Apparatus for making filled food products

Claim 2

Apparatus for filling edible products with spots of filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, discrete separated tubes having discharge openings for injecting filling material into said partially formed product, means for pushing a predetermined amount of filling material through said tubes and out said discharge openings to inject discrete spots of filling material within said partially formed product, means for halting the flow of filling material, and means for finally forming the product between the tube discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing at least one spot of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material hopper having a forming cylinder, forming piston means reciprocably mounted in said forming cylinder, metering piston means axially spaced from said forming piston means and independently reciprocably mounted in said forming cylinder, means for reciprocating the forming and metering piston means in said forming cylinder to trap a quantity of product material and extrude it radially outwardly of said forming cylinder, said tubes extending lengthwise radially of said metering piston means for discharging discrete spots in the radially extruded product material.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, including at least two diametrically opposed, vertical partition bars on said forming piston for dividing the opening of the forming cylinder into at least two sections to form circumferentially discontinuous products, each containing at least one spot of filling material.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, including an outer circular partition wall on said forming piston and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, product-forming openings, each tube centered in a forming opening, an inner circular partition wall on said forming piston concentric with said outer circular partition wall of forming discrete balls of edible product, each containing a spot of filling material.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, including an outer circular partition having a plurality of downwardly opening, circumferentially spaced recesses with a tube central in each recess, said outer circular partition having an upper circular planar cap lying diametrically across said recesses for forming a product of a continuous ring of knobs of edible product, each having a spot of filling material within.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1, the space between the forming piston and the metering piston adjacent said tube discharge being unrestricted whereby a continuous torodial product is formed having circumferentially spaced spots of filling material therein.

Claim 7

Apparatus for filling edible products with discrete spots of filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, a plurality of discrete, separated tubes, each having a discharge opening for injecting filling material into said partially formed product, means for applying positive pressure on said filling material in said tubes and for applying negative pressure on said filling material to partially retract the flow of filling material, and means for finally forming the product between said discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing the spots of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material hopper having a forming cylinder, forming piston means reciprocably mounted in said forming cylinder, metering piston means axially spaced from said forming piston means and independently reciprocably mounted in said forming cylinder, means for reciprocating the forming and metering piston means in said forming cylinder to trap a quantity of product material and extrude it radially outwardly of said forming cylinder, said tubes extending lengthwise radially of said forming cylinder between said forming piston means and said metering piston means for discharging discrete spots of filling material in the radially extruding product material.

Claim 8

Apparatus for filling edible products with discrete spots of filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, a plurality of discrete, separated tubes, each having a discharge opening for injecting filling material into said partially formed product, means for applying positive pressure on said filling material in said tubes and for applying negative pressure on said filling material to partially retract the flow of filling material, and means for finally forming the product between said discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing the spots of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material hopper having a forming cylinder, forming piston means reciprocably mounted in said forming cylinder, metering piston means axially spaced from said forming piston means and independently reciprocably mounted in said forming cylinder, means for reciprocating the forming and metering piston means in said forming cylinder to trap a quantity of product material and extrude it radially outwardly of said forming cylinder, said tubes extending lengthwise radially of said forming cylinder between said forming piston means and said metering piston means for discharging discrete spots of filling material in the radially extruding product material.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6, including at least two diametrically opposed, vertical partition bars on said forming piston for dividing the opening of the forming cylinder into at least two sections to form circumferentially discontinuous products, each containing at least one spot of filling material.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6, including an outer circular partition wall on said forming piston and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, product-forming openings, each tube centered in a forming opening, an inner circular partition wall on said forming piston concentric with said outer circular partition wall for forming discrete balls of edible product, each containing a spot of filling material.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6, including an outer circular partition having a plurality of downwardly opening, circumferentially spaced recesses with a tube central in each recess, said outer circular partition having an upper circular planar cap lying diametrically across said recesses for forming a product of a continuous ring of knobs of edible product, each having a spot of filling material within.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6, the space between the forming piston and the metering piston adjacent said tube discharge being unrestricted whereby a continuous toroidal product is formed having circumferentially spaced spots of filling material therein.

Claim 13

Apparatus for filling edible products with spots of filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, filling nozzle means having circumferentially spaced discharge openings for injecting discrete spots of filling material into said partially formed product, means for pushing a predetermined amount of filling material through said filling nozzle and out said discharge openings to inject discrete spots of filling material within said partially formed product, means for halting the flow of filling material, means for finally forming the product between the filling nozzle discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing at least one spot of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material supply having a forming cylinder with a discharge end, disk means having a peripheral edge generally coaxially aligned with said forming cylinder discharge end for providing a generally radially opening product material discharge passage, means selectively opening and closing said product material discharge passage for passing a quantity of product material through said forming cylinder and generally radially out said product material discharge passage to form a final product having radially inner and outer portions, said filling nozzle discharge openings opening into said product material discharge passage for forming a final product having partially radially spaced but interconnected portions of product material with a discrete spot of filling material between the radially spaced portions.

