Moulding device, and method for moulding food products

A method for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is transferred by pumping, wherein use is made of a moulding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a moulding drum which is connected to the frame and is driven so as to rotate about a rotation axis, wherein the moulding drum has a peripheral surface,
• a mass feed device which is arranged in a filling position with respect to the peripheral surface of the moulding drum, wherein a mass of foodstuff is fed by means of a pump to an inlet of the mass feed device,
• wherein the mass feed device comprises a shoe member which adjoins the peripheral surface of the moulding drum, wherein the shoe member comprises a filling mouth which is connected to the inlet and ends at the peripheral surface of the moulding drum,
• wherein the peripheral surface of the moulding drum is embodied as a profiled peripheral surface having a shaping profile which comprises multiple series of projections extending in peripheral direction, which projections in a series are at a distance from one another in the peripheral direction, and wherein the series extend substantially parallel to and at a distance from one another, viewed in the direction of the rotation axis,
• and wherein the shoe member is provided with multiple shoe segments which are arranged next to one another, viewed in the direction of the rotation axis,
• and wherein each shoe segment has an inner side which adjoins an associated section of the peripheral surface of the moulding drum, which section comprises one or more series of projections, wherein the inner side of each shoe segment is embodied as a profiled inner side having a profile which, for each series of projections, comprises one or more grooves extending in the peripheral direction, which grooves are in meshing engagement with the shaping profile of said section,
• and wherein each shoe segment comprises at least one passage which forms part of the filling mouth and which ends at the inner side of the shoe segment, so that, during rotation of the moulding drum, repeatedly a space for moulding a food product, which space comes into contact with a passage of the shoe segment, is delimited by the moulding drum and the shoe segment,
• and wherein the shoe segments have a freedom of movement with respect to one another, at least in the direction of the rotation axis, in order to each remain individually aligned with respect to the profile of the section with which the inner side of the shoe segment is in meshing engagement.

A method for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is transferred by pumping, wherein use is made of a moulding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a moulding drum which is connected to the frame and driven so as to rotate about a rotation axis, wherein the moulding drum has a peripheral surface containing multiple series of cavities, wherein said series extend substantially parallel to and at a distance from one another, viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, and wherein each series comprises multiple cavities which are at a distance from one another, viewed in peripheral direction of the peripheral surface of the moulding drum, and wherein the cavities each define a filling opening in the peripheral surface of the moulding drum,
• a mass feed device which is arranged in a filling position with respect to the peripheral surface of the moulding drum, wherein a mass of foodstuff is fed to an inlet of the mass feed device by a pump,
• wherein the mass feed device comprises a shoe member which adjoins the peripheral surface of the moulding drum, wherein the shoe member comprises a filling mouth which is connected to the inlet and ends at the peripheral surface of the moulding drum in such a way that the filling openings of cavities which move past during rotation of the moulding drum come into communication with said filling mouth in order to fill said cavities with the foodstuff as they move past,
• wherein the moulding drum is tubular and comprises an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface, wherein the shoe member adjoins one of said peripheral surfaces, and wherein the cavities are each formed by a through-opening in the tubular moulding drum,
• and wherein the moulding device has a base member which is arranged stationary and opposite the shoe member, which base member adjoins the other peripheral surface of the tubular moulding drum, so that the cavities are each closed off at the side opposite the filling opening by a bottom,
• wherein the peripheral surface at the base of the tubular moulding drum is embodied as a profiled peripheral surface having a shaping profile which, for each series of cavities, comprises at least one of projections between multiple pairs of successive cavities of said series and of one or more peripheral grooves which extend in the peripheral direction between and through the successive cavities of said series,
• and wherein the base member is provided with multiple shoe segments which are arranged next to one another, viewed in the direction of the rotation axis,
• and wherein each shoe segment of the base member has an inner side adjoins an associated section of the relevant peripheral surface of the moulding drum, which section comprises one or more series of cavities, wherein the inner side of each shoe segment is embodied as a profiled inner side having a profile which comprises, for each series of cavities, one or more grooves extending in the peripheral direction and/or ribs extending in the peripheral direction, which grooves and/or ribs are in meshing engagement with the shaping profile of said section,
• and wherein the shoe segments of the base member have a freedom of movement with respect to one another, at least in the direction of the rotation axis, in order to each remain individually aligned with respect to the profile of the section with which the inner side of the shoe segment is in engagement.

