Marlen Research Corporation

James E Anderson

Richard G Powers

Lewis F Alley

Wendell E Dennis

Harrison A Ailey, Jr

Warren R Schack

Joseph S Zeets

James E White

William R Wright

Eugene J London

Jackie D Birdsell

Kevin F Cooper

A preferred sizer (10) for stuffing flowable materials such as sausage into a flexible casing (24) includes a horn assembly (12) having inner and outer concentric tube (28, 34) presenting an evacuation chamber (46) therebetween connected to a vacuum source (50a) for deaerating material within the inner tube (34). The tubes (28, 34) are shiftable relative to one another between an open position in which the chamber (46) communicates with the interior of the inner tube (34) through an open space (48) adjacent the discharge ends (30, 36) of the tubes (28, 34) for evacuating air from material within the inner tube (34), and a closed position in which the open space (48) is sealed to prevent communication between the chamber (46) and the inner tube (34) interior thereby preventing entry of material into the chamber (46).

Sizer apparatus having shiftable horn

Apparatus (20) for successively supplying substantially equal portions of a flowable comminuted product such as sausage from a source thereof to a delivery zone is disclosed wherein dual product portioning chambers (80, 88, 82, 90) are provided which function such that as meat to be portioned is directed into a first chamber which increases in volume to a predetermined extent, portioned meat is delivered from the other chamber as it decreases in volume to the same predetermined extent. Means (114) is provided externally of the chambers for substantially equalizing the increase and decrease of the effective product-receiving volume of each of the chambers.

Double piston portioning apparatus

A dual piston device (10) for handling and casing of flowable materials such as whole muscle meat products is provided which eliminates the problem of tailing, or creation of a tail of meat product extending outwardly from a casing adjacent an endmost clip. The device (10) includes a transfer conduit (20) having a slidable transfer piston (26) therein, together with an auxiliary conduit (34) connected to the transfer conduit (20) intermediate the ends thereof. The auxiliary conduit (34) is equipped with a deaerating severing piston (42). The pistons (42, 26) are configured to mate and coact so as to cleanly sever whole muscle meat pieces which may otherwise lie in the open end of a casing in the region thereof to be clipped. A stuffing horn assembly (14) is positioned adjacent the outlet (22) of transfer conduit (20); a stuffing horn (69) forming a part of the assembly (14) may be pivoted outwardly to receive a fresh casing (88), whereupon the horn (69) is pivoted back into alignment with trnasfer conduit (20) to receive a fresh meat portion into the casing (88).

Dual piston portioner and casing device

An improved, slide plate-type patty forming apparatus (20) is provided which preferably includes a reciprocating slide plate (60) with a removable, multiple piston and cavity head (78) adapted to move between a retracted meat-filling position wherein respective patty forming cavities (90) are filled with meat to an extended patty-discharging position wherein formed meat patties (264) are ejected. Each of the patty forming pistons (96) is equipped with a porous bottom plate (104) formed of sintered metal or ceramic, an appropriate compressed air passageways (120, 122, 106) are provided for delivery of air through the bottom plate (104) for cleanly ejecting the formed patty (264). Adjusting mechanism (26) for altering the thickness of formed patties (264) includes a plurality of adjusting units (166) each equipped with a vertically shiftable, piston-engaging foot (176); movement of the feet (176) in unison is effected by means of handwheel (164) and connecting gear train (162, 200, 194, 192, 174). Individual variance of respective patty forming stations can also be accomplished by gear disengagement and manual adjustment.

Slide plate patty forming apparatus

A conversion device is provided which permits an existing self-contained meat patty forming machine to be adapted for use with a separate, high capacity meat pump, so as to increase the output capacity of the patty former. The conversion structure includes an elongated, apertured meat delivery tube adapted to be used in lieu of an existing pivotal valving tube provided with the original machine, together with an accumulator coupled to the delivery tube. Operation of the separate pumping assembly is governed by that of the accumulator, and, ultimately, the operation of the patty forming apparatus. In this fashion the speed of the separate pumping assembly can be matched with that of the patty former so as to maintain continuous, trouble free operation.

Feeding device for patty forming machine

An improved method and apparatus for the continuous vacuum grinding of meat or other products is provided which permits continuous deaeration and grinding so as to materially enhance the organoleptic properties of final meat products such as sausages and the like. Broadly speaking, the apparatus of the invention includes a pumping apparatus together with a grinder and a closed conduit coupling the pump and grinder; deaeration apparatus is also provided which serves to evacuate the meat products prior to grinding, and the latter are maintained in that condition throughout the grinding operation. In preferred forms, use is made of a reciprocating piston-type pump together with remote, separately powered grinding apparatus. In this form of the invention, deaeration is accomplished by means of apertured pistons within the pumping unit which are operatively coupled to a vacuum pump or other suitable evacuating device.

Continuous vacuum grinding method and apparatus

A greatly improved aseptic processing apparatus and method for pumpable foods is provided which gives accurate, uniform aseptic cooking conditions (e.g, time, temperature and pressure) while at the same time preserving the integrity of particulates in the food product. In preferred forms, the apparatus includes a reciprocating piston food pump which generates a continuous product stream at a substantially constant nominal pressure. This stream is fed to a heat exchanger in order to elevate the temperature of the product, whereupon the stream passes through a holding tube to complete the aseptic cooking process. A metering device such as a rotary pump is located downstream of the holding tube for creating a substantially constant flow rate of product from the apparatus. Use of a downstream metering device in conjunction with an upstream constant pressure pump permits attainment of even, relatively high system pressures which in turn facilitates accurate temperature control and eliminates localized internal steam flashing which can deleteriously affect product quality. By virtue of the present apparatus and method, aseptic processing of low acid heterogeneous food products such as stews and chilies can be safely accomplished on a commercial scale.

Growing community of inventors

Prairie Village, KS, United States of America

James E Anderson