Apparatus for forming edible rings
AssigneeCentral Soya Company, Inc.
InventorGerald J. Orlowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for forming rings which are made from a formable food mass, made, for example, from onion pieces and a binder. The apparatus includes a hopper for containing the food mass. A rotating cylindrical member is horizontally mounted within the hopper and annular openings are preferably provided in the outer periphery of the cylindrical member for receiving the food mass at a first position. A ring is reciprocally mounted within each of the annular openings, the rings being reciprocated between the loading position and a discharge position, at which the rings are moved towards and beyond the periphery of the cylindrical member. To separate the formed rings from the cylindrical member, a moving cutter is provided near the discharge position.
Claims4
In apparatus for forming edible products from edible formable mass comprising in combination, a hopper containing said mass, a cylindrical member rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis and defining peripheral cavity means cooperating with said hopper for receiving a portion of said mass at a loading station and for discharging the same at a discharge station, a movable plunger member mounted for reciprocation within said cavity means, means for reciprocating said plunger member between a retracted position when said cavity means of said cylindrical member is at said loading station for receiving said mass portion, and an extended position when said cavity means is at said discharge station for discharging said mass from said cavity means, the improvement comprising:
- means for extending the distal end of said plunger member a predetermined distance beyond the outer surface of said cylindrical member when said plunger member is in said extended position;
- a remover member including a wire extending parallel to the axis of said cylindrical member adjacent the discharge position for separating a formed product from said plunger member at said discharge station when said plunger member is reciprocated to said extended position;
- spacer means slidably contacting the surface of said cylindrical member for holding said wire outwardly of said cylindrical member by said predetermined distance;
- means for oscillating said remover member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said cylindrical member when said cavity means is adjacent said discharge station, whereby said remover member removes said formed product by moving said wire in a direction opposite to the peripheral motion of said cylindrical member;
- and means for returning said remover member to its original position after a formed product has been moved from said plunger member.
An apparatus for forming edible products from edible formable mass, said apparatus comprising in combination, a hopper containing said mass, a cylindrical member rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis and defining peripheral cavity means cooperating with said hopper for receiving a portion of said mass at a loading station and for discharging the same at a discharge station, a movable member mounted for reciprocation within said cavity means, means for reciprocating said movable member between a retracted position when said cavity means of said cylindrical member is at said loading station for receiving said mass portion, and an extended position when said cavity means is at said discharge station for discharging said mass from said cavity means, a movable remover member defining a leading edge spaced from the periphery of said cylindrical member adjacent the discharge position, and including a plurality of arms disposed adjacent the periphery of said cylindrical member, a wire secured adjacent the ends of said arms adjacent said cylindrical member and extending parallel to the axis of said cylindrical member, and bearing means on said arms slidably engaging said cylindrical member for maintaining said wire in fixed spaced relation to the periphery of said cylindrical member, and means for driving said remover member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said cylindrical member when said movable member is adjacent said discharge station to cause said remover member to separate said formed product from said movable member when said movable member is in said extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.