| Apparatus and method for forming two component food product -> Monitor Keywords |
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Apparatus and method for forming two component food productRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Processes, Molding, Casting, Or Shaping, Of Animal FleshApparatus and method for forming two component food product description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060240161, Apparatus and method for forming two component food product. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to reciprocating mold plate forming machines for the production of molded food products. Particularly, the invention relates to the molding of elongated molded food products, such as rod-shaped links. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Reciprocal mold plate food patty molding machines are known for the production of elongated food products such as sausages. One example of such a machine is described in Lindee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,591, herein incorporated by reference. Other machines that can be adapted to mold elongated food products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Re. 30,096; 4,054,967; 4,182,003; and 4,768,260, all herein incorporated by reference. [0003] The machine described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,591 includes a food pump for use in pumping a moldable food material under pressure into one end of a fill passage, and a mold tube assembly mounted in alignment with the other end of the fill passage. The mold tube assembly includes a plurality of elongated mold tubes each of given length, each mold tube aligned parallel to a predetermined mold path and each mold tube having a fill opening aligned with the fill passage. [0004] The mechanism further includes a mold rod assembly comprising a front drawbar, a rear drawbar, and guide means that interconnects the drawbars for maintaining the drawbars in fixed spaced relation to each other adjacent opposite ends of the mold tube assembly. Each drawbar extends across the mold path. The mechanism further includes front mold rods, mounted on the front drawbar, each projecting towards the mold tube assembly parallel to the mold path and in alignment with one of the mold tubes; and rear mold rods, mounted on the rear drawbar, each projecting toward the mold tube assembly parallel to the mold path and into one of the mold tubes. The ends of the front and rear mold rods that are aligned with each mold tube are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance "L" less than the length of the mold tube. The mechanism also comprises drive means, connected to the mold rod assembly, for cyclically reciprocally driving the mold rod assembly along the mold path between a fill position and a discharge position. In the fill position, food material flows from the fill passage into each mold tube between the spaced ends of the mold rods to form a rod-shaped food product in each mold tube of length "L". In the discharge position, the ends of both sets of mold rods are clear of the front ends of the mold tubes and each rear mold rod fills the interior of its associated mold tube. [0005] The aforementioned machine is effective at producing rod-shaped food products from a single food product material source. [0006] The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for the production of food products having two materials or components. The present inventors have recognized that such method and apparatus would be particularly useful for molding elongated or rod-shaped food products containing two food components, an outer shell component and an inner filling component. The present inventors have recognized that the products of the method and apparatus could utilize poultry, beef, pork, fish or other meat material for the outer, shell component, and cheese, fruit fillings, stuffing, crab or other ingredients for the inner, filling component. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming molded food products having an outer first component and an inner second component. The apparatus is charged by a pressurized supply of first component and a pressurized supply of second component. One or both of the first and second components is a food product. The food product could be for humans or animals. One or both of the first and second components could also possibly be a medicine, a vitamin supplement, other non-dietary treatment, or a non-edible support or covering. [0008] The apparatus includes a mold housing that extends along a first direction. The apparatus includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an injector portion. The first and second end portions are arranged to be movable along the first direction within the mold housing and arranged to be separated by a pre-selected distance along the first direction. The injector portion is in fluid communication with the supply of pressurized second component. The first and second end portions are arranged to be contained within the mold housing in a fill position to form a mold cavity within the mold housing around the injector portion. The injector portion extends into the cavity along the first direction. [0009] The mold cavity has an inlet in fluid communication with the supply of pressurized first component when in the fill position to receive first component to form a shell having an inside void. The first and second end portions are relatively movable along the first direction with respect to the mold housing and the injector portion. The injector portion provides a pathway for the pressurized second component into the inside void of the shell to fill the inside void with the second component to complete a molded food product. [0010] The first and second end portions are further movable with respect to the mold housing to a discharge position to expose the molded food product outside the mold housing in order to remove the molded food product