A method for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is transferred by pumping, wherein use is made of a moulding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a moulding plate and a moulding plate drive, which moulding plate has a length and a width and is connected to the frame sand is driven to and fro in the longitudinal direction, wherein the moulding plate has a first outer surface and a second outer surface situated opposite,
• wherein cavities are present in the moulding plate, viewed in the direction of the width of the moulding plate, which cavities are at a distance from one another, viewed in said direction, wherein each cavity is embodied as a through-opening in the moulding plate between the first and second outer surfaces,
• and wherein the cavities each define a filling opening on the first outer surface of the moulding plate,
• a mass feed device which is arranged in a filling position in the frame, wherein a mass of foodstuff is fed by a pump to an inlet of the mass feed device,
• wherein the mass feed device comprises a shoe member which adjoins the first outer surface of the moulding plate, wherein the shoe member comprises a filling mouth which is connected to the inlet and ends at the first outer surface of the moulding plate in such a way that the filling openings of cavities which move past during the to and fro movement of the moulding plate come into contact with said filling mouth and the cavities are filled with the foodstuff as the cavities move past,
• wherein the moulding device has a base member which is arranged stationary with respect to the frame and opposite the shoe member, which base member adjoins the second outer surface of the moulding plate so that the cavities are each closed off at the side opposite the filling opening by a bottom,
• wherein the first outer surface of the moulding plate is embodied as a profiled outer surface having a shaping profile which, for each cavity, comprises at least one of one or more projections which extend in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate and of one or more grooves which extend in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate and through the cavity,
• and in wherein the shoe member is provided with multiple shoe segments which are arranged next to one another, viewed in the direction of the width of the moulding plate,
• and wherein each shoe segment has an inner side which adjoins an associated section of the first outer surface of the moulding plate, which section comprises a series of one or more cavities, wherein the inner side of each shoe segment is embodied as a profiled inner side having a profile which comprises, for each series of one or more cavities, at least one of one or more grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate and of ribs extending in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate, which grooves and/or ribs are in meshing engagement with the shaping profile of said section,
• and wherein the shoe segments of the shoe member have a freedom of movement with respect to one another, at least in the direction of the width of the moulding plate, in order to each remain individually aligned with respect to the profile of the section with which the inner side of the shoe segment is in meshing engagement.

A method for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is transferred by pumping wherein use is made of a moulding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a moulding plate and a moulding plate drive, which moulding plate has a length and a width and is connected to the frame and is driven to and fro in the longitudinal direction, wherein the moulding plate has a first outer surface and a second outer surface situated opposite,
• wherein cavities are present in the moulding plate, viewed in the direction of the width of the moulding plate, which cavities are at a distance from one another, viewed in said direction, wherein each cavity is embodied as a through-opening in the moulding plate between the first and second outer surfaces, and wherein the cavities each define a filling opening in the first outer surface of the moulding plate,
• a mass feed device which is arranged in a filling position in the frame, wherein a mass of foodstuff is fed to an inlet of the mass feed device by means of a pump,
• wherein the mass feed device is provided with a shoe member which adjoins the first outer surface of the moulding plate, wherein the shoe member comprises a filling mouth which is connected to the inlet and ends at the first outer surface of the moulding plate in such a way that the filling openings of cavities which move past during the to and fro movement of the moulding plate come into contact with said filling mouth and the cavities are filled with the foodstuff as said cavities move past,
• wherein the moulding device has a base member which is arranged stationary with respect to the frame and opposite the shoe member, which base member is adjacent to the second outer surface of the moulding plate so that the cavities are each closed off at the side opposite the filling opening by a base,
• wherein the second outer surface of the moulding plate is embodied as a profiled outer surface having a shaping profile which comprises, for each cavity, at least one of one or more projections which extend in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate and of one or more grooves which extend in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate and through the cavity,
• and wherein the base member is provided with multiple shoe segments which are arranged next to one another, viewed in the direction of the width of the moulding plate,
• and wherein each shoe segment of the base member has an inner side which adjoins an associated section of the second outer surface of the moulding plate, which section comprises a series of one or more cavities, wherein the inner side of each shoe segment is embodied as a profiled inner side having a profile which, for each series of cavities, comprises at least one of one or more grooves extending in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate and of one or more ribs extending in the longitudinal direction of the moulding plate, which at least one of one or more grooves and of one or more ribs are in meshing engagement with the shaping profile of said section,
• and wherein the shoe segments of the base member have a freedom of movement with respect to one another, at least in the direction of the width of the moulding plate, in order to each remain individually aligned with respect to the profile of the section with which the inner side of the shoe segment is in meshing engagement.