Patent ID: 8770962

Claim:
A molding device for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for human consumption, the molding device comprising: a single rotatable molding drum having a longitudinal axis and axial ends, said drum comprising: a cylindrical drum wall having an outer peripheral cylindrical surface, multiple elongated recesses in the outer peripheral cylindrical surface of said drum wall, said recesses being distributed about the drum wall in peripheral direction and in a direction of rotation of the drum, and each recess extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum, each recess having a base, an end piece at one of the axial ends of the drum, an insert removably received in each of said multiple elongated recesses, said insert having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least a portion of said insert comprising a porous plastic or porous sintered metal forming a porous structure of intercommunicating pores having an opening at lower and upper surfaces of the insert, one or more mold cavities being present in the upper surface of each of the inserts, so that the pores open out in said one or more mold cavities, wherein said mold cavities each define a shape of the product which is to be molded therein, a drive adapted to rotate the drum in a direction of rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof, a mass feed member arranged at a mass feed position along the outer peripheral surface of the single drum and adapted to feed said mass to passing mold cavities, which mass feed member comprises a housing with an inlet side and a drum side which faces the drum, and a through-passage provided in the housing for the mass of foodstuff to pass from an inlet towards an outlet located on the drum side, wherein the mass feed member comprises a flexible plate located at the drum side of the housing, and wherein a pressure medium operated excess-pressure means is arranged between the housing and the flexible plate, said excess-pressure means being adapted to apply a pressure onto said flexible plate to flexibly bear the plate in sealing engagement against the outer peripheral surface of the drum, and a fluid distribution chamber located in the drum between the base of each recess and the lower surface of the insert in said recess, said chamber being in communication with an opening in said end piece of the drum allowing the introduction of pressurized fluid into said chamber, which fluid permeates through the porous structure assisting removal of molded products from the mold cavities of said insert.