Knock-out system for patty molding machine

A patty forming machine, comprising:

• a support frame;
• a mold plate driven to reciprocate along a first direction with respect to said support structure and having at least one cavity for receiving food product to be molded into a patty;
• a knock-out cup arranged for reciprocation along a second direction with respect to said support structure and aligned for repetitively pushing successive patties out of said cavity;
• and
• at least one knock-out rod having a base end driven to reciprocate along said second direction, and a distal end;
• a guide;
• wherein said knock-out cup is operatively connected to said knock-out rod at a first position on said knock-out rod, and said knock-out rod is guided for sliding movement by said guide located at a second position on said rod, said second position located between said first position and said distal end of said rod;
• and
• a knock-out arm, a rotating cam having a cam surface, an oil reservoir, a first wick and a second wick, wherein said knock-out rod is reciprocated by said knock-out arm which is pivoted reciprocally about a pivoting connection to said support frame by sliding contact force from a cam surface of said rotating cam, and said oil reservoir is located adjacent to said cam and to said pivoting connection, said oil reservoir being substantially closed on a top side thereof to prevent contamination, said first wick extending from said pivoting connection into said oil reservoir to supply oil to said pivoting connection, and said second wick extends from said cam surface into said oil reservoir to provide oil to said cam surface.

A patty forming machine, comprising:

• a machine structure;
• a reciprocating mold plate having at least one cavity for receiving food product to be formed into a patty;
• a reciprocating knock-out cup arranged for pushing a patty out of said cavity;
• a knock-out arm pivotally mounted to said machine structure at a pivoting connection, and operatively connected to said knock-out cup to drive the knock-out cup into reciprocation;
• a cam rotatably mounted to said machine structure and driven in rotation, said cam having a cam surface, said knock-out arm pivoted reciprocally by sliding contact force from said cam surface of said rotating cam;
• an oil reservoir carried by said machine structure and having a top wall, said oil reservoir being substantially closed by said top wall to prevent contamination of oil within said reservoir;
• a first wick and a second wick, said first wick extending from said oil reservoir to said knock-out arm to supply oil to said pivoting connection, and said second wick extending from said reservoir to said cam surface to supply oil to said cam surface, said top wall having wick openings which closely conform to the cross-section of said first and second wicks respectively, said first and second wicks penetrating into said reservoir through said wick openings of said oil reservoir top wall.

A patty forming machine, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a mold plate having cavities for receiving food product to be molded into patties, said mold plate mounted for reciprocation with respect to said machine frame;
• a plurality of knock-out cups arranged to reciprocate into said cavities to dislodge patties from said cavities;
• a bar extending horizontally and operatively connected to said knock-out cups;
• a pair of knock-out rods arranged to reciprocate together vertically, said rods each operatively connected to said bar;
• a tie rod and a pair of clamp blocks, said clamp blocks each attached to said tie rod at opposite ends thereof, said clamp blocks each clamped to one of said knock-out rods;
• a pair of knock-out arms and a pair of rotating cams each having a cam surface, a pair of oil reservoirs, a pair of first wicks and a pair of second wicks, wherein said knock-out rods are reciprocated by said knock-out arms which are pivoted reciprocally by sliding contact force from cam surfaces of said rotating cams, and said oil reservoirs are substantially closed by a top wall thereof to prevent contamination, said first wicks each extending from said pivoting connection into said oil reservoir to supply oil to said pivoting connection, and said second wicks each extending from said cam surface into said oil reservoir to provide oil to said cam surface.

A patty forming machine, comprising:

• a machine structure;
• a reciprocating mold plate having at least one cavity for receiving food product to be formed into a patty;
• a reciprocating knock-out cup arranged for pushing a patty out of said cavity;
• a knock-out arm pivotally mounted with respect to said machine structure at a pivoting connection, and operatively connected to said knock-out cup to drive the knock-out cup into reciprocation;
• a cam rotatably mounted with respect to said machine structure and driven in rotation, said cam having a cam surface, said knock-out arm pivoted reciprocally by sliding contact force from said cam surface of said rotating cam;
• an oil reservoir carried by said machine structure and having an enclosing wall to prevent contamination, said wall having a first wick opening;
• a first wick, said first wick extending from said oil reservoir to said cam surface to supply oil to said cam surface, said first wick penetrating into said reservoir through said first wick opening, said first wick opening closely conforming to a cross section of said first wick.