Method and system for moulding food patties

A method for moulding food patties from a food mass, wherein use is made of a system comprising:

• a hopper having a lower end;
• a dividing member arranged in said hopper;
• a first feed channel and a second feed channel, each of said first and second feed channels connecting to said lower end of said hopper and extending downwards from said hopper to a discharge end of said feed channel;
• a first pump and a second pump, each of said first and second pumps comprising a pump chamber, a pump inlet opening, a plunger, a drive system adapted to move the plunger in said pump chamber along a longitudinal axis of the plunger between a retracted position and an extended position, and a pump outlet opening, wherein the discharge end of the first feed channel is in communication with the pump inlet opening of the first pump, and wherein the discharge end of the second feed channel is in communication with the pump inlet opening of the second pump;
• a first valve plate arranged proximate the pump inlet opening of the first pump, and a second valve plate arranged proximate the pump inlet opening of the second pump;
• a valve manifold having a movable valve member, wherein the pump chamber of the first pump is connected to the valve manifold at a first location on the valve manifold and wherein the pump chamber of the second pump is connected to the valve manifold at a second location on the valve manifold such that said longitudinal axes of said plungers of said first and second pumps are arranged in a V-pattern or in a common horizontal plane, wherein said valve manifold is operable to open and close the pump outlet openings of the first and second pumps, and wherein the valve manifold comprises an outlet passageway;
• and
• a moulding device having a plurality of mould cavities for moulding food patties, said moulding device being arranged below the valve manifold and in communication with the outlet passageway of the valve manifold,
• wherein the method comprises:
• filling the food mass into the hopper, said food mass being divided into first and second streams by the dividing member arranged in said hopper as the food mass descends in said hopper, said first stream entering the first feed channel and the second stream entering the second feed channel under a weight of the food mass;
• moving the plunger of the first pump to the retracted position and moving the first valve plate into an open position so that a portion of food mass of the first stream is introduced into the pump chamber of the first pump under the weight of the food mass present in the hopper and in the first feed channel;
• followed by moving the first valve plate into a closed position so that said portion of food mass that has been introduced into the pump chamber of the first pump is cut from the first stream of food mass in the first feed channel;
• operating the valve manifold such that the pump outlet opening of the first pump is open and connected to the outlet passageway of the valve manifold and via said outlet passageway to the moulding device and such that the pump outlet opening of the second pump is closed;
• moving the plunger of the first pump to the extended position to transfer said portion of food mass from the pump chamber of the first pump to the moulding device via the valve manifold, said moulding device being operated to fill the mould cavities with said food mass from the first pump to mould the food patties therein;
• and wherein the method further comprises, whilst the plunger of the first pump is being moved to the extended position:
• moving the plunger of the second pump to the retracted position and moving the second valve plate into an open position so that a portion of food mass from the second stream is introduced into the pump chamber of the second pump under the weight of the food mass present in the hopper and in the second feed channel;
• and
• followed by moving the second valve plate into a closed position so that said portion of food mass that has been introduced into the pump chamber of the second pump is cut from the second stream of food mass in the second feed channel;
• and wherein the method further comprises, as the plunger of the first pump has reached the extended position:
• operating the valve manifold such that the pump outlet opening of the first pump is closed and such that the pump outlet opening of the second pump is open and connected to the outlet passageway of the valve manifold and via said outlet passageway to the moulding device;
• and
• moving the plunger of the second pump to the extended position to transfer said portion of food mass from the pump chamber of the second pump to the moulding device via the valve manifold, said moulding device being operated to fill the mould cavities with said food mass of the second pump to mould the food patties therein.