MOULDING FOOD PRODUCTS FROM A PUMPABLE FOODSTUFF MASS

• US 20160374357A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marel Townsend Further Processing B.V.
• Original Assignee: Marel Townsend Further Processing B.V.
• Inventors: LOK, Geert Johannes, KUIJPERS, Mathias Marcellus, Dekker, Thomas Willem, Meulendijks, Johannes Martinus
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0026 Mincing and grinding meat mincing machines B02C18/30
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0069 Pressing and moulding by means of a drum
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 7/0076 Devices for making meat patties

Abstract

An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, for example from ground meat includes a pump having at least one pump chamber, an inlet, and an outlet for the foodstuff mass, a pump drive, a moulding device including a mould member having multiple mould cavities, and a mould member drive for moving the mould member along a path, the path including a fill position of a mould cavity where mass is filled into a mould cavity and a product release position of a mould cavity where a moulded product is released from the mould cavity, a mass feed member having a chamber with an inlet and a discharge mouth facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould member, the mass feed member being adapted to transfer the foodstuff mass into a mould cavity of the mould member in a corresponding mould cavity filling event that is defined by the moment of first flow of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity and the moment wherein the mould cavity has been fully filled and flow of foodstuff mass therein is terminated.

Claims

1-48. -48. (canceled)

49. An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, wherein the installation comprises:

a pump having at least one pump chamber, an inlet, and an outlet for the foodstuff mass;

a pump drive; and

a moulding device, the moulding device comprising;

a frame;

a mould member having multiple mould cavities, each having a filling opening for the introduction of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity, wherein the mould member is movably supported by the frame;

a mould member drive for moving the mould member along a path, said path including a fill position of a mould cavity where foodstuff mass is filled into a mould cavity and a product release position of a mould cavity where a moulded product is released from the mould cavity, wherein the mould member is provided with a pattern of multiple mould cavities with mould cavities at distinct perpendicular axis positions when seen perpendicular to the path of the mould member; and

a mass feed member having a chamber with an inlet for foodstuff mass and said mass feed member being arranged at the fill position along the path of the mould member, said inlet of the mass feed member being connected or adapted to be connected to the outlet of the pump, the mass feed member being adapted to transfer the foodstuff mass into a mould cavity of the mould member,

wherein the mass feed member is provided with an orificed mouth body having an outlet face facing the mould member at the fill position, said orificed mouth body having multiple outlet orifices so that foodstuff mass flows into a mould cavity via multiple outlet orifices,

wherein an orificed grinder body is arranged over the orificed mouth body opposite said outlet face, which orificed grinder body has multiple orifices that connect to said multiple outlet orifices, and wherein said orificed grinder body has a grinding face opposite said orificed mouth body,

wherein the mass feed member is provided with multiple mobile grinder members, each being arranged at a distinct perpendicular axis position when seen perpendicular to the path of the mould member, each mobile grinder member cooperating with the grinding face of the orificed grinder body, and

wherein the installation comprises a grinder drive and associated grinder drive controller adapted to drive the mobile grinder members.

50. The installation according to claim 49, wherein each mobile grinder member is a rotary grinder member that is rotatable about an axis, wherein the rotary grinder member has a central hub joined to a rotary drive shaft and has one or more grinder blades extending from said hub.

51. The installation according to claim 49, wherein the mould member is a mould drum, which mould drum has an outer circumferential drum surface with a curvature and a longitudinal drum rotation axis, the drum being rotatably supported by the frame to revolve about the drum rotation axis, and wherein the mould drum has in the drum surface a pattern of multiple mould cavities, which pattern includes multiple arrays of mould cavities at distinct positions in the longitudinal drum rotation axis, wherein, in each array, multiple mould cavities are arranged at spaced locations in circumferential direction of the drum surface, each mould cavity having a filling opening in the outer circumferential drum surface for the transfer of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity and for the later removal of the moulded product from the mould cavity, and wherein the orificed mouth body has a curved outlet face corresponding to the curvature of a mould drum.

