Food molding and portioning apparatus

Abstract

A molding and portioning apparatus is intended primarily for processing formable food products into individual portions of uniform shape, size and weight, while doubling output. The apparatus includes first and second spaced hoppers which receive a supply of a food product under a predetermined pressure, and discharge the product through a plurality of outlet openings formed therein. A plurality of pistons are slideably mounted within a plurality of cylinders which communicate with the hoppers and are aligned with and opposite of the outlet openings. Each piston is independently pneumatically biased in the direction of the hoppers under a certain pressure which is less than the predetermined pressure of the product, for generally equalizing the pressure applied to the product at each of the outlet openings. A slide plate is formed with first and second spaced sets of mold cavities which are alignable with the outlet openings of the first and second hoppers, respectively, as the slide plate reciprocates between first and second positions, for receiving and molding the discharged product into the individual portions. Knockout plungers are mounted intermediate the hoppers and reciprocate between retracted and extended positions, so that upon alignment of the first and second sets of filled mold cavities with the plungers when the slide plate is in the second and first positions, respectively, the portions are ejected from the cavities by the plungers and onto a conveyor at a common drop area, which carries the ejected portions to a subsequent step in the processing operation.