An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, for example from ground meat. The installation comprises a feed pump and a moulding device with a mobile mould member having multiple mould cavities. A mass feed member is arranged at a fill position relative to the path of the mobile mould member, which mass feed member is connected to an outlet of the feed pump. The member has a housing defining an elongated chamber with a longitudinal axis and having a pair of spaced apart long lateral walls, short end walls, and a bottom wall facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould member. The bottom wall is provided with a discharge mouth formed by one or more discharge openings spanning the path of said mould cavities, so that foodstuff mass flows into each row of mould cavities via said discharge mouth. The mass feed member is provided with a single elongated plunger that is slidably received in the chamber, sliding between the lateral walls and the end walls. At least one lateral wall is provided with an introduction mouth formed by one or more introduction openings spanning a major portion of the length of said lateral wall.

The present invention relates to a food product forming apparatus with a food forming member, which comprises a multitude of product cavities and a seal plate which sealingly cooperates with the surface of the mould drum.

A system for forming a product from a food mass. The system includes a mould member having a multitude of cavities, in which the food mass is formed; and a feed channel that feeds the food mass into the multitude of cavities. The system includes an insert to alter the width of an exit of the feed channel. The feed channel includes an upstream edge and an opposing downstream edge, and the insert is connected to the upstream edge. The insert has a straight section that contacts the food mass flowing through the feed channel. The straight section is located downstream of a section of the insert that is tapered. A width of the feed channel in a region of the section of the insert that is tapered is greater than a width of the feed channel in a region of the straight section.

A process of inserting a stick into a meat patty, which is formed in a food product forming apparatus. The process includes inserting the stick at least partially into the meat patty while a drum of the food product forming apparatus rotates and the stick is moved for insertion into the meat patty by an insertion unit. While the stick is inserted into at least one cavity in one of the rows of cavities, another at least one cavity in another one of the rows of cavities is simultaneously filled with the meat patty. The step of inserting the stick takes place during a co-rotational movement of the drum and the insertion unit, while the drum rotates from a filling position to a discharge position.

Moulding device for moulding three-dimensional food products from a mass of foodstuff which can be transferred by pumping, for example a meat mass of minced meat. The device comprises a moulding drum having a peripheral surface containing multiple series of cavities extending in the peripheral direction. The device comprises a mass feed device which is arranged in a filling position with respect to the peripheral surface of the moulding drum. The peripheral surface is embodied as a profiled peripheral surface having a shaping profile. Multiple shoe segments are provided which are arranged next to one another and which have a profiled inner side with a profile which is in meshing engagement with the shaping profile. The shoe segments have freedom of movement with respect to one another, at least in the direction of the rotation axis, in order to each remain individually aligned with respect to the profile of the section with which the inner side of the shoe segment is in meshing engagement.

A rotary molding system configured to mold food products includes a fill plate through which food product is configured to pass, a cylindrical rotatable drum having mold cavities into which the food product is configured to be deposited, and a platen mounted within the drum. The platen has a plurality of passageways configured to be in communication with the mold cavities. Drum roller supports and rollers are provided on the platen. The extends partially outwardly from the platen and are in contact with the drum.

A moulding installation and method for moulding food products from a pumpable foodstuff mass are described. A revolving mould drum is provided with multiple mould cavities and a mass feed member is arranged at a fill position to transfer foodstuff mass into passing mould cavities. The foodstuff mass forms a food product in the mould cavity. A pressurized air food product ejection system includes air ducts in the mould drum that extend to the cavities and at least a portion of the surface delimiting a mould cavity is air permeable. The ejection system further includes a pressurized air source to feed pressurized air at a regulated ejection air pressure thereof to the air ducts. A controller is adapted to input at least one target parameter related to filling of the mould cavities with the foodstuff mass via the mouth of the mass feed member. The controller is adapted to automatically set an ejection air pressure by the pressurized air source on the basis of the inputted target parameter.

A moulding device and a method for moulding food products from a mass of foodstuff which can be transferred by pumping are provided. The device includes a stationary frame with a revolving moulding drum assembly having a peripheral surface in which mould cavities are provided, and a mass feed device including a shoe member with a filling mouth adjoining the peripheral surface of the moulding drum assembly in order to fill said cavities with the foodstuff as they move past. In operation, the pressurized mass of foodstuff introduced into a mould cavity causes an outward force onto said shoe member. A non-revolving component is provided, concentrically supported by the moulding drum assembly, including the shoe member and an interconnected moulding drum assembly engaging counterforce element to counteract the entire outward force exerted by the pressurized foodstuff on the shoe member.

A patty forming machine is configured to mold food products. The machine includes a stripper plate through which food product is configured to pass when the stripper plate is in a fill position, a sensor configured to determine positions of the stripper plate, a movable mold, and a sensor configured to determine positions of the mold. A processor is operatively coupled with the sensors. The processor is configured to receive information from the sensors and to determine when the stripper plate is to be moved from the non-fill position to the fill position relative to a determined position of the mold.

A mould drum with a multitude of product cavities in a multitude of rows. Each cavity has a porous bottom- and/or sidewall. The cavities in one row being connected with a passage, the passage extending parallel to the center-axis of the drum from one front end. A method to clean a mould drum and specifically a mould drum with cavities with a mould cavity wall having at least partially a porous structure particularly with interconnecting pores.