Apparatus for forming a shaped comestible

A machine for the simultaneous production of a plurality of shaped comestibles from a foodstuff slurry containing a gel-forming material, said machine comprising a forming station and a removing station, a forming plate having at least two forming cavities therein each being of a predetermined outer configuration for use in forming said foodstuff into a shape having said outer configuration, means mounting said forming plate for movement of said forming cavities between said forming station and said removing station, foodstuff delivery means in operative relation to said forming station for periodically supplying each of said forming cavities with a predetermined amount of said foodstuff, said delivery means including a foodstuff channeling member having at least two openings therein each being in communication with a corresponding forming cavity when said forming cavities are within said forming station, said delivery means further including a foodstuff distribution member having a manifold chamber being in communication with each of said channeling member openings and being in communication with a supply of foodstuff, means in operative relation to said forming station for use in coating each of the unfilled forming cavities and the surface of said foodstuff delivered to each of said forming cavities with a gellation agent for gelling the gel-forming material on the surface of said foodstuff, means for use in preventing foodstuff not in any of said forming cavities from leaving said forming station at least, two punches in operative relation to said removing station and each being of substantially the same outer configuration as each of said forming cavities, means mounting said punches for movement between a normal position wherein said punches do not intersect said respective forming cavities located at said removing station and an extended position wherein each of said punches intersects and extends into a respective one of said forming cavities located at said removing station, means for operating said foodstuff delivery means to supply said predetermined amount of foodstuff and fill each of said forming cavities, means for transporting said filled forming cavities from said forming station to said removing station into alignment with said punches, control means including means being constructed and arranged to operate said punches from said normal to said extended position to urge said foodstuff from said respective filled forming cavities only upon said forming cavities being aligned with said respective punches and further including means being constructed and arranged for operating said transporting means to move said forming cavities from said removing station toward said forming station only upon said punches returning to said normal position.

A machine for the formation of a shaped comestible from a foodstuff slurry containing a gel-forming material, said machine comprising a forming station and a removing station, a forming plate having at least one forming cavity therein of a predetermined outer configuration for use in forming said food-stuff into a shape having said outer configuration, means mounting said forming plate for longitudinal movement of said forming cavity between said forming station and said removing station, said forming plate having a substantially uniform longitudinal cross-section and having a non-uniform transverse cross-section, foodstuff delivery means in operative relation to said forming station for periodically supplying said forming cavity with a predetermined amount of said foodstuff, means in operative relation to said forming station for use in coating the unfilled forming cavity and the surface of said foodstuff delivered to said forming cavity with a gellation agent for gelling the gel-forming material on the surface of said foodstuff, means for use in preventing foodstuff not in said forming cavity from leaving said forming station, a punch in operative relation to said removing station and being of substantially the same outer configuration as said forming cavity, means mounting said punch for movement between a normal position wherein said punch does not contact said forming plate and does not intersect said forming cavity located at said removing station and an extended position wherein said punch intersects and extends into said forming cavity located at said removing station, means for operating said foodstuff delivery means to supply said predetermined amount of foodstuff and fill said forming cavity, means for longitudinally transporting said filled forming cavity from said forming station to said removing station into alignment with said punch, control means including means being constructed and arranged to operate said punch from said normal to said extended position to urge said foodstuff from said filled forming cavity only upon said forming cavity being aligned therewith and further including means being constructed and arranged for operating said transporting means to move said forming cavity from said removing station toward said forming station in said longitudinal direction only upon said punch returning to said normal position.

A machine for the simultaneous formation of a plurality of shaped comestibles from a foodstuff slurry containing a gel-forming material, said machine comprising a forming station and a removing station, a forming plate having at least two forming cavities therein, each being of a predetermined outer configuration for use in forming said foodstuff into a shape having said outer configuration, means mounting said forming plate for movement of said forming cavities between said forming station and said removing station, foodstuff delivery means in operative relation to said forming station for periodically supplying each of said forming cavities with a predetermined amount of said foodstuff, said delivery means including a foodstuff-channeling member having at least two openings therein, each being in communication with the top of a corresponding forming cavity when said forming cavities are within said forming station, said delivery means further including a foodstuff distribution member having a manifold chamber being in communication with each of said channeling member openings and being in communication with a supply of foodstuff, a backing plate mounted at said forming station so in sliding contact with the lower surface of said forming plate, said foodstuff-channeling member and said backing plate each having tranversely-extending opposite ends being vertically aligned relative to one another and extending substantially completely across said forming plate in a direction transverse to the direction of transportation of said forming plate between said forming station and said removing station, trough means mounted relative to said forming station above each of said transversely-extending opposite ends of said foodstuff-channeling member and being constructed and arranged to contain a supply of a gelation agent for gelling the gel-forming material on the surface of said foodstuff and including means for directing a predetermined amount of said gelation agent toward said foodstuff-channeling member, means for continuously providing said predetermined amount of said gelation agent to said trough so that a continuous flow of said gelation agent is direction from said trough toward said transversely extending edges of said food stuff-channeling member thereby forming a bead of said gelation agent at the juncture of the transversely-extending edges of said foodstuff-channeling member with said forming plate, at least two punches in operative relation to said removing station each being of substantially the same outer configuration as each of said forming cavities, means mounting said punches for movement between a normal position wherein said punches do not intersect said respective forming cavities located at said removing station and an extended position wherein each of said punches intersects and extends into a respective one of said forming cavities located at said removing station, means for operating said foodstuff delivery means to supply said predetermined amount of foodstuff and fill each of said forming cavities, means for transporting said filled forming cavities from said forming station to said removing station into alignment with said punches, control means including means being constructed and arranged to operate said punches from said normal to said extended position to urge said foodstuff from said respective filled forming cavities only upon said forming cavities being aligned with said respective punches and further including means being constructed and arranged for operating said transporting means to move said forming cavities from said removing station toward said forming station only upon said punches returning to said normal position.

A machine for the formation of a shaped comestible from a foodstuff slurry, said machine comprising a forming station and a removing station, a forming plate having at least one forming cavity therein of a predetermined outer configuration for use in forming said foodstuff into a shape having said outer configuration, means mounting said forming plate for movement of said forming cavity between said forming station and said removing station, foodstuff delivery means in operative relation to said forming station for periodically supplying said forming cavity with a predetermined amount of said foodstuff, means in operative relation to said forming station for use in coating the unfilled forming cavity and the surface of said foodstuff delivered to said forming cavity with a release agent for aiding in the subsequent release of formed foodstuff from said forming cavity, means for use in preventing foodstuff not in said forming cavity from leaving said forming station, a punch in operative relation to said removing station and being of substantially the same outer configuration as said forming cavity, means mounting said punch for movement between a normal position wherein said punch does not intersect said forming cavity located at said removing station and an extended position wherein said punch intersects and extends into said forming cavity located at said removing station, means for operating said foodstuff delivery means to supply said predetermined amount of foodstuff and fill said forming cavity, means for transporting said filled forming cavity from said forming station to said removing station into alignment with said punch, control means including means being constructed and arranged to operate said punch from said normal to said extended position to urge said foodstuff from said filled forming cavity only upon said forming cavity being aligned therewith and further including means being constructed and arranged for operating said transporting means to move said forming cavity from said removing station toward said forming station only upon said punch returning to said normal position.