Abstract:
A pasta stuffing machine includes a conveyor having mold cups affixed thereto. The mold cups are openable and closeable. A pasta shell is inserted into each mold cup. The conveyor moves the mold cups and pasta shells to a filling station at which a pasta shell filling is inserted within the pasta shell while the mold cup is open. A folding station causes the mold cup to close to fold leaves of the pasta shell on top of one another and around the pasta shell filling. The mold cups are opened downstream of the folding station to allow the pasta shell to exit the mold cup. A rolling station rolls the pasta shell and the pasta shell filling into a final shape.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to a machine and method for the production of filled pasta shells. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Traditionally, foods such as ravioli and tortellini which include a filling or stuffing wrapped in a pasta shell have been made by hand. The production of such stuffed pasta shell products by hand is labor intensive and costly. A machine that automatically fills a pasta shell and folds the shell around the pasta shell filling and rolls the pasta shell and pasta shell filling into a final shape having a traditional appearance appealing to consumers has yet to be developed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,433 discloses an automatic egg roll making machine. A conveyor includes a plurality of conveyor plates which are hinged together. Egg roll skins are fed onto the conveyor by a feeding device which supplies an individually cut section of the egg roll skin onto each conveyor plate. A rotary turntable is located above the conveyor plates and is indexed to drop food stuffing onto the section of egg roll skin as each conveyor plate is beneath an opening in the rotary turntable. The food stuffing is dropped onto the section of egg roll skin at a location where the egg roll skin overlies a mold cup. The mold cup is-pivotally supported on the conveyor plate at a position below the conveyor plate by a hinge rod that is transverse to the conveying direction of the conveyor. Each conveyor plate also includes side folding plates that are pivotally mounted. The food stuffing is dropped onto the egg roll skin and compacted into the mold cup. The side folding plates are pivoted to fold opposing side corners in the egg roll skin. The mold cup is then pivoted from below the conveyor plate to above the conveyor plate to begin the rolling of the food stuffing. A bonding agent is sprayed on the exposed area of the egg roll skin and two rollers roll the egg roll into a final shape. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the invention provides a machine and method for forming a filled pasta shell into a final shape having a traditional appearance pleasing to consumers. 
     A machine for filling a pasta shell according to a first aspect of the invention includes a conveyor having at least one mold cup that is openable and closeable and affixed to the conveyor, a filling station at which a pasta shell filling is inserted within the pasta shell while the mold cup is open, a folding station that causes the mold cup to close to thereby fold leaves of the pasta shell on top of one another and around the pasta shell filling, the mold cup opening downstream the folding station to allow the pasta shell to exit the mold cup, and a rolling station that rolls the pasta shell and pasta shell filling after being removed from the mold cup into a final shape. 
     A machine for handling a flexible food product according to another aspect of the invention includes a conveyor, a mold cup attached to the conveyor, the mold cup including first and second cup halves that are openable to receive a filling, and a folding station that causes the first and second mold cup halves to fold leaves of the flexible food product over the filling to form a folded, filled food product, the first and second cup halves opening following folding of the leaves to release the folded, filled food product. 
     A method for filling a pasta shell according to another aspect of the invention includes conveying a pasta shell within a mold cup to a filling station, filling the pasta shell with a pasta shell filling, and closing the mold cup to fold leaves of the pasta shell around the pasta shell filling. 
     These and other aspects of the invention will be described in or apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a pasta stuffing machine according to one preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of a pasta stuffing machine according to another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of a mold cup according to one preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a mold cup in the opened and closed positions according to one preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an assembly view of a mold cup according to one preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mold cup half according to one preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a pasta stuffing machine according to another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a pasta shell according to one preferred embodiment of the invention prior to insertion of a pasta shell filling; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the pasta shell including a filling with leaves of the pasta shell folded on top of one another and around the filling according to one preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the pasta shell including a filling with leaves of the pasta shell folded on top of one another and around the filling according to one preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1A, a pasta stuffing machine according to one preferred embodiment of the invention includes a conveyor, e.g., an endless conveyor  10 , and mold cups  20  that are openably and closeably affixed to the conveyor  10 . The mold cups  20  are spaced apart on the conveyor  10 , preferably at regular intervals. The speed of the conveyor  10  can be adjustable. 
     A pasta shell is placed into each mold cup  20 . The pasta shells may be placed in the mold cups  20  by hand or automatically. The pasta shells may be uncooked, pre-cooked, or made fresh. The pasta shells are pliable and fit into the mold cups  20 . The conveyor  10  is indexed, by a cam for example, to sequentially move each mold cup  20  to a filling station  30 . A hopper  31  at the filling station  30  fills the pasta shell in the mold cup  20  with a pasta shell filling starting from the bottom of the pasta shell and continuing in an upward direction. The hopper  31  dispenses a predetermined amount of pasta shell filling into each pasta shell. Filling the pasta shell from bottom eliminates air entrapment between the pasta shell and the pasta shell filling. The pasta shell filling may be a mixture of cheeses, meat, vegetables or combinations thereof. 
     The conveyor  10  moves the mold cup  20  with the filled pasta shell to a folding station  40 . At the folding station  40 , rotatable forming rolls  41  engage the mold cup  20  to close the mold cup  20 . When the mold cup  20  is closed, outer edges or leaves of the pasta shell are folded on top of one another and the pasta shell filling instantly holds the folded leaves of the pasta shell into a shape that approximates a shape of the final product. The rotatable forming rolls  41  may be mounted so that the distance between their rotation axes is adjustable. The forming rolls  41  may also be placed along the conveyor  10  in a staggered or offset relationship to better ensure that the pasta shell leaves are folded on top of one another by closing one mold cup half before the other mold cup half. 
