Abstract: An apparatus for forming viscous flowable material, such as meat and food, into specific shapes such as meatballs and cylindrical fillings for egg rolls. The apparatus includes a container having side walls and a curved pressure plate positioned between the side walls. A rotor is located between the side walls and it has a rim facing the curved, adjustable pressure plate so that the rim and the pressure plate converge in the direction of rotation of the rotor to define a flow channel of decreasing volume for the viscous flowable material. A motor is provided to rotate the rotor in the direction of convergence with the adjustable pressure plate. Scrapers are carried by the rotor to force the viscous material flow into the channel toward the convergence of the rotor and the pressure plate to compress the viscous flowable material. A mold cavity is provided located relative to the rotor rim and the pressure plate to receive the viscous flowable material from the flow channel.

Abstract: Ground beef at 28.degree.-31.degree. F. ground to pass through 3/32-1/8 inch grinder outlet openings is spread laterally and sheeted on a moving conveyor belt to a desired patty thickness with minimum pressure and working. The sheet passes under an endless track of transversally extending bars having a pattern of hexagonal cells cooperatively formed in their outer faces. The bars are mounted to chains which are entrained about sprockets that are driven to match the surface speed of the sheet conveyor. Intermediate the longitudinal extent of the lower run of the track of cutter bars, the cutters are gradually cammed down to abutment with the sheet conveyor, and gradually out of the sheet. At the downstream end, the hexagonal patties move over a fluidized bed-type transfer plate onto a take away conveyor, e.g. into a blast freezer, as a narrow selvage at both lateral margins drop away for recycling.

Abstract: A meat patty molding machine having a base plate with an opening therethrough and a fill plate rotatably mounted in the base plate opening. A meat feeder forces meat up through openings in the fill plate. A mold plate defines a disk-shaped mold cavity and is mounted to move laterally between a fill position with its disk-shaped mold cavity in communication with the fill plate and a patty discharge position with the disk-shaped mold cavity away from the fill plate. A drive means rotates the fill plate relative to the mold plate, and the fill plate is rotated relative to a stationary cutting blade which is biased against the fill plate by substantial pressure to cut meat fibers at the upstream surface of the fill plate during filling.

Abstract: A co-forming apparatus for molding dual-ingredient food patties in a molding machine of the kind having a mold plate disposed intermediate two mold covers and driven cyclically between a fill position and a discharge position; first and second food ingredients are pumped through first and second fill passages, in one or both mold covers, into separate parts of a mold cavity in the mold plate when that plate is in its fill position. A tubular separator piston in the second fill passage moves into and out of the mold cavity, in synchronism with the cyclic mold plate movement, to maintain separation between the first and second parts of the mold cavity during filling.

Abstract: A meat patty molding machine having a base plate with an opening therethrough and a fill plate rotatably mounted in the base plate opening. A meat feeder forces meat up through openings in the fill plate. A mold plate defines a disk-shaped mold cavity and is mounted to move laterally between a fill position with its disk-shaped mold cavity in communication with the fill plate and a patty discharge position with the disk-shaped mold cavity away from the fill plate. A drive means rotates the fill plate relative to the mold plate, and the fill plate rotated relative to a stationary cutting blade positioned to cut meat fibers at the upstream surface of the fill plate during filling. By forming the patty while rotating the fill plate relative to the remainder of the mold, a meat patty is formed having longitudinal strands of meat disposed in a substantially circular pattern around the patty axis.