Method and apparatus for molding food patties

Claim 3

The method of molding food patties according to claim 1 in which the intermediate pressure is in a range of about ten percent to fifty percent of the fill pressure.

Claim 4

The method of molding food patties according to claim 1 in which the intermediate pressure is in the range of about ten to seventy-five pounds per square inch.

Claim 5

The method of molding food patties, according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3, in which the improvement further comprises limiting the fill passage, immediately adjacent to the mold plate fill position, to a multiplicity of closely spaced fill orifices distributed throughout substantially the entire surface area of the mold cavity.

Claim 6

The method of molding food patties, according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3, in which the improvement further comprises providing an unobstructed fill passage conforming approximately to the surface area of the mold cavity in both size and configuration.

Claim 7

A food patty molding machine of the kind comprising: a mold plate having a mold cavity of given surface area formed therein; mold plate drive means for driving the mold plate, in a repeating cycle, from a fill position to a discharge position and back to the fill position, with a fill dwell interval at the fill position; a food product supply for storing a moldable food product; a variable pressure food pump for pumping a moldable food product from the food product supply; a fill passage extending from the outlet of the food pump to the mold plate, the fill passage connecting the food pump outlet to the mold cavity when the mold plate is in its fill position, the fill passage having a cross-sectional area, immediately adjacent to the mold plate fill position, effectively encompassing substantially the entire surface area of the mold cavity; and pump drive means for actuating the food pump in a cycle corresponding to the mold plate cycle, to apply a given maximum fill pressure to the food product in the fill passage, sufficient to fill the entire mold cavity, during a portion of the mold plate cycle including the fill dwell interval; the pump drive means including means for limiting actuation of the food pump to apply an intermediate pressure to the food product in the fill passage, comprising no more than a minor fraction of the fill pressure, during a major portion of the transition interval in each mold plate cycle in which the mold plate moves away from the fill position but a part of the mold cavity remains in communication with the fill passage; and the pump drive means further including means for effectively inactivating the pump to limit the pressure on the food product in the fill passage during the balance of the mold plate cycle, comprising at least about half of that cycle.

Claim 8

A food patty molding machine of the kind comprising: a mold plate having a mold cavity of given surface area formed therein; mold plate drive means for driving the mold plate, in a repeating cycle, from a fill position to a discharge position and back to the fill position, with a fill dwell interval at the fill position; a food product supply for storing a moldable food product; a variable pressure food pump for pumping a moldable food product from the food product supply; a fill passage extending from the outlet of the food pump to the mold plate, the fill passage connecting the food pump outlet to the mold cavity when the mold plate is in its fill position, the fill passage having a cross-sectional area, immediately adjacent to the mold plate fill position, effectively encompassing substantially the entire surface area of the mold cavity; and pump drive means for actuating the food pump in a cycle corresponding to the mold plate cycle, to apply a given maximum fill pressure to the food product in the fill passage, sufficient to fill the entire mold cavity, during a portion of the mold plate cycle including the fill dwell interval; the pump drive means including means for limiting actuation of the food pump to apply an intermediate pressure to the food product in the fill passage, comprising no more than a minor fraction of the fill pressure, during a major portion of the transition interval in each mold plate cycle in which the mold plate moves away from the fill position but a part of the mold cavity remains in communication with the fill passage; and the pump drive means further including means for effectively inactivating the pump to limit the pressure on the food product in the fill passage during the balance of the mold plate cycle, comprising at least about half of that cycle.

Claim 9

A food patty molding machine according to claim 6, in which the intermediate pressure is in a range of about ten percent to fifty percent of the fill pressure.

Claim 10

A food patty molding machine according to claim 6 in which the intermediate pressure is in the range of about ten to seventy-five pounds per square inch.

Claim 11

A food patty molding machine according to claim 6, claim 7, or claim 8, in which the fill passage conforms approximately to the surface area of the mold cavity in both size and configuration.

Claim 12

A food patty molding machine according to claim 6, claim 7, or claim 8, in which the fill passage comprises a multiplicity of closely spaced fill orifices distributed throughout substantially the entire surface area of the mold cavity.

Claim 13

A food patty molding machine according to claim 10 in which the portion of each fill orifice facing toward the food pump is of divergent configuration, and the edges of the orifice inlets are rounded to limit food product buildup at those edges.

Claim 14

A food patty molding machine according to claim 10 in which the fill passage conforms approximately to the surface area of the mold cavity in both size and configuration.

Claim 15

A food patty molding machine according to claim 12 in which the portion of each fill orifice facing toward the food pump is of divergent configuration, and the edges of the orifice inlets are rounded to limit food product buildup at those edges.