Claim 14

Apparatus for filling edible products with spots of filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, filling nozzle means having circumferentially spaced discharge openings for injecting discrete spots of filling material into said partially formed product, means for pushing a predetermined amount of filling material through said filling nozzle and out said discharge openings to inject discrete spots of filling material within said partially formed product, means for halting the flow of filling material, means for finally forming the product between the filling nozzle discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing at least one spot of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material supply having a forming cylinder with a discharge end, disk means having a peripheral edge generally coaxially aligned with said forming cylinder discharge end for providing a generally radially opening product material discharge passage, means selectively opening and closing said product material discharge passage for passing a quantity of product material through said forming cylinder and generally radially out said product material discharge passage to form a final product having radially inner and outer portions, said filling nozzle discharge openings opening into said product material discharge passage for forming a final product having partially radially spaced but interconnected portions of product material with a discrete spot of filling material between the radially spaced portions.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11, said filling nozzle including a plurality of discrete, separated, circumferentially spaced radially extending tubes each terminating in a discharge opening within said product material discharge passage.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12, said discharge openings in said tubes lying perpendicular to the length of the tube whereby the discharge of filling material is in a direction sidewise of the product and generally parallel to the outer surface of the product.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 12, said discharge openings in said tubes each lying coaxially at the end of each tube whereby discharge of filling material is in the same direction as the movement of product material.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 11, including control means for delaying discharge of the filling material for varying the location of the filling material within the product.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 11, said means for partially and finally forming the product including dividing means for separating the product into circumferentially spaced units each having at least one spot of filling therein.

Claim 20

Apparatus for filling edible products with discrete spots of a relatively low-viscosity, readily flowable filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, filling nozzle means having a plurality of discrete, separated discharge openings for injecting discrete spots of filling material into said partially formed product, means applying positive pressure on said filling material in said filling nozzle and applying negative pressure sufficient to completely eliminate any positive pressure acting on said filling material for halting the flow of filling material out said discharge openings, and means for finally forming the product between said discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing the spots of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material supply and cylindrical forming means, disk means having a peripheral edge generally coaxially aligned with said cylindrical forming means for providing a generally radially opening product material discharge passage, means selectively opening and closing said product material discharge passage for passing a quantity of product material through said cylindrical forming means and generally radially out said product material discharge passage to form a final product having radially inner and outer portions, said filling nozzle means discharge openings opening into said product material discharge passage for forming a final product having partially radially spaced but interconnected portions of product material with a discrete spot of filling material between each radially spaced portion.

Claim 21

Apparatus for filling edible products with discrete spots of a relatively low-viscosity, readily flowable filling material, comprising: means for partially forming the product into its final form, filling nozzle means having a plurality of discrete, separated discharge openings for injecting discrete spots of filling material into said partially formed product, means applying positive pressure on said filling material in said filling nozzle and applying negative pressure sufficient to completely eliminate any positive pressure acting on said filling material for halting the flow of filling material out said discharge openings, and means for finally forming the product between said discharge openings and the injected filling material to form a final product completely enclosing the spots of filling material, said means for partially forming the product including a product material supply and cylindrical forming means, disk means having a peripheral edge generally coaxially aligned with said cylindrical forming means for providing a generally radially opening product material discharge passage, means selectively opening and closing said product material discharge passage for passing a quantity of product material through said cylindrical forming means and generally radially out said product material discharge passage to form a final product having radially inner and outer portions, said filling nozzle means discharge openings opening into said product material discharge passage for forming a final product having partially radially spaced but interconnected portions of product material with a discrete spot of filling material between each radially spaced portion.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said product material is formed in an atmosphere of a first pressure, said means applying a negative pressure on said filling material including means applying on said filling material a negative pressure less than said first pressure for withdrawing a portion of the filling material into said filling nozzle means and pulling a portion of said product material against said discharge openings for sealing the discharge openings against filling material leakage.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 17, said filling nozzle including a plurality of discrete, separated, circumferentially spaced tubes each terminating in a discharge opening within said product material discharge passage.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18, said means for partially and finally forming the product including dividing means for separating the product into circumferentially spaced units each having at least one spot of filling therein.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 18, including control means for varying the time of energization of the means for applying positive and negative pressure on said filling material relative to the location of the extruded product material and the length of energization to vary the location and quantity of the filling material within the product.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 18, said means for applying negative pressure including primary pump means for applying the negative pressure and means supplemental to said primary negative pressure pump means and located close to the filling material discharge openings for providing rapid responsive retraction of the flow of filling material at the discharge openings.