Machine for making meat patties

A machine for making meat patties, which comprises a machine frame defining an inclined slideway including a bed at an output end thereof, a feed member mounted on the machine frame at an upper input end of the slideway, the feed member having an inlet for receiving ground meat and an outlet discharging a layer of the ground meat to the upper input end of the slideway, the slideway being capable of gravity-feeding the layer of ground meat from the input to the output end of the slideway, two supply rolls of sheet material freely rotatably supported at a front and a rear of the machine frame, respectively, for delivering two continuous supplies of the sheet material to the slideway on respective sides of the layer of ground meat whereby the ground meat layer with the sheet material covering the two sides thereof are gravity-fed down the slideway, a sensing element projecting into the slideway at the output end thereof and arranged to sense a forward edge of the gravity-fed layer of ground meat covered on both sides with the sheet material and to emit a control signal on contact with the forward edge of the layer of ground meat and sheet material, means for adjusting the position of the sensing element with respect to the output end whereby the length of the cut meat patties may be controlled, an electronically controlled knife assembly operable in response to the control signal, the assembly including a knife movable into the slideway to cut the layer of ground meat and the sheet material in response to the control signal and an electromagnet controlling the knife movement, and a driven ejector roller at the output end of the slideway for feeding the cut layer of ground meat covered on both sides by the sheet material to the bed.