from between the end portions. [0011] In the preferred embodiment, the mold housing comprises a tube and the first and second end portions comprise end faces of front and rear rods that are fit in sliding fashion within the tube. [0012] In the preferred embodiment, the injector portion comprises an injector tube, the injector tube having an open end extending into the mold cavity. The open end can be closed against the first end portion when the mold cavity is in the fill position and the open end is then exposed within the mold cavity by differential movement between the first end portion and the injector portion. [0013] In the preferred embodiment, a mechanism is provided for moving the first and second end portions along the first direction from the fill position toward the discharge position with respect to the injector tube, the open end relatively moving within the inside void along a reverse direction to the first direction, and after the open end moves a short distance, the inside void then filling along its length with the second component. [0014] In the preferred embodiment, the injector portion is relatively movable with respect to the first and second end portions until the inside void is filled; and a mechanism is provided operatively connected to the injector portion to move the injector portion, after the inside void is filled, with the first and second end portions to the discharge position. [0015] In a refinement of the preferred embodiment, a molding mechanism for molding two component rod-shaped food products includes: [0016] a pump for pumping a shell component under pressure into one end of a fill passage; [0017] a mold tube assembly mounted in alignment with the other end of the fill passage, the mold tube assembly including a plurality of elongated mold tubes each of given length, each mold tube aligned parallel to a predetermined mold path and each mold tube having a fill opening aligned with the fill passage; [0018] a mold rod assembly comprising: [0019] a front drawbar; [0020] a rear drawbar; [0021] guide means, interconnecting the drawbars, for maintaining the drawbars in fixed spaced relation to each other adjacent opposite ends of the mold tube assembly, with each drawbar extending across the mold path; [0022] a set of front mold rods, mounted on the front drawbar, each projecting toward the mold tube assembly parallel to the mold path and in alignment with one of the mold tubes; [0023] a set of rear mold rods, mounted on the rear drawbar, each projecting toward the mold tube assembly parallel to the mold path and into one of the mold tubes; [0024] the ends of the front and rear mold rods aligned with each mold tube being spaced from each other by a predetermined distance L less than the length of the mold tube, and forming a mold cavity of length L within the mold tube; [0025] at least one of the front mold rods or the rear mold rods being hollow and providing an injection path into the cavity; [0026] drive means, connected to the mold rod assembly, for cyclically reciprocally driving the mold rod assembly along the mold path between a fill position, in which shell component flows from the fill passage into each mold tube between the spaced ends of the mold rods to form a shell of length equal to the length L in each mold tube, and the discharge position in which the ends of both sets of mold rods are clear of the front ends of the mold tubes and each rear mold rod fills the interior of its associated mold tube; and [0027] a supply of filler component flowable through the injection path and into the shell. [0028] In a further refinement of this apparatus, an injector tube is arranged within the injection path, and a mechanism for moving the injection tube relatively with respect to the front mold rod, the injector tube positionable in part within the mold cavity to provide a void within the shell when molded, the injector tube having an open end that is exposable within the mold cavity, the injector tube flow connected to the supply of filler component to fill the void with filler component. [0029] A preferred method of the invention for forming a molded food product having a first component surrounding an inner, second component, comprises the steps of: [0030] arranging a mold cavity defined by an outer wall and an inner tube, the inner tube having an open end, and two end wall portions spaced apart and positionable within the outer wall; [0031] filling the mold cavity with a first component forming a shell having an inside void; [0032] relatively retracting the inner tube along a first axis with respect to the mold cavity and filling the inside volume occupied by the inner tube with the second component through the inner tube and out of the inner tube open end to complete the molded food product; and [0033] moving the end wall portions along the first axis to a position wherein the molded food product is outside the outer wall to remove the molded food product. [0034] According to another aspect of the preferred method, the inner tube open end is relatively movable with respect to the end wall portions only to positions at or between the end wall portions. [0035] According to another aspect of the preferred method the outer wall is stationary and the end wall portions are formed on rods which are configured to slide within the outer wall. [0036] According to another aspect of the preferred method, the inner tube is movable with respect to the outer wall. [0037] The invention is particularly adapted to produce an elongated, rod-shaped food product having a first food component on the outside and a second food component on the inside. Alternatively, one or both of the first and second components could also possibly be a medicine, a vitamin supplement, other non-dietary treatment, or a non-edible support or covering. Continue reading about Apparatus and method for forming two component food product... 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