Abstract: Loose meat such as crabmeat is formed into lumps by pushing the loose meat upwardly into mold cavities while simultaneously pushing air and moisture through holes in back walls of the cavities, and while a releasable seal is effected around the mold cavities. The mold cavities are displaced to an ejecting station where pressurized air is supplied through the holes to eject meat lumps from the cavities. Diffusers in the holes diffuse the case into dispersed air streams which act against the back of each meat lump. After the meat lumps have been ejected, pressurized air at a higher pressure is directed through the diffusers to clean meat from the diffusers.

Abstract: A machine to form lump-type crab meat from smaller particles of cooked crabmeat by extruding the same under pressure from a cylinder having a discharge nozzle adjoining a die plate having one or more contoured cavities in a flat face thereof and movable past said nozzle to receive compressed crab meat particles in compact congealed condition for molding into a desired configuration resembling natural lump-type commercial crab meat. A knife member on a slide shears the molded lump of crab meat from the extrusion end of the discharge nozzle and sealing means on it prevent appreciable escape of natural juices of the crab meat from the molded lumps, and ejecting plungers having contoured ends form part of the molding surfaces of the die cavities and are reciprocable to eject the molded lumps when the die plate is moved to clear the die cavities from said discharge nozzle.