Double row molding apparatus

A food processing machine comprising:

• a. a manifold containing a selected food product;
• b. a top plate adjacent the manifold;
• c. a filler plate installed in the top plate and having at least one fill slot that communicates with the manifold;
• d. a breather plate spaced from the top plate and the filler plate;
• e. a mold plate between the breather plate and the top and filler plates, the mold plate being reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a row of front cavities aligned in a transverse direction and a row of back cavities aligned in the transverse direction, the rows of front and back cavities being further arranged into pairs of front and back cavities that are aligned in the longitudinal direction, at least the row of front cavities being in communication with said at least one fill slot in the filler plate when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof, all of the cavities being out of communication with said at least one fill slot in the filler plate when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof, wherein:
• i. each mold plate front cavity has a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• ii. each mold plate back cavity has a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• iii. said at least one fill slot in the filler plate has a front surface and a back surface;
• and
• iv. the back surface of said at least one fill slot in the filler plate is generally aligned with the trailing edges of the mold plate front cavities when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof;
• and
• f. means for ejecting the food product simultaneously from all the cavities when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

A food processing machine comprising:

• a. a manifold containing a selected food product;
• b. a top plate adjacent the manifold;
• c. a filler plate installed in the top plate and having at least one fill slot that communicates with the manifold;
• d. a breather plate spaced from the top plate and the filler plate;
• e. a mold plate between the breather plate and the top and filler plates, the mold plate being reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a row of front cavities aligned in a transverse direction and a row of back cavities aligned in the transverse direction, the rows of front and back cavities being further arranged into pairs of front and back cavities that are aligned in the longitudinal direction, at least the row of front cavities being in communication with said at least one fill slot in the filler plate when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof, all of the cavities being out of communication with said at least one fill slot in the filler plate when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof, wherein:
• i. the filler plate has at least one first fill slot that communicates with the manifold and with the front cavities when the mold plate is at the retracted position thereof;
• and
• ii. the filler plate has at least one second fill slot that communicates with the manifold and with the back cavities when the mold plate is at the retracted position thereof;
• and
• f. means for ejecting the food product simultaneously from all the cavities when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

Apparatus for producing food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a row of front cavities aligned along a front transverse centerline, and a row of back cavities aligned along a back transverse centerline, the rows of front and back cavities being arranged into pairs each having a front cavity and a back cavity that are aligned along a respective longitudinal centerline;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulk quantity of a selected food product;
• c. a filler plate having at least one fill slot said at least one fill slot being in communication with the manifold and with only the row of front cavities when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof, wherein the filler plate has multiple fill slots arranged in a transverse row and each in communication with a respective front cavity when the mold plate is at the retracted position thereof;
• and
• d. means for ejecting food patties from all the cavities simultaneously when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

Apparatus for producing food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a row of front cavities aligned along a front transverse centerline, and a row of back cavities aligned along a back transverse centerline, the rows of front and back cavities being arranged into pairs each having a front cavity and a back cavity that are aligned along a respective longitudinal centerline, wherein each mold plate cavity has a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulk quantity of a selected food product;
• c. a filler plate having at least one fill slot said at least one fill slot being in communication with the manifold and with only the row of front cavities when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof, wherein said at least one fill slot in the filler plate is closer to the trailing edges than to the leading edges of the respective front cavities when the mold plate is at the retracted position thereof;
• and
• d. means for ejecting food patties from all the cavities simultaneously when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

Apparatus for producing food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a row of front cavities aligned along a front transverse centerline, and a row of back cavities aligned along a back transverse centerline, the rows of front and back cavities being arranged into pairs each having a front cavity and a back decavity that are aligned along a respective longitudinal centerline, wherein each mold plate cavity has a leading edge and trailing edge;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulky quantity of a selected food product;
• c. a filler plate having at least one fill slot said at least one fill slot being in communication with the manifold and with only the row of front cavities when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof, wherein:
• i. said at least one fill slot in the filler plate has a front surface and a back surface;
• and
• ii. the back surface of said at least one fill slot is generally in alignment with the trailing edges of the front cavities when the mold plate is at the retracted position thereof;
• and
• d. means for ejecting food patties from all the cavities simultaneously when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

Apparatus for making food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a row of front cavities aligned along a front transverse centerline, and a row of back cavities aligned along a back transverse centerline, the rows of front and back cavities being arranged into pairs each having a front cavity and a back cavity that are aligned along a respective longitudinal centerline;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulk quantity of a selected food product;
• and
• c. a filler plate having at least one front fill slot that is in communication with the front cavities, and at least one back fill slot that is in communication with the back cavities, when the mold plate is at the retracted position thereof.

Apparatus for producing food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a plurality of rows of transversely aligned cavities including a front row of cavities and a back row of cavities, the cavities of at least two rows being arranged into pairs of cavities that are aligned in the longitudinal direction;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulk quantity of a selected food product;
• c. a filler plate having multiple fill slots arranged in a transverse row and each in communication with the manifold and with a respective front cavity when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof;
• and
• d. means for ejecting food patties from all the cavities simultaneously when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

Apparatus for producing food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a plurality of rows of transversely aligned cavities including a front row of cavities and a back row of cavities, the cavities of at least two rows being arranged into pairs of cavities that are aligned in the longitudinal direction, each cavity having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulk quantity of a selected food product;
• c. a filler plate having at least one fill slot, said at least one fill slot being in communication with the manifold and with only the row of front cavities and said at least one fill slot being closer to the trailing edges than to the leading edges of the respective front cavities when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof;
• and
• d. means for ejecting food patties from all the cavities simultaneously when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.

Apparatus for producing food patties comprising:

• a. a mold plate reciprocable in longitudinal directions between extended and retracted positions, the mold plate having a plurality of rows of transversely aligned cavities including a front row of cavities and a back row of cavities each with a leading edge and a trailing edge, the cavities of at least two rows being arranged into pairs of cavities that are aligned in the longitudinal direction;
• b. a manifold that stores a bulk quantity of a selected food product;
• c. a filler plate having at least one fill slot having a front surface and a back surface, said at least one fill slot being in communication with the manifold and with only the row of front cavities and the back surface of said at least one fill slot being generally in alignment with the trailing edges of the front cavities when the mold plate is in the retracted position thereof;
• and
• d. means for ejecting food patties from all the cavities simultaneously when the mold plate is at the extended position thereof.