MEAT, AND HAVING A MEAT DISCHARGE PORT, A MOLD PACKING CYLINDER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MEAT DISCHARGE PORT, DRIVE MEANS AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING GROUND MEAT FROM THE PORT OF SAID HOPPER TO SAID MOLD-PACKING CYLINDER, PISTON MEANS RECIPROCABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, ROD MEANS AND MEANS COUPLING SAID ROD MEANS TO SAID PISTON MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID PISTON MEANS AXIALLY WITHIN SAID CYLINDER TO FORCE GROUND MEAT THERETHROUGH AND INTO A MOLD FOR FILLING THEREOF, A DISH-LIKE MOLD HAVING AN OPEN END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CYLINDER FOR RECEIVING GROUND MEAT DELIVERED THEREFROM, FLEXIBLE, PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE DIAPHRAGM MEANS, AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DIAPHRAM MEANS TO OVERLIE AND TO SPAN THE OPEN END OF SAID MOLD, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID PISTON MEANS IN SAID CYLINDER TO DISCHARGE GROUND MEAT FROM SAID CYLINDER AGAINST SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS TO DISPLACE SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS INTO SAID MOLD AGAINST BOUNDING WALLS THEREOF, THEREBY TO FILL SAID MOLD WITH GROUND MEAT.

Claim 9

A HAMBURGER PATTY FORMING MACHINE COMPRISING: A HOPPER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND TO HOLD GROUND MEAT, AND HAVING A MEAT DISCHARGE PORT, A MOLD PACKING CYLINDER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID MEAT DISCHARGE PORT, DRIVE MEANS AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING GROUND MEAT FROM THE PORT OF SAID HOPPER TO SAID MOLD-PACKING CYLINDER, PISTON MEANS RECIPROCABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, ROD MEANS AND MEANS COUPLING SAID ROD MEANS TO SAID PISTON MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID PISTON MEANS AXIALLY WITHIN SAID CYLINDER TO FORCE GROUND MEAT THERETHROUGH AND INTO A MOLD FOR FILLING THEREOF, A DISH-LIKE MOLD HAVING AN OPEN END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CYLINDER FOR RECEIVING GROUND MEAT DELIVERED THEREFROM, FLEXIBLE, PRESSURE-RESPONSIVE DIAPHRAGM MEANS, AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DIAPHRAM MEANS TO OVERLIE AND TO SPAN THE OPEN END OF SAID MOLD, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID PISTON MEANS IN SAID CYLINDER TO DISCHARGE GROUND MEAT FROM SAID CYLINDER AGAINST SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS TO DISPLACE SAID DIAPHRAGM MEANS INTO SAID MOLD AGAINST BOUNDING WALLS THEREOF, THEREBY TO FILL SAID MOLD WITH GROUND MEAT.

Claim 10

The machine as set forth in claim 7 and further comprising fluid pressure generating means and means for introducing fluid pressure into said mold between said diaphragm and walls of said mold to displace said diaphragm outwardly of walls of said mold, thereby to eject the formed hamburger patty therefrom.

Claim 11

The machine as set forth in claim 8 and further comprising meat patty shaping means and means for urging said shaping means against a prinCipal face of a hamburger patty formed in said mold to penetrate partially into said patty to produce a depression therein in a center region thereof, said depression being adapted to receive an edible filling preparation therewithin.

Claim 12

The machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said shaping means includes a plate-like mold element formed with a centrally disposed protrusion having a face displaced outwardly from and generally paralleling a base of said mold element and adapted to invade and form a depression in a center region of a hamburger patty contained in said mold.

Claim 13

The machine as set forth in claim 7 and further comprising means for evacuating air from a zone between said dish-like mold and said diaphragm means to establish a differential pressure across and to draw said diaphragm means into said mold to facilitate the filling of said mold.