Formax, Inc.

Nutec Manufacturing, Inc.

Kenneth F Sandberg

Louis R Richards

James W Stoub

Jeffrey A Mullikin

In order to effectively and efficiently produce patties in a machine, particularly at a high rate of speed and while maintaining a consistent level as to the quality of production, a patty machine is disclosed which includes a casting, a ram, a mold plate, and a drive system. The casting has a cavity which is adapted to receive a material to be formed into a patty at an inlet located intermediate opposite ends thereof. The ram is reciprocably disposed within the cavity at a point upstream of the inlet, and the mold plate is reciprocably disposed relative to the cavity at a point downstream of the inlet. With this arrangement, the drive system imparts simultaneous reciprocating movement to the ram and the mold plate. The mold plate may cooperate with a knockout assembly where both the mold plate and the knockout assembly are driven through a hydraulic system in a coordinated fashion. The patties may be thus be discharged from the mold plate onto papers which are delivered one at a time for the purpose of forming a paper separated patty stack on a supporting surface. Additionally, the ram, mold plate, and casting are configured so that material is forced through a restricted passage, into a mold-filling chamber, and finally to a patty mold opening.

Patty machine

A mold assembly for molding ribbed food patties in a food patty molding machine of the kind having a mold plate, including at least one mold cavity, sliding reciprocally in surface-to-surface engagement between two closure plates, from a fill position to a discharge position and back to the fill position. In the mold assembly, a series of rib-forming channels, each of uniform cross-sectional shape, are formed in the mold plate engaging surface of one closure plate, each channel receiving a close-fitting complementary rib-forming projection on the engaged mold plate surface. The rib-forming channels and projections extend parallel to the path of movement of the mold plate. Supplemental edge rib pockets or projections may be provided in the mold cavity.

Mold assembly for food patty molding machine

A sheet applicator for applying individual thin, flexible sheets of paper or similar material to a series of relatively thick, flat articles (e.g., hamburger patties) as those articles fall along a defined discharge path terminating at a stacking position, comprising a shuttle with vacuum grippers for transferring each flexible sheet from a transfer position to an application position on the article discharge path, where one of the articles engages the sheet and carries it to the end of the discharge path. The grippers engage at least three peripheral points around the edges of the sheet; the falling article pulls the sheet from the gripper, falling through a central opening in the shuttle. The carriage then returns for the next sheet. A single-sheet feeder applies the sheets to the shuttle in registry with the vacuum grippers.

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Lockport, IL, United States of America

Kenneth F Sandberg