Patent GB-1502026-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for forming a shaped comestible
IPC: A22C7/00
Filed: 1975-12-24
Abstract: 1502026 Moulding a comestible with lubrication DCA FOOD INDUSTRIES Inc 24 Dec 1975 52769/75 Heading B5A A comestible is shaped at a forming station from a foodstuff slurry by supplying slurry to a forming cavity within a forming plate, the cavity and cast slurry being coated with a combination release and gelling agent, and the plate is then moved to a release station where the formed comestible is removed from the cavity. General operation.-Foodstuff slurry (e.g. fish, shrimp, beef or chicken particles mixed with a gel-forming substance such as sodium alginate) is supplied from a hopper 38 (Fig. 1) to a drum 72 rotatable to allow measured volumes of slurry to be fed by a piston/cylinder 44 through a feed pipe 108. At the forming station 34, the slurry with release/gelling agent from weirs 166, 172, is forced into a plurality of cavities within a forming plate 80, to shape fish cakes, chicken legs, fantail shrimps, egg rolls or crinkle cut shapes. The plate 80 is then moved by piston/cylinders 112 to a release station 36 where a plurality of plungers 138 are lowered to push the comestibles P out of the cavities on to a conveyer belt 210. The operation is continuous and is controlled pneumatically (or electrically). Slurry feed and forming plate.-Augers within hopper 38 feed slurry through the T-channels 94/96/98 (see Fig. 2) of the drum 72 into the piston/cylinder 44. The drum 72 is rotatable within a housing 78, to blank off channel 94 while aligning channels 96, 98 with the cylinder 44 and a feed pipe 108. Rotation is effected by the linkages 68/70 (Fig. 1) moved by the pistonrod 66 of a cylinder 54. The rod 66 carries members 76a, 76b that actuate the arms 73a, 73b of a spool valve 73 controlling movement of the feed piston 58 (Fig. 2) of cylinder 44. Piston 58 is moved by a rod 56 and cylinder 62 to draw slurry S into, and force it through the feed pipe 108, out of, the cylinder 44, while actuating limit switches 104, 105. Feed pipe 108 leads slurry S into distributing plates 120/128 (see Fig. 4) and thence into the cavities 110 of mould plate 80. The slurry can be compressed within the cavities 110 by adjusting the stroke of feed piston 58 (Fig. 2). The plate 80 includes a plurality of fish-shaped cavities 110 (see Fig. 6) and is of constant thickness, or is wedge-shaped towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the plate to define chicken legs 110a (see Fig. 9). The plate 80 can slide along support rods 86 when moved by pistons/cylinders 116/118/112/  114, between terminal positions detected by a limit switch 132b (Fig. 4) for placing of the cavities 110 in the forming station, and a limit switch 136b for aligning the cavities with the release plungers 138. Release/gelling agent.-The weirs 166/172 (Figs. 4 and 1) are kept filled with agent (e.g. calcium chloride) which continuously spills over on to the forming plate 80. As the plate 80 moves to the left, agent is pushed into the cavities 110 to coat their perimeters and a supporting base-plate 130. The food slurry surface is coated as the plate 80 moves to the right. The agent aids release of the comestible from the cavities 110, and also causes the gelforming content to surface gel and act as a skin. A bead of agent forms along the plate 80 as it slides between plates 128, 130, to prevent escape of slurry. Excess agent is collected in a trough 180 (Fig. 1) and fed through particle screens 184/186 into the tank 190 for pumping back to the weirs. Releasing station.-A plurality of metal or plastics punches 134 (Fig. 4), having the same or different configuration to the forming cavities 110, slide on a pole 146 when moved by a pistonrod 160 of a cylinder 162. A cam plate 148 operates limit switches 154/152/150. The punches move into the cavities for release of the comestibles, which are collected by the conveyer 210 moving at the same speed as plate 80 in case of premature release of the comestibles. Cycle of operation.-With the punches 134 raised, the plate 80 to the extreme left and full of slurry, and the foodstuff piston 58 to the left, a main switch to an airline is thrown (see (248) in Fig. 11, not reproduced) to actuate a valve and thence cylinders 112/114 to move the plate 80 to the right. The right limit switch 136b supplies a pulse of air to the punch cylinder 162, which lowers the punches 134 for article ejection. The lowest punch limit switch 150 feeds air to the punch cylinder 162, for raising the punches again. The middle punch limit switch 152 sends air to the right hand end of the drum cylinder 54 (Fig. 1) to move piston-rod 66 to the left and so rotate the drum 72 anticlockwise (from position shown in Fig. 2). The following operation of arm 73b by rod member 76b, actuates spool valve 73 to send air to the feed cylinder 62 (Fig. 2), which pushes the foodstuff piston 58 to the right to force slurry along feed pipe 108. Meanwhile, the uppermost punch limit switch 154 (Fig. 4) sends an air pulse to cylinders 112/114 to move plate 80 to the left into the forming station to receive the slurry. Foodstuff piston 58 then operates limit switch 105 (Fig. 2) that sends air to the drum cylinder 54 for rotating the drum 72 clockwise back to the Fig. 2 position. The rod 76a (Fig. 1) operates the spool valve arm 73a to send air to cylinder 62 (Fig. 2) to move the piston 58 to the left and draw slurry S from the hopper into the cylinder 44. The operation is then repeated. A pneumatic control circuit is described (see Fig. 11, not reproduced).