# US 2013/0156881 A1 · Knockout Plunger for Patty-Forming Machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156881 A1 - Document ID: US20130156881A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/689,357 - Filed: 2012-11-29 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-29 - Assignees: Formax, Inc. An Illinois Corporation - Inventors: Douglas Conerton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156881A1 ## CPC - A22C 7/0038: {Demoulding means} - A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00) ## Abstract A patty-displacing end portion is provided for a plunger for a food patty-molding apparatus, the apparatus comprising an apparatus frame, a mold plate, the plunger and a heating element. The mold plate has at least one cavity and is mounted to move with respect to the frame in a direction to position the cavity between a fill position wherein the cavity is filled with food product material to form a molded patty, and a molded patty knockout position. The plunger is arranged to move vertically into the cavity to dislodge or knock the olded patty out of the cavity. The plunger has a body and raised formations or standoffs extending down from the body, the raised formations being numbered and positioned to be spread out over the body. The number and position of the raised formations provides a decreased contact pressure on the patty being dislodged. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a food-patty forming apparatus having a mold plate with mold cavities adapted to be filled with food product to form patties, wherein said patties are removed from the cavities by action of a plunger, the improvement comprising: said plunger having a plunger surface with a plurality of spaced-apart raised formations for pressing a patty to be removed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spaced-apart raised formations are evenly spread out over a said surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The improvement according to claim 1, wherein plurality of spaced-apart raised formations each comprise a tapered post. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The improvement according to claim 3, comprising a heating element configured to heat said plunger to a temperature greater than ambient temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The improvement according to claim 3, wherein said tapered posts each have a flat surface on a distal end. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the surface is sized and shaped to fit closely within a mod cavity for patty removal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said raised formations are set in from a peripheral edge of a patty to be removed by the plunger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the raised formations have an aggregate surface area that faces the patty to be removed by the plunger, the aggregate surface area pressing a top surface of the patty to be removed to remove the patty from the mold plate cavity, wherein the aggregate surface area comprises 1 to 10% of the area of the top surface of the patty to be removed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The improvement according to claim 8, wherein the plunger surface comprises a flat plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The improvement according to claim 8, wherein the plunger surface comprises a portion of a cup shaped body having a concave shape facing the patty to be removed and having a perimeter that closely matches the shape of the mold cavity holding the patty. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the raised formations comprise standoffs having a length of between 1/16 inch to 2 inches. ### Claim 12 A knock out plunger for a food-patty forming apparatus having a mold plate with mold cavities adapted to be filled with food product to form patties, wherein said patties are removed from the cavities by action of the plunger, comprising: a body having a surface with a plurality of spaced-apart raised formations for pressing against the patty to be removed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The plunger according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of spaced-apart raised formations are evenly spread out over a said flat surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The plunger according to claim 12, wherein plurality of spaced-apart raised formations each comprise a tapered post. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The plunger according to claim 14, comprising a heating element configured to heat said plunger to a temperature greater than ambient temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The plunger according to claim 14, wherein said tapered posts each have a flat surface on a distal end. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The plunger according to claim 14, wherein the body is sized and shaped to fit closely within a mold cavity for patty removal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The plunger according to claim 12, wherein the body is sized and shaped to fit closely within a mold cavity for patty removal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The plunger according to claim 12, wherein said raised formations are set in from a peripheral edge of a patty to be removed by the plunger, ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The improvement according to claim 12, wherein the raised formations have an aggregate surface area that faces the patty to be removed by the plunger, the aggregate surface area pressing a top surface of the patty to be removed to remove the patty from the mold plate cavity, wherein the aggregate surface area comprises 1 to 10% of the area of the top surface of the patty to be removed. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The improvement according to claim 12, wherein the plunger surface comprises a flat plate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The improvement according to claim 12, wherein the plunger surface 1s comprises a portion of a cup shaped body having a concave shape facing the patty to be removed and having a perimeter that closely matches the shape of the mold cavity holding the patty. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The improvement according to claim 12, wherein the raised formations comprise standoffs having a length of between 1/16 inch to 2 inches.