Abstract: A small, lightweight, three-wheel two-passenger automotive vehicle has a rigid, open main box frame of tubular steel formed by two spaced side rails joined by front and rear rails, with a motor mount frame extending forwardly from the main frame; a unitary, one-piece tub of molded, glass fiber reinforced resin fills most of the main frame opening and peripheral flanges on the tub are resiliently mounted on the side rails of the main frame. The bottom of the tub extends below the side rails of the main frame, affording a support floor and side walls for a passenger compartment encompassed by the main frame and also providing a cover or support, or both, for such vehicle components as a hand brake lever, gear shift lever, fuel tank, transmission, etc. A unitary, one-piece body shell of molded, glass fiber reinforced resin is resiliently mounted on the tub and covers the exterior of the main frame; a unitary one-piece fiber glass hood is provided to complete the vehicle body.

Abstract: A predetermined volume of the face part of a segment of boneless fresh whole-muscle meat (e.g. strip loin, tenderloin, top sirloin butt, or ribeye roll) is positioned in engagement with a stop plate and constrained in a first shaping clamp of given cross-sectional configuration and thickness, and an additional part of the meat segment is constrained in a second shaping clamp of approximately the same cross-sectional configuration, with both shaping clamps solidly filled; cutting the meat segment between the two shaping clamps forms a steak or other meat portion of closely controlled volume and weight.

Abstract: A machine for molding hamburger patties and other similar food patties, of the kind incorporating a vacuum-intake plunger-type food pump that pumps food product from a supply hopper into mold cavities in a reciprocating mold plate, is equipped with a hydraulic drive system that drives both the food pump and a pair of feed screws that impel the food product toward the pump intake. The feed screws axes are approximately parallel to the direction of travel of the plunger and the outlet end of the feed screws is enclosed to preclude reverse movement of food product from the food pump into the supply hopper at the beginning of the pumping stroke; rotation of the feed screws is timed to coincide with the intake stroke of the pump in an arrangement that can be made to compensate for variations in pumped volume of the food product. A single hydraulic pump provides both a low-pressure hydraulic supply for plunger advance and a high-pressure hydraulic supply for plunger retraction and feed screw rotation.

Abstract: A mold cover covering one side of a movable mold plate slidably mounted between the mold cover and a base and connecting the mold to a food pump, comprising a thick, rigid cover plate mounted on the pump, a thinner fill plate removably mounted on the cover plate in tight surface-mating engagement with the cover plate and in sliding surface-mating engagement with the mold plate, the fill plate and the cover plate having aligned apertures affording a continuous fill passage from the pump to the mold plate, and a relief channel in one of the mating surfaces of the cover plate and the fill plate, the relief channel encompassing the fill passage but not being connected thereto, for receiving excess food product forced between the cover plate and the fill plate to thereby prevent such excess food product from deflecting the fill plate to bind against the mold plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for molding food patties, utilizing a pump with a tall, narrow, elongated pump chamber, an outlet port extending along one edge of the chamber, and a wide access port at one side of the chamber. A supply of hamburger or other poor-flowing food product is maintained in a position completely blocking the pump access chamber and can be drawn into the chamber by rapidly withdrawing a plunger from the chamber past the access port. A hydraulic drive powers the plunger, in synchronism with a mold plate cyclically moving into and out of a fill position beneath the outlet port; the hydraulic drive causes the plunger to pump food out of the pump chamber and into mold cavities in the mold plate under a constant pressure, with the hydraulic pumps of the drive cut off immediately following filling of the molds.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interleaving frozen food patties with sheets of protective material (e.g., paper), in which at least a spot of an edible "adhesive" material adheres each protective sheet to a patty. In one embodiment, a spot of a true adhesive (e.g., honey, sugar solution, etc.) is applied to a protective sheet that is subsequently moved into engagement with a frozen food patty. In another embodiment, at least a spot of an edible heat-activated adhesive material at the interface between a protective sheet and a frozen patty is activated by heat applied through the protective sheet. In this instance, the adhesive may be a separate material which is applied to either the protective sheet or the food patty; on the other hand, the adhesive may comprise moisture in the surface portion of the patty.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A high speed food patty molding machine, for manufacturing hamburger patties or other molded food products, comprising two large piston pumps operating in overlapping alternation to feed moldable food material continuously to a manifold that in turn feeds a cyclic molding mechanism. The molding mechanism need not operate synchronously with the pumps; the volumetric capacity of each pump is several times larger than the volume of meat or other moldable feed material required to fulfill a molding cycle. The pressure of the food feed is adjustable for different product requirements. The molding mechanism includes an elevator system for raising the complete mold assembly to a changeover position.