Multiple-stage gang-type plug pushing assembly

Claim 1

In a system for continuously making a loaf food product including a magazine of loaf molds adapted to be filled with a stuffable food material, said magazine of molds including a plurality of interconnected vertically aligned and horizontally extending tubular molds, wheels connected to the molds for movably supporting the magazine on rails for movement thereof along a path transverse the longitudinal axis of the molds, each mold having a plug at one end movably positionable within the mold and a removable cover over the other end, means for applying heat to the molds in a cooking station for cooking the food material, and means for applying a chilling action to the molds in a chilling station for chilling the food material following cooking thereof, a mechanism for simultaneously applying within the chilling station a predetermined force to the plugs of each mold at a plug take-up station to squeeze the food material in the molds against the mold sides and cover to obtain uniform cross-sectionally dimensioned loaves, said mechanism comprising a plurality of reciprocal driving rods engagable with mold plugs of the molds, means for driving the rods to move the rods toward the molds, and control means causing the driving means to apply to a predetermined force to the rods and thereby cause the plugs to squeeze the food material in the molds.