     Referring to FIG. 1B, the folding station  40 ′ may include cams  42  that engage the mold cup  20  to close the mold cup  20 . The cams  42  may be mounted so that the distance between them is adjustable. The cams  42  may also be placed along the conveyor  10  in a staggered or offset relationship to better ensure that the pasta shell leaves are folded on top of one another by closing one mold cup half before the other mold cup half. Although the cams  42  have been shown as positioned above the conveyor  10 , it should be appreciated that the cams may be placed below the conveyor. 
     When the conveyor  10  moves the mold cup  20  past the folding station  40 , the mold cup  20  returns to the open position. The folded, filled pasta shell  60  is removed from the open mold cup  20  and is placed on a lower conveyor  70 . The lower conveyor  70  moves the filled pasta shell  60  to a rolling station  50 . The rolling station  50  includes an adjustable plate  51  above the lower conveyor  70  to roll the filled pasta shell  60  to ensure it is closed and properly shaped into the final product. As shown in FIG. 6, the rolling station  50 ′ may include a top conveyor  52  above the lower conveyor  70  to roll the folded, filled pasta shell  60 . The position and speed of the top conveyor  52  can be adjustable. 
     The filled pasta shells  60  exit the rolling station  50  and are removed from the lower conveyor  70  ready for freezing and packaging. The folded, filled pasta shells  60  may be laid on trays that are placed in a freezer once the tray is full of filled pasta shells or the lower conveyor may deliver the filled past shells directly into a freezer. 
     Although only one conveyor is shown in FIG. 1, it should be appreciated that multiple conveyors may be provided to increase the production capacity of the pasta stuffing machine. It should also be appreciated that the multiple conveyors may deliver the filled pasta shells to a single rolling station or multiple rolling stations. Although only one hopper  31  is shown at the filling station  30  in FIG. 1, it should be appreciated that multiple hoppers may be provided along the conveyor and the conveyor may be indexed to move each mold cup to each hopper of the filling station. Each hopper of the filling station may dispense a different pasta shell filling into each pasta shell to form a filled pasta shell having a plurality of pasta shell fillings. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the mold cup  20  includes, for example, mold cup halves  21  and  22  hinged together by a pin  23 . The pin  23  extends through a connector  24 . As shown in FIG. 3, the connector  24  is fastened to the conveyor  10  by fasteners  25 . The mold cup halves  21  and  22  pivot around the pin  23  from an open position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 3, to a closed position, shown in dotted lines in FIG.  3 . The forming rolls  41  or cams  42  of the folding station engage or otherwise cause the mold cup halves  21  and  22  to pivot from the open position to the closed position. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a spring  90  may be provided over the pin  23 . One end  91  of the spring  90  may engage mold cup half  21  and another end  92  of the spring  90  may engage mold cup half  22 . When the forming rolls  41  or cams  42  cause the mold cup halves  21  and  22  to close, the spring ends  91  and  92  are displaced. After the mold cup  20  exits the folding station  40  or  40 ′, the spring ends  91  and  92  return the mold cup halves  21  and  22  to the open position. Although a single torsion spring has been shown, it should be appreciated that a plurality of springs may be provided. It should also be appreciated that other types of springs, such as, for example, a leaf spring or springs, may be used to engage the mold cup halves. 
     Although the mold cup halves  21  and  22  are shown connected by the pin  23 , it should be appreciated that the mold cup halves  21  and  22  may be connected by any structure that allows the cup halves  21  and  22  to pivot relative to each other about an axis. For example, the cup halves  21  and  22  may be formed of a single plastic piece and pivot about an integrally formed living hinge so that the cup halves can fold the leaves of the food product being processed. Moreover, the mold cup halves  21  and  22  can simply bend with respect to one another in order to open and close the mold cup  20 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, each mold cup half  21  and  22  includes a recess  26  and  27 , respectively. The recesses  26  and  27  fit around the connector  24  and the pin  23  fastens the mold cup halves  21  and  22  to the connector  24 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, each mold cup half has sloped side surfaces  28 . When the mold cup  20  is in the closed position, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3, the sloped side surfaces  28  fold the leaves or outer edges of the pasta shell around the pasta shell filling and on top of one another to form the filled pasta shell  60 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pasta shell  80  includes leaves  81  and  82 . A pasta shell filling  83  is inserted in the pasta shell  80  when the pasta shell  80  is placed in the mold cup  20  and the conveyor  10  moves the mold cup  20  to the filling station  30 . After the pasta shell filling  83  is inserted in the pasta shell  80 , the mold cup  20  is moved to the folding station  40 . When the mold cup  20  is closed at the folding station  40 , the leaves  81  and  82  of the pasta shell  80  are folded around the pasta shell filling  83  and the leaf  82  is folded over the leaf  81  to form the folded, filled pasta shell  60 . The pasta shell filling  83  assists in holding together the folded leaves  81  and  82 . 
     As shown in FIG. 9, when the leaves  81  and  82  of the pasta shell  80  are folded around the pasta shell filling, the ends  84  and  85  of the folded, filled pasta shell  60  remain open to allow for expansion or contraction of the pasta shell filling  83 . Although the folded, filled pasta shell has been shown as having open ends, it should be appreciated that each leaf  81 ,  82  may have a clam shell like shape so that ends of the folded, filled pasta shell  60  are substantially closed when the leaves  81 ,  82  are folded on top of one another. This embodiment could be used where expansion and contraction of the pasta shell filling are not involved. It should also be appreciated that the leaves  81  and  82  may be folded around the pasta shell filling  83  without being folded on top of one another. 
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.