52. The installation according to claim 49, wherein the orificed grinder body is integrated with the orificed mouth body.

53. The installation according to claim 49, wherein the orificed mouth body is provided with a valve which is adapted to open and close orifices in the orificed mouth body independent from operation of the grinder members.

54. The installation according to claim 53, wherein the valve comprises an orificed valve plate that is movable in a plane thereof between an opened and closed position.

55. The installation according to claim 50, wherein each rotary grinder member is mounted on a rotary shaft that extends at right angles to the grinding face, wherein an end of the shaft protrudes from the chamber of the mass feed member, and wherein the protruding shaft end is connected to the grinder drive.

56. The installation according to claim 49, wherein the orificed mouth body comprises a plastic orificed body part that forms the outlet face of the mouth body.

57. The installation according to claim 49, wherein each mobile grinder member has an associated independently controllable grinder drive adapted to independently operate each grinder member.

58. The installation according to claim 49, wherein the mass feed member is provided with multiple orificed grinder bodies, each being arranged at a distinct perpendicular axis position when seen perpendicular to the path of the mould member, said positions each corresponding to the perpendicular axis position of one or more mould cavities of the mould member.

59. An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, wherein the installation comprises:

a pump having at least one pump chamber, an inlet, and an outlet for the foodstuff mass;

a pump drive; and

a moulding device, the moulding device comprising;

frame;

a mould member having multiple mould cavities, each having a filling opening for the introduction of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity, wherein the mould member is movably supported by the frame;

a mould member drive for moving the mould member along a path, said path including a fill position of a mould cavity where mass is filled into a mould cavity and a product release position of a mould cavity where a moulded product is released from the mould cavity, wherein the mobile mould member is provided with a pattern of multiple mould cavities with mould cavities at distinct perpendicular axis positions when seen perpendicular to the path of the mould member; and

a mass feed member, said mass feed member having a chamber with an inlet for foodstuff mass and having a discharge mouth facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould member, said inlet of the mass feed member being connected or adapted to be connected to the outlet of the pump, the mass feed member being adapted to transfer the foodstuff mass into a mould cavity of the mould member,

wherein the mass feed member is provided with multiple grinder devices, each being arranged at a distinct perpendicular axis position when seen perpendicular to the path of the mould member, said positions each corresponding to the perpendicular axis position of a mould cavity,

wherein each grinder device comprises;

an orificed grinder body having multiple orifices and a grinding face;

a mobile grinder member arranged adjacent the grinding face of the grinder body, each mobile grinder member cooperating with the grinding face of the orificed grinder body; and

a grinder drive adapted to move the mobile grinder member, and

wherein a grinder device controller is provided to control operation of the multiple grinder devices.

60. The installation according to claim 59, wherein each mobile grinder member has an associated independently controllable grinder drive adapted to independently operate each mobile grinder member.

61. The installation according to claim 59, wherein the mould member is a mould drum, which mould drum has an outer circumferential drum surface with a curvature and a longitudinal drum rotation axis, the drum being rotatably supported by the frame to revolve about the drum rotation axis, and wherein the mould drum has in the drum surface a pattern of multiple mould cavities, which pattern includes multiple arrays of mould cavities at distinct positions in the longitudinal drum rotation axis, wherein, in each array, multiple mould cavities are arranged at spaced locations in circumferential direction of the drum surface, each mould cavity having a filling opening in the outer circumferential drum surface for the transfer of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity and for the later removal of the moulded product from the mould cavity, and wherein the mass feed member has a discharge mouth body provided with said discharge mouth, said discharge mouth body having a curved outlet face corresponding to the curvature of a mould drum.

62. The installation according to claim 59, wherein each mobile grinder member is a rotary grinder member that is rotatable about an axis, said axis being perpendicular to the grinder face of the orificed grinder body.

63. The installation according to claim 62, wherein the rotary grinder member has a central hub joined to a rotary drive shaft, and has one or more grinder blades extending from said hub.

