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US 4,363,822 AGranted
Method for producing a restructured meat product
OwnerCharles F. Kleptzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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OwnerCharles F. Kleptzinventor
Estimating the term…
Chopped pieces of meat are placed within a mixer having an outlet with a feed screw, and an elongated discharge tube is coupled to the outlet. The outer end of the discharge tube supports a plate having a predetermined shape corresponding to the shape of a meat product such as a steak or pork chop forming an individual serving portion. A plastic bag is pulled over the discharge tube and end plate, followed by a clamped tubular mold having a longitudinal joint and an inner surface corresponding to the shape of the end plate. The outer end of the mold is closed, and the mixed meat product is extruded through the tube into the bag within the mold while the mold is moved from the tube and end plate under restraining back pressure. The mold is unclamped, and the bag and meat product are slid from the mold onto a tray conforming to the shape of the lower portion of the mold. The meat product is frozen on the tray, after which the bag is removed, and the meat product is cut into individual serving portions.
A method of producing a frozen restructured meat product adapted to have a predetermined non-cylindrical shape, comprising the steps of mixing pieces of meat within a mixer having a screw extruder extending adjacent an outlet, attaching an elongated discharge tube to the outlet, surrounding the discharge tube with a flexible bag, surrounding the bag and the discharged tube with a tubular mold having an inner non-cylindrical surface corresponding to the predetermined shape, mounting on the outer end portion of the discharge tube a retaining member conforming substantially to the inner non-cylindrical surface of the tubular mold, closing the outer end of the tubular mold with an end closure member, extruding the mixed meat product through the discharge tube and into the bag and mold while moving the bag and mold longitudinally relative to the discharged tube, filling the bag while confining the mixed meat product within the mold between the retaining member and the end closure member to produce a predetermined pressure within the product, sliding the bag and formed meat product from the mold, and freezing the formed meat product within the bag while maintaining the shape of the product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.