Abstract:
A belt drive system for a reciprocating mold plate in a food product molding machine. The invention relates to a belt drive system having a belt tensioning device configured to tension a drive belt of an indexing motion food product molding machine. The invention provides ease of service and/or replacement of components of the drive system. The invention provides a manifold configuration to balance the flow and pressure of the food product over a wide fill area.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/977,878 filed Oct. 28, 2004 which claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. Nos. 60/515,034, 60/515,045 and 60/515,206 filed Oct. 28, 2003. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to a belt drive system for a food product molding machine. The invention provides ease of service and/or replacement of components of the drive system. The invention provides a belt tensioning device configured to tension a drive belt of an indexing motion food product molding machine. The invention provides a manifold configuration to balance the flow and pressure of the food product over a wide fill area.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Before automation, consumers generally formed patties of food product by hand. However, demand (e.g., the fast-food industry) for high-speed and high-volume production of food products led to the development of automated machines configured to provide molded food product. Generally, such machines mold the food product under pressure into patties of various shapes and sizes. A typical application for food product molding machines is in the production of hamburger patties. Yet, the type of food product (e.g., vegetables, meat, fish, etc.) and shape (e.g., rods, patties, etc.) can vary. The molded food products are distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, etc. The demand for high volume, high-speed food product molding machinery continues to grow.  
         [0004]     However, prior art food product molding machines have several drawbacks. For example, known molding machine use hydraulic or mechanical crank systems to reciprocate the lateral back and forth motion of a mold plate from a fill position to a patty discharge position. These hydraulic and mechanical crank systems are cumbersome to install and maintain, and have a limited speed of operation.  
         [0005]     Further for example, with regard to a mold plate drive assembly and connected linkage which drives reciprocation of a mold plate between a fill position and a patty discharge position, the linkage is attached to the mold plate by only a few bolt fasteners that can slip or loosen over an extended operation.  
         [0006]     As can be seen, the present state of the art of drive systems incorporated into food product molding machines has definite shortcomings. Further, the state of the art of mold drive assemblies and mold plate connections in food product molding machines has shortcomings.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a belt drive assembly for a mold plate, comprising a mold plate having a plurality of cavities configured to receive a food product and a mold plate drive assembly coupled to the mold plate. The drive belt rotates in a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction to cause reciprocating movement of the mold plate.  
         [0008]     There is provided a method of driving a mold plate of a food product molding machine between a fill position and a discharge position, the method comprising the acts of operating a motor to rotate a first drive pulley in a first rotational direction; driving a second drive pulley with the first drive pulley to cause a mold plate to slide in a first direction toward a fill position; operating the motor to rotate the first drive pulley in a second direction; driving the second drive pulley with the first drive pulley to cause the mold plate to slide in a second direction toward a discharge position; and repeating the acts of rotating the first drive pulley in the first and second rotational directions to cause cyclic reciprocation of the mold plate between the fill and the discharge positions.  
         [0009]     The present invention further relates to a food product molding machine that includes a mold plate having a plurality of cavities configured to receive a food product; and a mold plate drive assembly coupled to first belt drive cartridge assembly and a second belt drive cartridge assembly, each of which is coupled to one side of the machine. The mold plate drive assembly is configured to drive linear motion of the first and second belt cartridge assemblies, to drive the mold plate between a fill position and a discharge position.  
         [0010]     The present invention relates to a food product molding machine comprising a hopper configured to receive a food product, a plunger assemblies, and an auger assembly configured to supply the food product from the hopper to the pump assembly. The machine further includes a feed chamber/manifold assembly configured to communicate food product under pressure from the pump assembly to a mold plate having a plurality of cavities. The machine further includes a mold plate drive assembly having a first belt drive cartridge assembly and a second belt drive cartridge assembly disposed on each side of the machine that are configured to drive the mold plate in a linear motion. The first and second belt drive cartridges are configured to be quickly and easily installed in and removed from the machine.  
         [0011]     The present invention relates to a food product molding machine comprising a mold plate and a mold plate drive assembly operable to reciprocate the mold plate between a fill position and a discharge position. The machine further includes a drawbar interconnecting the mold plate drive assembly and the mold plate, the drawbar and the mold plate including a keyway aligned to receive a key stock interconnecting the drawbar and the mold plate. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a food product molding machine in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the food product molding machine shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a detailed front view of a mold plate drive belt assembly shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a detailed side elevation view of a mold plate drive belt assembly shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a detailed side view of the mold plate drive belt assembly in  FIG. 1  with a side housing panel removed.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a detailed side view of the mold plate drive belt assembly in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective of the mold plate drive assembly removed from the machine shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a detailed perspective view of a drive cartridge assembly and removable panel of the drive assembly in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a detailed side elevation view of the drive cartridge assembly in  FIG. 7  with the removable panel removed.  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a detailed perspective view of the mold plate, mold plate belt drive mechanism and the drawbar shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 11  is a detailed perspective view of the mold plate and drawbar in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 12  is a detailed side elevation view of the mold plate and drawbar in  FIG. 11 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 13  is a detailed top view of the drawbar in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 14  is a detailed bottom view of the drawbar in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]     The present invention relates to a food product molding machine having a mold plate drive system that includes a mold plate drive belt assembly. The present invention relates to a drawbar configured to move a mold plate in a reciprocating cycle in a food product molding machine.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show one embodiment of the food product molding machine  10  of the present invention. The machine  10  generally includes a frame  12  that supports a food hopper  15  and conveyor assembly  20  configured to deliver a supply of food product to an auger assembly  25 . The auger assembly  25  regulates the supply of the food product to a pump system. The pump system includes a series of plunger assemblies  30  configured to pressurize or force the food product through a feed chamber/manifold assembly  35  and into a series of cavities in a mold plate  50 . The pressure applied by the plunger assemblies  30  regulates the compression of the food product in the cavities of the mold plate  50 . A knockout assembly  55  separates the formed food product or patty from the reciprocating mold plate  50  driven by a mold plate drive assembly  60 .  
