Paper interleaver for food patty molding machine

A paper interleaver for a food patty molding machine of the kind comprising:

• a mold plate including at least one mold cavity;
• mold plate drive means for cyclically driving the mold plate to move the mold cavity between a fill position and a knock-out position;
• feed pump means for filling the mold cavity with food product each time the mold cavity is in its fill position to form a food patty in the mold cavity;
• and knock-out means for driving the food patty downwardly from the mold cavity each time the mold cavity is in its knock-out position;
• the paper interleaver comprising:
• paper storage means for storing a stack of paper sheets in predetermined alignment on a support surface, the paper storage means having at least one access opening in its support surface affording access to the bottommost sheet in the stack;
• a shuttle aligned with the access opening of the paper storage means and having at least two ports facing upwardly from the shuttle;
• shuttle moving means for moving the shuttle cyclically between a transfer position in which the shuttle is displaced from the paper storage means and is aligned with the mold cavity knock-out position, and a pickup position in which the shuttle occupies the access opening in the paper storage means and is closely aligned with the bottommost sheet in the stack;
• the mold plate drive means and the shuttle moving means operating synchronously so that the shuttle reaches its transfer position whenever the mold cavity is in its fill position and the shuttle reaches its pickup position whenever the mold cavity is in its knock-out position;
• a fixed paper holder frame located beneath the knock-out position for the mold cavity and immediately above the transfer position of the shuttle, the paper holder frame having a central opening aligned with the mold cavity knock-out position that is large enough for a molded patty to pass through;
• the paper holder frame having a plurality of ports, around the periphery of its central opening, that face downwardly from the frame;
• and pneumatic means for applying a vacuum to the shuttle ports for a shuttle vacuum interval coinciding with at least the latter part of the time the shuttle is in its pickup position and ending prior to operation of the knock-out means,
• and for applying a vacuum to the paper holder frame ports for a holder frame interval starting approximately at the end of the shuttle vacuum interval and ending about the time of operation of the knock-out means.