Meat flaking machine

Claim 1

A meat flaking machine for reducing a block of meat to meat flakes comprising, a lower housing having a vertically extending passageway therethrough, a power driven cutting drum rotatably mounted in said lower housing extending across said passageway for cutting the block of meat into flakes, an upper housing mounted on said lower housing having a vertically extending charging chamber communicating with said passageway, said upper housing further including a vertical entrance opening communicating with said charging chamber, a loading tray movably connected with said upper housing for movement along a path between, a loading position in which an inner end of said loading tray extends through said entrance into said charging chamber with the remainder of said loading tray projecting outwardly from said upper housing to receive and support the block of meat, and a charging position in which said loading tray extends along said entrance opening to position the block of meat within the charging chamber whereby, the block of meat enters the passageway and contacts said cutting drum; a pressure plate movably connected to said upper housing positioned within said charging chamber for motion between, an inoperative position extending along the charging chamber spaced oppositely from the entrance opening, and an operative position extending across the lower end of the charging chamber adapted to contact the upper end of the block of meat as it moves through the lower end of said charging chamber; a handle connected to said pressure plate positioned externally of said upper housing, said handle adapted to be grasped manually for movement along a path between a nonuse position locating said pressure plate in its inoperative position and a use position locating said pressure plate in the operative position whereby manual force applied to the handle presses the block of meat against the cutting drum; and mechanical interlock means connected to said upper housing responsive to the position of said handle for preventing movement of said loading tray between the loading and the charging position when said pressure plate is out of its inoperative position.