         [0028]     A mold plate drive belt system  60  reciprocates the mold plate  50  between a fill position and a discharge position. At the fill position, the mold drive system  60  moves the mold plate  50  in alignment over a fill area of a fill plate that overlies feed chamber/manifold assembly  35  to receive the pressurized food product into the plurality of cavities in the mold plate  50 . A mold cover and a breather plate enclose the cavity of the mold plate  50  when the mold plate  50  is positioned over the fill area in the fill position. After filling the cavities of the mold plate  50  with food product fed under pressure from the feed chamber/manifold assembly  35 , the mold drive system  60  slides the mold plate  50  outward from alignment with the fill area toward the discharge position. At the discharge position, a knockout assembly  55  separates the one or more formed food product patties from the mold plate  50 , typically depositing the formed patties onto an underlying conveyor.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show a detailed front and side view, respectively, of the mold plate drive assembly  60  of the machine  10  of  FIG. 1 . The mold plate drive assembly  60  includes a motor  70  that is coupled to a drive pulley  75  configured to drive rotation of a drive belt  80 . The motor  70  is preferably of a servo motor configured to receive control signals from a controller. Based on the control signals from the controller, the servo motor  70  drives the cyclic reciprocation of the mold plate  50  between the fill position and the discharge position. The motor  70  and the drive pulley  75  are centrally disposed underneath the feed chamber assembly/manifold assembly  35  for ready access for maintenance or repair. The motor  70  is coupled by a mounting bracket  85  to the frame  12  of the machine  10  by a plurality of fasteners (e.g., bolts, screws, welds, etc.). The type of a drive belt  80  can vary.  
         [0030]     The drive pulley  75  drives rotation of a driven pulley  95  via the drive belt  80 . A belt guard  97  encloses the drive belt  80 . The driven pulley  95  is coupled to one end of a first shaft  100  and one end of a second shaft  102  extending laterally toward opposite sides of the machine  10 . The other end of the first shaft  100  is coupled to a first drive cartridge  110  disposed on one side of the machine  10 . The other end of the second shaft  102  is coupled to a second drive cartridge  115  disposed on the opposite side of the machine  10 . Each shaft  100  and  102  includes a series of couplers  120  configured to couple each shaft  100  and  102  to the drive cartridges  110  and  115  and to the driven pulley  95 . The driven pulley  95  and coupled shafts  100  and  102  are supported by a mounting bracket  117  coupled by fasteners to a main assembly plate  118  that is fixedly attached to the frame  12  of the machine  10 .  
         [0031]     As shown in  FIGS. 5, 6 ,  8  and  9 , drive cartridges  110  and  115  are coupled to drive shafts  100  and  102 , respectively, via couplers  120 . The drive pulley  125  is configured to rotationally drive a drive belt  130  of each drive cartridge  110  and  115 . Each drive cartridge  110  and  115  includes a drive belt  130  that wraps around a series of idler pulleys  135 ,  140  and  145  and the drive pulley  125 . The idler pulleys  135 ,  140 , and  145  redirect the rotational drive of the mold plate drive assembly at the drive pulley  125  into lateral motion of the mold plate  50  between a fill position and a discharge position. The number and type of idler pulleys  135 ,  140  and  145  can vary.  
         [0032]     Each drive cartridge  110  and  115  includes a first arm  147  coupled by fasteners to a spacer plates  148  to support the assembly of the drive cartridges  110  and  115  described above. The arm  147  includes openings to couple each drive cartridge  110  and  115  with fasteners to the feed chamber/manifold assembly  35 . The arm  147  generally extends axially in a direction generally parallel to the direction of the travel of the mold plate  50 .  
         [0033]     The ends of the drive belt  130  of each drive cartridge  110  and  115  are coupled by a belt tensioner assembly  150 . The belt tensioner assembly  150  provides tensional force on the belt  130  to hold the belt  130  along the series of idler pulleys  135 ,  140  and  145  and the drive pulley  125 . The belt tensioner assembly  150  of the invention is configured to provide tensioning of the drive belt  130  accurately and quickly.  
