Method and Apparatus For Forming Unit Portions of Frozen Food Materials
OwnerJames E. Mauer, Benedict DiGerlandoinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming pressed food products can utilize up to 98% chicken breast meat in high profit margin products. Breast meat is marinated and then extruded into a slab which is then frozen and shaped into a plank. The plank is sliced into unit portions which are then pressed into shaped portions with a preferred, or other, press. One preferred press linearly reciprocates unit portions into the press. This or another preferred press imparts three dimension exterior shape to the pressed food products.
Claims7
A shaper for use in food processing operations for shaping frozen food into shaped food, said shaper comprising:
- a loading station;
- a shaping station spaced from the loading station;
- and
- a feed tray linearly reciprocatable intermediate the loading station and the shaping station;
- wherein frozen unit portions are provided into cavities in the feed tray at the loading station and then moved with the feed tray into the shaping station where the unit portions are shaped with mold portions in the at least first and second plate into shaped portions having a predetermined exterior shape.
The shaper of claim 7 wherein the feed tray has a leading edge which simultaneously contacts at least two shaped portions when moving the feed tray into the shaping station thereby discharging shaped portions from the shaping station.
The shaper of claim 7 further comprising at least one ejector pin coupled to the first plate and smaller than the mold portion;
- and
- after shaping the shaped portions, said at least one ejection pin assists in ejecting the shaped portion from the first plate.
A food shaper comprising:
- a loading station;
- a shaping station spaced from the loading station;
- a linearly directed feeder moving frozen unit food portions from the loading station to the shaping station wherein the shaping station has a first plate and a second plate opposite the feeder from the first plate wherein the first and second plates at least assist in defining at least two cavities;
- and
- during the step of shaping at least frozen unit portion into shaped portions, the shaped portions at least partially conforming to the shape of the at least two cavities with the pressed portion extending at least partially into the at least one cavity;
- and
- the feeder at least assists in ejecting the shaped portions from the shaping station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.