US 7,125,245 B2Granted

Tube valve arrangement for a patty-forming machine

AssigneeFormax, Inc.

InventorsDavid Hansen, Scott A. Lindee, Glenn Sandberg

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A tube valve and manifold arrangement for switching food product pumps is incorporated into a molding machine. The tube valve includes either a central outlet or two selectable sets of progressively sized outlet openings, with the smallest outlet opening closest to the active plunger, and the largest opening furthest from the active plunger. The tube valve includes grooves or depressions formed on its outside surface. The depressions are oriented to be at least partially open to the pump cavity that is not actively filling. Grooves and bores are in fluid communication with the depressions to allow air trapped in the off line pump cavity to be expelled to the hopper. The tube valve mounting assembly includes inboard and outboard bushings located externally on opposite lateral sides of the valve manifold that are removably fastened to the outside of the valve manifold.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A delivery system for food product in a reciprocating mold plate, patty-forming apparatus, the system delivering pressurized food product into cavities of a mold plate, comprising:

a first pump having an inlet in communication with a supply of food product and a first pump outlet;
a second pump having an inlet in communication with the supply of food product and a second pump outlet;
a valve manifold having a first manifold inlet and a second manifold inlet in respective flow communication with said first and second pump outlets and a manifold outlet centrally located between said first and second manifold inlets in a lateral direction;
an inlet chamber having an chamber inlet in communication with said valve manifold outlet and a chamber outlet arranged to deliver pressurized food product into cavities of said mold plate;
and
a tube valve arranged sealingly within said valve manifold and having an elongated cylinder that is received into said valve manifold, said cylinder having a first inlet port and a second inlet port, said inlet ports being offset rotationally around a circumference of said cylinder, and two rows of progressively sized outlet ports, wherein each row corresponds to one of said first and second inlet ports such that food product flows from a selected one of said first and second inlet ports to its corresponding row of outlet ports, wherein said progressively sized outlet ports are smallest axially closest to the respective corresponding inlet port and largest axially furthest from said corresponding inlet port.

3 more elements

A tube valve arrangement for a reciprocating mold plate, patty-forming apparatus, comprising:

a first pump having an inlet in communication with a supply of food product and a first pump outlet;
a second pump having an inlet in communication with the supply of food product and a second pump outlet;
a valve manifold having a first manifold inlet and a second manifold inlet in respective flow communication with said first and second pump outlets and a manifold outlet;
an inlet chamber having an chamber inlet in communication with said valve manifold outlet and a chamber outlet arranged to deliver pressurized food product into cavities of said mold plate;
and
a tube valve arranged sealingly within said valve manifold and having an elongated cylinder that is received into said valve manifold, said cylinder having a first inlet port and a second inlet port, said inlet ports being offset rotationally around a circumference of said cylinder, and an outlet pert arranged to communicate food product from one of said inlet ports to said inlet chamber;
wherein said elongated cylinder is carried by said valve manifold, journaled on opposite side walls of said valve manifold by bushings, said bushings mounted on outside surfaces of said side walls.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/942,754Filed 16 Sep 2004 · us provisional application
Priority: 16 Sep 2003
Published: US 2005/0074515 A17 Apr 2005
Granted: 24 Oct 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A22C 7/0084
Devices for making meat patties: comprising a reciprocating plate
A22C 7/0023
Apparatus for pounding, forming, or pressing meat, sausage-meat, or meat products: pressing means
A22C 7/003
Pressing means: meat-moulds
A22C 7/0038
Meat-moulds: demoulding means

Family

Application60/503,354Us provisional application · filed 16 Sep 2003
Application60/515,585Us provisional application · filed 29 Oct 2003
Application60/571,368Us provisional application · filed 14 May 2004
US 2005/0074515 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Apr 2005
US 7,125,245 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.