System and method for forming a food patty

A method of forming a food patty using a system including a grinder, an arm, a first actuator, a second actuator, a cylinder, and a piston, the method comprising:

• receiving a food order specifying the food patty;
• driving the piston to a load position within the cylinder, wherein the load position is offset below a top of the cylinder by a distance corresponding to a specified size of the food patty, wherein the cylinder is disposed at an end of an arm, and wherein the piston is movably disposed within the cylinder;
• operating the second actuator to move the arm relative to the grinder to a first position in which the cylinder is disposed under the grinder;
• operating the first actuator to rotate the cylinder relative to the grinder to an upright position at which the cylinder is positioned to receive ground food from the grinder onto the piston;
• dispensing a quantity of the ground food from the grinder into the cylinder during a grind cycle while the arm is in the first position and the cylinder is in the upright position;
• supplying gas from a gas supply to a chamber in the cylinder behind the piston at a first pressure to limit ingress of the ground food into a set of gas ports defined by the piston;
• operating the second actuator to move the arm relative to the grinder to a second position in which the cylinder is disposed above a surface onto which the food patty is dispensed from the cylinder;
• operating the first actuator to move the cylinder relative to the arm and the surface to an inverted position at which the food patty is dispensed from the cylinder during a dispense cycle;
• and
• during the dispense cycle, supplying the gas from the gas supply to the chamber in the cylinder behind the piston at a second pressure to dislodge the food patty from the piston,
• wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.