         [0034]     The belt tensioner assembly  150  of each drive cartridge  110  and  115  is coupled to a guide rod  152 . The guide rod  152  rides in linear bushings of the arm  147  and guides the linear motion of the belt tensioner assembly  150 . The cross-sectional shape (e.g., square, circular, etc.) of the guide rod  152  can vary. The guide rod  152  is coupled to a drawbar guide  155 . The drawbar guide  155  is configured to couple with a drawbar  160  disposed laterally between the first  110  and the second  115  drive cartridges. The drawbar  160  is coupled to the mold plate  50 .  
         [0035]     Each drive cartridge  110  and  115  includes a housing having a removable panel  170  for ready access to the drive cartridge assemblies  110  and  115 . The drive cartridges  110  and  115  are coupled to the feed chamber/manifold assembly  35  by a series of fasteners through removable panel  170  and openings in arm  147 . The drive cartridges  110  and  115  are disposed on the sides of the machine  10  and configured to be readily removed as an assembly from machine  10  for subsequent disassembly and maintenance.  
         [0036]     In operation, the drive belt  130  in each drive cartridge  110  and  115  is tensioned around the idler pulleys  135 ,  140 , and  145  and the drive pulley  125  by the belt tensioner  150 . A controller (not shown) for the mold plate drive assembly  60  receives signals representative of the position of the mold plate  50 . The controller can be configured to receive various signals from pressure sensors, proximity switches, etc. representative of the pressure of the food product forced in the cavity of the mold plate  50  or the position of the mold plate  50 . The controller provides control signals to the motor  70  to control the directional drive of the pulley  75 . Initially, the motor  70  drives rotation of the drive pulley  75  and attached drive belt  80 , drive shafts  100  and  102 , and drive pulleys  120  in each drive cartridge  110  and  115  in a first rotational direction to cause the drive belt  130  to move the belt tensioner  150 , guide rod  152 , drawbar guide  155 , drawbar  160 , and mold plate  50  to move in a first linear direction toward the fill position of the fill plate. Upon filling of the mold plate cavities with food product to the designated pressure and/or for the designated dwell time, the controller signals the motor  70  to change direction. The motor  70  rotates the drive pulley  75  and attached drive belt  80 , drive shafts  100  and  102 , and drive pulleys  125  in a similar fashion to cause the drive belt  130  to move the belt tensioner  150 , guide rod  152 , drawbar guide  155 , drawbar  160  of each drive cartridge  110  and  115  in a second linear direction such that the mold plate  50  slides away from the fill position and toward a discharge position at the knockout assembly  55 . The knockout assembly  55  discharges or releases the formed food product patties from the cavities of the mold plate  50 . Thereby, the mold plate drive assembly  60  drives cyclic reciprocation of the mold plate  50  between the fill position and the discharge position as described above.  
         [0037]     Referring to  FIG. 10 , a mold plate drive system  60  is coupled to a drawbar  160  that reciprocates the mold plate  50  back and forth in alignment with a fill area of the fill plate to receive the pressurized food product from the plunger assemblies. After filling the cavities, the mold plate drive system  60  slides the mold plate  50  outward from alignment with the fill area, where the knockout assembly  55  discharges the molded food product from the cavity of the mold plate  50 , typically onto an underlying conveyor. The type of mold plate drive assembly  60  (e.g., mechanical linkage, hydraulic, belt drive system, etc.) can vary.  
         [0038]      FIGS. 11 and 12  show detailed views of the drawbar  160  coupled to the mold plate  50 . The drawbar  160  is generally planar and includes a top face  200  and lower face  205 . The top face  200  includes a plurality of keyways or slots  210  extending longitudinally along the length of the drawbar  160 . Each keyway  210  is configured to receive a key stock  215  extending at least the length of the keyway  210 . The key stock  215  is sized such that a portion extends above the top face  200  of the drawbar  160 . In the embodiment shown, the number of keyways  210  and key stocks  215  is two. The number and size of the keyways  210  and key stocks  215  can vary. The composition of the drawbar  160  and key stocks  215  can include any material known by those in the art for use in food processing machinery. The key can be machined from the drawbar solid stock and be made in one piece rather than separate pieces as described above.  
         [0039]     The mold plate  50  includes a plurality of keyways  220  in its underside, which are configured to align with the keyways  210  of the drawbar  160  and receive the extended portion of the interposed key stock  215 . The mold plate  50  and drawbar  160  further include a plurality of openings  230  aligned to receive fasteners  232  coupling the drawbar  160  to the mold plate  50 . The number and types of fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts and nuts, etc.) can vary. The drawbar  160  is coupled to the mold plate drive assembly  60  by a plurality of fasteners inserted through openings  240  similar to those coupling the mold plate  50  and the drawbar  160 . The drive assembly  60  is operable to reciprocate the drawbar  160  and attached mold plate  50  between the fill position and the discharge position.  
         [0040]     As shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the portion of the key stock  215  received in the keyway  210  of the drawbar  160  is greater than the remaining portion of key stock  215  received by the keyway  220  in the mold plate  50 . The portion of the key stock  215  in the drawbar keyway  210  and the mold plate keyway  220  can vary.  
         [0041]     Many variations of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.