Slide plate patty forming apparatus

Patty forming apparatus comprising:

• an apertured, generally flat forming plate;
• a patty forming head secured to said plate and in registry with the aperture therethrough, said head including structure defining a plurality of spaced, individual cavities, and a like plurality of slidable pistons respectively moveable within each of said cavities between retracted positions allowing flow patty forming material into corresponding cavities for formation of patties therein, and extended discharge positions for discharge of formed patties from said cavities;
• means supporting said plate for translational shifting movement of the plate and head between a material-receiving position and a spaced patty-discharge position;
• means operably coupled with said plate and in communication with said aperture for delivery of material to said cavities when said plate is in said material-receiving position thereof, in order to fill said cavities and form said patties therein;
• means for shifting said pistons to the discharge positions thereof when said plate is in the patty-discharging position thereof;
• and
• means for limiting the movement of said pistons within corresponding cavities when said plate is in said material-receiving position thereof in order to vary the thickness of patties formed in said cavities,
• said movement limiting means including a separate piston-engaging unit disposed above each corresponding piston,
• there being adjustment structure operably coupled with said units for simultaneously adjusting each of said separate piston-engaging units for up and down adjusting movement in unison, said adjustment structure also being operable for alternate adjustment of each of said separate piston-engaging units for independent up and down adjusting movement thereof with respect to the other units.

In a patty forming apparatus including a shiftable patty forming plate assembly having structure defining a patty forming cavity therein, means for delivery of patty forming material to said cavity for formation of a patty therein, and means for subsequently ejecting said formed patty from said cavity, the improved material-delivery means which comprises:

• a material-conveying chamber oriented for receiving patty forming material from said cavity and presenting an apertured plate;
• a deflectable, synthetic resin apertured shearing plate located intermediate said plate and said patty forming plate assembly,
• the apertures of said plate and said shearing plate being in general alignment, with said shearing plate aperture being smaller than said plate aperture to present an inwardly extending lip region which is a part of said shearing plate and which extends about the periphery of said plate aperture,
• said patty forming plate assembly being shiftable relative to said plate and shearing plate and being proximal to the latter;
• and
• means for coupling said chamber to a pumping device for delivery of patty forming material under positive pressure to said chamber, in order to cause said material under positive pressure to engage said lip region and deflect said shearing plate into sealing engagement with said shiftable patty forming assembly.

In patty forming apparatus comprising a shiftable patty forming plate assembly having structure defining a patty forming cavity therein, means operably coupled with said assembly for delivery of patty forming material to said cavity for formation of a patty therein, and means for subsequently ejecting a formed patty from said cavity, improved structure for shifting movement of said patty forming plate assembly which comprises:

• a pair of mated hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies each coupled to said assembly and each including a hydraulic cylinder, a piston slidably received within said cylinder, and a piston rod coupled to said piston and extending outwardly from said cylinder,
• said pistons being shiftable within said cylinders between spaced terminii which define the stroke length of said pistons and piston rods;
• and
• control means operably coupled to both of said piston and cylinder assemblies for equalizing and cushioning the travel of said pistons as each of the pistons approach a corresponding terminii.