Rotary mould drum system configured for use in an installation for moulding food products from a pumpable foodmass

A food processing system for moulding food products from a pumpable foodstuff mass, comprising:

• a shaft having a mounting side and an opposite free end,
• a mould drum slideable attached to the shaft and mounted to the shaft at the mounting side, where the mould drum comprises an outer mould drum surface comprising a plurality of mould cavities having an opening in the mould drum surface, the plurality of mould cavities defining a geometrical shape of food products to be moulded,
• a driving unit connected to the mounting side and configured to rotate the mounting side and thus the mould drum around a longitudinal rotation axis,
• a mass feed member device having an outer frame structure having at least one inlet opening for receiving a pumpable foodstuff mass, an inner deformable member and a mouth connected to the at least one inlet opening, where the mass feed member is moveable in a hinge like manner from an open position to a closing position, and vice versa, where in the closing position the inner deformable member circumferentially surrounds the mould drum,
• a support device connected to the frame structure and having an inner side, the support device being moveable between an open position and a closing position,
• a bearing construction,
• wherein the free end of the shaft comprises a first structure,
• the inner side of the support device comprises a second complementary structure, where the geometry of the first structure is essentially the same as the geometry of the second complementary structure such that the first structure and the second complementary structure fit into each other when the support device is in the closing position, where the bearing construction is integrated into the support device so as to allow the second complementary structure to follow a rotational movement of the mould drum.

A method for manufacturing moulded food products, comprising:

• providing a food processing system comprising:
• a shaft having a mounting side and an opposite free end,
• a mould drum slideable attached to the shaft and mounted to the shaft at the mounting side, where the mould drum comprises an outer mould drum surface comprising a plurality of mould cavities having an opening in the mould drum surface, the plurality of mould cavities defining a geometrical shape of food products to be moulded,
• a driving unit connected to the mounting side and configured to rotate the mounting side and thus the mould drum around a longitudinal rotation axis,
• a mass feed member device having an outer frame structure having at least one inlet opening for receiving a pumpable foodstuff mass, an inner deformable member and a mouth connected to the at least one inlet opening, where the mass feed member is moveable in a hinge like manner from an open position to a closing position, and vice versa, where in the closing position the inner deformable member circumferentially surrounds the mould drum,
• a support device connected to the frame structure and having an inner side, the support device being moveable between an open position and a closing position,
• a bearing construction,
• wherein the free end of the shaft comprises a first structure,
• the inner side of the support device comprises a second complementary structure, where the geometry of the first structure is essentially the same as the geometry of the second complementary structure such that the first structure and the second complementary structure fit into each other when the support device is in the closing position,
• where the bearing construction is integrated into the support device so as to allow the second complementary structure to follow a rotational movement of the mould drum;
• feeding a pumpable foodstuff mass into the at least one inlet opening of the mass feed member device;
• moving the mass feed member device and the support device from the open position to the closing position such that the inner deformable member circumferentially surrounds the mould drum and the first and second complementary structures fit into each other;
• rotating the mould drum using the driving unit to form food products in the mould cavities.