64. The installation according to claim 59, wherein each grinder device comprises a metal orificed grinder body part that forms the grinding face of the grinder body and a plastic orificed body part that adjoins the metal orificed grinder body part so that orifices therein form a continuation of orifices in said metal orificed grinder body part, said plastic orificed body part forming the mouth of the mass feed member and an outlet face that faces the mobile mould member.

65. An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, wherein the installation comprises:

a pump having at least one pump chamber, an inlet, and an outlet for the foodstuff mass;

a pump drive; and

a moulding device, the moulding device comprising;

a frame;

a mould member having multiple mould cavities, each having a filling opening for the introduction of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity, wherein the mould member is movably supported by the frame;

a mould member drive for moving the mould member along a path, said path including a fill position of a mould cavity where mass is filled into a mould cavity and a product release position of a mould cavity where a moulded product is released from the mould cavity, wherein the mobile mould member is provided with a pattern of multiple mould cavities with mould cavities at distinct perpendicular axis positions when seen perpendicular to the path of the mould member, and

a mass feed member having a chamber with an inlet for foodstuff mass and having a discharge mouth facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould member, said inlet of the mass feed member being connected or adapted to be connected to the outlet of the pump, the mass feed member being adapted to transfer the foodstuff mass into a mould cavity of the mould member,

wherein the mass feed member comprises multiple mass feed member units, each unit comprising;

a housing having a chamber with an inlet for foodstuff mass; and

at least one grinder device adapted to subject the foodstuff mass introduced into said chamber to a grinding action, wherein said grinder device comprises;

an orificed grinder body having multiple orifices between a grinding face of the grinder body and an opposed face of the grinder body; and

a mobile grinder member arranged adjacent the grinding face of the grinder body, each mobile grinder member cooperating with the grinding face of the orificed grinder body.

66. The installation according to claim 65, wherein each unit further comprises a grinder drive adapted to move the mobile grinder member of said unit.

67. The installation according to claim 65, wherein each unit is provided with an independently controllable grinder drive adapted to move the mobile grinder member of said unit, and wherein said grinder drive of a unit comprises an electrical motor which is mounted to said housing of the unit.

68. The installation according to claim 65, wherein the mass feed member comprises a main carrier body provided with a longitudinal mounting structure for the multiple units.

69. The installation according to claim 65, wherein the mass feed member comprises a main carrier body provided with a longitudinal mounting slot in which said multiple units are releasably secured, and wherein the mass feed member is provided with one or more spacer members that are each mounted between adjacent units.

70. An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, wherein the installation comprises:

a pump having at least one pump chamber, an inlet, and an outlet for the foodstuff mass;

a pump drive; and

a moulding device, the moulding device comprising;

a frame;

a mould member having multiple mould cavities, each having a filling opening for the introduction of foodstuff mass into the mould cavity, wherein the mould member is movably supported by the frame;

a mould member drive for moving the mould member along a path, said path including a fill position of a mould cavity where mass is filled into a mould cavity and a product release position of a mould cavity where a moulded product is released from the mould cavity; and

a mass feed member having a chamber with an inlet for foodstuff mass and having a discharge mouth facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould member, said inlet of the mass feed member being connected or adapted to be connected to the outlet of the pump, the mass feed member being adapted to transfer the foodstuff mass into a mould cavity of the mould member,

wherein the mass feed member is provided with at least one grinder device adapted to subject the foodstuff mass to a grinding action,

wherein said grinder device comprises;

an orificed grinder body having multiple orifices and a grinding face;

a mobile grinder member arranged adjacent the grinding face of the grinder body, each mobile grinder member cooperating with the grinding face of the orificed grinder body;

a grinder drive adapted to move the mobile grinder member; and

a grinder device controller adapted to control operation of the grinder device, and

wherein the orificed grinder body comprises a metal or ceramic orificed grinder body part that forms the grinding face of the grinder body, which grinder body part adjoins a plastic orificed mouth body so that said orifices therein form a continuation of orifices in said metal or ceramic orificed grinder body part, said plastic orificed mouth body forming an outlet face that faces the mobile mould member.