Patent ID: 9521853
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: A22C,A23P

Claim Text:
1. A food pump for a patty-forming apparatus comprising: a base platform having an internal frame and external skin portions, the external skin portions including bottom floor panels removeably supported by the internal frame, the removeable bottom floor panels when removed, providing a bottomless base platform to facilitate cleaning of the base platform; a hydraulic cylinder having a housing and a movable cylinder rod, the cylinder rod having at least a partially hollow core; the hydraulic cylinder positioned horizontally and enclosed within a mechanical compartment, the mechanical compartment supported by the internal frame of the patty forming apparatus; a pump plunger configured to compress food material horizontally within a corresponding pump cavity, wherein the hydraulic cylinder drives the pump plunger; a linear displacement sensor affixed to the hydraulic cylinder for sensing and reporting horizontal movement of the cylinder rod during a compression stroke of the pump plunger, wherein said linear displacement sensor comprises: a magnet for influencing a sensing rod; said sensing rod attached to the housing of the hydraulic cylinder and disposed within the at least partially hollow core of the cylinder rod, for generating a position signal; and said position signal corresponding to a position of said cylinder rod, wherein the magnet moves in a horizontal direction, and the linear displacement sensor does not extend outside of the base platform or penetrate the skin portions to facilitate a hygienic configuration of the patty forming apparatus.